What if you'd held UNP?
A $1,000 investment in Union Pacific Corporation (UNP) at the month-end close of 1980-01 would be worth $282,584 at the close of 2026-08 — +28158.4% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $67,519.
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 1980
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | $1,000 | — |
| 1981 | $675 | -32.5% |
| 1982 | $640 | -5.2% |
| 1983 | $715 | +11.8% |
| 1984 | $601 | -16.0% |
| 1985 | $822 | +36.7% |
| 1986 | $981 | +19.4% |
| 1987 | $878 | -10.5% |
| 1988 | $1,082 | +23.2% |
| 1989 | $1,330 | +23.0% |
| 1990 | $1,267 | -4.8% |
| 1991 | $1,903 | +50.2% |
| 1992 | $2,210 | +16.1% |
| 1993 | $2,425 | +9.7% |
| 1994 | $1,812 | -25.3% |
| 1995 | $2,715 | +49.8% |
| 1996 | $3,775 | +39.0% |
| 1997 | $4,039 | +7.0% |
| 1998 | $2,957 | -26.8% |
| 1999 | $2,913 | -1.5% |
| 2000 | $3,452 | +18.5% |
| 2001 | $3,934 | +13.9% |
| 2002 | $4,189 | +6.5% |
| 2003 | $4,941 | +18.0% |
| 2004 | $4,878 | -1.3% |
| 2005 | $5,944 | +21.8% |
| 2006 | $6,887 | +15.9% |
| 2007 | $9,526 | +38.3% |
| 2008 | $7,361 | -22.7% |
| 2009 | $10,050 | +36.5% |
| 2010 | $14,834 | +47.6% |
| 2011 | $17,309 | +16.7% |
| 2012 | $20,982 | +21.2% |
| 2013 | $28,593 | +36.3% |
| 2014 | $41,303 | +44.5% |
| 2015 | $27,741 | -32.8% |
| 2016 | $37,722 | +36.0% |
| 2017 | $49,907 | +32.3% |
| 2018 | $52,533 | +5.3% |
| 2019 | $70,236 | +33.7% |
| 2020 | $82,623 | +17.6% |
| 2021 | $101,885 | +23.3% |
| 2022 | $85,651 | -15.9% |
| 2023 | $104,159 | +21.6% |
| 2024 | $98,844 | -5.1% |
| 2025 | $102,658 | +3.9% |
| 2026 | $135,336 | +31.8% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought UNP was 1982-07 ($0.92): $1,000 then is $329,476 today. The worst was 2026-08 ($302): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in UNP be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Union Pacific Corporation (UNP) at the start of 1980 would be worth about $282,584 today, a total return of +28158.4%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for UNP?
Union Pacific Corporation (UNP)'s strongest calendar year since 1980 was 1991, a +50.2% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,502 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2015, at -32.8%.
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 UNP have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1980-01 would have grown to about $3.27M on $56,000 invested.
Did UNP beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $67,519. UNP beat the S&P 500 by +318.5% 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
Union Pacific Corporation (UNP) historical total-return data from 1980-01 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.