What if you'd held CRF?
A $1,000 investment in Cornerstone Total Return Fund, Inc. (The) (CRF) at the month-end close of 1987-11 would be worth $11,397 at the close of 2026-08 — +1039.7% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $33,469.
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 1987
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | $1,000 | — |
| 1988 | $1,078 | +7.8% |
| 1989 | $1,266 | +17.5% |
| 1990 | $1,403 | +10.8% |
| 1991 | $1,690 | +20.5% |
| 1992 | $1,806 | +6.9% |
| 1993 | $1,931 | +6.9% |
| 1994 | $1,727 | -10.6% |
| 1995 | $2,028 | +17.4% |
| 1996 | $2,154 | +6.2% |
| 1997 | $2,464 | +14.4% |
| 1998 | $2,590 | +5.1% |
| 1999 | $2,382 | -8.0% |
| 2000 | $2,844 | +19.4% |
| 2001 | $3,050 | +7.2% |
| 2002 | $2,433 | -20.2% |
| 2003 | $4,460 | +83.4% |
| 2004 | $5,033 | +12.8% |
| 2005 | $4,753 | -5.6% |
| 2006 | $7,128 | +50.0% |
| 2007 | $4,050 | -43.2% |
| 2008 | $2,022 | -50.1% |
| 2009 | $3,317 | +64.0% |
| 2010 | $2,945 | -11.2% |
| 2011 | $2,606 | -11.5% |
| 2012 | $2,803 | +7.6% |
| 2013 | $3,747 | +33.7% |
| 2014 | $3,619 | -3.4% |
| 2015 | $3,837 | +6.0% |
| 2016 | $4,246 | +10.6% |
| 2017 | $5,154 | +21.4% |
| 2018 | $4,548 | -11.7% |
| 2019 | $5,540 | +21.8% |
| 2020 | $7,102 | +28.2% |
| 2021 | $9,926 | +39.8% |
| 2022 | $6,280 | -36.7% |
| 2023 | $7,500 | +19.4% |
| 2024 | $10,834 | +44.5% |
| 2025 | $12,189 | +12.5% |
| 2026 | $11,436 | -6.2% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought CRF was 1987-12 ($0.58): $1,000 then is $11,436 today. The worst was 2026-01 ($7.08): $1,000 then is $934.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in CRF be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Cornerstone Total Return Fund, Inc. (The) (CRF) at the start of 1987 would be worth about $11,397 today, a total return of +1039.7%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for CRF?
Cornerstone Total Return Fund, Inc. (The) (CRF)'s strongest calendar year since 1987 was 2003, a +83.4% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,834 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -50.1%.
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 CRF have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1987-11 would have grown to about $185,515 on $46,600 invested.
Did CRF beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $33,469. CRF trailed the S&P 500 by +65.9% 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
Cornerstone Total Return Fund, Inc. (The) (CRF) historical total-return data from 1987-11 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.