What if you'd held STLD?
A $1,000 investment in Steel Dynamics, Inc. (STLD) at the month-end close of 1996-11 would be worth $80,491 at the close of 2026-08 — +7949.1% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $10,182.
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 1996
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | $1,000 | — |
| 1997 | $837 | -16.3% |
| 1998 | $615 | -26.6% |
| 1999 | $834 | +35.7% |
| 2000 | $575 | -31.1% |
| 2001 | $608 | +5.8% |
| 2002 | $628 | +3.3% |
| 2003 | $1,203 | +91.5% |
| 2004 | $1,997 | +66.0% |
| 2005 | $1,894 | -5.2% |
| 2006 | $3,525 | +86.1% |
| 2007 | $6,555 | +86.0% |
| 2008 | $2,505 | -61.8% |
| 2009 | $4,066 | +62.3% |
| 2010 | $4,282 | +5.3% |
| 2011 | $3,166 | -26.1% |
| 2012 | $3,412 | +7.8% |
| 2013 | $4,990 | +46.3% |
| 2014 | $5,163 | +3.5% |
| 2015 | $4,811 | -6.8% |
| 2016 | $9,787 | +103.5% |
| 2017 | $12,070 | +23.3% |
| 2018 | $8,568 | -29.0% |
| 2019 | $10,003 | +16.8% |
| 2020 | $11,252 | +12.5% |
| 2021 | $19,286 | +71.4% |
| 2022 | $30,884 | +60.1% |
| 2023 | $37,914 | +22.8% |
| 2024 | $37,156 | -2.0% |
| 2025 | $55,993 | +50.7% |
| 2026 | $76,748 | +37.1% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought STLD was 2000-06 ($1.43): $1,000 then is $161,545 today. The worst was 2026-05 ($260): $1,000 then is $890.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in STLD be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Steel Dynamics, Inc. (STLD) at the start of 1996 would be worth about $80,491 today, a total return of +7949.1%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for STLD?
Steel Dynamics, Inc. (STLD)'s strongest calendar year since 1996 was 2016, a +103.5% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,035 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -61.8%.
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 STLD have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1996-11 would have grown to about $1.3M on $35,800 invested.
Did STLD beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $10,182. STLD beat the S&P 500 by +690.5% 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
Steel Dynamics, Inc. (STLD) historical total-return data from 1996-11 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.