What if you'd held HELE?
A $1,000 investment in Helen of Troy Limited (HELE) at the month-end close of 1976-07 would be worth $94,042 at the close of 2026-08 — +9304.2% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $74,516.
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 1976
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | $1,000 | — |
| 1977 | $363 | -63.7% |
| 1978 | $273 | -25.0% |
| 1979 | $1,182 | +333.3% |
| 1980 | $1,636 | +38.5% |
| 1981 | $1,818 | +11.1% |
| 1982 | $3,727 | +105.0% |
| 1983 | $7,272 | +95.1% |
| 1984 | $4,999 | -31.3% |
| 1985 | $2,545 | -49.1% |
| 1986 | $5,817 | +128.6% |
| 1987 | $4,999 | -14.1% |
| 1988 | $11,362 | +127.3% |
| 1989 | $14,452 | +27.2% |
| 1990 | $6,272 | -56.6% |
| 1991 | $12,180 | +94.2% |
| 1992 | $19,088 | +56.7% |
| 1993 | $16,907 | -11.4% |
| 1994 | $18,543 | +9.7% |
| 1995 | $22,906 | +23.5% |
| 1996 | $47,993 | +109.5% |
| 1997 | $70,353 | +46.6% |
| 1998 | $64,082 | -8.9% |
| 1999 | $31,632 | -50.6% |
| 2000 | $21,270 | -32.8% |
| 2001 | $54,145 | +154.6% |
| 2002 | $50,785 | -6.2% |
| 2003 | $100,960 | +98.8% |
| 2004 | $146,640 | +45.2% |
| 2005 | $70,288 | -52.1% |
| 2006 | $105,846 | +50.6% |
| 2007 | $74,782 | -29.3% |
| 2008 | $75,742 | +1.3% |
| 2009 | $106,719 | +40.9% |
| 2010 | $129,756 | +21.6% |
| 2011 | $133,944 | +3.2% |
| 2012 | $145,812 | +8.9% |
| 2013 | $215,445 | +47.8% |
| 2014 | $283,857 | +31.8% |
| 2015 | $411,213 | +44.9% |
| 2016 | $368,455 | -10.4% |
| 2017 | $420,375 | +14.1% |
| 2018 | $572,339 | +36.1% |
| 2019 | $784,424 | +37.1% |
| 2020 | $969,415 | +23.6% |
| 2021 | $1.07M | +10.0% |
| 2022 | $483,901 | -54.6% |
| 2023 | $527,094 | +8.9% |
| 2024 | $261,038 | -50.5% |
| 2025 | $92,714 | -64.5% |
| 2026 | $123,953 | +33.7% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought HELE was 1979-04 ($0.04): $1,000 then is $681,295 today. The worst was 2021-12 ($244): $1,000 then is $116.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in HELE be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Helen of Troy Limited (HELE) at the start of 1976 would be worth about $94,042 today, a total return of +9304.2%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for HELE?
Helen of Troy Limited (HELE)'s strongest calendar year since 1976 was 1979, a +333.3% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $4,333 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2025, at -64.5%.
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 HELE have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1976-07 would have grown to about $1.86M on $60,200 invested.
Did HELE beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $74,516. HELE beat the S&P 500 by +26.2% 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
Helen of Troy Limited (HELE) historical total-return data from 1976-07 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.