What if you'd held ITW?
A $1,000 investment in Illinois Tool Works Inc. (ITW) at the month-end close of 1973-03 would be worth $597,164 at the close of 2026-08 — +59616.4% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $69,117.
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 | $688 | -31.2% |
| 1975 | $878 | +27.6% |
| 1976 | $1,127 | +28.4% |
| 1977 | $867 | -23.1% |
| 1978 | $1,005 | +15.9% |
| 1979 | $1,019 | +1.3% |
| 1980 | $1,030 | +1.1% |
| 1981 | $1,184 | +15.0% |
| 1982 | $1,612 | +36.2% |
| 1983 | $2,228 | +38.2% |
| 1984 | $2,304 | +3.4% |
| 1985 | $2,856 | +24.0% |
| 1986 | $4,233 | +48.2% |
| 1987 | $5,439 | +28.5% |
| 1988 | $5,799 | +6.6% |
| 1989 | $7,596 | +31.0% |
| 1990 | $8,285 | +9.1% |
| 1991 | $11,098 | +34.0% |
| 1992 | $11,523 | +3.8% |
| 1993 | $13,967 | +21.2% |
| 1994 | $15,930 | +14.0% |
| 1995 | $21,737 | +36.5% |
| 1996 | $29,726 | +36.8% |
| 1997 | $45,163 | +51.9% |
| 1998 | $43,959 | -2.7% |
| 1999 | $51,696 | +17.6% |
| 2000 | $46,195 | -10.6% |
| 2001 | $53,255 | +15.3% |
| 2002 | $51,702 | -2.9% |
| 2003 | $67,808 | +31.2% |
| 2004 | $75,780 | +11.8% |
| 2005 | $72,992 | -3.7% |
| 2006 | $78,152 | +7.1% |
| 2007 | $92,222 | +18.0% |
| 2008 | $62,060 | -32.7% |
| 2009 | $87,724 | +41.4% |
| 2010 | $100,309 | +14.3% |
| 2011 | $90,241 | -10.0% |
| 2012 | $120,545 | +33.6% |
| 2013 | $170,434 | +41.4% |
| 2014 | $195,976 | +15.0% |
| 2015 | $196,230 | +0.1% |
| 2016 | $264,973 | +35.0% |
| 2017 | $368,114 | +38.9% |
| 2018 | $286,748 | -22.1% |
| 2019 | $417,515 | +45.6% |
| 2020 | $486,087 | +16.4% |
| 2021 | $600,783 | +23.6% |
| 2022 | $549,973 | -8.5% |
| 2023 | $668,569 | +21.6% |
| 2024 | $662,108 | -1.0% |
| 2025 | $659,293 | -0.4% |
| 2026 | $770,325 | +16.8% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought ITW was 1974-12 ($0.25): $1,000 then is $1.12M today. The worst was 2026-02 ($287): $1,000 then is $990.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in ITW be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Illinois Tool Works Inc. (ITW) at the start of 1973 would be worth about $597,164 today, a total return of +59616.4%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for ITW?
Illinois Tool Works Inc. (ITW)'s strongest calendar year since 1973 was 1997, a +51.9% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,519 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -32.7%.
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 ITW have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1973-03 would have grown to about $11.55M on $64,200 invested.
Did ITW beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $69,117. ITW beat the S&P 500 by +764.0% 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
Illinois Tool Works Inc. (ITW) historical total-return data from 1973-03 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.