What if you'd held KELYA?
A $1,000 investment in Kelly Services, Inc. (KELYA) at the month-end close of 1980-03 would be worth $6,168 at the close of 2026-08 — +516.8% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $75,502.
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 1980
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | $1,000 | — |
| 1981 | $1,356 | +35.6% |
| 1982 | $1,431 | +5.5% |
| 1983 | $2,055 | +43.6% |
| 1984 | $1,246 | -39.4% |
| 1985 | $2,685 | +115.5% |
| 1986 | $2,829 | +5.3% |
| 1987 | $3,420 | +20.9% |
| 1988 | $3,296 | -3.6% |
| 1989 | $4,436 | +34.6% |
| 1990 | $3,782 | -14.8% |
| 1991 | $3,710 | -1.9% |
| 1992 | $5,257 | +41.7% |
| 1993 | $4,260 | -19.0% |
| 1994 | $4,329 | +1.6% |
| 1995 | $4,492 | +3.8% |
| 1996 | $4,497 | +0.1% |
| 1997 | $5,146 | +14.4% |
| 1998 | $5,602 | +8.9% |
| 1999 | $4,591 | -18.0% |
| 2000 | $4,503 | -1.9% |
| 2001 | $4,320 | -4.0% |
| 2002 | $4,956 | +14.7% |
| 2003 | $5,823 | +17.5% |
| 2004 | $6,246 | +7.3% |
| 2005 | $5,503 | -11.9% |
| 2006 | $6,174 | +12.2% |
| 2007 | $4,066 | -34.1% |
| 2008 | $2,931 | -27.9% |
| 2009 | $2,688 | -8.3% |
| 2010 | $4,235 | +57.6% |
| 2011 | $3,102 | -26.7% |
| 2012 | $3,622 | +16.7% |
| 2013 | $5,801 | +60.2% |
| 2014 | $4,003 | -31.0% |
| 2015 | $3,845 | -3.9% |
| 2016 | $5,536 | +44.0% |
| 2017 | $6,671 | +20.5% |
| 2018 | $5,072 | -24.0% |
| 2019 | $5,660 | +11.6% |
| 2020 | $5,177 | -8.5% |
| 2021 | $4,243 | -18.0% |
| 2022 | $4,340 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $5,641 | +30.0% |
| 2024 | $3,693 | -34.5% |
| 2025 | $2,392 | -35.2% |
| 2026 | $4,566 | +90.9% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought KELYA was 1980-03 ($2.68): $1,000 then is $6,168 today. The worst was 2018-02 ($26.18): $1,000 then is $631.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in KELYA be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Kelly Services, Inc. (KELYA) at the start of 1980 would be worth about $6,168 today, a total return of +516.8%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for KELYA?
Kelly Services, Inc. (KELYA)'s strongest calendar year since 1980 was 1985, a +115.5% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,155 by year-end. Its weakest year was 1984, at -39.4%.
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 KELYA have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1980-03 would have grown to about $75,702 on $55,800 invested.
Did KELYA beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $75,502. KELYA trailed the S&P 500 by +91.8% 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
Kelly Services, Inc. (KELYA) historical total-return data from 1980-03 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.