What if you'd held KEX?
A $1,000 investment in Kirby Corporation (KEX) at the month-end close of 1980-03 would be worth $50,628 at the close of 2026-08 — +4962.8% 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 | $1,966 | +96.6% |
| 1982 | $571 | -71.0% |
| 1983 | $435 | -23.8% |
| 1984 | $236 | -45.8% |
| 1985 | $172 | -27.0% |
| 1986 | $172 | 0.0% |
| 1987 | $181 | +5.3% |
| 1988 | $324 | +79.0% |
| 1989 | $704 | +117.0% |
| 1990 | $582 | -17.3% |
| 1991 | $920 | +58.1% |
| 1992 | $967 | +5.1% |
| 1993 | $1,605 | +66.0% |
| 1994 | $1,483 | -7.6% |
| 1995 | $1,220 | -17.7% |
| 1996 | $1,483 | +21.5% |
| 1997 | $1,450 | -2.2% |
| 1998 | $1,497 | +3.2% |
| 1999 | $1,539 | +2.8% |
| 2000 | $1,576 | +2.4% |
| 2001 | $2,068 | +31.2% |
| 2002 | $2,056 | -0.6% |
| 2003 | $2,618 | +27.3% |
| 2004 | $3,331 | +27.2% |
| 2005 | $3,916 | +17.6% |
| 2006 | $5,124 | +30.8% |
| 2007 | $6,978 | +36.2% |
| 2008 | $4,107 | -41.1% |
| 2009 | $5,229 | +27.3% |
| 2010 | $6,613 | +26.5% |
| 2011 | $9,884 | +49.5% |
| 2012 | $9,291 | -6.0% |
| 2013 | $14,900 | +60.4% |
| 2014 | $12,121 | -18.6% |
| 2015 | $7,900 | -34.8% |
| 2016 | $9,983 | +26.4% |
| 2017 | $10,029 | +0.5% |
| 2018 | $10,113 | +0.8% |
| 2019 | $13,441 | +32.9% |
| 2020 | $7,781 | -42.1% |
| 2021 | $8,921 | +14.6% |
| 2022 | $9,661 | +8.3% |
| 2023 | $11,782 | +22.0% |
| 2024 | $15,884 | +34.8% |
| 2025 | $16,541 | +4.1% |
| 2026 | $20,818 | +25.9% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought KEX was 1986-03 ($0.96): $1,000 then is $143,699 today. The worst was 2026-04 ($151): $1,000 then is $921.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in KEX be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Kirby Corporation (KEX) at the start of 1980 would be worth about $50,628 today, a total return of +4962.8%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for KEX?
Kirby Corporation (KEX)'s strongest calendar year since 1980 was 1989, a +117.0% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,170 by year-end. Its weakest year was 1982, at -71.0%.
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 KEX have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1980-03 would have grown to about $1.04M on $55,800 invested.
Did KEX beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $75,502. KEX trailed the S&P 500 by +32.9% 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
Kirby Corporation (KEX) 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.