What if you'd held EL?
A $1,000 investment in Estee Lauder Companies, Inc. (The) (EL) at the month-end close of 1995-11 would be worth $15,009 at the close of 2026-08 — +1400.9% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $12,733.
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 1995
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | $1,000 | — |
| 1996 | $1,471 | +47.1% |
| 1997 | $1,497 | +1.7% |
| 1998 | $2,503 | +67.2% |
| 1999 | $2,966 | +18.5% |
| 2000 | $2,588 | -12.8% |
| 2001 | $1,903 | -26.5% |
| 2002 | $1,583 | -16.8% |
| 2003 | $2,374 | +49.9% |
| 2004 | $2,791 | +17.6% |
| 2005 | $2,065 | -26.0% |
| 2006 | $2,550 | +23.4% |
| 2007 | $2,759 | +8.2% |
| 2008 | $1,998 | -27.6% |
| 2009 | $3,158 | +58.0% |
| 2010 | $5,324 | +68.6% |
| 2011 | $7,481 | +40.5% |
| 2012 | $8,072 | +7.9% |
| 2013 | $10,268 | +27.2% |
| 2014 | $10,510 | +2.3% |
| 2015 | $12,294 | +17.0% |
| 2016 | $10,831 | -11.9% |
| 2017 | $18,270 | +68.7% |
| 2018 | $18,888 | +3.4% |
| 2019 | $30,284 | +60.3% |
| 2020 | $39,302 | +29.8% |
| 2021 | $55,037 | +40.0% |
| 2022 | $37,252 | -32.3% |
| 2023 | $22,302 | -40.1% |
| 2024 | $11,688 | -47.6% |
| 2025 | $16,612 | +42.1% |
| 2026 | $15,657 | -5.8% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought EL was 1995-12 ($6.26): $1,000 then is $15,657 today. The worst was 2021-12 ($345): $1,000 then is $284.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in EL be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Estee Lauder Companies, Inc. (The) (EL) at the start of 1995 would be worth about $15,009 today, a total return of +1400.9%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for EL?
Estee Lauder Companies, Inc. (The) (EL)'s strongest calendar year since 1995 was 2017, a +68.7% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,687 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2024, at -47.6%.
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 EL have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1995-11 would have grown to about $156,106 on $37,000 invested.
Did EL beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $12,733. EL beat the S&P 500 by +17.9% 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
Estee Lauder Companies, Inc. (The) (EL) historical total-return data from 1995-11 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.