What if you'd held AA?
A $1,000 investment in Alcoa Corporation Common Stock (AA) at the month-end close of 1962-01 would be worth $38,463 at the close of 2026-08 — +3746.3% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $111,969.
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 1962
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | $1,000 | — |
| 1963 | $1,288 | +28.8% |
| 1964 | $1,168 | -9.3% |
| 1965 | $1,488 | +27.4% |
| 1966 | $1,552 | +4.3% |
| 1967 | $1,624 | +4.6% |
| 1968 | $1,512 | -6.9% |
| 1969 | $1,512 | 0.0% |
| 1970 | $1,256 | -16.9% |
| 1971 | $992 | -21.0% |
| 1972 | $1,248 | +25.8% |
| 1973 | $1,760 | +41.0% |
| 1974 | $1,120 | -36.4% |
| 1975 | $1,496 | +33.6% |
| 1976 | $2,280 | +52.4% |
| 1977 | $1,920 | -15.8% |
| 1978 | $2,056 | +7.1% |
| 1979 | $2,480 | +20.6% |
| 1980 | $2,840 | +14.5% |
| 1981 | $2,576 | -9.3% |
| 1982 | $3,344 | +29.8% |
| 1983 | $5,000 | +49.5% |
| 1984 | $4,264 | -14.7% |
| 1985 | $4,592 | +7.7% |
| 1986 | $4,168 | -9.2% |
| 1987 | $5,880 | +41.1% |
| 1988 | $7,240 | +23.1% |
| 1989 | $10,120 | +39.8% |
| 1990 | $8,200 | -19.0% |
| 1991 | $9,432 | +15.0% |
| 1992 | $10,744 | +13.9% |
| 1993 | $10,648 | -0.9% |
| 1994 | $13,576 | +27.5% |
| 1995 | $16,888 | +24.4% |
| 1996 | $20,712 | +22.6% |
| 1997 | $23,168 | +11.9% |
| 1998 | $24,920 | +7.6% |
| 1999 | $56,304 | +125.9% |
| 2000 | $46,168 | -18.0% |
| 2001 | $49,800 | +7.9% |
| 2002 | $32,592 | -34.6% |
| 2003 | $55,728 | +71.0% |
| 2004 | $46,928 | -15.8% |
| 2005 | $45,144 | -3.8% |
| 2006 | $46,952 | +4.0% |
| 2007 | $58,280 | +24.1% |
| 2008 | $18,488 | -68.3% |
| 2009 | $27,248 | +47.4% |
| 2010 | $26,256 | -3.6% |
| 2011 | $14,888 | -43.3% |
| 2012 | $15,136 | +1.7% |
| 2013 | $18,792 | +24.2% |
| 2014 | $28,152 | +49.8% |
| 2015 | $17,776 | -36.9% |
| 2016 | $21,344 | +20.1% |
| 2017 | $40,952 | +91.9% |
| 2018 | $20,208 | -50.7% |
| 2019 | $16,352 | -19.1% |
| 2020 | $17,520 | +7.1% |
| 2021 | $45,392 | +159.1% |
| 2022 | $34,896 | -23.1% |
| 2023 | $26,408 | -24.3% |
| 2024 | $29,688 | +12.4% |
| 2025 | $42,296 | +42.5% |
| 2026 | $41,232 | -2.5% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought AA was 1971-11 ($1.14): $1,000 then is $45,211 today. The worst was 2022-03 ($85.83): $1,000 then is $600.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in AA be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Alcoa Corporation Common Stock (AA) at the start of 1962 would be worth about $38,463 today, a total return of +3746.3%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for AA?
Alcoa Corporation Common Stock (AA)'s strongest calendar year since 1962 was 2021, a +159.1% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,591 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -68.3%.
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 AA have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1962-01 would have grown to about $821,593 on $77,600 invested.
Did AA beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $111,969. AA trailed the S&P 500 by +65.6% 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
Alcoa Corporation Common Stock (AA) historical total-return data from 1962-01 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.