What if you'd held TY?
A $1,000 investment in Tri Continental Corporation (TY) at the month-end close of 1980-03 would be worth $55,147 at the close of 2026-08 — +5414.7% 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 | $879 | -12.1% |
| 1982 | $1,138 | +29.4% |
| 1983 | $1,282 | +12.7% |
| 1984 | $1,340 | +4.5% |
| 1985 | $1,809 | +34.9% |
| 1986 | $2,289 | +26.6% |
| 1987 | $1,979 | -13.6% |
| 1988 | $1,938 | -2.0% |
| 1989 | $2,670 | +37.7% |
| 1990 | $2,766 | +3.6% |
| 1991 | $3,961 | +43.2% |
| 1992 | $3,850 | -2.8% |
| 1993 | $3,965 | +3.0% |
| 1994 | $3,779 | -4.7% |
| 1995 | $4,479 | +18.5% |
| 1996 | $5,298 | +18.3% |
| 1997 | $6,774 | +27.9% |
| 1998 | $8,555 | +26.3% |
| 1999 | $9,627 | +12.5% |
| 2000 | $8,501 | -11.7% |
| 2001 | $8,032 | -5.5% |
| 2002 | $5,777 | -28.1% |
| 2003 | $7,235 | +25.2% |
| 2004 | $8,176 | +13.0% |
| 2005 | $8,396 | +2.7% |
| 2006 | $10,253 | +22.1% |
| 2007 | $10,611 | +3.5% |
| 2008 | $5,739 | -45.9% |
| 2009 | $6,845 | +19.3% |
| 2010 | $8,344 | +21.9% |
| 2011 | $8,797 | +5.4% |
| 2012 | $10,306 | +17.1% |
| 2013 | $13,314 | +29.2% |
| 2014 | $14,793 | +11.1% |
| 2015 | $14,384 | -2.8% |
| 2016 | $16,557 | +15.1% |
| 2017 | $21,194 | +28.0% |
| 2018 | $19,340 | -8.7% |
| 2019 | $24,167 | +25.0% |
| 2020 | $26,383 | +9.2% |
| 2021 | $30,672 | +16.3% |
| 2022 | $24,642 | -19.7% |
| 2023 | $28,890 | +17.2% |
| 2024 | $33,213 | +15.0% |
| 2025 | $35,409 | +6.6% |
| 2026 | $39,955 | +12.8% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought TY was 1980-03 ($0.65): $1,000 then is $55,147 today. The worst was 2026-08 ($35.68): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in TY be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Tri Continental Corporation (TY) at the start of 1980 would be worth about $55,147 today, a total return of +5414.7%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for TY?
Tri Continental Corporation (TY)'s strongest calendar year since 1980 was 1991, a +43.2% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,432 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -45.9%.
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 TY have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1980-03 would have grown to about $572,993 on $55,800 invested.
Did TY beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $75,502. TY trailed the S&P 500 by +27.0% 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
Tri Continental Corporation (TY) 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.