What if you'd held CET?
A $1,000 investment in Central Securities Corporation (CET) at the month-end close of 1980-03 would be worth $140,979 at the close of 2026-08 — +13997.9% 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 | $852 | -14.8% |
| 1982 | $1,093 | +28.2% |
| 1983 | $1,545 | +41.4% |
| 1984 | $1,359 | -12.0% |
| 1985 | $1,466 | +7.8% |
| 1986 | $1,266 | -13.6% |
| 1987 | $988 | -22.0% |
| 1988 | $1,251 | +26.6% |
| 1989 | $1,459 | +16.6% |
| 1990 | $1,278 | -12.4% |
| 1991 | $1,646 | +28.8% |
| 1992 | $2,101 | +27.7% |
| 1993 | $3,089 | +47.0% |
| 1994 | $3,177 | +2.8% |
| 1995 | $4,668 | +46.9% |
| 1996 | $5,775 | +23.7% |
| 1997 | $7,766 | +34.5% |
| 1998 | $6,813 | -12.3% |
| 1999 | $8,390 | +23.2% |
| 2000 | $9,967 | +18.8% |
| 2001 | $9,595 | -3.7% |
| 2002 | $6,629 | -30.9% |
| 2003 | $9,105 | +37.4% |
| 2004 | $10,545 | +15.8% |
| 2005 | $11,832 | +12.2% |
| 2006 | $14,407 | +21.8% |
| 2007 | $15,842 | +10.0% |
| 2008 | $9,770 | -38.3% |
| 2009 | $12,667 | +29.7% |
| 2010 | $16,167 | +27.6% |
| 2011 | $15,753 | -2.6% |
| 2012 | $16,134 | +2.4% |
| 2013 | $20,641 | +27.9% |
| 2014 | $22,555 | +9.3% |
| 2015 | $19,792 | -12.2% |
| 2016 | $23,782 | +20.2% |
| 2017 | $31,060 | +30.6% |
| 2018 | $29,667 | -4.5% |
| 2019 | $40,271 | +35.7% |
| 2020 | $40,859 | +1.5% |
| 2021 | $60,881 | +49.0% |
| 2022 | $48,900 | -19.7% |
| 2023 | $58,273 | +19.2% |
| 2024 | $73,902 | +26.8% |
| 2025 | $86,617 | +17.2% |
| 2026 | $93,986 | +8.5% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought CET was 1980-03 ($0.39): $1,000 then is $140,979 today. The worst was 2026-08 ($54.70): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in CET be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Central Securities Corporation (CET) at the start of 1980 would be worth about $140,979 today, a total return of +13997.9%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for CET?
Central Securities Corporation (CET)'s strongest calendar year since 1980 was 2021, a +49.0% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,490 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -38.3%.
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 CET have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1980-03 would have grown to about $1.52M on $55,800 invested.
Did CET beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $75,502. CET beat the S&P 500 by +86.7% 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
Central Securities Corporation (CET) 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.