What if you'd held NVO?
A $1,000 investment in Novo Nordisk A/S (NVO) at the month-end close of 1981-04 would be worth $564,763 at the close of 2026-08 — +56376.3% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $58,038.
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 1981
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | $1,000 | — |
| 1982 | $1,102 | +10.2% |
| 1983 | $1,414 | +28.2% |
| 1984 | $603 | -57.3% |
| 1985 | $753 | +24.9% |
| 1986 | $852 | +13.1% |
| 1987 | $560 | -34.2% |
| 1988 | $1,034 | +84.7% |
| 1989 | $1,352 | +30.8% |
| 1990 | $1,706 | +26.2% |
| 1991 | $2,468 | +44.7% |
| 1992 | $2,465 | -0.1% |
| 1993 | $2,766 | +12.2% |
| 1994 | $2,683 | -3.0% |
| 1995 | $3,901 | +45.4% |
| 1996 | $5,390 | +38.2% |
| 1997 | $8,362 | +55.1% |
| 1998 | $7,749 | -7.3% |
| 1999 | $7,593 | -2.0% |
| 2000 | $10,535 | +38.7% |
| 2001 | $12,030 | +14.2% |
| 2002 | $8,754 | -27.2% |
| 2003 | $12,603 | +44.0% |
| 2004 | $16,968 | +34.6% |
| 2005 | $17,861 | +5.3% |
| 2006 | $26,980 | +51.0% |
| 2007 | $42,460 | +57.4% |
| 2008 | $34,085 | -19.7% |
| 2009 | $43,282 | +27.0% |
| 2010 | $77,690 | +79.5% |
| 2011 | $80,731 | +3.9% |
| 2012 | $116,323 | +44.1% |
| 2013 | $134,246 | +15.4% |
| 2014 | $156,621 | +16.7% |
| 2015 | $218,318 | +39.4% |
| 2016 | $138,491 | -36.6% |
| 2017 | $213,588 | +54.2% |
| 2018 | $187,708 | -12.1% |
| 2019 | $241,586 | +28.7% |
| 2020 | $297,956 | +23.3% |
| 2021 | $487,213 | +63.5% |
| 2022 | $597,602 | +22.7% |
| 2023 | $925,329 | +54.8% |
| 2024 | $777,875 | -15.9% |
| 2025 | $472,788 | -39.2% |
| 2026 | $453,463 | -4.1% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought NVO was 1984-10 ($0.06): $1,000 then is $815,439 today. The worst was 2024-06 ($132): $1,000 then is $353.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in NVO be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Novo Nordisk A/S (NVO) at the start of 1981 would be worth about $564,763 today, a total return of +56376.3%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for NVO?
Novo Nordisk A/S (NVO)'s strongest calendar year since 1981 was 1988, a +84.7% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,847 by year-end. Its weakest year was 1984, at -57.3%.
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 NVO have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1981-04 would have grown to about $7.38M on $54,500 invested.
Did NVO beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $58,038. NVO beat the S&P 500 by +873.1% 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
Novo Nordisk A/S (NVO) historical total-return data from 1981-04 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.