What if you'd held ECL?
A $1,000 investment in Ecolab Inc. (ECL) at the month-end close of 1973-02 would be worth $205,778 at the close of 2026-08 — +20477.8% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $69,018.
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. Click any year for the full story.
Every year, $1,000 from 1973
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | $1,000 | — |
| 1974 | $605 | -39.5% |
| 1975 | $631 | +4.2% |
| 1976 | $628 | -0.5% |
| 1977 | $571 | -9.1% |
| 1978 | $552 | -3.3% |
| 1979 | $612 | +10.9% |
| 1980 | $520 | -15.0% |
| 1981 | $416 | -20.0% |
| 1982 | $707 | +69.8% |
| 1983 | $792 | +12.1% |
| 1984 | $681 | -14.0% |
| 1985 | $1,041 | +52.8% |
| 1986 | $1,168 | +12.2% |
| 1987 | $1,220 | +4.5% |
| 1988 | $1,411 | +15.6% |
| 1989 | $1,553 | +10.0% |
| 1990 | $1,192 | -23.2% |
| 1991 | $1,711 | +43.5% |
| 1992 | $2,159 | +26.2% |
| 1993 | $2,694 | +24.8% |
| 1994 | $2,553 | -5.2% |
| 1995 | $3,741 | +46.6% |
| 1996 | $4,775 | +27.6% |
| 1997 | $7,142 | +49.6% |
| 1998 | $9,445 | +32.3% |
| 1999 | $10,327 | +9.3% |
| 2000 | $11,549 | +11.8% |
| 2001 | $10,981 | -4.9% |
| 2002 | $13,668 | +24.5% |
| 2003 | $15,289 | +11.9% |
| 2004 | $19,832 | +29.7% |
| 2005 | $20,701 | +4.4% |
| 2006 | $26,059 | +25.9% |
| 2007 | $29,837 | +14.5% |
| 2008 | $20,738 | -30.5% |
| 2009 | $26,697 | +28.7% |
| 2010 | $30,608 | +14.7% |
| 2011 | $35,584 | +16.3% |
| 2012 | $44,822 | +26.0% |
| 2013 | $65,706 | +46.6% |
| 2014 | $66,566 | +1.3% |
| 2015 | $73,703 | +10.7% |
| 2016 | $76,466 | +3.7% |
| 2017 | $88,550 | +15.8% |
| 2018 | $98,353 | +11.1% |
| 2019 | $130,087 | +32.3% |
| 2020 | $147,217 | +13.2% |
| 2021 | $161,033 | +9.4% |
| 2022 | $101,292 | -37.1% |
| 2023 | $139,726 | +37.9% |
| 2024 | $166,681 | +19.3% |
| 2025 | $188,661 | +13.2% |
| 2026 | $206,373 | +9.4% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought ECL was 1982-03 ($0.57): $1,000 then is $503,739 today. The worst was 2026-02 ($307): $1,000 then is $931.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in ECL be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Ecolab Inc. (ECL) at the start of 1973 would be worth about $205,778 today, a total return of +20477.8%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for ECL?
Ecolab Inc. (ECL)'s strongest calendar year since 1973 was 1982, a +69.8% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,698 by year-end. Its weakest year was 1974, at -39.5%.
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 ECL have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1973-02 would have grown to about $6.96M on $64,300 invested.
Did ECL beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $69,018. ECL beat the S&P 500 by +198.1% 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
Ecolab Inc. (ECL) historical total-return data from 1973-02 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.