What if you'd held MSA?
A $1,000 investment in MSA Safety Incorporated (MSA) at the month-end close of 1973-02 would be worth $545,908 at the close of 2026-08 — +54490.8% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $69,018.
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 1973
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | $1,000 | — |
| 1974 | $588 | -41.2% |
| 1975 | $1,175 | +100.0% |
| 1976 | $1,616 | +37.5% |
| 1977 | $2,436 | +50.7% |
| 1978 | $2,555 | +4.9% |
| 1979 | $4,109 | +60.9% |
| 1980 | $6,692 | +62.9% |
| 1981 | $5,578 | -16.6% |
| 1982 | $4,962 | -11.0% |
| 1983 | $5,166 | +4.1% |
| 1984 | $5,986 | +15.9% |
| 1985 | $9,393 | +56.9% |
| 1986 | $7,986 | -15.0% |
| 1987 | $5,986 | -25.0% |
| 1988 | $9,981 | +66.7% |
| 1989 | $13,265 | +32.9% |
| 1990 | $11,882 | -10.4% |
| 1991 | $10,635 | -10.5% |
| 1992 | $9,900 | -6.9% |
| 1993 | $10,645 | +7.5% |
| 1994 | $11,592 | +8.9% |
| 1995 | $12,645 | +9.1% |
| 1996 | $14,351 | +13.5% |
| 1997 | $18,014 | +25.5% |
| 1998 | $19,910 | +10.5% |
| 1999 | $18,336 | -7.9% |
| 2000 | $22,000 | +20.0% |
| 2001 | $35,806 | +62.8% |
| 2002 | $29,256 | -18.3% |
| 2003 | $79,104 | +170.4% |
| 2004 | $153,085 | +93.5% |
| 2005 | $110,673 | -27.7% |
| 2006 | $114,024 | +3.0% |
| 2007 | $164,445 | +44.2% |
| 2008 | $77,929 | -52.6% |
| 2009 | $90,081 | +15.6% |
| 2010 | $109,848 | +21.9% |
| 2011 | $120,559 | +9.8% |
| 2012 | $160,100 | +32.8% |
| 2013 | $196,630 | +22.8% |
| 2014 | $208,607 | +6.1% |
| 2015 | $175,564 | -15.8% |
| 2016 | $287,555 | +63.8% |
| 2017 | $327,735 | +14.0% |
| 2018 | $405,109 | +23.6% |
| 2019 | $551,370 | +36.1% |
| 2020 | $660,479 | +19.8% |
| 2021 | $674,630 | +2.1% |
| 2022 | $653,384 | -3.1% |
| 2023 | $774,412 | +18.5% |
| 2024 | $768,938 | -0.7% |
| 2025 | $752,488 | -2.1% |
| 2026 | $897,773 | +19.3% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought MSA was 1974-09 ($0.12): $1,000 then is $1.61M today. The worst was 2026-02 ($194): $1,000 then is $975.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in MSA be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in MSA Safety Incorporated (MSA) at the start of 1973 would be worth about $545,908 today, a total return of +54490.8%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for MSA?
MSA Safety Incorporated (MSA)'s strongest calendar year since 1973 was 2003, a +170.4% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,704 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -52.6%.
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 MSA have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1973-02 would have grown to about $7.97M on $64,300 invested.
Did MSA beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $69,018. MSA beat the S&P 500 by +691.0% 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
MSA Safety Incorporated (MSA) historical total-return data from 1973-02 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.