What if you'd held GLD?
A $1,000 investment in SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) at the month-end close of 2004-11 would be worth $9,172 at the close of 2026-08 — +817.2% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $6,567.
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 2004
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | $1,000 | — |
| 2005 | $1,178 | +17.8% |
| 2006 | $1,443 | +22.5% |
| 2007 | $1,883 | +30.5% |
| 2008 | $1,975 | +4.9% |
| 2009 | $2,450 | +24.0% |
| 2010 | $3,167 | +29.3% |
| 2011 | $3,470 | +9.6% |
| 2012 | $3,699 | +6.6% |
| 2013 | $2,651 | -28.3% |
| 2014 | $2,593 | -2.2% |
| 2015 | $2,316 | -10.7% |
| 2016 | $2,503 | +8.0% |
| 2017 | $2,823 | +12.8% |
| 2018 | $2,768 | -1.9% |
| 2019 | $3,263 | +17.9% |
| 2020 | $4,072 | +24.8% |
| 2021 | $3,903 | -4.1% |
| 2022 | $3,873 | -0.8% |
| 2023 | $4,365 | +12.7% |
| 2024 | $5,528 | +26.7% |
| 2025 | $9,048 | +63.7% |
| 2026 | $9,448 | +4.4% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought GLD was 2005-05 ($41.65): $1,000 then is $9,936 today. The worst was 2026-02 ($484): $1,000 then is $855.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in GLD be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) at the start of 2004 would be worth about $9,172 today, a total return of +817.2%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for GLD?
SPDR Gold Shares (GLD)'s strongest calendar year since 2004 was 2025, a +63.7% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,637 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2013, at -28.3%.
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 GLD have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2004-11 would have grown to about $94,566 on $26,200 invested.
Did GLD beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $6,567. GLD beat the S&P 500 by +39.7% 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
SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) historical total-return data from 2004-11 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.