What if you'd held KAI?
A $1,000 investment in Kadant Inc (KAI) at the month-end close of 1992-11 would be worth $17,388 at the close of 2026-08 — +1638.8% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $17,869.
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 1992
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | $1,000 | — |
| 1993 | $1,671 | +67.1% |
| 1994 | $1,671 | 0.0% |
| 1995 | $3,553 | +112.6% |
| 1996 | $2,205 | -37.9% |
| 1997 | $2,886 | +30.9% |
| 1998 | $1,687 | -41.5% |
| 1999 | $1,687 | 0.0% |
| 2000 | $814 | -51.7% |
| 2001 | $687 | -15.7% |
| 2002 | $710 | +3.5% |
| 2003 | $1,025 | +44.4% |
| 2004 | $971 | -5.3% |
| 2005 | $876 | -9.8% |
| 2006 | $1,155 | +31.8% |
| 2007 | $1,405 | +21.7% |
| 2008 | $639 | -54.6% |
| 2009 | $756 | +18.4% |
| 2010 | $1,116 | +47.6% |
| 2011 | $1,071 | -4.1% |
| 2012 | $1,256 | +17.2% |
| 2013 | $1,944 | +54.8% |
| 2014 | $2,080 | +7.0% |
| 2015 | $2,008 | -3.5% |
| 2016 | $3,074 | +53.1% |
| 2017 | $5,101 | +66.0% |
| 2018 | $4,176 | -18.1% |
| 2019 | $5,457 | +30.7% |
| 2020 | $7,377 | +35.2% |
| 2021 | $12,130 | +64.4% |
| 2022 | $9,400 | -22.5% |
| 2023 | $14,917 | +58.7% |
| 2024 | $18,436 | +23.6% |
| 2025 | $15,296 | -17.0% |
| 2026 | $16,929 | +10.7% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought KAI was 2009-02 ($7.97): $1,000 then is $39,444 today. The worst was 2024-11 ($410): $1,000 then is $767.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in KAI be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Kadant Inc (KAI) at the start of 1992 would be worth about $17,388 today, a total return of +1638.8%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for KAI?
Kadant Inc (KAI)'s strongest calendar year since 1992 was 1995, a +112.6% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,126 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -54.6%.
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 KAI have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1992-11 would have grown to about $438,973 on $40,600 invested.
Did KAI beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $17,869. KAI trailed the S&P 500 by +2.7% 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
Kadant Inc (KAI) historical total-return data from 1992-11 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.