What if you'd held FT?
A $1,000 investment in Franklin Universal Trust (FT) at the month-end close of 1988-09 would be worth $18,241 at the close of 2026-08 — +1724.1% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $28,348.
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 1988
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | $1,000 | — |
| 1989 | $1,012 | +1.2% |
| 1990 | $764 | -24.5% |
| 1991 | $1,221 | +59.9% |
| 1992 | $1,499 | +22.7% |
| 1993 | $1,762 | +17.5% |
| 1994 | $1,672 | -5.1% |
| 1995 | $2,141 | +28.1% |
| 1996 | $2,382 | +11.3% |
| 1997 | $2,942 | +23.5% |
| 1998 | $3,097 | +5.3% |
| 1999 | $2,389 | -22.9% |
| 2000 | $2,915 | +22.0% |
| 2001 | $3,504 | +20.2% |
| 2002 | $2,448 | -30.1% |
| 2003 | $3,010 | +23.0% |
| 2004 | $3,321 | +10.3% |
| 2005 | $3,633 | +9.4% |
| 2006 | $4,384 | +20.7% |
| 2007 | $4,667 | +6.4% |
| 2008 | $2,762 | -40.8% |
| 2009 | $4,706 | +70.4% |
| 2010 | $5,535 | +17.6% |
| 2011 | $6,277 | +13.4% |
| 2012 | $7,027 | +11.9% |
| 2013 | $7,370 | +4.9% |
| 2014 | $8,100 | +9.9% |
| 2015 | $7,036 | -13.1% |
| 2016 | $8,783 | +24.8% |
| 2017 | $9,946 | +13.2% |
| 2018 | $9,333 | -6.2% |
| 2019 | $12,058 | +29.2% |
| 2020 | $12,270 | +1.8% |
| 2021 | $14,759 | +20.3% |
| 2022 | $12,691 | -14.0% |
| 2023 | $13,530 | +6.6% |
| 2024 | $16,022 | +18.4% |
| 2025 | $18,752 | +17.0% |
| 2026 | $19,173 | +2.2% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought FT was 1990-09 ($0.31): $1,000 then is $25,752 today. The worst was 2026-04 ($8.08): $1,000 then is $975.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in FT be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Franklin Universal Trust (FT) at the start of 1988 would be worth about $18,241 today, a total return of +1724.1%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for FT?
Franklin Universal Trust (FT)'s strongest calendar year since 1988 was 2009, a +70.4% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,704 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -40.8%.
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 FT have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1988-09 would have grown to about $278,485 on $45,600 invested.
Did FT beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $28,348. FT trailed the S&P 500 by +35.7% 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
Franklin Universal Trust (FT) historical total-return data from 1988-09 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.