What if you'd held WFC?
A $1,000 investment in Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) at the month-end close of 1972-06 would be worth $580,676 at the close of 2026-08 — +57967.6% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $71,943.
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 1972
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | $1,000 | — |
| 1973 | $1,013 | +1.3% |
| 1974 | $584 | -42.3% |
| 1975 | $789 | +35.1% |
| 1976 | $1,070 | +35.5% |
| 1977 | $906 | -15.2% |
| 1978 | $1,031 | +13.7% |
| 1979 | $1,094 | +6.1% |
| 1980 | $1,310 | +19.8% |
| 1981 | $1,148 | -12.4% |
| 1982 | $1,291 | +12.5% |
| 1983 | $1,860 | +44.1% |
| 1984 | $1,361 | -26.9% |
| 1985 | $1,983 | +45.8% |
| 1986 | $2,431 | +22.5% |
| 1987 | $2,590 | +6.5% |
| 1988 | $3,523 | +36.0% |
| 1989 | $5,129 | +45.6% |
| 1990 | $4,954 | -3.4% |
| 1991 | $9,014 | +82.0% |
| 1992 | $10,955 | +21.5% |
| 1993 | $12,706 | +16.0% |
| 1994 | $12,555 | -1.2% |
| 1995 | $18,327 | +46.0% |
| 1996 | $24,854 | +35.6% |
| 1997 | $45,260 | +82.1% |
| 1998 | $47,543 | +5.0% |
| 1999 | $49,080 | +3.2% |
| 2000 | $69,047 | +40.7% |
| 2001 | $55,071 | -20.2% |
| 2002 | $60,730 | +10.3% |
| 2003 | $78,611 | +29.4% |
| 2004 | $85,674 | +9.0% |
| 2005 | $89,515 | +4.5% |
| 2006 | $104,575 | +16.8% |
| 2007 | $91,854 | -12.2% |
| 2008 | $93,425 | +1.7% |
| 2009 | $87,643 | -6.2% |
| 2010 | $101,335 | +15.6% |
| 2011 | $91,672 | -9.5% |
| 2012 | $116,741 | +27.3% |
| 2013 | $159,602 | +36.7% |
| 2014 | $198,079 | +24.1% |
| 2015 | $201,727 | +1.8% |
| 2016 | $211,084 | +4.6% |
| 2017 | $238,969 | +13.2% |
| 2018 | $186,804 | -21.8% |
| 2019 | $226,857 | +21.4% |
| 2020 | $132,375 | -41.6% |
| 2021 | $213,317 | +61.1% |
| 2022 | $187,884 | -11.9% |
| 2023 | $230,978 | +22.9% |
| 2024 | $338,333 | +46.5% |
| 2025 | $458,682 | +35.6% |
| 2026 | $429,915 | -6.3% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought WFC was 1974-09 ($0.09): $1,000 then is $1M today. The worst was 2025-12 ($91.69): $1,000 then is $937.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in WFC be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) at the start of 1972 would be worth about $580,676 today, a total return of +57967.6%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for WFC?
Wells Fargo & Company (WFC)'s strongest calendar year since 1972 was 1997, a +82.1% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,821 by year-end. Its weakest year was 1974, at -42.3%.
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 WFC have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1972-06 would have grown to about $7.99M on $65,100 invested.
Did WFC beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $71,943. WFC beat the S&P 500 by +707.1% 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
Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) historical total-return data from 1972-06 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.