What if you'd held BCV?
A $1,000 investment in Bancroft Fund, Ltd. (BCV) at the month-end close of 1980-03 would be worth $20,080 at the close of 2026-08 — +1908.0% 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 | $922 | -7.8% |
| 1982 | $844 | -8.4% |
| 1983 | $898 | +6.3% |
| 1984 | $878 | -2.2% |
| 1985 | $1,073 | +22.2% |
| 1986 | $1,010 | -5.9% |
| 1987 | $785 | -22.2% |
| 1988 | $688 | -12.4% |
| 1989 | $708 | +2.9% |
| 1990 | $637 | -10.0% |
| 1991 | $761 | +19.5% |
| 1992 | $876 | +15.1% |
| 1993 | $1,093 | +24.7% |
| 1994 | $958 | -12.3% |
| 1995 | $1,239 | +29.3% |
| 1996 | $1,457 | +17.6% |
| 1997 | $1,815 | +24.6% |
| 1998 | $1,962 | +8.1% |
| 1999 | $2,075 | +5.8% |
| 2000 | $2,350 | +13.2% |
| 2001 | $2,593 | +10.3% |
| 2002 | $2,367 | -8.7% |
| 2003 | $2,599 | +9.8% |
| 2004 | $2,758 | +6.1% |
| 2005 | $2,716 | -1.5% |
| 2006 | $3,137 | +15.5% |
| 2007 | $3,572 | +13.9% |
| 2008 | $2,166 | -39.4% |
| 2009 | $3,108 | +43.5% |
| 2010 | $3,652 | +17.5% |
| 2011 | $3,375 | -7.6% |
| 2012 | $3,793 | +12.4% |
| 2013 | $4,439 | +17.0% |
| 2014 | $4,908 | +10.6% |
| 2015 | $4,678 | -4.7% |
| 2016 | $5,551 | +18.7% |
| 2017 | $6,296 | +13.4% |
| 2018 | $6,042 | -4.0% |
| 2019 | $9,093 | +50.5% |
| 2020 | $11,805 | +29.8% |
| 2021 | $11,800 | -0.0% |
| 2022 | $7,826 | -33.7% |
| 2023 | $8,262 | +5.6% |
| 2024 | $9,896 | +19.8% |
| 2025 | $13,207 | +33.5% |
| 2026 | $15,483 | +17.2% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought BCV was 1990-10 ($0.98): $1,000 then is $25,700 today. The worst was 2026-05 ($26.07): $1,000 then is $965.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in BCV be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Bancroft Fund, Ltd. (BCV) at the start of 1980 would be worth about $20,080 today, a total return of +1908.0%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for BCV?
Bancroft Fund, Ltd. (BCV)'s strongest calendar year since 1980 was 2019, a +50.5% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,505 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -39.4%.
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 BCV have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1980-03 would have grown to about $503,195 on $55,800 invested.
Did BCV beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $75,502. BCV trailed the S&P 500 by +73.4% 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
Bancroft Fund, Ltd. (BCV) 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.