What if you'd held RGLD?
A $1,000 investment in Royal Gold, Inc. (RGLD) at the month-end close of 1981-06 would be worth $126,004 at the close of 2026-08 — +12500.4% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $58,745.
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 | $1,080 | +8.0% |
| 1983 | $1,900 | +75.9% |
| 1984 | $1,240 | -34.7% |
| 1985 | $480 | -61.3% |
| 1986 | $460 | -4.2% |
| 1987 | $540 | +17.4% |
| 1988 | $440 | -18.5% |
| 1989 | $260 | -40.9% |
| 1990 | $59.99 | -76.9% |
| 1991 | $4.99 | -91.7% |
| 1992 | $500 | +9918.8% |
| 1993 | $1,370 | +174.0% |
| 1994 | $1,300 | -5.1% |
| 1995 | $1,260 | -3.1% |
| 1996 | $2,140 | +69.8% |
| 1997 | $760 | -64.5% |
| 1998 | $580 | -23.7% |
| 1999 | $580 | 0.0% |
| 2000 | $469 | -19.2% |
| 2001 | $856 | +82.8% |
| 2002 | $4,145 | +383.9% |
| 2003 | $3,496 | -15.7% |
| 2004 | $3,068 | -12.2% |
| 2005 | $5,903 | +92.4% |
| 2006 | $6,159 | +4.3% |
| 2007 | $5,269 | -14.4% |
| 2008 | $8,586 | +62.9% |
| 2009 | $8,276 | -3.6% |
| 2010 | $9,655 | +16.7% |
| 2011 | $12,010 | +24.4% |
| 2012 | $14,604 | +21.6% |
| 2013 | $8,426 | -42.3% |
| 2014 | $11,616 | +37.9% |
| 2015 | $6,837 | -41.1% |
| 2016 | $12,080 | +76.7% |
| 2017 | $15,863 | +31.3% |
| 2018 | $16,741 | +5.5% |
| 2019 | $24,152 | +44.3% |
| 2020 | $21,223 | -12.1% |
| 2021 | $21,231 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | $23,038 | +8.5% |
| 2023 | $25,041 | +8.7% |
| 2024 | $27,642 | +10.4% |
| 2025 | $47,110 | +70.4% |
| 2026 | $52,922 | +12.3% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought RGLD was 1991-12 ($0.02): $1,000 then is $10.6M today. The worst was 2026-02 ($299): $1,000 then is $831.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in RGLD be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Royal Gold, Inc. (RGLD) at the start of 1981 would be worth about $126,004 today, a total return of +12500.4%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for RGLD?
Royal Gold, Inc. (RGLD)'s strongest calendar year since 1981 was 1992, a +9918.8% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $100,188 by year-end. Its weakest year was 1991, at -91.7%.
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 RGLD have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1981-06 would have grown to about $8.52M on $54,300 invested.
Did RGLD beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $58,745. RGLD beat the S&P 500 by +114.5% 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
Royal Gold, Inc. (RGLD) historical total-return data from 1981-06 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.