What if you'd held RPM?
A $1,000 investment in RPM International Inc. (RPM) at the month-end close of 1980-03 would be worth $320,862 at the close of 2026-08 — +31986.2% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $75,502.
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 1980
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | $1,000 | — |
| 1981 | $956 | -4.4% |
| 1982 | $1,260 | +31.8% |
| 1983 | $1,738 | +37.9% |
| 1984 | $1,868 | +7.5% |
| 1985 | $2,376 | +27.2% |
| 1986 | $2,682 | +12.9% |
| 1987 | $3,164 | +18.0% |
| 1988 | $3,416 | +8.0% |
| 1989 | $4,316 | +26.3% |
| 1990 | $5,122 | +18.7% |
| 1991 | $6,884 | +34.4% |
| 1992 | $8,230 | +19.6% |
| 1993 | $8,226 | -0.0% |
| 1994 | $9,140 | +11.1% |
| 1995 | $10,342 | +13.2% |
| 1996 | $10,988 | +6.2% |
| 1997 | $12,686 | +15.5% |
| 1998 | $13,692 | +7.9% |
| 1999 | $9,030 | -34.0% |
| 2000 | $7,976 | -11.7% |
| 2001 | $14,182 | +77.8% |
| 2002 | $15,510 | +9.4% |
| 2003 | $17,388 | +12.1% |
| 2004 | $21,510 | +23.7% |
| 2005 | $19,662 | -8.6% |
| 2006 | $24,492 | +24.6% |
| 2007 | $24,590 | +0.4% |
| 2008 | $16,772 | -31.8% |
| 2009 | $27,106 | +61.6% |
| 2010 | $30,684 | +13.2% |
| 2011 | $35,384 | +15.3% |
| 2012 | $44,138 | +24.7% |
| 2013 | $63,710 | +44.3% |
| 2014 | $79,646 | +25.0% |
| 2015 | $70,810 | -11.1% |
| 2016 | $88,584 | +25.1% |
| 2017 | $88,286 | -0.3% |
| 2018 | $101,378 | +14.8% |
| 2019 | $135,500 | +33.7% |
| 2020 | $163,374 | +20.6% |
| 2021 | $185,002 | +13.2% |
| 2022 | $181,840 | -1.7% |
| 2023 | $212,378 | +16.8% |
| 2024 | $237,994 | +12.1% |
| 2025 | $204,858 | -13.9% |
| 2026 | $223,320 | +9.0% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought RPM was 1980-03 ($0.35): $1,000 then is $320,862 today. The worst was 2024-11 ($134): $1,000 then is $832.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in RPM be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in RPM International Inc. (RPM) at the start of 1980 would be worth about $320,862 today, a total return of +31986.2%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for RPM?
RPM International Inc. (RPM)'s strongest calendar year since 1980 was 2001, a +77.8% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,778 by year-end. Its weakest year was 1999, at -34.0%.
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 RPM have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1980-03 would have grown to about $2.15M on $55,800 invested.
Did RPM beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $75,502. RPM beat the S&P 500 by +325.0% 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
RPM International Inc. (RPM) historical total-return data from 1980-03 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.