What if you'd held RIO?
A $1,000 investment in Rio Tinto Plc (RIO) at the month-end close of 1990-06 would be worth $59,432 at the close of 2026-08 — +5843.2% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $21,529.
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 1990
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | $1,000 | — |
| 1991 | $1,062 | +6.2% |
| 1992 | $1,315 | +23.9% |
| 1993 | $1,630 | +24.0% |
| 1994 | $1,795 | +10.1% |
| 1995 | $2,007 | +11.8% |
| 1996 | $2,308 | +15.0% |
| 1997 | $1,932 | -16.3% |
| 1998 | $1,760 | -8.9% |
| 1999 | $3,781 | +114.8% |
| 2000 | $2,993 | -20.8% |
| 2001 | $3,370 | +12.6% |
| 2002 | $3,541 | +5.1% |
| 2003 | $5,151 | +45.5% |
| 2004 | $5,664 | +10.0% |
| 2005 | $8,890 | +57.0% |
| 2006 | $10,658 | +19.9% |
| 2007 | $21,479 | +101.5% |
| 2008 | $4,616 | -78.5% |
| 2009 | $13,596 | +194.5% |
| 2010 | $18,404 | +35.4% |
| 2011 | $12,795 | -30.5% |
| 2012 | $15,658 | +22.4% |
| 2013 | $15,753 | +0.6% |
| 2014 | $13,329 | -15.4% |
| 2015 | $8,877 | -33.4% |
| 2016 | $12,363 | +39.3% |
| 2017 | $17,904 | +44.8% |
| 2018 | $17,384 | -2.9% |
| 2019 | $23,904 | +37.5% |
| 2020 | $32,562 | +36.2% |
| 2021 | $32,432 | -0.4% |
| 2022 | $38,425 | +18.5% |
| 2023 | $42,671 | +11.1% |
| 2024 | $36,116 | -15.4% |
| 2025 | $52,178 | +44.5% |
| 2026 | $68,795 | +31.8% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought RIO was 1990-09 ($1.28): $1,000 then is $78,469 today. The worst was 2026-05 ($104): $1,000 then is $965.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in RIO be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Rio Tinto Plc (RIO) at the start of 1990 would be worth about $59,432 today, a total return of +5843.2%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for RIO?
Rio Tinto Plc (RIO)'s strongest calendar year since 1990 was 2009, a +194.5% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,945 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -78.5%.
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 RIO have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1990-06 would have grown to about $720,167 on $43,500 invested.
Did RIO beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $21,529. RIO beat the S&P 500 by +176.0% 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
Rio Tinto Plc (RIO) historical total-return data from 1990-06 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.