What if you'd held GOOGL?
A $1,000 investment in Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) at the month-end close of 2004-08 would be worth $135,717 at the close of 2026-08 — +13471.7% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $6,980.
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 2004
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | $1,000 | — |
| 2005 | $2,153 | +115.3% |
| 2006 | $2,389 | +11.0% |
| 2007 | $3,588 | +50.2% |
| 2008 | $1,596 | -55.5% |
| 2009 | $3,218 | +101.6% |
| 2010 | $3,082 | -4.2% |
| 2011 | $3,351 | +8.8% |
| 2012 | $3,672 | +9.6% |
| 2013 | $5,816 | +58.4% |
| 2014 | $5,502 | -5.4% |
| 2015 | $8,067 | +46.6% |
| 2016 | $8,215 | +1.8% |
| 2017 | $10,923 | +33.0% |
| 2018 | $10,835 | -0.8% |
| 2019 | $13,887 | +28.2% |
| 2020 | $18,172 | +30.9% |
| 2021 | $30,038 | +65.3% |
| 2022 | $18,295 | -39.1% |
| 2023 | $28,967 | +58.3% |
| 2024 | $39,397 | +36.0% |
| 2025 | $65,395 | +66.0% |
| 2026 | $72,117 | +10.3% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought GOOGL was 2004-08 ($2.54): $1,000 then is $135,717 today. The worst was 2026-04 ($385): $1,000 then is $896.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in GOOGL be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) at the start of 2004 would be worth about $135,717 today, a total return of +13471.7%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for GOOGL?
Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL)'s strongest calendar year since 2004 was 2005, a +115.3% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,153 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -55.5%.
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 GOOGL have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2004-08 would have grown to about $448,509 on $26,500 invested.
Did GOOGL beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $6,980. GOOGL beat the S&P 500 by +1844.3% 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
Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) historical total-return data from 2004-08 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.