What if you'd held LNC?
A $1,000 investment in Lincoln National Corporation (LNC) at the month-end close of 1980-03 would be worth $20,318 at the close of 2026-08 — +1931.8% 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 | $1,016 | +1.6% |
| 1982 | $1,118 | +10.1% |
| 1983 | $1,630 | +45.8% |
| 1984 | $976 | -40.1% |
| 1985 | $1,311 | +34.3% |
| 1986 | $1,260 | -3.9% |
| 1987 | $1,126 | -10.6% |
| 1988 | $1,287 | +14.3% |
| 1989 | $1,894 | +47.1% |
| 1990 | $1,406 | -25.8% |
| 1991 | $1,898 | +35.0% |
| 1992 | $2,697 | +42.1% |
| 1993 | $3,291 | +22.0% |
| 1994 | $2,756 | -16.3% |
| 1995 | $4,413 | +60.1% |
| 1996 | $4,480 | +1.5% |
| 1997 | $6,890 | +53.8% |
| 1998 | $7,394 | +7.3% |
| 1999 | $7,409 | +0.2% |
| 2000 | $9,039 | +22.0% |
| 2001 | $9,531 | +5.4% |
| 2002 | $6,406 | -32.8% |
| 2003 | $8,512 | +32.9% |
| 2004 | $10,150 | +19.2% |
| 2005 | $11,803 | +16.3% |
| 2006 | $15,173 | +28.6% |
| 2007 | $13,618 | -10.2% |
| 2008 | $4,575 | -66.4% |
| 2009 | $6,110 | +33.6% |
| 2010 | $6,839 | +11.9% |
| 2011 | $4,815 | -29.6% |
| 2012 | $6,516 | +35.3% |
| 2013 | $13,169 | +102.1% |
| 2014 | $14,898 | +13.1% |
| 2015 | $13,177 | -11.5% |
| 2016 | $17,791 | +35.0% |
| 2017 | $20,988 | +18.0% |
| 2018 | $14,276 | -32.0% |
| 2019 | $16,839 | +18.0% |
| 2020 | $14,972 | -11.1% |
| 2021 | $20,886 | +39.5% |
| 2022 | $9,705 | -53.5% |
| 2023 | $9,165 | -5.6% |
| 2024 | $11,441 | +24.8% |
| 2025 | $16,933 | +48.0% |
| 2026 | $17,118 | +1.1% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought LNC was 1984-07 ($1.86): $1,000 then is $23,376 today. The worst was 2018-01 ($57.67): $1,000 then is $754.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in LNC be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Lincoln National Corporation (LNC) at the start of 1980 would be worth about $20,318 today, a total return of +1931.8%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for LNC?
Lincoln National Corporation (LNC)'s strongest calendar year since 1980 was 2013, a +102.1% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,021 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -66.4%.
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 LNC have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1980-03 would have grown to about $298,172 on $55,800 invested.
Did LNC beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $75,502. LNC trailed the S&P 500 by +73.1% 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
Lincoln National Corporation (LNC) 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.