What if you'd held ASA?
A $1,000 investment in ASA Gold and Precious Metals Limited (ASA) at the month-end close of 1978-01 would be worth $35,983 at the close of 2026-08 — +3498.3% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $86,364.
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 1978
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | $1,000 | — |
| 1979 | $1,727 | +72.7% |
| 1980 | $2,686 | +55.5% |
| 1981 | $1,820 | -32.2% |
| 1982 | $3,268 | +79.6% |
| 1983 | $2,711 | -17.0% |
| 1984 | $2,474 | -8.7% |
| 1985 | $1,887 | -23.8% |
| 1986 | $2,201 | +16.7% |
| 1987 | $3,191 | +45.0% |
| 1988 | $2,696 | -15.5% |
| 1989 | $4,263 | +58.1% |
| 1990 | $3,851 | -9.7% |
| 1991 | $4,108 | +6.7% |
| 1992 | $2,938 | -28.5% |
| 1993 | $4,753 | +61.8% |
| 1994 | $4,521 | -4.9% |
| 1995 | $3,923 | -13.2% |
| 1996 | $3,789 | -3.4% |
| 1997 | $2,330 | -38.5% |
| 1998 | $1,835 | -21.2% |
| 1999 | $2,309 | +25.8% |
| 2000 | $1,938 | -16.1% |
| 2001 | $2,639 | +36.2% |
| 2002 | $5,515 | +109.0% |
| 2003 | $6,247 | +13.3% |
| 2004 | $5,634 | -9.8% |
| 2005 | $7,809 | +38.6% |
| 2006 | $9,304 | +19.1% |
| 2007 | $11,186 | +20.2% |
| 2008 | $7,933 | -29.1% |
| 2009 | $12,263 | +54.6% |
| 2010 | $16,665 | +35.9% |
| 2011 | $12,727 | -23.6% |
| 2012 | $10,649 | -16.3% |
| 2013 | $6,144 | -42.3% |
| 2014 | $5,082 | -17.3% |
| 2015 | $3,619 | -28.8% |
| 2016 | $5,593 | +54.6% |
| 2017 | $5,753 | +2.9% |
| 2018 | $4,825 | -16.1% |
| 2019 | $6,964 | +44.3% |
| 2020 | $11,186 | +60.6% |
| 2021 | $10,794 | -3.5% |
| 2022 | $7,335 | -32.0% |
| 2023 | $7,727 | +5.3% |
| 2024 | $10,397 | +34.6% |
| 2025 | $30,737 | +195.6% |
| 2026 | $32,088 | +4.4% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought ASA was 1978-04 ($1.63): $1,000 then is $38,190 today. The worst was 2026-02 ($81.24): $1,000 then is $766.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in ASA be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in ASA Gold and Precious Metals Limited (ASA) at the start of 1978 would be worth about $35,983 today, a total return of +3498.3%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for ASA?
ASA Gold and Precious Metals Limited (ASA)'s strongest calendar year since 1978 was 2025, a +195.6% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,956 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2013, at -42.3%.
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 ASA have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1978-01 would have grown to about $508,326 on $58,400 invested.
Did ASA beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $86,364. ASA trailed the S&P 500 by +58.3% 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
ASA Gold and Precious Metals Limited (ASA) historical total-return data from 1978-01 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.