What if you'd held ESS?
A $1,000 investment in Essex Property Trust, Inc. (ESS) at the month-end close of 1994-06 would be worth $59,992 at the close of 2026-08 — +5899.2% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $17,350.
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 1994
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | $1,000 | — |
| 1995 | $1,331 | +33.1% |
| 1996 | $2,185 | +64.2% |
| 1997 | $2,749 | +25.8% |
| 1998 | $2,489 | -9.5% |
| 1999 | $3,044 | +22.3% |
| 2000 | $5,161 | +69.5% |
| 2001 | $4,932 | -4.4% |
| 2002 | $5,382 | +9.1% |
| 2003 | $7,165 | +33.1% |
| 2004 | $9,776 | +36.4% |
| 2005 | $11,185 | +14.4% |
| 2006 | $16,146 | +44.4% |
| 2007 | $12,579 | -22.1% |
| 2008 | $10,324 | -17.9% |
| 2009 | $11,929 | +15.6% |
| 2010 | $16,954 | +42.1% |
| 2011 | $21,538 | +27.0% |
| 2012 | $23,153 | +7.5% |
| 2013 | $23,404 | +1.1% |
| 2014 | $34,640 | +48.0% |
| 2015 | $41,178 | +18.9% |
| 2016 | $41,141 | -0.1% |
| 2017 | $43,949 | +6.8% |
| 2018 | $46,068 | +4.8% |
| 2019 | $58,010 | +25.9% |
| 2020 | $47,516 | -18.1% |
| 2021 | $72,414 | +52.4% |
| 2022 | $45,071 | -37.8% |
| 2023 | $54,973 | +22.0% |
| 2024 | $65,066 | +18.4% |
| 2025 | $61,825 | -5.0% |
| 2026 | $69,917 | +13.1% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought ESS was 1994-12 ($4.11): $1,000 then is $69,917 today. The worst was 2021-12 ($298): $1,000 then is $966.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in ESS be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Essex Property Trust, Inc. (ESS) at the start of 1994 would be worth about $59,992 today, a total return of +5899.2%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for ESS?
Essex Property Trust, Inc. (ESS)'s strongest calendar year since 1994 was 2000, a +69.5% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,695 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2022, at -37.8%.
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 ESS have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1994-06 would have grown to about $418,152 on $38,700 invested.
Did ESS beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $17,350. ESS beat the S&P 500 by +245.8% 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
Essex Property Trust, Inc. (ESS) historical total-return data from 1994-06 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.