What if you'd held AMAT?
A $1,000 investment in Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT) at the month-end close of 1980-03 would be worth $7.25M at the close of 2026-08 — +725294.7% 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 | $506 | -49.4% |
| 1982 | $822 | +62.5% |
| 1983 | $1,391 | +69.2% |
| 1984 | $976 | -29.9% |
| 1985 | $750 | -23.2% |
| 1986 | $687 | -8.4% |
| 1987 | $1,410 | +105.2% |
| 1988 | $1,608 | +14.1% |
| 1989 | $2,060 | +28.1% |
| 1990 | $1,554 | -24.6% |
| 1991 | $2,548 | +64.0% |
| 1992 | $4,879 | +91.5% |
| 1993 | $11,204 | +129.6% |
| 1994 | $12,216 | +9.0% |
| 1995 | $22,769 | +86.4% |
| 1996 | $20,781 | -8.7% |
| 1997 | $34,840 | +67.7% |
| 1998 | $49,368 | +41.7% |
| 1999 | $146,515 | +196.8% |
| 2000 | $88,328 | -39.7% |
| 2001 | $92,752 | +5.0% |
| 2002 | $60,277 | -35.0% |
| 2003 | $103,808 | +72.2% |
| 2004 | $79,105 | -23.8% |
| 2005 | $83,428 | +5.5% |
| 2006 | $86,693 | +3.9% |
| 2007 | $84,439 | -2.6% |
| 2008 | $48,883 | -42.1% |
| 2009 | $68,648 | +40.4% |
| 2010 | $70,747 | +3.1% |
| 2011 | $55,275 | -21.9% |
| 2012 | $60,908 | +10.2% |
| 2013 | $96,572 | +58.6% |
| 2014 | $138,769 | +43.7% |
| 2015 | $106,135 | -23.5% |
| 2016 | $186,482 | +75.7% |
| 2017 | $298,113 | +59.9% |
| 2018 | $194,006 | -34.9% |
| 2019 | $368,330 | +89.9% |
| 2020 | $527,780 | +43.3% |
| 2021 | $969,200 | +83.6% |
| 2022 | $605,337 | -37.5% |
| 2023 | $1.02M | +68.0% |
| 2024 | $1.03M | +1.1% |
| 2025 | $1.64M | +59.6% |
| 2026 | $3.18M | +93.6% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought AMAT was 1980-03 ($0.07): $1,000 then is $7.25M today. The worst was 2026-06 ($723): $1,000 then is $686.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in AMAT be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT) at the start of 1980 would be worth about $7.25M today, a total return of +725294.7%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for AMAT?
Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT)'s strongest calendar year since 1980 was 1999, a +196.8% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,968 by year-end. Its weakest year was 1981, at -49.4%.
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 AMAT have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1980-03 would have grown to about $46.74M on $55,800 invested.
Did AMAT beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $75,502. AMAT beat the S&P 500 by +9507.6% 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
Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT) 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.
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.