What if you'd held WMB?
A $1,000 investment in Williams Companies, Inc. (The) (WMB) at the month-end close of 1981-12 would be worth $117,749 at the close of 2026-08 — +11674.9% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $62,897.
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 1981
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | $1,000 | — |
| 1982 | $664 | -33.6% |
| 1983 | $1,132 | +70.5% |
| 1984 | $1,277 | +12.8% |
| 1985 | $1,339 | +4.9% |
| 1986 | $1,113 | -16.9% |
| 1987 | $1,172 | +5.3% |
| 1988 | $1,605 | +36.9% |
| 1989 | $2,116 | +31.9% |
| 1990 | $1,487 | -29.7% |
| 1991 | $2,301 | +54.7% |
| 1992 | $2,460 | +6.9% |
| 1993 | $3,150 | +28.0% |
| 1994 | $3,346 | +6.2% |
| 1995 | $6,031 | +80.2% |
| 1996 | $7,945 | +31.8% |
| 1997 | $12,359 | +55.5% |
| 1998 | $13,793 | +11.6% |
| 1999 | $13,727 | -0.5% |
| 2000 | $18,188 | +32.5% |
| 2001 | $12,929 | -28.9% |
| 2002 | $1,431 | -88.9% |
| 2003 | $5,235 | +265.8% |
| 2004 | $8,735 | +66.9% |
| 2005 | $12,576 | +44.0% |
| 2006 | $14,387 | +14.4% |
| 2007 | $19,961 | +38.7% |
| 2008 | $8,220 | -58.8% |
| 2009 | $12,315 | +49.8% |
| 2010 | $14,786 | +20.1% |
| 2011 | $20,283 | +37.2% |
| 2012 | $25,648 | +26.5% |
| 2013 | $31,489 | +22.8% |
| 2014 | $38,212 | +21.4% |
| 2015 | $23,256 | -39.1% |
| 2016 | $30,506 | +31.2% |
| 2017 | $31,122 | +2.0% |
| 2018 | $23,691 | -23.9% |
| 2019 | $27,051 | +14.2% |
| 2020 | $24,834 | -8.2% |
| 2021 | $34,360 | +38.4% |
| 2022 | $45,641 | +32.8% |
| 2023 | $51,055 | +11.9% |
| 2024 | $82,889 | +62.4% |
| 2025 | $95,246 | +14.9% |
| 2026 | $117,749 | +23.6% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought WMB was 1982-07 ($0.33): $1,000 then is $221,269 today. The worst was 2026-04 ($75.75): $1,000 then is $967.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in WMB be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Williams Companies, Inc. (The) (WMB) at the start of 1981 would be worth about $117,749 today, a total return of +11674.9%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for WMB?
Williams Companies, Inc. (The) (WMB)'s strongest calendar year since 1981 was 2003, a +265.8% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $3,658 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2002, at -88.9%.
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 WMB have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1981-12 would have grown to about $1.67M on $53,700 invested.
Did WMB beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $62,897. WMB beat the S&P 500 by +87.2% 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
Williams Companies, Inc. (The) (WMB) historical total-return data from 1981-12 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.