What if you'd held SCL?
A $1,000 investment in Stepan Company (SCL) at the month-end close of 1973-02 would be worth $104,550 at the close of 2026-08 — +10355.0% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $69,018.
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 1973
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | $1,000 | — |
| 1974 | $814 | -18.6% |
| 1975 | $789 | -3.0% |
| 1976 | $1,121 | +42.0% |
| 1977 | $1,538 | +37.1% |
| 1978 | $1,082 | -29.6% |
| 1979 | $1,317 | +21.7% |
| 1980 | $1,593 | +21.0% |
| 1981 | $2,334 | +46.5% |
| 1982 | $1,627 | -30.3% |
| 1983 | $2,082 | +28.0% |
| 1984 | $2,145 | +3.0% |
| 1985 | $2,717 | +26.6% |
| 1986 | $3,806 | +40.1% |
| 1987 | $5,344 | +40.4% |
| 1988 | $6,663 | +24.7% |
| 1989 | $5,317 | -20.2% |
| 1990 | $6,155 | +15.8% |
| 1991 | $7,935 | +28.9% |
| 1992 | $9,983 | +25.8% |
| 1993 | $8,666 | -13.2% |
| 1994 | $9,506 | +9.7% |
| 1995 | $10,816 | +13.8% |
| 1996 | $13,608 | +25.8% |
| 1997 | $20,249 | +48.8% |
| 1998 | $18,554 | -8.4% |
| 1999 | $16,707 | -10.0% |
| 2000 | $17,477 | +4.6% |
| 2001 | $18,465 | +5.7% |
| 2002 | $19,554 | +5.9% |
| 2003 | $20,707 | +5.9% |
| 2004 | $20,298 | -2.0% |
| 2005 | $23,162 | +14.1% |
| 2006 | $28,041 | +21.1% |
| 2007 | $29,613 | +5.6% |
| 2008 | $43,673 | +47.5% |
| 2009 | $61,513 | +40.8% |
| 2010 | $73,579 | +19.6% |
| 2011 | $78,521 | +6.7% |
| 2012 | $110,179 | +40.3% |
| 2013 | $131,646 | +19.5% |
| 2014 | $81,508 | -38.1% |
| 2015 | $102,663 | +26.0% |
| 2016 | $170,416 | +66.0% |
| 2017 | $166,906 | -2.1% |
| 2018 | $158,211 | -5.2% |
| 2019 | $221,431 | +40.0% |
| 2020 | $260,724 | +17.7% |
| 2021 | $274,375 | +5.2% |
| 2022 | $238,039 | -13.2% |
| 2023 | $214,855 | -9.7% |
| 2024 | $149,775 | -30.3% |
| 2025 | $112,932 | -24.6% |
| 2026 | $154,673 | +37.0% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought SCL was 1975-11 ($0.29): $1,000 then is $221,038 today. The worst was 2021-05 ($122): $1,000 then is $523.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in SCL be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Stepan Company (SCL) at the start of 1973 would be worth about $104,550 today, a total return of +10355.0%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for SCL?
Stepan Company (SCL)'s strongest calendar year since 1973 was 2016, a +66.0% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,660 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2014, at -38.1%.
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 SCL have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1973-02 would have grown to about $2.15M on $64,300 invested.
Did SCL beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $69,018. SCL beat the S&P 500 by +51.5% 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
Stepan Company (SCL) historical total-return data from 1973-02 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.