What if you'd held LLY?
A $1,000 investment in Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) at the month-end close of 1972-06 would be worth $1.4M at the close of 2026-08 — +139827.9% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $71,943.
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 1972
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | $1,000 | — |
| 1973 | $938 | -6.2% |
| 1974 | $875 | -6.8% |
| 1975 | $675 | -22.8% |
| 1976 | $638 | -5.5% |
| 1977 | $527 | -17.4% |
| 1978 | $689 | +30.9% |
| 1979 | $892 | +29.4% |
| 1980 | $992 | +11.2% |
| 1981 | $909 | -8.3% |
| 1982 | $977 | +7.5% |
| 1983 | $1,028 | +5.2% |
| 1984 | $1,231 | +19.7% |
| 1985 | $2,163 | +75.8% |
| 1986 | $2,959 | +36.8% |
| 1987 | $3,181 | +7.5% |
| 1988 | $3,589 | +12.8% |
| 1989 | $5,889 | +64.1% |
| 1990 | $6,449 | +9.5% |
| 1991 | $7,545 | +17.0% |
| 1992 | $5,668 | -24.9% |
| 1993 | $5,807 | +2.5% |
| 1994 | $6,714 | +15.6% |
| 1995 | $11,906 | +77.3% |
| 1996 | $15,794 | +32.6% |
| 1997 | $30,563 | +93.5% |
| 1998 | $39,463 | +29.1% |
| 1999 | $29,898 | -24.2% |
| 2000 | $42,422 | +41.9% |
| 2001 | $36,305 | -14.4% |
| 2002 | $29,926 | -17.6% |
| 2003 | $33,858 | +13.1% |
| 2004 | $27,921 | -17.5% |
| 2005 | $28,628 | +2.5% |
| 2006 | $27,146 | -5.2% |
| 2007 | $28,685 | +5.7% |
| 2008 | $22,575 | -21.3% |
| 2009 | $21,165 | -6.2% |
| 2010 | $21,939 | +3.7% |
| 2011 | $27,464 | +25.2% |
| 2012 | $34,121 | +24.2% |
| 2013 | $36,607 | +7.3% |
| 2014 | $51,160 | +39.8% |
| 2015 | $64,151 | +25.4% |
| 2016 | $57,499 | -10.4% |
| 2017 | $67,753 | +17.8% |
| 2018 | $95,163 | +40.5% |
| 2019 | $110,522 | +16.1% |
| 2020 | $144,827 | +31.0% |
| 2021 | $240,527 | +66.1% |
| 2022 | $322,920 | +34.3% |
| 2023 | $519,609 | +60.9% |
| 2024 | $692,643 | +33.3% |
| 2025 | $971,401 | +40.2% |
| 2026 | $1.16M | +19.7% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought LLY was 1977-09 ($0.51): $1,000 then is $2.5M today. The worst was 2026-08 ($1,280): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in LLY be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) at the start of 1972 would be worth about $1.4M today, a total return of +139827.9%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for LLY?
Eli Lilly and Company (LLY)'s strongest calendar year since 1972 was 1997, a +93.5% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,935 by year-end. Its weakest year was 1992, at -24.9%.
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 LLY have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1972-06 would have grown to about $26.32M on $65,100 invested.
Did LLY beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $71,943. LLY beat the S&P 500 by +1845.0% 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
Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) historical total-return data from 1972-06 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.