What if you'd held SAM?
A $1,000 investment in Boston Beer Company, Inc. (The) (SAM) at the month-end close of 1995-11 would be worth $7,297 at the close of 2026-08 — +629.7% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $12,733.
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 1995
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | $1,000 | — |
| 1996 | $432 | -56.8% |
| 1997 | $329 | -23.8% |
| 1998 | $358 | +8.8% |
| 1999 | $303 | -15.4% |
| 2000 | $371 | +22.5% |
| 2001 | $722 | +94.7% |
| 2002 | $602 | -16.6% |
| 2003 | $764 | +26.9% |
| 2004 | $896 | +17.3% |
| 2005 | $1,053 | +17.5% |
| 2006 | $1,515 | +43.9% |
| 2007 | $1,585 | +4.6% |
| 2008 | $1,196 | -24.6% |
| 2009 | $1,962 | +64.1% |
| 2010 | $4,004 | +104.1% |
| 2011 | $4,571 | +14.2% |
| 2012 | $5,661 | +23.8% |
| 2013 | $10,181 | +79.8% |
| 2014 | $12,191 | +19.7% |
| 2015 | $8,501 | -30.3% |
| 2016 | $7,152 | -15.9% |
| 2017 | $8,046 | +12.5% |
| 2018 | $10,141 | +26.0% |
| 2019 | $15,909 | +56.9% |
| 2020 | $41,865 | +163.1% |
| 2021 | $21,267 | -49.2% |
| 2022 | $13,875 | -34.8% |
| 2023 | $14,551 | +4.9% |
| 2024 | $12,631 | -13.2% |
| 2025 | $8,216 | -35.0% |
| 2026 | $7,874 | -4.2% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought SAM was 1998-08 ($6.75): $1,000 then is $27,705 today. The worst was 2021-04 ($1,216): $1,000 then is $154.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in SAM be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Boston Beer Company, Inc. (The) (SAM) at the start of 1995 would be worth about $7,297 today, a total return of +629.7%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for SAM?
Boston Beer Company, Inc. (The) (SAM)'s strongest calendar year since 1995 was 2020, a +163.1% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,631 by year-end. Its weakest year was 1996, at -56.8%.
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 SAM have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1995-11 would have grown to about $237,988 on $37,000 invested.
Did SAM beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $12,733. SAM trailed the S&P 500 by +42.7% 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
Boston Beer Company, Inc. (The) (SAM) historical total-return data from 1995-11 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.