What if you'd held KO?
A $1,000 investment in Coca-Cola Company (The) (KO) at the month-end close of 1962-01 would be worth $2.2M at the close of 2026-08 — +220265.9% 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 | $1,394 | +39.4% |
| 1964 | $1,736 | +24.5% |
| 1965 | $2,168 | +24.9% |
| 1966 | $2,316 | +6.8% |
| 1967 | $3,487 | +50.6% |
| 1968 | $3,824 | +9.7% |
| 1969 | $4,477 | +17.1% |
| 1970 | $4,681 | +4.6% |
| 1971 | $6,845 | +46.2% |
| 1972 | $8,430 | +23.2% |
| 1973 | $7,275 | -13.7% |
| 1974 | $3,132 | -56.9% |
| 1975 | $5,000 | +59.6% |
| 1976 | $4,959 | -0.8% |
| 1977 | $4,870 | -1.8% |
| 1978 | $5,982 | +22.8% |
| 1979 | $4,951 | -17.2% |
| 1980 | $5,122 | +3.5% |
| 1981 | $5,699 | +11.3% |
| 1982 | $9,122 | +60.0% |
| 1983 | $9,889 | +8.4% |
| 1984 | $12,088 | +22.2% |
| 1985 | $17,078 | +41.3% |
| 1986 | $23,562 | +38.0% |
| 1987 | $24,415 | +3.6% |
| 1988 | $29,435 | +20.6% |
| 1989 | $52,114 | +77.0% |
| 1990 | $63,959 | +22.7% |
| 1991 | $112,179 | +75.4% |
| 1992 | $118,653 | +5.8% |
| 1993 | $128,495 | +8.3% |
| 1994 | $150,899 | +17.4% |
| 1995 | $220,619 | +46.2% |
| 1996 | $316,052 | +43.3% |
| 1997 | $404,098 | +27.9% |
| 1998 | $409,430 | +1.3% |
| 1999 | $359,640 | -12.2% |
| 2000 | $381,148 | +6.0% |
| 2001 | $301,508 | -20.9% |
| 2002 | $284,935 | -5.5% |
| 2003 | $336,588 | +18.1% |
| 2004 | $282,313 | -16.1% |
| 2005 | $280,446 | -0.7% |
| 2006 | $345,244 | +23.1% |
| 2007 | $450,383 | +30.5% |
| 2008 | $341,845 | -24.1% |
| 2009 | $445,420 | +30.3% |
| 2010 | $530,137 | +19.0% |
| 2011 | $580,282 | +9.5% |
| 2012 | $618,161 | +6.5% |
| 2013 | $724,689 | +17.2% |
| 2014 | $762,850 | +5.3% |
| 2015 | $802,060 | +5.1% |
| 2016 | $799,197 | -0.4% |
| 2017 | $914,137 | +14.4% |
| 2018 | $976,057 | +6.8% |
| 2019 | $1.18M | +20.6% |
| 2020 | $1.21M | +2.5% |
| 2021 | $1.34M | +11.4% |
| 2022 | $1.49M | +10.6% |
| 2023 | $1.42M | -4.4% |
| 2024 | $1.55M | +8.9% |
| 2025 | $1.79M | +15.6% |
| 2026 | $2.34M | +31.0% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought KO was 1962-06 ($0.03): $1,000 then is $2.65M today. The worst was 2026-08 ($90.35): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in KO be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Coca-Cola Company (The) (KO) at the start of 1962 would be worth about $2.2M today, a total return of +220265.9%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for KO?
Coca-Cola Company (The) (KO)'s strongest calendar year since 1962 was 1989, a +77.0% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,770 by year-end. Its weakest year was 1974, at -56.9%.
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 KO have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1962-01 would have grown to about $20.52M on $77,600 invested.
Did KO beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $111,969. KO beat the S&P 500 by +1868.1% 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
Coca-Cola Company (The) (KO) 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.