What if you'd held SPE?
A $1,000 investment in Special Opportunities Fund, Inc (SPE) at the month-end close of 1993-05 would be worth $9,144 at the close of 2026-08 — +814.4% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $17,122.
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 1993
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | $1,000 | — |
| 1994 | $741 | -25.9% |
| 1995 | $923 | +24.5% |
| 1996 | $951 | +3.0% |
| 1997 | $1,147 | +20.6% |
| 1998 | $1,308 | +14.0% |
| 1999 | $1,105 | -15.5% |
| 2000 | $1,301 | +17.7% |
| 2001 | $1,434 | +10.2% |
| 2002 | $1,587 | +10.7% |
| 2003 | $1,734 | +9.3% |
| 2004 | $1,734 | 0.0% |
| 2005 | $1,776 | +2.4% |
| 2006 | $1,958 | +10.2% |
| 2007 | $1,958 | 0.0% |
| 2008 | $1,636 | -16.4% |
| 2009 | $2,413 | +47.4% |
| 2010 | $2,531 | +4.9% |
| 2011 | $2,490 | -1.7% |
| 2012 | $2,741 | +10.1% |
| 2013 | $3,608 | +31.6% |
| 2014 | $3,483 | -3.5% |
| 2015 | $3,273 | -6.0% |
| 2016 | $3,587 | +9.6% |
| 2017 | $4,266 | +18.9% |
| 2018 | $3,874 | -9.2% |
| 2019 | $5,147 | +32.9% |
| 2020 | $5,399 | +4.9% |
| 2021 | $6,678 | +23.7% |
| 2022 | $5,448 | -18.4% |
| 2023 | $6,217 | +14.1% |
| 2024 | $8,357 | +34.4% |
| 2025 | $9,587 | +14.7% |
| 2026 | $9,336 | -2.6% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought SPE was 1994-12 ($1.06): $1,000 then is $12,594 today. The worst was 2026-02 ($14.11): $1,000 then is $946.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in SPE be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Special Opportunities Fund, Inc (SPE) at the start of 1993 would be worth about $9,144 today, a total return of +814.4%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for SPE?
Special Opportunities Fund, Inc (SPE)'s strongest calendar year since 1993 was 2009, a +47.4% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,474 by year-end. Its weakest year was 1994, at -25.9%.
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 SPE have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1993-05 would have grown to about $188,398 on $40,000 invested.
Did SPE beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $17,122. SPE trailed the S&P 500 by +46.6% 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
Special Opportunities Fund, Inc (SPE) historical total-return data from 1993-05 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.