What if you'd held USO?
A $1,000 investment in United States Oil Fund (USO) at the month-end close of 2006-04 would be worth $235 at the close of 2026-08 — -76.5% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $5,881.
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 2006
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | $1,000 | — |
| 2007 | $1,468 | +46.8% |
| 2008 | $641 | -56.3% |
| 2009 | $761 | +18.7% |
| 2010 | $756 | -0.7% |
| 2011 | $739 | -2.3% |
| 2012 | $647 | -12.4% |
| 2013 | $684 | +5.8% |
| 2014 | $395 | -42.4% |
| 2015 | $213 | -46.0% |
| 2016 | $227 | +6.5% |
| 2017 | $233 | +2.5% |
| 2018 | $187 | -19.6% |
| 2019 | $248 | +32.6% |
| 2020 | $79.97 | -67.8% |
| 2021 | $132 | +64.7% |
| 2022 | $170 | +29.0% |
| 2023 | $161 | -4.9% |
| 2024 | $183 | +13.4% |
| 2025 | $168 | -8.5% |
| 2026 | $317 | +89.3% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought USO was 2020-04 ($19.12): $1,000 then is $6,847 today. The worst was 2008-06 ($909): $1,000 then is $144.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in USO be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in United States Oil Fund (USO) at the start of 2006 would be worth about $235 today, a total return of -76.5%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for USO?
United States Oil Fund (USO)'s strongest calendar year since 2006 was 2026, a +89.3% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,893 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2020, at -67.8%.
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 USO have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2006-04 would have grown to about $30,421 on $24,500 invested.
Did USO beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $5,881. USO trailed the S&P 500 by +96.0% 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
United States Oil Fund (USO) historical total-return data from 2006-04 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.