What if you'd held T?
A $1,000 investment in AT&T Inc. (T) at the month-end close of 1983-11 would be worth $104,667 at the close of 2026-08 — +10366.7% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $46,322.
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 1983
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | $1,000 | — |
| 1984 | $1,317 | +31.7% |
| 1985 | $1,763 | +33.9% |
| 1986 | $2,525 | +43.3% |
| 1987 | $2,458 | -2.6% |
| 1988 | $3,150 | +28.1% |
| 1989 | $5,354 | +70.0% |
| 1990 | $5,000 | -6.6% |
| 1991 | $6,175 | +23.5% |
| 1992 | $7,517 | +21.7% |
| 1993 | $8,863 | +17.9% |
| 1994 | $9,067 | +2.3% |
| 1995 | $13,488 | +48.8% |
| 1996 | $12,771 | -5.3% |
| 1997 | $18,775 | +47.0% |
| 1998 | $28,313 | +50.8% |
| 1999 | $26,383 | -6.8% |
| 2000 | $26,583 | +0.8% |
| 2001 | $22,475 | -15.5% |
| 2002 | $16,296 | -27.5% |
| 2003 | $16,875 | +3.6% |
| 2004 | $17,796 | +5.5% |
| 2005 | $18,150 | +2.0% |
| 2006 | $28,238 | +55.6% |
| 2007 | $34,467 | +22.1% |
| 2008 | $25,192 | -26.9% |
| 2009 | $26,913 | +6.8% |
| 2010 | $30,658 | +13.9% |
| 2011 | $34,058 | +11.1% |
| 2012 | $40,708 | +19.5% |
| 2013 | $45,413 | +11.6% |
| 2014 | $46,500 | +2.4% |
| 2015 | $51,296 | +10.3% |
| 2016 | $67,704 | +32.0% |
| 2017 | $66,038 | -2.5% |
| 2018 | $52,317 | -20.8% |
| 2019 | $77,683 | +48.5% |
| 2020 | $62,417 | -19.7% |
| 2021 | $58,733 | -5.9% |
| 2022 | $62,533 | +6.5% |
| 2023 | $60,825 | -2.7% |
| 2024 | $87,650 | +44.1% |
| 2025 | $99,904 | +14.0% |
| 2026 | $104,667 | +4.8% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought T was 1984-05 ($0.23): $1,000 then is $107,811 today. The worst was 2026-03 ($28.31): $1,000 then is $887.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in T be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in AT&T Inc. (T) at the start of 1983 would be worth about $104,667 today, a total return of +10366.7%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for T?
AT&T Inc. (T)'s strongest calendar year since 1983 was 1989, a +70.0% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,700 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2002, at -27.5%.
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 T have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1983-11 would have grown to about $631,613 on $51,400 invested.
Did T beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $46,322. T beat the S&P 500 by +126.0% 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
AT&T Inc. (T) historical total-return data from 1983-11 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.