What if you'd held KLAC?
A $1,000 investment in KLA Corporation (KLAC) at the month-end close of 1980-10 would be worth $2.88M at the close of 2026-08 — +288007.7% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $60,469.
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 | $578 | -42.2% |
| 1982 | $1,203 | +108.2% |
| 1983 | $3,249 | +170.0% |
| 1984 | $3,140 | -3.3% |
| 1985 | $4,312 | +37.3% |
| 1986 | $2,554 | -40.8% |
| 1987 | $2,578 | +1.0% |
| 1988 | $2,203 | -14.5% |
| 1989 | $1,641 | -25.5% |
| 1990 | $1,641 | 0.0% |
| 1991 | $2,086 | +27.1% |
| 1992 | $2,296 | +10.1% |
| 1993 | $5,202 | +126.5% |
| 1994 | $9,186 | +76.6% |
| 1995 | $9,771 | +6.4% |
| 1996 | $13,310 | +36.2% |
| 1997 | $14,482 | +8.8% |
| 1998 | $16,262 | +12.3% |
| 1999 | $41,758 | +156.8% |
| 2000 | $25,260 | -39.5% |
| 2001 | $37,163 | +47.1% |
| 2002 | $26,522 | -28.6% |
| 2003 | $43,897 | +65.5% |
| 2004 | $34,928 | -20.4% |
| 2005 | $37,282 | +6.7% |
| 2006 | $37,983 | +1.9% |
| 2007 | $37,147 | -2.2% |
| 2008 | $17,156 | -53.8% |
| 2009 | $29,150 | +69.9% |
| 2010 | $31,934 | +9.6% |
| 2011 | $41,011 | +28.4% |
| 2012 | $41,858 | +2.1% |
| 2013 | $58,163 | +39.0% |
| 2014 | $81,113 | +39.5% |
| 2015 | $82,760 | +2.0% |
| 2016 | $96,784 | +16.9% |
| 2017 | $132,405 | +36.8% |
| 2018 | $115,868 | -12.5% |
| 2019 | $236,358 | +104.0% |
| 2020 | $349,672 | +47.9% |
| 2021 | $587,614 | +68.0% |
| 2022 | $521,810 | -11.2% |
| 2023 | $814,280 | +56.0% |
| 2024 | $890,515 | +9.4% |
| 2025 | $1.73M | +94.5% |
| 2026 | $2.68M | +54.7% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought KLAC was 1981-10 ($0.04): $1,000 then is $4.77M today. The worst was 2026-06 ($301): $1,000 then is $621.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in KLAC be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in KLA Corporation (KLAC) at the start of 1980 would be worth about $2.88M today, a total return of +288007.7%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for KLAC?
KLA Corporation (KLAC)'s strongest calendar year since 1980 was 1983, a +170.0% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,700 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -53.8%.
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 KLAC have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1980-10 would have grown to about $27.31M on $55,100 invested.
Did KLAC beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $60,469. KLAC beat the S&P 500 by +4664.6% 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
KLA Corporation (KLAC) historical total-return data from 1980-10 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.