What if you'd held GWW?
A $1,000 investment in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (GWW) at the month-end close of 1973-02 would be worth $544,563 at the close of 2026-08 — +54356.3% 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.
Every year, $1,000 from 1973
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | $1,000 | — |
| 1974 | $502 | -49.8% |
| 1975 | $720 | +43.4% |
| 1976 | $867 | +20.4% |
| 1977 | $911 | +5.1% |
| 1978 | $938 | +2.9% |
| 1979 | $1,080 | +15.2% |
| 1980 | $996 | -7.8% |
| 1981 | $1,071 | +7.6% |
| 1982 | $1,547 | +44.4% |
| 1983 | $1,778 | +14.9% |
| 1984 | $1,658 | -6.8% |
| 1985 | $2,262 | +36.5% |
| 1986 | $2,609 | +15.3% |
| 1987 | $3,578 | +37.1% |
| 1988 | $3,324 | -7.1% |
| 1989 | $4,049 | +21.8% |
| 1990 | $4,244 | +4.8% |
| 1991 | $7,040 | +65.9% |
| 1992 | $7,884 | +12.0% |
| 1993 | $7,649 | -3.0% |
| 1994 | $7,782 | +1.7% |
| 1995 | $9,058 | +16.4% |
| 1996 | $11,124 | +22.8% |
| 1997 | $13,644 | +22.7% |
| 1998 | $11,831 | -13.3% |
| 1999 | $13,782 | +16.5% |
| 2000 | $10,707 | -22.3% |
| 2001 | $14,324 | +33.8% |
| 2002 | $15,604 | +8.9% |
| 2003 | $14,573 | -6.6% |
| 2004 | $20,796 | +42.7% |
| 2005 | $22,529 | +8.3% |
| 2006 | $22,511 | -0.1% |
| 2007 | $28,622 | +27.1% |
| 2008 | $26,276 | -8.2% |
| 2009 | $32,960 | +25.4% |
| 2010 | $47,889 | +45.3% |
| 2011 | $66,004 | +37.8% |
| 2012 | $72,440 | +9.8% |
| 2013 | $92,756 | +28.0% |
| 2014 | $94,169 | +1.5% |
| 2015 | $76,360 | -18.9% |
| 2016 | $89,547 | +17.3% |
| 2017 | $93,440 | +4.3% |
| 2018 | $113,702 | +21.7% |
| 2019 | $139,000 | +22.2% |
| 2020 | $170,760 | +22.8% |
| 2021 | $219,938 | +28.8% |
| 2022 | $239,173 | +8.7% |
| 2023 | $360,040 | +50.5% |
| 2024 | $461,596 | +28.2% |
| 2025 | $445,844 | -3.4% |
| 2026 | $580,867 | +30.3% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought GWW was 1974-11 ($1.04): $1,000 then is $1.26M today. The worst was 2026-06 ($1,358): $1,000 then is $963.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in GWW be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (GWW) at the start of 1973 would be worth about $544,563 today, a total return of +54356.3%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for GWW?
W.W. Grainger, Inc. (GWW)'s strongest calendar year since 1973 was 1991, a +65.9% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,659 by year-end. Its weakest year was 1974, at -49.8%.
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 GWW have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1973-02 would have grown to about $11.06M on $64,300 invested.
Did GWW beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $69,018. GWW beat the S&P 500 by +689.0% 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
W.W. Grainger, Inc. (GWW) 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.