What if you'd held POWL?
A $1,000 investment in Powell Industries, Inc. (POWL) at the month-end close of 1980-03 would be worth $327,620 at the close of 2026-08 — +32662.0% 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 | $527 | -47.3% |
| 1982 | $437 | -17.2% |
| 1983 | $563 | +29.1% |
| 1984 | $272 | -51.7% |
| 1985 | $272 | 0.0% |
| 1986 | $182 | -33.3% |
| 1987 | $90.80 | -50.0% |
| 1988 | $182 | +100.0% |
| 1989 | $782 | +330.5% |
| 1990 | $1,545 | +97.7% |
| 1991 | $1,891 | +22.3% |
| 1992 | $1,091 | -42.3% |
| 1993 | $836 | -23.3% |
| 1994 | $818 | -2.2% |
| 1995 | $1,200 | +46.7% |
| 1996 | $2,018 | +68.2% |
| 1997 | $2,218 | +9.9% |
| 1998 | $1,454 | -34.4% |
| 1999 | $1,000 | -31.2% |
| 2000 | $1,854 | +85.4% |
| 2001 | $2,729 | +47.2% |
| 2002 | $2,482 | -9.1% |
| 2003 | $2,785 | +12.2% |
| 2004 | $2,689 | -3.4% |
| 2005 | $2,612 | -2.9% |
| 2006 | $4,591 | +75.8% |
| 2007 | $6,409 | +39.6% |
| 2008 | $4,220 | -34.2% |
| 2009 | $4,585 | +8.6% |
| 2010 | $4,782 | +4.3% |
| 2011 | $4,549 | -4.9% |
| 2012 | $6,040 | +32.8% |
| 2013 | $9,780 | +61.9% |
| 2014 | $7,299 | -25.4% |
| 2015 | $3,998 | -45.2% |
| 2016 | $6,179 | +54.5% |
| 2017 | $4,696 | -24.0% |
| 2018 | $4,230 | -9.9% |
| 2019 | $8,527 | +101.6% |
| 2020 | $5,321 | -37.6% |
| 2021 | $5,512 | +3.6% |
| 2022 | $6,853 | +24.3% |
| 2023 | $17,519 | +155.6% |
| 2024 | $44,185 | +152.2% |
| 2025 | $63,844 | +44.5% |
| 2026 | $119,188 | +86.7% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought POWL was 1987-12 ($0.15): $1,000 then is $1.31M today. The worst was 2026-06 ($286): $1,000 then is $692.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in POWL be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Powell Industries, Inc. (POWL) at the start of 1980 would be worth about $327,620 today, a total return of +32662.0%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for POWL?
Powell Industries, Inc. (POWL)'s strongest calendar year since 1980 was 1989, a +330.5% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $4,305 by year-end. Its weakest year was 1984, at -51.7%.
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 POWL have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1980-03 would have grown to about $6.37M on $55,800 invested.
Did POWL beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $75,502. POWL beat the S&P 500 by +333.9% 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
Powell Industries, Inc. (POWL) 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.