What if you'd held BUSE?
A $1,000 investment in First Busey Corporation (BUSE) at the month-end close of 1998-10 would be worth $2,162 at the close of 2026-08 — +116.2% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $7,016.
Your scenario
Result
If you'd bought $1,000 at the start of each year
Value of $1,000 invested on January 1 of each year, held to 2026-08, dividends included.
Every year, $1,000 from 1998
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | $1,000 | — |
| 1999 | $1,264 | +26.4% |
| 2000 | $1,142 | -9.7% |
| 2001 | $1,262 | +10.6% |
| 2002 | $1,394 | +10.4% |
| 2003 | $1,678 | +20.4% |
| 2004 | $2,000 | +19.2% |
| 2005 | $2,061 | +3.1% |
| 2006 | $2,345 | +13.7% |
| 2007 | $2,094 | -10.7% |
| 2008 | $2,014 | -3.8% |
| 2009 | $451 | -77.6% |
| 2010 | $565 | +25.3% |
| 2011 | $620 | +9.7% |
| 2012 | $606 | -2.3% |
| 2013 | $775 | +27.9% |
| 2014 | $899 | +16.0% |
| 2015 | $981 | +9.1% |
| 2016 | $1,512 | +54.1% |
| 2017 | $1,506 | -0.4% |
| 2018 | $1,266 | -15.9% |
| 2019 | $1,467 | +15.8% |
| 2020 | $1,204 | -17.9% |
| 2021 | $1,574 | +30.7% |
| 2022 | $1,487 | -5.5% |
| 2023 | $1,562 | +5.1% |
| 2024 | $1,543 | -1.2% |
| 2025 | $1,629 | +5.5% |
| 2026 | $2,131 | +30.9% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought BUSE was 2009-11 ($5.40): $1,000 then is $5,600 today. The worst was 2007-01 ($34.27): $1,000 then is $882.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in BUSE be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in First Busey Corporation (BUSE) at the start of 1998 would be worth about $2,162 today, a total return of +116.2%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for BUSE?
First Busey Corporation (BUSE)'s strongest calendar year since 1998 was 2016, a +54.1% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,541 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2009, at -77.6%.
Does the calculator include dividends and splits?
Yes where available. Prices are adjusted for both stock splits and reinvested dividends (total return), the same measure brokerages use.
How much would $100 per month in BUSE have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1998-10 would have grown to about $64,562 on $33,500 invested.
Did BUSE beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $7,016. BUSE trailed the S&P 500 by +69.2% in total return.
Is this investment advice?
No. Wall Street Regrets is an entertainment and education tool. Every number is a historical calculation, not a prediction, and past performance never guarantees future results.
Methodology
First Busey Corporation (BUSE) historical total-return data from 1998-10 to 2026-08, reduced to month-end closes for the tables above.
Returns use adjusted close prices from Yahoo Finance historical data — adjusted for stock splits and reinvested dividends — the same convention used by major brokerages. A "year" scenario invests $1,000 at the prior December's month-end close and values it at the latest available month-end close. Non-USD amounts are converted at historical month-end exchange rates (Yahoo Finance): to USD on the buy date and back to your currency at the latest rate, so the return reflects the currency move as well as the asset.
Month-end resolution means intra-month extremes are not captured in tables; the calculator uses exact trading-day closes where daily data is available. Figures ignore taxes, fees, and the currency effects of non-USD listings. History is not a forecast. Wall Street Regrets is entertainment, not investment advice.
What if you'd held…
Data: adjusted close prices via Yahoo Finance. As of 2026-08. Not financial advice.