What if you'd held WDFC?
A $1,000 investment in WD-40 Company (WDFC) at the month-end close of 1973-05 would be worth $430,116 at the close of 2026-08 — +42911.6% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $73,444.
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 1973
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | $1,000 | — |
| 1974 | $634 | -36.6% |
| 1975 | $836 | +31.9% |
| 1976 | $1,251 | +49.7% |
| 1977 | $2,033 | +62.5% |
| 1978 | $3,315 | +63.0% |
| 1979 | $4,251 | +28.3% |
| 1980 | $3,596 | -15.4% |
| 1981 | $4,549 | +26.5% |
| 1982 | $7,066 | +55.3% |
| 1983 | $7,035 | -0.4% |
| 1984 | $7,972 | +13.3% |
| 1985 | $8,817 | +10.6% |
| 1986 | $12,568 | +42.5% |
| 1987 | $10,599 | -15.7% |
| 1988 | $11,913 | +12.4% |
| 1989 | $12,286 | +3.1% |
| 1990 | $10,038 | -18.3% |
| 1991 | $12,615 | +25.7% |
| 1992 | $18,932 | +50.1% |
| 1993 | $21,136 | +11.6% |
| 1994 | $20,554 | -2.8% |
| 1995 | $20,181 | -1.8% |
| 1996 | $26,507 | +31.3% |
| 1997 | $31,531 | +19.0% |
| 1998 | $32,629 | +3.5% |
| 1999 | $26,502 | -18.8% |
| 2000 | $24,782 | -6.5% |
| 2001 | $35,892 | +44.8% |
| 2002 | $36,833 | +2.6% |
| 2003 | $50,721 | +37.7% |
| 2004 | $42,131 | -16.9% |
| 2005 | $40,138 | -4.7% |
| 2006 | $54,833 | +36.6% |
| 2007 | $61,434 | +12.0% |
| 2008 | $47,230 | -23.1% |
| 2009 | $55,962 | +18.5% |
| 2010 | $71,692 | +28.1% |
| 2011 | $73,775 | +2.9% |
| 2012 | $88,225 | +19.6% |
| 2013 | $143,014 | +62.1% |
| 2014 | $166,709 | +16.6% |
| 2015 | $195,812 | +17.5% |
| 2016 | $235,700 | +20.4% |
| 2017 | $242,312 | +2.8% |
| 2018 | $382,059 | +57.7% |
| 2019 | $410,397 | +7.4% |
| 2020 | $569,782 | +38.8% |
| 2021 | $530,540 | -6.9% |
| 2022 | $355,430 | -33.0% |
| 2023 | $536,324 | +50.9% |
| 2024 | $552,014 | +2.9% |
| 2025 | $455,791 | -17.4% |
| 2026 | $524,014 | +15.0% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought WDFC was 1974-11 ($0.27): $1,000 then is $839,211 today. The worst was 2021-02 ($285): $1,000 then is $782.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in WDFC be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in WD-40 Company (WDFC) at the start of 1973 would be worth about $430,116 today, a total return of +42911.6%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for WDFC?
WD-40 Company (WDFC)'s strongest calendar year since 1973 was 1978, a +63.0% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,630 by year-end. Its weakest year was 1974, at -36.6%.
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 WDFC have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1973-05 would have grown to about $4.82M on $64,000 invested.
Did WDFC beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $73,444. WDFC beat the S&P 500 by +485.6% 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
WD-40 Company (WDFC) historical total-return data from 1973-05 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.