What if you'd held ACU?
A $1,000 investment in Acme United Corporation. (ACU) at the month-end close of 1980-03 would be worth $15,299 at the close of 2026-08 — +1429.9% 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 | $847 | -15.3% |
| 1982 | $870 | +2.7% |
| 1983 | $972 | +11.7% |
| 1984 | $588 | -39.5% |
| 1985 | $693 | +17.9% |
| 1986 | $497 | -28.3% |
| 1987 | $331 | -33.3% |
| 1988 | $362 | +9.1% |
| 1989 | $249 | -31.3% |
| 1990 | $326 | +31.1% |
| 1991 | $465 | +42.5% |
| 1992 | $382 | -17.9% |
| 1993 | $285 | -25.4% |
| 1994 | $218 | -23.5% |
| 1995 | $259 | +19.2% |
| 1996 | $368 | +42.0% |
| 1997 | $402 | +9.1% |
| 1998 | $151 | -62.5% |
| 1999 | $75.30 | -50.0% |
| 2000 | $188 | +150.2% |
| 2001 | $261 | +38.6% |
| 2002 | $252 | -3.6% |
| 2003 | $362 | +43.6% |
| 2004 | $1,057 | +192.1% |
| 2005 | $946 | -10.5% |
| 2006 | $984 | +4.1% |
| 2007 | $983 | -0.1% |
| 2008 | $493 | -49.8% |
| 2009 | $659 | +33.7% |
| 2010 | $696 | +5.6% |
| 2011 | $713 | +2.4% |
| 2012 | $857 | +20.2% |
| 2013 | $1,177 | +37.3% |
| 2014 | $1,612 | +37.0% |
| 2015 | $1,431 | -11.2% |
| 2016 | $2,149 | +50.2% |
| 2017 | $2,000 | -6.9% |
| 2018 | $1,243 | -37.8% |
| 2019 | $2,131 | +71.4% |
| 2020 | $2,758 | +29.4% |
| 2021 | $3,129 | +13.5% |
| 2022 | $2,071 | -33.8% |
| 2023 | $4,146 | +100.2% |
| 2024 | $3,665 | -11.6% |
| 2025 | $4,020 | +9.7% |
| 2026 | $6,155 | +53.1% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought ACU was 1999-11 ($0.71): $1,000 then is $86,487 today. The worst was 2026-08 ($61.06): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in ACU be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Acme United Corporation. (ACU) at the start of 1980 would be worth about $15,299 today, a total return of +1429.9%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for ACU?
Acme United Corporation. (ACU)'s strongest calendar year since 1980 was 2004, a +192.1% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,921 by year-end. Its weakest year was 1998, at -62.5%.
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 ACU have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1980-03 would have grown to about $698,876 on $55,800 invested.
Did ACU beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $75,502. ACU trailed the S&P 500 by +79.7% 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
Acme United Corporation. (ACU) 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.