What if you'd held UNH?
A $1,000 investment in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated Common Stock (DE) (UNH) at the month-end close of 1984-10 would be worth $3.53M at the close of 2026-08 — +352540.7% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $46,408.
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 1984
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | $1,000 | — |
| 1985 | $2,733 | +173.3% |
| 1986 | $2,234 | -18.3% |
| 1987 | $966 | -56.7% |
| 1988 | $1,200 | +24.2% |
| 1989 | $3,234 | +169.4% |
| 1990 | $6,204 | +91.8% |
| 1991 | $19,884 | +220.5% |
| 1992 | $30,371 | +52.7% |
| 1993 | $40,522 | +33.4% |
| 1994 | $48,231 | +19.0% |
| 1995 | $69,918 | +45.0% |
| 1996 | $48,133 | -31.2% |
| 1997 | $53,180 | +10.5% |
| 1998 | $46,111 | -13.3% |
| 1999 | $56,895 | +23.4% |
| 2000 | $131,531 | +131.2% |
| 2001 | $151,746 | +15.4% |
| 2002 | $179,114 | +18.0% |
| 2003 | $249,684 | +39.4% |
| 2004 | $377,968 | +51.4% |
| 2005 | $533,783 | +41.2% |
| 2006 | $461,788 | -13.5% |
| 2007 | $500,480 | +8.4% |
| 2008 | $228,942 | -54.3% |
| 2009 | $262,720 | +14.8% |
| 2010 | $315,029 | +19.9% |
| 2011 | $447,937 | +42.2% |
| 2012 | $486,471 | +8.6% |
| 2013 | $686,134 | +41.0% |
| 2014 | $936,272 | +36.5% |
| 2015 | $1.11M | +18.3% |
| 2016 | $1.53M | +38.4% |
| 2017 | $2.14M | +39.8% |
| 2018 | $2.45M | +14.5% |
| 2019 | $2.95M | +20.0% |
| 2020 | $3.57M | +21.3% |
| 2021 | $5.19M | +45.2% |
| 2022 | $5.55M | +6.9% |
| 2023 | $5.59M | +0.8% |
| 2024 | $5.45M | -2.4% |
| 2025 | $3.65M | -33.1% |
| 2026 | $4.35M | +19.3% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought UNH was 1987-12 ($0.09): $1,000 then is $4.5M today. The worst was 2024-11 ($585): $1,000 then is $664.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in UNH be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated Common Stock (DE) (UNH) at the start of 1984 would be worth about $3.53M today, a total return of +352540.7%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for UNH?
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated Common Stock (DE) (UNH)'s strongest calendar year since 1984 was 1991, a +220.5% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $3,205 by year-end. Its weakest year was 1987, at -56.7%.
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 UNH have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1984-10 would have grown to about $18.82M on $50,300 invested.
Did UNH beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $46,408. UNH beat the S&P 500 by +7498.6% 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
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated Common Stock (DE) (UNH) historical total-return data from 1984-10 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.