What if you'd held OLED?
A $1,000 investment in Universal Display Corporation (OLED) at the month-end close of 1996-04 would be worth $19,447 at the close of 2026-08 — +1844.7% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $11,783.
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 1996
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | $1,000 | — |
| 1997 | $808 | -19.2% |
| 1998 | $688 | -14.8% |
| 1999 | $2,929 | +325.5% |
| 2000 | $1,257 | -57.1% |
| 2001 | $1,591 | +26.6% |
| 2002 | $1,379 | -13.4% |
| 2003 | $2,399 | +74.0% |
| 2004 | $1,573 | -34.4% |
| 2005 | $1,838 | +16.8% |
| 2006 | $2,625 | +42.8% |
| 2007 | $3,614 | +37.7% |
| 2008 | $1,653 | -54.3% |
| 2009 | $2,160 | +30.7% |
| 2010 | $5,358 | +148.0% |
| 2011 | $6,414 | +19.7% |
| 2012 | $4,479 | -30.2% |
| 2013 | $6,007 | +34.1% |
| 2014 | $4,853 | -19.2% |
| 2015 | $9,519 | +96.2% |
| 2016 | $9,843 | +3.4% |
| 2017 | $30,216 | +207.0% |
| 2018 | $16,412 | -45.7% |
| 2019 | $36,228 | +120.7% |
| 2020 | $40,543 | +11.9% |
| 2021 | $29,235 | -27.9% |
| 2022 | $19,334 | -33.9% |
| 2023 | $34,537 | +78.6% |
| 2024 | $26,636 | -22.9% |
| 2025 | $21,556 | -19.1% |
| 2026 | $16,146 | -25.1% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought OLED was 1999-09 ($3.22): $1,000 then is $26,876 today. The worst was 2021-03 ($224): $1,000 then is $386.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in OLED be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Universal Display Corporation (OLED) at the start of 1996 would be worth about $19,447 today, a total return of +1844.7%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for OLED?
Universal Display Corporation (OLED)'s strongest calendar year since 1996 was 1999, a +325.5% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $4,255 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2000, at -57.1%.
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 OLED have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1996-04 would have grown to about $216,211 on $36,500 invested.
Did OLED beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $11,783. OLED beat the S&P 500 by +65.0% 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
Universal Display Corporation (OLED) historical total-return data from 1996-04 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.