What if you'd held COST?
A $1,000 investment in Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) at the month-end close of 1986-07 would be worth $143,048 at the close of 2026-08 — +14204.8% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $32,644.
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 1986
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | $1,000 | — |
| 1987 | $1,000 | 0.0% |
| 1988 | $1,145 | +14.5% |
| 1989 | $1,411 | +23.2% |
| 1990 | $1,198 | -15.1% |
| 1991 | $1,534 | +28.0% |
| 1992 | $1,106 | -27.9% |
| 1993 | $1,174 | +6.1% |
| 1994 | $785 | -33.1% |
| 1995 | $930 | +18.5% |
| 1996 | $1,534 | +64.9% |
| 1997 | $2,723 | +77.5% |
| 1998 | $4,406 | +61.8% |
| 1999 | $5,569 | +26.4% |
| 2000 | $4,873 | -12.5% |
| 2001 | $5,417 | +11.1% |
| 2002 | $3,424 | -36.8% |
| 2003 | $4,538 | +32.5% |
| 2004 | $5,950 | +31.1% |
| 2005 | $6,141 | +3.2% |
| 2006 | $6,626 | +7.9% |
| 2007 | $8,828 | +33.2% |
| 2008 | $6,710 | -24.0% |
| 2009 | $7,672 | +14.3% |
| 2010 | $9,488 | +23.7% |
| 2011 | $11,075 | +16.7% |
| 2012 | $14,220 | +28.4% |
| 2013 | $17,327 | +21.8% |
| 2014 | $20,872 | +20.5% |
| 2015 | $24,826 | +18.9% |
| 2016 | $24,894 | +0.3% |
| 2017 | $30,462 | +22.4% |
| 2018 | $33,692 | +10.6% |
| 2019 | $49,090 | +45.7% |
| 2020 | $65,125 | +32.7% |
| 2021 | $98,873 | +51.8% |
| 2022 | $80,039 | -19.0% |
| 2023 | $119,261 | +49.0% |
| 2024 | $166,516 | +39.6% |
| 2025 | $157,532 | -5.4% |
| 2026 | $175,594 | +11.5% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought COST was 1994-12 ($4.28): $1,000 then is $223,596 today. The worst was 2025-02 ($1,040): $1,000 then is $920.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in COST be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) at the start of 1986 would be worth about $143,048 today, a total return of +14204.8%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for COST?
Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST)'s strongest calendar year since 1986 was 1997, a +77.5% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,775 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2002, at -36.8%.
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 COST have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1986-07 would have grown to about $2.68M on $48,200 invested.
Did COST beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $32,644. COST beat the S&P 500 by +338.2% 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
Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) historical total-return data from 1986-07 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.