What if you'd held LUMN?
A $1,000 investment in Lumen Technologies, Inc. (LUMN) at the month-end close of 1980-03 would be worth $26,769 at the close of 2026-08 — +2576.9% 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 | $901 | -9.9% |
| 1982 | $1,150 | +27.6% |
| 1983 | $1,167 | +1.5% |
| 1984 | $1,232 | +5.5% |
| 1985 | $1,798 | +46.0% |
| 1986 | $2,150 | +19.6% |
| 1987 | $2,893 | +34.5% |
| 1988 | $6,781 | +134.4% |
| 1989 | $11,794 | +73.9% |
| 1990 | $10,481 | -11.1% |
| 1991 | $10,262 | -2.1% |
| 1992 | $14,674 | +43.0% |
| 1993 | $13,365 | -8.9% |
| 1994 | $15,489 | +15.9% |
| 1995 | $16,854 | +8.8% |
| 1996 | $16,571 | -1.7% |
| 1997 | $27,013 | +63.0% |
| 1998 | $55,219 | +104.4% |
| 1999 | $58,382 | +5.7% |
| 2000 | $44,330 | -24.1% |
| 2001 | $40,936 | -7.7% |
| 2002 | $36,927 | -9.8% |
| 2003 | $41,279 | +11.8% |
| 2004 | $45,223 | +9.6% |
| 2005 | $42,579 | -5.8% |
| 2006 | $56,429 | +32.5% |
| 2007 | $53,897 | -4.5% |
| 2008 | $37,927 | -29.6% |
| 2009 | $54,991 | +45.0% |
| 2010 | $75,880 | +38.0% |
| 2011 | $65,828 | -13.2% |
| 2012 | $74,455 | +13.1% |
| 2013 | $64,627 | -13.2% |
| 2014 | $85,090 | +31.7% |
| 2015 | $58,000 | -31.8% |
| 2016 | $59,283 | +2.2% |
| 2017 | $46,399 | -21.7% |
| 2018 | $47,322 | +2.0% |
| 2019 | $44,850 | -5.2% |
| 2020 | $36,249 | -19.2% |
| 2021 | $50,322 | +38.8% |
| 2022 | $22,403 | -55.5% |
| 2023 | $7,854 | -64.9% |
| 2024 | $22,790 | +190.2% |
| 2025 | $33,348 | +46.3% |
| 2026 | $26,309 | -21.1% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought LUMN was 1981-09 ($0.19): $1,000 then is $31,598 today. The worst was 2014-10 ($20.50): $1,000 then is $299.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in LUMN be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Lumen Technologies, Inc. (LUMN) at the start of 1980 would be worth about $26,769 today, a total return of +2576.9%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for LUMN?
Lumen Technologies, Inc. (LUMN)'s strongest calendar year since 1980 was 2024, a +190.2% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,902 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2023, at -64.9%.
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 LUMN have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1980-03 would have grown to about $244,500 on $55,800 invested.
Did LUMN beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $75,502. LUMN trailed the S&P 500 by +64.5% 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
Lumen Technologies, Inc. (LUMN) 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.