What if you'd held KMX?
A $1,000 investment in CarMax Inc (KMX) at the month-end close of 1997-02 would be worth $5,858 at the close of 2026-08 — +485.8% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $9,747.
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 1997
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | $1,000 | — |
| 1998 | $597 | -40.3% |
| 1999 | $257 | -57.0% |
| 2000 | $438 | +70.3% |
| 2001 | $2,527 | +477.5% |
| 2002 | $1,987 | -21.4% |
| 2003 | $3,437 | +73.0% |
| 2004 | $3,450 | +0.4% |
| 2005 | $3,076 | -10.9% |
| 2006 | $5,959 | +93.8% |
| 2007 | $4,389 | -26.3% |
| 2008 | $1,751 | -60.1% |
| 2009 | $5,389 | +207.7% |
| 2010 | $7,084 | +31.5% |
| 2011 | $6,773 | -4.4% |
| 2012 | $8,342 | +23.2% |
| 2013 | $10,449 | +25.3% |
| 2014 | $14,796 | +41.6% |
| 2015 | $11,993 | -18.9% |
| 2016 | $14,309 | +19.3% |
| 2017 | $14,251 | -0.4% |
| 2018 | $13,940 | -2.2% |
| 2019 | $19,482 | +39.8% |
| 2020 | $20,991 | +7.7% |
| 2021 | $28,940 | +37.9% |
| 2022 | $13,531 | -53.2% |
| 2023 | $17,053 | +26.0% |
| 2024 | $18,169 | +6.5% |
| 2025 | $8,587 | -52.7% |
| 2026 | $13,100 | +52.6% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought KMX was 2000-01 ($0.78): $1,000 then is $75,480 today. The worst was 2021-11 ($141): $1,000 then is $417.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in KMX be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in CarMax Inc (KMX) at the start of 1997 would be worth about $5,858 today, a total return of +485.8%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for KMX?
CarMax Inc (KMX)'s strongest calendar year since 1997 was 2001, a +477.5% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $5,775 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -60.1%.
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 KMX have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1997-02 would have grown to about $192,299 on $35,500 invested.
Did KMX beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $9,747. KMX trailed the S&P 500 by +39.9% 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
CarMax Inc (KMX) historical total-return data from 1997-02 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.