What if you'd held SAH?
A $1,000 investment in Sonic Automotive, Inc. (SAH) at the month-end close of 1997-11 would be worth $21,153 at the close of 2026-08 — +2015.3% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $8,068.
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 1997
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | $1,000 | — |
| 1998 | $3,584 | +258.4% |
| 1999 | $2,026 | -43.5% |
| 2000 | $1,429 | -29.5% |
| 2001 | $4,870 | +240.9% |
| 2002 | $3,090 | -36.6% |
| 2003 | $4,803 | +55.4% |
| 2004 | $5,298 | +10.3% |
| 2005 | $4,863 | -8.2% |
| 2006 | $6,462 | +32.9% |
| 2007 | $4,388 | -32.1% |
| 2008 | $952 | -78.3% |
| 2009 | $2,486 | +161.1% |
| 2010 | $3,174 | +27.7% |
| 2011 | $3,577 | +12.7% |
| 2012 | $5,074 | +41.9% |
| 2013 | $5,972 | +17.7% |
| 2014 | $6,623 | +10.9% |
| 2015 | $5,602 | -15.4% |
| 2016 | $5,696 | +1.7% |
| 2017 | $4,635 | -18.6% |
| 2018 | $3,502 | -24.5% |
| 2019 | $8,028 | +129.2% |
| 2020 | $10,121 | +26.1% |
| 2021 | $13,097 | +29.4% |
| 2022 | $13,350 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | $15,582 | +16.7% |
| 2024 | $17,947 | +15.2% |
| 2025 | $17,898 | -0.3% |
| 2026 | $23,072 | +28.9% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought SAH was 2009-02 ($1.17): $1,000 then is $67,402 today. The worst was 2026-07 ($91.58): $1,000 then is $861.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in SAH be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Sonic Automotive, Inc. (SAH) at the start of 1997 would be worth about $21,153 today, a total return of +2015.3%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for SAH?
Sonic Automotive, Inc. (SAH)'s strongest calendar year since 1997 was 1998, a +258.4% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $3,584 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -78.3%.
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 SAH have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1997-11 would have grown to about $207,022 on $34,600 invested.
Did SAH beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $8,068. SAH beat the S&P 500 by +162.2% 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
Sonic Automotive, Inc. (SAH) historical total-return data from 1997-11 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.