What if you'd held IP?
A $1,000 investment in International Paper Company (IP) at the month-end close of 1962-01 would be worth $54,893 at the close of 2026-08 — +5389.3% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $111,969.
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 1962
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | $1,000 | — |
| 1963 | $1,236 | +23.6% |
| 1964 | $1,305 | +5.5% |
| 1965 | $1,273 | -2.4% |
| 1966 | $1,085 | -14.8% |
| 1967 | $1,362 | +25.6% |
| 1968 | $1,742 | +27.9% |
| 1969 | $1,783 | +2.4% |
| 1970 | $1,770 | -0.7% |
| 1971 | $1,837 | +3.8% |
| 1972 | $2,289 | +24.6% |
| 1973 | $2,947 | +28.8% |
| 1974 | $2,108 | -28.5% |
| 1975 | $3,541 | +67.9% |
| 1976 | $4,348 | +22.8% |
| 1977 | $2,877 | -33.8% |
| 1978 | $2,520 | -12.4% |
| 1979 | $2,694 | +6.9% |
| 1980 | $3,247 | +20.5% |
| 1981 | $3,198 | -1.5% |
| 1982 | $4,207 | +31.6% |
| 1983 | $5,373 | +27.7% |
| 1984 | $5,142 | -4.3% |
| 1985 | $5,080 | -1.2% |
| 1986 | $7,820 | +53.9% |
| 1987 | $9,035 | +15.5% |
| 1988 | $10,220 | +13.1% |
| 1989 | $12,836 | +25.6% |
| 1990 | $12,571 | -2.1% |
| 1991 | $17,059 | +35.7% |
| 1992 | $16,469 | -3.5% |
| 1993 | $17,177 | +4.3% |
| 1994 | $19,568 | +13.9% |
| 1995 | $20,137 | +2.9% |
| 1996 | $22,064 | +9.6% |
| 1997 | $23,994 | +8.7% |
| 1998 | $25,470 | +6.2% |
| 1999 | $32,722 | +28.5% |
| 2000 | $24,311 | -25.7% |
| 2001 | $24,662 | +1.4% |
| 2002 | $21,920 | -11.1% |
| 2003 | $27,756 | +26.6% |
| 2004 | $27,702 | -0.2% |
| 2005 | $22,861 | -17.5% |
| 2006 | $23,892 | +4.5% |
| 2007 | $23,327 | -2.4% |
| 2008 | $8,907 | -61.8% |
| 2009 | $20,979 | +135.5% |
| 2010 | $21,697 | +3.4% |
| 2011 | $24,410 | +12.5% |
| 2012 | $33,984 | +39.2% |
| 2013 | $42,995 | +26.5% |
| 2014 | $49,072 | +14.1% |
| 2015 | $35,713 | -27.2% |
| 2016 | $52,474 | +46.9% |
| 2017 | $59,367 | +13.1% |
| 2018 | $42,909 | -27.7% |
| 2019 | $51,263 | +19.5% |
| 2020 | $58,359 | +13.8% |
| 2021 | $60,392 | +3.5% |
| 2022 | $46,475 | -23.0% |
| 2023 | $51,219 | +10.2% |
| 2024 | $79,553 | +55.3% |
| 2025 | $60,598 | -23.8% |
| 2026 | $65,486 | +8.1% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought IP was 1962-09 ($0.57): $1,000 then is $71,409 today. The worst was 2024-11 ($54.52): $1,000 then is $753.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in IP be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in International Paper Company (IP) at the start of 1962 would be worth about $54,893 today, a total return of +5389.3%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for IP?
International Paper Company (IP)'s strongest calendar year since 1962 was 2009, a +135.5% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,355 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -61.8%.
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 IP have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1962-01 would have grown to about $1.08M on $77,600 invested.
Did IP beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $111,969. IP trailed the S&P 500 by +51.0% 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
International Paper Company (IP) historical total-return data from 1962-01 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.