What if you'd held XEL?
A $1,000 investment in Xcel Energy Inc. (XEL) at the month-end close of 1973-02 would be worth $81,782 at the close of 2026-08 — +8078.2% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $69,018.
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 | $1,044 | +64.7% |
| 1976 | $1,168 | +11.9% |
| 1977 | $1,118 | -4.2% |
| 1978 | $931 | -16.8% |
| 1979 | $886 | -4.8% |
| 1980 | $851 | -3.9% |
| 1981 | $955 | +12.2% |
| 1982 | $1,188 | +24.3% |
| 1983 | $1,504 | +26.6% |
| 1984 | $1,653 | +9.9% |
| 1985 | $2,175 | +31.6% |
| 1986 | $2,993 | +37.6% |
| 1987 | $2,737 | -8.5% |
| 1988 | $3,231 | +18.0% |
| 1989 | $4,172 | +29.1% |
| 1990 | $3,818 | -8.5% |
| 1991 | $5,146 | +34.8% |
| 1992 | $5,496 | +6.8% |
| 1993 | $5,797 | +5.5% |
| 1994 | $6,296 | +8.6% |
| 1995 | $7,454 | +18.4% |
| 1996 | $7,375 | -1.0% |
| 1997 | $9,887 | +34.1% |
| 1998 | $9,905 | +0.2% |
| 1999 | $7,431 | -25.0% |
| 2000 | $11,781 | +58.5% |
| 2001 | $11,863 | +0.7% |
| 2002 | $5,074 | -57.2% |
| 2003 | $8,204 | +61.7% |
| 2004 | $9,210 | +12.3% |
| 2005 | $9,780 | +6.2% |
| 2006 | $12,765 | +30.5% |
| 2007 | $13,015 | +2.0% |
| 2008 | $11,221 | -13.8% |
| 2009 | $13,494 | +20.3% |
| 2010 | $15,665 | +16.1% |
| 2011 | $19,160 | +22.3% |
| 2012 | $19,253 | +0.5% |
| 2013 | $20,944 | +8.8% |
| 2014 | $27,959 | +33.5% |
| 2015 | $29,034 | +3.8% |
| 2016 | $34,009 | +17.1% |
| 2017 | $41,460 | +21.9% |
| 2018 | $43,898 | +5.9% |
| 2019 | $58,108 | +32.4% |
| 2020 | $62,623 | +7.8% |
| 2021 | $65,379 | +4.4% |
| 2022 | $69,593 | +6.4% |
| 2023 | $63,556 | -8.7% |
| 2024 | $71,387 | +12.3% |
| 2025 | $81,306 | +13.9% |
| 2026 | $88,726 | +9.1% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought XEL was 1974-12 ($0.57): $1,000 then is $140,053 today. The worst was 2026-04 ($82.33): $1,000 then is $965.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in XEL be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Xcel Energy Inc. (XEL) at the start of 1973 would be worth about $81,782 today, a total return of +8078.2%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for XEL?
Xcel Energy Inc. (XEL)'s strongest calendar year since 1973 was 1975, a +64.7% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,647 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2002, at -57.2%.
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 XEL have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1973-02 would have grown to about $1.79M on $64,300 invested.
Did XEL beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $69,018. XEL beat the S&P 500 by +18.5% 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
Xcel Energy Inc. (XEL) historical total-return data from 1973-02 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.