What if you'd held NEU?
A $1,000 investment in NewMarket Corp (NEU) at the month-end close of 1980-03 would be worth $384,636 at the close of 2026-08 — +38363.6% 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 | $864 | -13.6% |
| 1982 | $1,086 | +25.6% |
| 1983 | $1,879 | +73.0% |
| 1984 | $2,357 | +25.5% |
| 1985 | $4,061 | +72.3% |
| 1986 | $5,689 | +40.1% |
| 1987 | $5,711 | +0.4% |
| 1988 | $6,814 | +19.3% |
| 1989 | $9,346 | +37.2% |
| 1990 | $8,168 | -12.6% |
| 1991 | $9,954 | +21.9% |
| 1992 | $10,400 | +4.5% |
| 1993 | $9,793 | -5.8% |
| 1994 | $9,261 | -5.4% |
| 1995 | $12,450 | +34.4% |
| 1996 | $10,071 | -19.1% |
| 1997 | $8,554 | -15.1% |
| 1998 | $6,525 | -23.7% |
| 1999 | $4,282 | -34.4% |
| 2000 | $1,836 | -57.1% |
| 2001 | $1,175 | -36.0% |
| 2002 | $1,657 | +41.0% |
| 2003 | $5,582 | +236.9% |
| 2004 | $5,079 | -9.0% |
| 2005 | $6,243 | +22.9% |
| 2006 | $15,236 | +144.1% |
| 2007 | $14,546 | -4.5% |
| 2008 | $9,246 | -36.4% |
| 2009 | $30,882 | +234.0% |
| 2010 | $33,679 | +9.1% |
| 2011 | $54,889 | +63.0% |
| 2012 | $73,636 | +34.2% |
| 2013 | $95,096 | +29.1% |
| 2014 | $116,243 | +22.2% |
| 2015 | $111,204 | -4.3% |
| 2016 | $125,757 | +13.1% |
| 2017 | $119,864 | -4.7% |
| 2018 | $126,486 | +5.5% |
| 2019 | $151,804 | +20.0% |
| 2020 | $126,793 | -16.5% |
| 2021 | $111,668 | -11.9% |
| 2022 | $104,189 | -6.7% |
| 2023 | $186,654 | +79.1% |
| 2024 | $183,939 | -1.5% |
| 2025 | $243,311 | +32.3% |
| 2026 | $332,436 | +36.6% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought NEU was 1982-03 ($1.93): $1,000 then is $482,290 today. The worst was 2026-08 ($931): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in NEU be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in NewMarket Corp (NEU) at the start of 1980 would be worth about $384,636 today, a total return of +38363.6%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for NEU?
NewMarket Corp (NEU)'s strongest calendar year since 1980 was 2003, a +236.9% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $3,369 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2000, at -57.1%.
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 NEU have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1980-03 would have grown to about $3.71M on $55,800 invested.
Did NEU beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $75,502. NEU beat the S&P 500 by +409.4% 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
NewMarket Corp (NEU) 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.