What if you'd held RGR?
A $1,000 investment in Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (RGR) at the month-end close of 1973-05 would be worth $475,124 at the close of 2026-08 — +47412.4% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $73,444.
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 | $734 | -26.6% |
| 1975 | $1,234 | +68.1% |
| 1976 | $1,967 | +59.4% |
| 1977 | $2,000 | +1.7% |
| 1978 | $2,266 | +13.3% |
| 1979 | $4,933 | +117.7% |
| 1980 | $3,600 | -27.0% |
| 1981 | $4,734 | +31.5% |
| 1982 | $5,400 | +14.1% |
| 1983 | $8,400 | +55.6% |
| 1984 | $6,134 | -27.0% |
| 1985 | $9,866 | +60.9% |
| 1986 | $9,600 | -2.7% |
| 1987 | $9,929 | +3.4% |
| 1988 | $13,350 | +34.4% |
| 1989 | $21,582 | +61.7% |
| 1990 | $17,157 | -20.5% |
| 1991 | $23,474 | +36.8% |
| 1992 | $33,258 | +41.7% |
| 1993 | $44,152 | +32.8% |
| 1994 | $52,593 | +19.1% |
| 1995 | $53,153 | +1.1% |
| 1996 | $78,306 | +47.3% |
| 1997 | $77,780 | -0.7% |
| 1998 | $53,046 | -31.8% |
| 1999 | $42,797 | -19.3% |
| 2000 | $49,665 | +16.0% |
| 2001 | $68,049 | +37.0% |
| 2002 | $57,877 | -14.9% |
| 2003 | $74,239 | +28.3% |
| 2004 | $62,126 | -16.3% |
| 2005 | $49,978 | -19.6% |
| 2006 | $68,443 | +36.9% |
| 2007 | $59,033 | -13.7% |
| 2008 | $42,563 | -27.9% |
| 2009 | $71,009 | +66.8% |
| 2010 | $114,409 | +61.1% |
| 2011 | $254,548 | +122.5% |
| 2012 | $355,533 | +39.7% |
| 2013 | $593,544 | +66.9% |
| 2014 | $289,380 | -51.2% |
| 2015 | $508,072 | +75.6% |
| 2016 | $461,527 | -9.2% |
| 2017 | $501,427 | +8.6% |
| 2018 | $487,190 | -2.8% |
| 2019 | $437,810 | -10.1% |
| 2020 | $657,963 | +50.3% |
| 2021 | $719,149 | +9.3% |
| 2022 | $608,332 | -15.4% |
| 2023 | $559,395 | -8.0% |
| 2024 | $442,413 | -20.9% |
| 2025 | $415,283 | -6.1% |
| 2026 | $491,003 | +18.2% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought RGR was 1974-12 ($0.06): $1,000 then is $669,002 today. The worst was 2021-06 ($72.33): $1,000 then is $528.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in RGR be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (RGR) at the start of 1973 would be worth about $475,124 today, a total return of +47412.4%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for RGR?
Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (RGR)'s strongest calendar year since 1973 was 2011, a +122.5% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,225 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2014, at -51.2%.
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 RGR have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1973-05 would have grown to about $3.64M on $64,000 invested.
Did RGR beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $73,444. RGR beat the S&P 500 by +546.9% 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
Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (RGR) historical total-return data from 1973-05 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.