What if you'd held CAT?
A $1,000 investment in Caterpillar, Inc. (CAT) at the month-end close of 1962-01 would be worth $1.65M at the close of 2026-08 — +165112.6% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $111,969.
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. Click any year for the full story.
Every year, $1,000 from 1962
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | $1,000 | — |
| 1963 | $1,321 | +32.1% |
| 1964 | $2,323 | +75.9% |
| 1965 | $2,870 | +23.5% |
| 1966 | $2,078 | -27.6% |
| 1967 | $2,646 | +27.3% |
| 1968 | $2,720 | +2.8% |
| 1969 | $2,718 | -0.1% |
| 1970 | $2,735 | +0.6% |
| 1971 | $3,022 | +10.5% |
| 1972 | $4,254 | +40.8% |
| 1973 | $4,286 | +0.8% |
| 1974 | $3,102 | -27.6% |
| 1975 | $4,462 | +43.8% |
| 1976 | $5,566 | +24.7% |
| 1977 | $5,265 | -5.4% |
| 1978 | $5,638 | +7.1% |
| 1979 | $5,182 | -8.1% |
| 1980 | $5,566 | +7.4% |
| 1981 | $5,325 | -4.3% |
| 1982 | $4,069 | -23.6% |
| 1983 | $4,957 | +21.8% |
| 1984 | $3,349 | -32.4% |
| 1985 | $4,607 | +37.6% |
| 1986 | $4,453 | -3.3% |
| 1987 | $6,950 | +56.1% |
| 1988 | $7,221 | +3.9% |
| 1989 | $6,698 | -7.2% |
| 1990 | $5,570 | -16.8% |
| 1991 | $5,334 | -4.2% |
| 1992 | $6,601 | +23.7% |
| 1993 | $11,054 | +67.5% |
| 1994 | $13,811 | +24.9% |
| 1995 | $15,022 | +8.8% |
| 1996 | $19,692 | +31.1% |
| 1997 | $25,857 | +31.3% |
| 1998 | $25,067 | -3.1% |
| 1999 | $26,239 | +4.7% |
| 2000 | $27,321 | +4.1% |
| 2001 | $31,052 | +13.7% |
| 2002 | $28,020 | -9.8% |
| 2003 | $52,158 | +86.2% |
| 2004 | $62,453 | +19.7% |
| 2005 | $75,367 | +20.7% |
| 2006 | $81,289 | +7.9% |
| 2007 | $97,939 | +20.5% |
| 2008 | $61,894 | -36.8% |
| 2009 | $82,453 | +33.2% |
| 2010 | $138,961 | +68.5% |
| 2011 | $136,941 | -1.5% |
| 2012 | $139,126 | +1.6% |
| 2013 | $143,885 | +3.4% |
| 2014 | $148,887 | +3.5% |
| 2015 | $114,681 | -23.0% |
| 2016 | $162,970 | +42.1% |
| 2017 | $285,252 | +75.0% |
| 2018 | $235,167 | -17.6% |
| 2019 | $281,056 | +19.5% |
| 2020 | $356,846 | +27.0% |
| 2021 | $413,777 | +16.0% |
| 2022 | $490,735 | +18.6% |
| 2023 | $618,074 | +25.9% |
| 2024 | $770,484 | +24.7% |
| 2025 | $1.24M | +60.3% |
| 2026 | $1.77M | +43.3% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought CAT was 1962-09 ($0.39): $1,000 then is $2.12M today. The worst was 2026-06 ($1,063): $1,000 then is $768.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in CAT be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Caterpillar, Inc. (CAT) at the start of 1962 would be worth about $1.65M today, a total return of +165112.6%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for CAT?
Caterpillar, Inc. (CAT)'s strongest calendar year since 1962 was 2003, a +86.2% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,862 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -36.8%.
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 CAT have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1962-01 would have grown to about $21.63M on $77,600 invested.
Did CAT beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $111,969. CAT beat the S&P 500 by +1375.5% 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
Caterpillar, Inc. (CAT) historical total-return data from 1962-01 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.