What if you'd held JNJ?
A $1,000 investment in Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) at the month-end close of 1962-01 would be worth $4.73M at the close of 2026-08 — +472927.7% 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 | $1,410 | +41.0% |
| 1964 | $1,562 | +10.8% |
| 1965 | $2,434 | +55.8% |
| 1966 | $2,438 | +0.2% |
| 1967 | $3,959 | +62.4% |
| 1968 | $4,631 | +17.0% |
| 1969 | $7,879 | +70.1% |
| 1970 | $7,538 | -4.3% |
| 1971 | $13,093 | +73.7% |
| 1972 | $17,412 | +33.0% |
| 1973 | $15,111 | -13.2% |
| 1974 | $10,924 | -27.7% |
| 1975 | $12,236 | +12.0% |
| 1976 | $10,766 | -12.0% |
| 1977 | $10,811 | +0.4% |
| 1978 | $10,620 | -1.8% |
| 1979 | $11,735 | +10.5% |
| 1980 | $15,189 | +29.4% |
| 1981 | $17,393 | +14.5% |
| 1982 | $23,807 | +36.9% |
| 1983 | $20,076 | -15.7% |
| 1984 | $18,362 | -8.5% |
| 1985 | $27,514 | +49.8% |
| 1986 | $35,061 | +27.4% |
| 1987 | $40,766 | +16.3% |
| 1988 | $47,492 | +16.5% |
| 1989 | $67,744 | +42.6% |
| 1990 | $83,601 | +23.4% |
| 1991 | $135,696 | +62.3% |
| 1992 | $121,870 | -10.2% |
| 1993 | $110,941 | -9.0% |
| 1994 | $138,733 | +25.1% |
| 1995 | $220,757 | +59.1% |
| 1996 | $260,722 | +18.1% |
| 1997 | $350,134 | +34.3% |
| 1998 | $451,605 | +29.0% |
| 1999 | $507,937 | +12.5% |
| 2000 | $580,306 | +14.2% |
| 2001 | $661,560 | +14.0% |
| 2002 | $609,434 | -7.9% |
| 2003 | $596,785 | -2.1% |
| 2004 | $746,985 | +25.2% |
| 2005 | $721,879 | -3.4% |
| 2006 | $811,642 | +12.4% |
| 2007 | $840,957 | +3.6% |
| 2008 | $776,059 | -7.7% |
| 2009 | $863,512 | +11.3% |
| 2010 | $858,445 | -0.6% |
| 2011 | $943,341 | +9.9% |
| 2012 | $1.05M | +10.8% |
| 2013 | $1.41M | +34.6% |
| 2014 | $1.65M | +17.3% |
| 2015 | $1.67M | +1.1% |
| 2016 | $1.93M | +15.3% |
| 2017 | $2.4M | +24.4% |
| 2018 | $2.27M | -5.1% |
| 2019 | $2.64M | +16.2% |
| 2020 | $2.93M | +10.8% |
| 2021 | $3.26M | +11.4% |
| 2022 | $3.46M | +6.0% |
| 2023 | $3.16M | -8.6% |
| 2024 | $3.01M | -4.8% |
| 2025 | $4.44M | +47.5% |
| 2026 | $5.93M | +33.6% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought JNJ was 1962-10 ($0.04): $1,000 then is $6.42M today. The worst was 2026-08 ($273): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in JNJ be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) at the start of 1962 would be worth about $4.73M today, a total return of +472927.7%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for JNJ?
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)'s strongest calendar year since 1962 was 1971, a +73.7% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,737 by year-end. Its weakest year was 1974, at -27.7%.
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 JNJ have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1962-01 would have grown to about $39.25M on $77,600 invested.
Did JNJ beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $111,969. JNJ beat the S&P 500 by +4124.6% 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
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) 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.