What if you'd held LWAY?
A $1,000 investment in Lifeway Foods, Inc. (LWAY) at the month-end close of 1988-12 would be worth $50,688 at the close of 2026-08 — +4968.8% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $27,755.
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 1988
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | $1,000 | — |
| 1989 | $1,500 | +50.0% |
| 1990 | $1,251 | -16.6% |
| 1991 | $1,500 | +19.9% |
| 1992 | $1,000 | -33.3% |
| 1993 | $688 | -31.2% |
| 1994 | $781 | +13.5% |
| 1995 | $937 | +19.9% |
| 1996 | $1,877 | +100.2% |
| 1997 | $4,251 | +126.5% |
| 1998 | $2,000 | -53.0% |
| 1999 | $3,628 | +81.4% |
| 2000 | $2,626 | -27.6% |
| 2001 | $3,377 | +28.6% |
| 2002 | $3,522 | +4.3% |
| 2003 | $6,757 | +91.8% |
| 2004 | $9,144 | +35.3% |
| 2005 | $12,445 | +36.1% |
| 2006 | $18,709 | +50.3% |
| 2007 | $23,670 | +26.5% |
| 2008 | $17,968 | -24.1% |
| 2009 | $23,771 | +32.3% |
| 2010 | $19,109 | -19.6% |
| 2011 | $19,289 | +0.9% |
| 2012 | $17,609 | -8.7% |
| 2013 | $32,348 | +83.7% |
| 2014 | $37,510 | +16.0% |
| 2015 | $22,470 | -40.1% |
| 2016 | $23,300 | +3.7% |
| 2017 | $16,194 | -30.5% |
| 2018 | $3,806 | -76.5% |
| 2019 | $4,028 | +5.9% |
| 2020 | $10,951 | +171.9% |
| 2021 | $9,312 | -15.0% |
| 2022 | $11,235 | +20.7% |
| 2023 | $27,146 | +141.6% |
| 2024 | $50,202 | +84.9% |
| 2025 | $49,049 | -2.3% |
| 2026 | $50,688 | +3.3% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought LWAY was 1994-06 ($0.28): $1,000 then is $90,072 today. The worst was 2026-07 ($30.97): $1,000 then is $809.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in LWAY be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Lifeway Foods, Inc. (LWAY) at the start of 1988 would be worth about $50,688 today, a total return of +4968.8%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for LWAY?
Lifeway Foods, Inc. (LWAY)'s strongest calendar year since 1988 was 2020, a +171.9% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,719 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2018, at -76.5%.
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 LWAY have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1988-12 would have grown to about $672,868 on $45,300 invested.
Did LWAY beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $27,755. LWAY beat the S&P 500 by +82.6% 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
Lifeway Foods, Inc. (LWAY) historical total-return data from 1988-12 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.