What if you'd held SHEL?
A $1,000 investment in Shell PLC American Depositary Shares (each representing two (2) Ordinary Shares) (SHEL) at the month-end close of 1984-03 would be worth $251,409 at the close of 2026-08 — +25040.9% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $48,423.
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 1984
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | $1,000 | — |
| 1985 | $1,306 | +30.6% |
| 1986 | $2,263 | +73.3% |
| 1987 | $2,926 | +29.3% |
| 1988 | $3,391 | +15.9% |
| 1989 | $9,702 | +186.1% |
| 1990 | $10,378 | +7.0% |
| 1991 | $11,981 | +15.5% |
| 1992 | $11,939 | -0.4% |
| 1993 | $16,168 | +35.4% |
| 1994 | $17,431 | +7.8% |
| 1995 | $23,878 | +37.0% |
| 1996 | $30,008 | +25.7% |
| 1997 | $39,234 | +30.7% |
| 1998 | $35,729 | -8.9% |
| 1999 | $46,380 | +29.8% |
| 2000 | $47,476 | +2.4% |
| 2001 | $39,362 | -17.1% |
| 2002 | $36,516 | -7.2% |
| 2003 | $45,455 | +24.5% |
| 2004 | $51,973 | +14.3% |
| 2005 | $58,585 | +12.7% |
| 2006 | $69,918 | +19.3% |
| 2007 | $86,319 | +23.5% |
| 2008 | $56,806 | -34.2% |
| 2009 | $68,715 | +21.0% |
| 2010 | $80,769 | +17.5% |
| 2011 | $92,699 | +14.8% |
| 2012 | $91,859 | -0.9% |
| 2013 | $100,160 | +9.0% |
| 2014 | $98,894 | -1.3% |
| 2015 | $72,072 | -27.1% |
| 2016 | $92,439 | +28.3% |
| 2017 | $121,117 | +31.0% |
| 2018 | $112,019 | -7.5% |
| 2019 | $120,652 | +7.7% |
| 2020 | $75,481 | -37.4% |
| 2021 | $96,936 | +28.4% |
| 2022 | $130,681 | +34.8% |
| 2023 | $157,069 | +20.2% |
| 2024 | $155,699 | -0.9% |
| 2025 | $190,210 | +22.2% |
| 2026 | $246,729 | +29.7% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought SHEL was 1984-11 ($0.37): $1,000 then is $253,470 today. The worst was 2026-08 ($92.77): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in SHEL be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Shell PLC American Depositary Shares (each representing two (2) Ordinary Shares) (SHEL) at the start of 1984 would be worth about $251,409 today, a total return of +25040.9%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for SHEL?
Shell PLC American Depositary Shares (each representing two (2) Ordinary Shares) (SHEL)'s strongest calendar year since 1984 was 1989, a +186.1% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,861 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2020, at -37.4%.
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 SHEL have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1984-03 would have grown to about $1.16M on $51,000 invested.
Did SHEL beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $48,423. SHEL beat the S&P 500 by +419.2% 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
Shell PLC American Depositary Shares (each representing two (2) Ordinary Shares) (SHEL) historical total-return data from 1984-03 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.