What if you'd held HTLD?
A $1,000 investment in Heartland Express, Inc. (HTLD) at the month-end close of 1986-11 would be worth $47,434 at the close of 2026-08 — +4643.4% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $30,928.
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 1986
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | $1,000 | — |
| 1987 | $678 | -32.2% |
| 1988 | $1,152 | +69.9% |
| 1989 | $1,744 | +51.4% |
| 1990 | $2,100 | +20.4% |
| 1991 | $3,806 | +81.2% |
| 1992 | $7,073 | +85.8% |
| 1993 | $6,343 | -10.3% |
| 1994 | $7,689 | +21.2% |
| 1995 | $7,775 | +1.1% |
| 1996 | $14,398 | +85.2% |
| 1997 | $15,872 | +10.2% |
| 1998 | $10,336 | -34.9% |
| 1999 | $9,301 | -10.0% |
| 2000 | $13,474 | +44.9% |
| 2001 | $20,502 | +52.2% |
| 2002 | $26,671 | +30.1% |
| 2003 | $28,208 | +5.8% |
| 2004 | $39,446 | +39.8% |
| 2005 | $35,765 | -9.3% |
| 2006 | $35,464 | -0.8% |
| 2007 | $37,657 | +6.2% |
| 2008 | $42,076 | +11.7% |
| 2009 | $40,993 | -2.6% |
| 2010 | $46,135 | +12.5% |
| 2011 | $41,374 | -10.3% |
| 2012 | $41,062 | -0.8% |
| 2013 | $61,972 | +50.9% |
| 2014 | $85,609 | +38.1% |
| 2015 | $54,156 | -36.7% |
| 2016 | $65,052 | +20.1% |
| 2017 | $74,851 | +15.1% |
| 2018 | $58,924 | -21.3% |
| 2019 | $68,052 | +15.5% |
| 2020 | $58,765 | -13.6% |
| 2021 | $56,478 | -3.9% |
| 2022 | $51,792 | -8.3% |
| 2023 | $48,405 | -6.5% |
| 2024 | $38,346 | -20.8% |
| 2025 | $31,142 | -18.8% |
| 2026 | $43,824 | +40.7% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought HTLD was 1987-11 ($0.18): $1,000 then is $71,152 today. The worst was 2014-12 ($24.74): $1,000 then is $512.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in HTLD be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Heartland Express, Inc. (HTLD) at the start of 1986 would be worth about $47,434 today, a total return of +4643.4%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for HTLD?
Heartland Express, Inc. (HTLD)'s strongest calendar year since 1986 was 1992, a +85.8% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,858 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2015, at -36.7%.
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 HTLD have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1986-11 would have grown to about $284,694 on $47,800 invested.
Did HTLD beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $30,928. HTLD beat the S&P 500 by +53.4% 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
Heartland Express, Inc. (HTLD) historical total-return data from 1986-11 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.