What if you'd held LEE?
A $1,000 investment in Lee Enterprises, Incorporated (LEE) at the month-end close of 1980-03 would be worth $648 at the close of 2026-08 — -35.2% 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 | $1,258 | +25.8% |
| 1982 | $1,629 | +29.5% |
| 1983 | $2,042 | +25.4% |
| 1984 | $2,215 | +8.4% |
| 1985 | $3,849 | +73.8% |
| 1986 | $4,132 | +7.4% |
| 1987 | $4,254 | +2.9% |
| 1988 | $4,907 | +15.3% |
| 1989 | $5,697 | +16.1% |
| 1990 | $4,748 | -16.6% |
| 1991 | $4,554 | -4.1% |
| 1992 | $6,137 | +34.8% |
| 1993 | $7,233 | +17.9% |
| 1994 | $7,309 | +1.0% |
| 1995 | $9,975 | +36.5% |
| 1996 | $10,311 | +3.4% |
| 1997 | $13,390 | +29.9% |
| 1998 | $14,553 | +8.7% |
| 1999 | $15,068 | +3.5% |
| 2000 | $14,455 | -4.1% |
| 2001 | $17,996 | +24.5% |
| 2002 | $16,910 | -6.0% |
| 2003 | $22,432 | +32.7% |
| 2004 | $24,047 | +7.2% |
| 2005 | $19,594 | -18.5% |
| 2006 | $16,907 | -13.7% |
| 2007 | $8,267 | -51.1% |
| 2008 | $255 | -96.9% |
| 2009 | $2,158 | +746.3% |
| 2010 | $1,530 | -29.1% |
| 2011 | $435 | -71.5% |
| 2012 | $709 | +62.9% |
| 2013 | $2,158 | +204.4% |
| 2014 | $2,289 | +6.1% |
| 2015 | $1,045 | -54.3% |
| 2016 | $1,803 | +72.6% |
| 2017 | $1,461 | -19.0% |
| 2018 | $1,312 | -10.2% |
| 2019 | $883 | -32.7% |
| 2020 | $784 | -11.3% |
| 2021 | $2,148 | +174.1% |
| 2022 | $1,154 | -46.3% |
| 2023 | $489 | -57.6% |
| 2024 | $919 | +87.8% |
| 2025 | $298 | -67.6% |
| 2026 | $509 | +70.8% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought LEE was 2009-03 ($2.80): $1,000 then is $2,921 today. The worst was 2004-11 ($400): $1,000 then is $20.44.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in LEE be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Lee Enterprises, Incorporated (LEE) at the start of 1980 would be worth about $648 today, a total return of -35.2%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for LEE?
Lee Enterprises, Incorporated (LEE)'s strongest calendar year since 1980 was 2009, a +746.3% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $8,463 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -96.9%.
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 LEE have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1980-03 would have grown to about $16,870 on $55,800 invested.
Did LEE beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $75,502. LEE trailed the S&P 500 by +99.1% 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
Lee Enterprises, Incorporated (LEE) 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.