What if you'd held VLO?
A $1,000 investment in Valero Energy Corporation (VLO) at the month-end close of 1982-01 would be worth $260,346 at the close of 2026-08 — +25934.6% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $64,020.
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 1982
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | $1,000 | — |
| 1983 | $875 | -12.5% |
| 1984 | $270 | -69.2% |
| 1985 | $593 | +119.7% |
| 1986 | $297 | -49.9% |
| 1987 | $215 | -27.4% |
| 1988 | $383 | +77.7% |
| 1989 | $659 | +72.0% |
| 1990 | $681 | +3.4% |
| 1991 | $1,338 | +96.4% |
| 1992 | $1,045 | -21.8% |
| 1993 | $984 | -5.9% |
| 1994 | $806 | -18.1% |
| 1995 | $1,199 | +48.8% |
| 1996 | $1,432 | +19.4% |
| 1997 | $2,341 | +63.6% |
| 1998 | $1,601 | -31.6% |
| 1999 | $1,522 | -5.0% |
| 2000 | $2,879 | +89.2% |
| 2001 | $2,978 | +3.4% |
| 2002 | $2,915 | -2.1% |
| 2003 | $3,696 | +26.8% |
| 2004 | $7,305 | +97.7% |
| 2005 | $16,688 | +128.4% |
| 2006 | $16,633 | -0.3% |
| 2007 | $22,938 | +37.9% |
| 2008 | $7,215 | -68.5% |
| 2009 | $5,756 | -20.2% |
| 2010 | $8,030 | +39.5% |
| 2011 | $7,401 | -7.8% |
| 2012 | $12,301 | +66.2% |
| 2013 | $20,287 | +64.9% |
| 2014 | $20,338 | +0.2% |
| 2015 | $29,861 | +46.8% |
| 2016 | $30,058 | +0.7% |
| 2017 | $42,077 | +40.0% |
| 2018 | $35,458 | -15.7% |
| 2019 | $46,191 | +30.3% |
| 2020 | $29,705 | -35.7% |
| 2021 | $41,662 | +40.3% |
| 2022 | $72,889 | +75.0% |
| 2023 | $77,163 | +5.9% |
| 2024 | $74,880 | -3.0% |
| 2025 | $102,567 | +37.0% |
| 2026 | $221,394 | +115.9% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought VLO was 1988-01 ($0.32): $1,000 then is $1.08M today. The worst was 2026-08 ($346): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in VLO be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Valero Energy Corporation (VLO) at the start of 1982 would be worth about $260,346 today, a total return of +25934.6%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for VLO?
Valero Energy Corporation (VLO)'s strongest calendar year since 1982 was 2005, a +128.4% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,284 by year-end. Its weakest year was 1984, at -69.2%.
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 VLO have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1982-01 would have grown to about $7.61M on $53,600 invested.
Did VLO beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $64,020. VLO beat the S&P 500 by +306.7% 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
Valero Energy Corporation (VLO) historical total-return data from 1982-01 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.