What if you'd held BRK-A?
A $1,000 investment in Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-A) at the month-end close of 1980-03 would be worth $2.89M at the close of 2026-08 — +288426.9% 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 | $1,318 | +31.8% |
| 1982 | $1,824 | +38.4% |
| 1983 | $3,082 | +69.0% |
| 1984 | $3,000 | -2.7% |
| 1985 | $5,812 | +93.7% |
| 1986 | $6,635 | +14.2% |
| 1987 | $6,941 | +4.6% |
| 1988 | $11,059 | +59.3% |
| 1989 | $20,412 | +84.6% |
| 1990 | $15,706 | -23.1% |
| 1991 | $21,294 | +35.6% |
| 1992 | $27,647 | +29.8% |
| 1993 | $38,412 | +38.9% |
| 1994 | $48,000 | +25.0% |
| 1995 | $75,529 | +57.4% |
| 1996 | $80,235 | +6.2% |
| 1997 | $108,235 | +34.9% |
| 1998 | $164,706 | +52.2% |
| 1999 | $132,000 | -19.9% |
| 2000 | $167,059 | +26.6% |
| 2001 | $177,882 | +6.5% |
| 2002 | $171,176 | -3.8% |
| 2003 | $198,235 | +15.8% |
| 2004 | $206,824 | +4.3% |
| 2005 | $208,518 | +0.8% |
| 2006 | $258,800 | +24.1% |
| 2007 | $333,176 | +28.7% |
| 2008 | $227,294 | -31.8% |
| 2009 | $233,412 | +2.7% |
| 2010 | $283,412 | +21.4% |
| 2011 | $270,012 | -4.7% |
| 2012 | $315,435 | +16.8% |
| 2013 | $418,588 | +32.7% |
| 2014 | $531,765 | +27.0% |
| 2015 | $465,412 | -12.5% |
| 2016 | $574,402 | +23.4% |
| 2017 | $700,235 | +21.9% |
| 2018 | $720,000 | +2.8% |
| 2019 | $799,035 | +11.0% |
| 2020 | $818,388 | +2.4% |
| 2021 | $1.06M | +29.6% |
| 2022 | $1.1M | +4.0% |
| 2023 | $1.28M | +15.8% |
| 2024 | $1.6M | +25.5% |
| 2025 | $1.78M | +10.9% |
| 2026 | $1.77M | -0.6% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought BRK-A was 1980-03 ($260): $1,000 then is $2.89M today. The worst was 2025-04 ($800,540): $1,000 then is $937.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in BRK-A be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-A) at the start of 1980 would be worth about $2.89M today, a total return of +288426.9%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for BRK-A?
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-A)'s strongest calendar year since 1980 was 1985, a +93.7% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,937 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -31.8%.
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 BRK-A have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1980-03 would have grown to about $9.39M on $55,800 invested.
Did BRK-A beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $75,502. BRK-A beat the S&P 500 by +3721.5% 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
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-A) 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.