What if you'd held NPK?
A $1,000 investment in National Presto Industries, Inc. (NPK) at the month-end close of 1980-03 would be worth $137,046 at the close of 2026-08 — +13604.6% 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 | $1,270 | +27.0% |
| 1982 | $1,912 | +50.5% |
| 1983 | $2,595 | +35.7% |
| 1984 | $2,277 | -12.2% |
| 1985 | $2,709 | +19.0% |
| 1986 | $3,223 | +19.0% |
| 1987 | $2,473 | -23.3% |
| 1988 | $3,230 | +30.6% |
| 1989 | $3,919 | +21.3% |
| 1990 | $4,669 | +19.1% |
| 1991 | $7,466 | +59.9% |
| 1992 | $6,176 | -17.3% |
| 1993 | $5,858 | -5.1% |
| 1994 | $5,101 | -12.9% |
| 1995 | $4,946 | -3.0% |
| 1996 | $4,878 | -1.4% |
| 1997 | $5,446 | +11.6% |
| 1998 | $6,162 | +13.2% |
| 1999 | $5,419 | -12.1% |
| 2000 | $5,000 | -7.7% |
| 2001 | $4,818 | -3.6% |
| 2002 | $5,270 | +9.4% |
| 2003 | $6,696 | +27.1% |
| 2004 | $8,682 | +29.7% |
| 2005 | $8,797 | +1.3% |
| 2006 | $12,439 | +41.4% |
| 2007 | $11,642 | -6.4% |
| 2008 | $18,459 | +58.6% |
| 2009 | $28,574 | +54.8% |
| 2010 | $36,311 | +27.1% |
| 2011 | $27,973 | -23.0% |
| 2012 | $24,041 | -14.1% |
| 2013 | $28,014 | +16.5% |
| 2014 | $21,500 | -23.3% |
| 2015 | $32,696 | +52.1% |
| 2016 | $44,588 | +36.4% |
| 2017 | $43,865 | -1.6% |
| 2018 | $54,797 | +24.9% |
| 2019 | $43,615 | -20.4% |
| 2020 | $46,899 | +7.5% |
| 2021 | $46,047 | -1.8% |
| 2022 | $40,622 | -11.8% |
| 2023 | $50,291 | +23.8% |
| 2024 | $65,351 | +29.9% |
| 2025 | $71,608 | +9.6% |
| 2026 | $100,007 | +39.7% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought NPK was 1980-03 ($1.08): $1,000 then is $137,046 today. The worst was 2026-08 ($148): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in NPK be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in National Presto Industries, Inc. (NPK) at the start of 1980 would be worth about $137,046 today, a total return of +13604.6%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for NPK?
National Presto Industries, Inc. (NPK)'s strongest calendar year since 1980 was 1991, a +59.9% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,599 by year-end. Its weakest year was 1987, at -23.3%.
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 NPK have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1980-03 would have grown to about $1.02M on $55,800 invested.
Did NPK beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $75,502. NPK beat the S&P 500 by +81.5% 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
National Presto Industries, Inc. (NPK) 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.