What if you'd held HIO?
A $1,000 investment in Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund, Inc. (HIO) at the month-end close of 1993-11 would be worth $5,669 at the close of 2026-08 — +466.9% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $16,692.
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 1993
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | $1,000 | — |
| 1994 | $857 | -14.3% |
| 1995 | $981 | +14.5% |
| 1996 | $1,188 | +21.1% |
| 1997 | $1,426 | +20.1% |
| 1998 | $1,305 | -8.5% |
| 1999 | $1,180 | -9.6% |
| 2000 | $1,345 | +14.0% |
| 2001 | $1,297 | -3.5% |
| 2002 | $1,223 | -5.8% |
| 2003 | $1,536 | +25.6% |
| 2004 | $1,571 | +2.3% |
| 2005 | $1,526 | -2.8% |
| 2006 | $1,851 | +21.2% |
| 2007 | $1,789 | -3.4% |
| 2008 | $1,334 | -25.4% |
| 2009 | $2,273 | +70.4% |
| 2010 | $2,544 | +11.9% |
| 2011 | $2,812 | +10.6% |
| 2012 | $3,176 | +12.9% |
| 2013 | $3,154 | -0.7% |
| 2014 | $3,078 | -2.4% |
| 2015 | $2,928 | -4.9% |
| 2016 | $3,407 | +16.3% |
| 2017 | $3,715 | +9.1% |
| 2018 | $3,437 | -7.5% |
| 2019 | $4,272 | +24.3% |
| 2020 | $4,536 | +6.2% |
| 2021 | $5,118 | +12.8% |
| 2022 | $4,243 | -17.1% |
| 2023 | $4,588 | +8.1% |
| 2024 | $5,219 | +13.8% |
| 2025 | $5,506 | +5.5% |
| 2026 | $5,660 | +2.8% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought HIO was 1994-12 ($0.54): $1,000 then is $6,605 today. The worst was 2026-06 ($3.60): $1,000 then is $988.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in HIO be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund, Inc. (HIO) at the start of 1993 would be worth about $5,669 today, a total return of +466.9%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for HIO?
Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund, Inc. (HIO)'s strongest calendar year since 1993 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 -25.4%.
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 HIO have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1993-11 would have grown to about $113,070 on $39,400 invested.
Did HIO beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $16,692. HIO trailed the S&P 500 by +66.0% 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
Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund, Inc. (HIO) historical total-return data from 1993-11 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.