What if you'd held JEF?
A $1,000 investment in Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (JEF) at the month-end close of 1980-03 would be worth $2.6M at the close of 2026-08 — +259851.5% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $75,502.
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 1980
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | $1,000 | — |
| 1981 | $1,983 | +98.3% |
| 1982 | $3,492 | +76.0% |
| 1983 | $5,135 | +47.1% |
| 1984 | $8,683 | +69.1% |
| 1985 | $10,535 | +21.3% |
| 1986 | $15,403 | +46.2% |
| 1987 | $8,835 | -42.6% |
| 1988 | $13,026 | +47.4% |
| 1989 | $19,366 | +48.7% |
| 1990 | $20,614 | +6.4% |
| 1991 | $33,413 | +62.1% |
| 1992 | $71,617 | +114.3% |
| 1993 | $74,809 | +4.5% |
| 1994 | $81,667 | +9.2% |
| 1995 | $92,611 | +13.4% |
| 1996 | $100,040 | +8.0% |
| 1997 | $129,974 | +29.9% |
| 1998 | $118,911 | -8.5% |
| 1999 | $150,172 | +26.3% |
| 2000 | $232,046 | +54.5% |
| 2001 | $190,822 | -17.8% |
| 2002 | $247,000 | +29.4% |
| 2003 | $307,003 | +24.3% |
| 2004 | $465,248 | +51.5% |
| 2005 | $479,267 | +3.0% |
| 2006 | $574,752 | +19.9% |
| 2007 | $964,871 | +67.9% |
| 2008 | $405,614 | -58.0% |
| 2009 | $487,353 | +20.2% |
| 2010 | $603,116 | +23.8% |
| 2011 | $475,343 | -21.2% |
| 2012 | $502,568 | +5.7% |
| 2013 | $620,554 | +23.5% |
| 2014 | $495,878 | -20.1% |
| 2015 | $389,254 | -21.5% |
| 2016 | $527,571 | +35.5% |
| 2017 | $608,941 | +15.4% |
| 2018 | $407,096 | -33.1% |
| 2019 | $549,413 | +35.0% |
| 2020 | $653,782 | +19.0% |
| 2021 | $1.06M | +62.0% |
| 2022 | $969,254 | -8.5% |
| 2023 | $1.24M | +27.7% |
| 2024 | $2.46M | +98.8% |
| 2025 | $2M | -18.8% |
| 2026 | $1.77M | -11.6% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought JEF was 1980-03 ($0.02): $1,000 then is $2.6M today. The worst was 2024-11 ($75.30): $1,000 then is $711.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in JEF be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (JEF) at the start of 1980 would be worth about $2.6M today, a total return of +259851.5%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for JEF?
Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (JEF)'s strongest calendar year since 1980 was 1992, a +114.3% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,143 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -58.0%.
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 JEF have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1980-03 would have grown to about $6.95M on $55,800 invested.
Did JEF beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $75,502. JEF beat the S&P 500 by +3343.0% 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
Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (JEF) historical total-return data from 1980-03 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.