What if you'd held ADM?
A $1,000 investment in Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (ADM) at the month-end close of 1980-03 would be worth $88,456 at the close of 2026-08 — +8745.6% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $75,502.
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. Click any year for the full story.
Every year, $1,000 from 1980
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | $1,000 | — |
| 1981 | $817 | -18.3% |
| 1982 | $957 | +17.2% |
| 1983 | $940 | -1.8% |
| 1984 | $951 | +1.2% |
| 1985 | $1,367 | +43.7% |
| 1986 | $1,529 | +11.9% |
| 1987 | $1,866 | +22.0% |
| 1988 | $1,957 | +4.9% |
| 1989 | $3,426 | +75.1% |
| 1990 | $3,555 | +3.8% |
| 1991 | $5,457 | +53.5% |
| 1992 | $4,601 | -15.7% |
| 1993 | $4,165 | -9.5% |
| 1994 | $5,973 | +43.4% |
| 1995 | $5,514 | -7.7% |
| 1996 | $7,149 | +29.7% |
| 1997 | $7,622 | +6.6% |
| 1998 | $6,387 | -16.2% |
| 1999 | $4,816 | -24.6% |
| 2000 | $6,375 | +32.4% |
| 2001 | $6,496 | +1.9% |
| 2002 | $5,708 | -12.1% |
| 2003 | $7,141 | +25.1% |
| 2004 | $10,650 | +49.1% |
| 2005 | $11,957 | +12.3% |
| 2006 | $15,663 | +31.0% |
| 2007 | $23,053 | +47.2% |
| 2008 | $14,548 | -36.9% |
| 2009 | $16,121 | +10.8% |
| 2010 | $15,809 | -1.9% |
| 2011 | $15,350 | -2.9% |
| 2012 | $15,068 | -1.8% |
| 2013 | $24,395 | +61.9% |
| 2014 | $29,842 | +22.3% |
| 2015 | $21,575 | -27.7% |
| 2016 | $27,700 | +28.4% |
| 2017 | $25,076 | -9.5% |
| 2018 | $26,399 | +5.3% |
| 2019 | $30,913 | +17.1% |
| 2020 | $34,760 | +12.4% |
| 2021 | $47,733 | +37.3% |
| 2022 | $66,818 | +40.0% |
| 2023 | $53,174 | -20.4% |
| 2024 | $38,539 | -27.5% |
| 2025 | $45,568 | +18.2% |
| 2026 | $64,920 | +42.5% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought ADM was 1982-07 ($0.70): $1,000 then is $115,536 today. The worst was 2022-11 ($87.28): $1,000 then is $925.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in ADM be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (ADM) at the start of 1980 would be worth about $88,456 today, a total return of +8745.6%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for ADM?
Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (ADM)'s strongest calendar year since 1980 was 1989, a +75.1% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,751 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -36.9%.
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 ADM have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1980-03 would have grown to about $989,875 on $55,800 invested.
Did ADM beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $75,502. ADM beat the S&P 500 by +17.2% in total return.
Is this investment advice?
No. What If I'd Held is an entertainment and education tool. Every number is a historical calculation, not a prediction, and past performance never guarantees future results.
Methodology
Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (ADM) historical total-return data from 1980-03 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. What If I'd Held is entertainment, not investment advice.
What if you'd held…
Data: adjusted close prices via Yahoo Finance. As of 2026-08. Not financial advice.