What if you'd held WLY?
A $1,000 investment in John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (WLY) at the month-end close of 1972-06 would be worth $194,353 at the close of 2026-08 — +19335.3% 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 | $338 | -66.2% |
| 1974 | $374 | +10.7% |
| 1975 | $805 | +115.4% |
| 1976 | $846 | +5.0% |
| 1977 | $1,301 | +53.8% |
| 1978 | $1,273 | -2.2% |
| 1979 | $1,480 | +16.3% |
| 1980 | $1,964 | +32.7% |
| 1981 | $2,444 | +24.4% |
| 1982 | $3,187 | +30.4% |
| 1983 | $4,423 | +38.8% |
| 1984 | $4,004 | -9.5% |
| 1985 | $5,376 | +34.2% |
| 1986 | $4,707 | -12.4% |
| 1987 | $3,480 | -26.1% |
| 1988 | $6,189 | +77.8% |
| 1989 | $8,054 | +30.1% |
| 1990 | $4,706 | -41.6% |
| 1991 | $5,269 | +12.0% |
| 1992 | $8,357 | +58.6% |
| 1993 | $12,047 | +44.1% |
| 1994 | $15,227 | +26.4% |
| 1995 | $22,805 | +49.8% |
| 1996 | $22,753 | -0.2% |
| 1997 | $38,720 | +70.2% |
| 1998 | $69,506 | +79.5% |
| 1999 | $48,646 | -30.0% |
| 2000 | $62,913 | +29.3% |
| 2001 | $67,953 | +8.0% |
| 2002 | $71,435 | +5.1% |
| 2003 | $78,207 | +9.5% |
| 2004 | $105,637 | +35.1% |
| 2005 | $119,422 | +13.0% |
| 2006 | $118,958 | -0.4% |
| 2007 | $133,795 | +12.5% |
| 2008 | $112,587 | -15.9% |
| 2009 | $134,633 | +19.6% |
| 2010 | $147,599 | +9.6% |
| 2011 | $147,198 | -0.3% |
| 2012 | $131,660 | -10.6% |
| 2013 | $190,902 | +45.0% |
| 2014 | $208,840 | +9.4% |
| 2015 | $162,478 | -22.2% |
| 2016 | $201,457 | +24.0% |
| 2017 | $248,647 | +23.4% |
| 2018 | $181,729 | -26.9% |
| 2019 | $193,375 | +6.4% |
| 2020 | $188,666 | -2.4% |
| 2021 | $242,561 | +28.6% |
| 2022 | $175,086 | -27.8% |
| 2023 | $144,391 | -17.5% |
| 2024 | $205,312 | +42.2% |
| 2025 | $149,435 | -27.2% |
| 2026 | $257,660 | +72.4% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought WLY was 1973-12 ($0.07): $1,000 then is $763,142 today. The worst was 2021-05 ($53.15): $1,000 then is $978.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in WLY be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (WLY) at the start of 1972 would be worth about $194,353 today, a total return of +19335.3%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for WLY?
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (WLY)'s strongest calendar year since 1972 was 1975, a +115.4% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,154 by year-end. Its weakest year was 1973, at -66.2%.
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 WLY have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1972-06 would have grown to about $4.4M on $65,100 invested.
Did WLY beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $71,943. WLY beat the S&P 500 by +170.1% 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
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (WLY) 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.