What if you'd held CL?
A $1,000 investment in Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL) at the month-end close of 1973-05 would be worth $237,880 at the close of 2026-08 — +23688.0% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $73,444.
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 1973
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | $1,000 | — |
| 1974 | $994 | -0.6% |
| 1975 | $1,212 | +21.9% |
| 1976 | $1,197 | -1.2% |
| 1977 | $976 | -18.5% |
| 1978 | $788 | -19.3% |
| 1979 | $728 | -7.6% |
| 1980 | $800 | +9.8% |
| 1981 | $982 | +22.8% |
| 1982 | $1,230 | +25.2% |
| 1983 | $1,424 | +15.8% |
| 1984 | $1,740 | +22.2% |
| 1985 | $2,406 | +38.3% |
| 1986 | $3,116 | +29.5% |
| 1987 | $3,090 | -0.9% |
| 1988 | $3,833 | +24.1% |
| 1989 | $5,331 | +39.1% |
| 1990 | $6,370 | +19.5% |
| 1991 | $8,663 | +36.0% |
| 1992 | $10,107 | +16.7% |
| 1993 | $11,582 | +14.6% |
| 1994 | $12,087 | +4.4% |
| 1995 | $13,761 | +13.9% |
| 1996 | $18,504 | +34.5% |
| 1997 | $30,003 | +62.1% |
| 1998 | $38,415 | +28.0% |
| 1999 | $54,430 | +41.7% |
| 2000 | $54,669 | +0.4% |
| 2001 | $49,504 | -9.4% |
| 2002 | $45,552 | -8.0% |
| 2003 | $44,194 | -3.0% |
| 2004 | $46,024 | +4.1% |
| 2005 | $50,421 | +9.6% |
| 2006 | $61,278 | +21.5% |
| 2007 | $74,740 | +22.0% |
| 2008 | $67,185 | -10.1% |
| 2009 | $82,582 | +22.9% |
| 2010 | $82,848 | +0.3% |
| 2011 | $97,824 | +18.1% |
| 2012 | $113,412 | +15.9% |
| 2013 | $144,728 | +27.6% |
| 2014 | $156,887 | +8.4% |
| 2015 | $154,436 | -1.6% |
| 2016 | $155,116 | +0.4% |
| 2017 | $182,857 | +17.9% |
| 2018 | $147,764 | -19.2% |
| 2019 | $175,242 | +18.6% |
| 2020 | $222,851 | +27.2% |
| 2021 | $227,490 | +2.1% |
| 2022 | $215,113 | -5.4% |
| 2023 | $223,251 | +3.8% |
| 2024 | $260,236 | +16.6% |
| 2025 | $231,669 | -11.0% |
| 2026 | $271,254 | +17.1% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought CL was 1980-03 ($0.20): $1,000 then is $452,090 today. The worst was 2024-08 ($102): $1,000 then is $894.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in CL be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL) at the start of 1973 would be worth about $237,880 today, a total return of +23688.0%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for CL?
Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL)'s strongest calendar year since 1973 was 1997, a +62.1% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,621 by year-end. Its weakest year was 1978, at -19.3%.
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 CL have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1973-05 would have grown to about $4.57M on $64,000 invested.
Did CL beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $73,444. CL beat the S&P 500 by +223.9% 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
Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL) historical total-return data from 1973-05 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.