What if you'd held WTRG?
A $1,000 investment in Essential Utilities, Inc. (WTRG) at the month-end close of 1980-03 would be worth $704,117 at the close of 2026-08 — +70311.7% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $75,502.
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 | $2,053 | +105.3% |
| 1982 | $2,996 | +45.9% |
| 1983 | $3,801 | +26.8% |
| 1984 | $3,884 | +2.2% |
| 1985 | $4,715 | +21.4% |
| 1986 | $5,784 | +22.7% |
| 1987 | $4,952 | -14.4% |
| 1988 | $4,956 | +0.1% |
| 1989 | $5,617 | +13.3% |
| 1990 | $5,299 | -5.7% |
| 1991 | $7,392 | +39.5% |
| 1992 | $8,033 | +8.7% |
| 1993 | $9,792 | +21.9% |
| 1994 | $10,257 | +4.7% |
| 1995 | $12,500 | +21.9% |
| 1996 | $18,878 | +51.0% |
| 1997 | $29,064 | +54.0% |
| 1998 | $40,054 | +37.8% |
| 1999 | $28,893 | -27.9% |
| 2000 | $44,247 | +53.1% |
| 2001 | $52,182 | +17.9% |
| 2002 | $48,867 | -6.4% |
| 2003 | $67,202 | +37.5% |
| 2004 | $76,538 | +13.9% |
| 2005 | $115,392 | +50.8% |
| 2006 | $98,102 | -15.0% |
| 2007 | $93,245 | -5.0% |
| 2008 | $93,134 | -0.1% |
| 2009 | $81,714 | -12.3% |
| 2010 | $108,268 | +32.5% |
| 2011 | $109,219 | +0.9% |
| 2012 | $129,513 | +18.6% |
| 2013 | $153,806 | +18.8% |
| 2014 | $178,584 | +16.1% |
| 2015 | $204,483 | +14.5% |
| 2016 | $211,042 | +3.2% |
| 2017 | $282,317 | +33.8% |
| 2018 | $252,218 | -10.7% |
| 2019 | $354,179 | +40.4% |
| 2020 | $364,522 | +2.9% |
| 2021 | $423,022 | +16.0% |
| 2022 | $385,193 | -8.9% |
| 2023 | $310,478 | -19.4% |
| 2024 | $312,089 | +0.5% |
| 2025 | $341,442 | +9.4% |
| 2026 | $375,572 | +10.0% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought WTRG was 1980-03 ($0.06): $1,000 then is $704,117 today. The worst was 2021-12 ($46.24): $1,000 then is $888.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in WTRG be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Essential Utilities, Inc. (WTRG) at the start of 1980 would be worth about $704,117 today, a total return of +70311.7%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for WTRG?
Essential Utilities, Inc. (WTRG)'s strongest calendar year since 1980 was 1981, a +105.3% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,053 by year-end. Its weakest year was 1999, at -27.9%.
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 WTRG have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1980-03 would have grown to about $2.31M on $55,800 invested.
Did WTRG beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $75,502. WTRG beat the S&P 500 by +832.6% 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
Essential Utilities, Inc. (WTRG) historical total-return data from 1980-03 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.