What if you'd held FSTR?
A $1,000 investment in L.B. Foster Company (FSTR) at the month-end close of 1981-06 would be worth $2,418 at the close of 2026-08 — +141.8% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $58,745.
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 1981
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | $1,000 | — |
| 1982 | $377 | -62.3% |
| 1983 | $438 | +16.3% |
| 1984 | $438 | 0.0% |
| 1985 | $334 | -23.9% |
| 1986 | $158 | -52.6% |
| 1987 | $149 | -5.9% |
| 1988 | $456 | +206.8% |
| 1989 | $281 | -38.4% |
| 1990 | $175 | -37.5% |
| 1991 | $211 | +20.2% |
| 1992 | $201 | -4.5% |
| 1993 | $232 | +15.4% |
| 1994 | $228 | -1.9% |
| 1995 | $298 | +30.7% |
| 1996 | $263 | -11.9% |
| 1997 | $347 | +31.9% |
| 1998 | $465 | +34.2% |
| 1999 | $342 | -26.4% |
| 2000 | $175 | -48.7% |
| 2001 | $316 | +79.8% |
| 2002 | $305 | -3.4% |
| 2003 | $456 | +49.8% |
| 2004 | $668 | +46.4% |
| 2005 | $1,043 | +56.2% |
| 2006 | $1,818 | +74.3% |
| 2007 | $3,630 | +99.6% |
| 2008 | $2,195 | -39.5% |
| 2009 | $2,092 | -4.7% |
| 2010 | $2,872 | +37.3% |
| 2011 | $1,991 | -30.7% |
| 2012 | $3,068 | +54.1% |
| 2013 | $3,349 | +9.2% |
| 2014 | $3,448 | +3.0% |
| 2015 | $978 | -71.6% |
| 2016 | $982 | +0.4% |
| 2017 | $1,960 | +99.6% |
| 2018 | $1,148 | -41.4% |
| 2019 | $1,399 | +21.9% |
| 2020 | $1,087 | -22.3% |
| 2021 | $993 | -8.6% |
| 2022 | $699 | -29.6% |
| 2023 | $1,588 | +127.2% |
| 2024 | $1,942 | +22.3% |
| 2025 | $1,946 | +0.2% |
| 2026 | $2,671 | +37.3% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought FSTR was 1990-11 ($1.94): $1,000 then is $19,072 today. The worst was 2014-10 ($53.15): $1,000 then is $696.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in FSTR be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in L.B. Foster Company (FSTR) at the start of 1981 would be worth about $2,418 today, a total return of +141.8%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for FSTR?
L.B. Foster Company (FSTR)'s strongest calendar year since 1981 was 1988, a +206.8% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $3,068 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2015, at -71.6%.
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 FSTR have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1981-06 would have grown to about $294,128 on $54,300 invested.
Did FSTR beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $58,745. FSTR trailed the S&P 500 by +95.9% 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
L.B. Foster Company (FSTR) historical total-return data from 1981-06 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.