What if you'd held DIS?
A $1,000 investment in Walt Disney Company (The) (DIS) at the month-end close of 1962-01 would be worth $1.88M at the close of 2026-08 — +187496.5% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $111,969.
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 1962
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | $1,000 | — |
| 1963 | $1,419 | +41.9% |
| 1964 | $1,646 | +16.0% |
| 1965 | $2,161 | +31.3% |
| 1966 | $2,913 | +34.8% |
| 1967 | $4,078 | +40.0% |
| 1968 | $6,296 | +54.4% |
| 1969 | $9,962 | +58.2% |
| 1970 | $10,509 | +5.5% |
| 1971 | $20,442 | +94.5% |
| 1972 | $35,197 | +72.2% |
| 1973 | $14,049 | -60.1% |
| 1974 | $6,357 | -54.8% |
| 1975 | $14,830 | +133.3% |
| 1976 | $14,049 | -5.3% |
| 1977 | $11,895 | -15.3% |
| 1978 | $11,930 | +0.3% |
| 1979 | $13,343 | +11.8% |
| 1980 | $15,238 | +14.2% |
| 1981 | $15,536 | +2.0% |
| 1982 | $19,206 | +23.6% |
| 1983 | $16,325 | -15.0% |
| 1984 | $18,922 | +15.9% |
| 1985 | $36,164 | +91.1% |
| 1986 | $55,715 | +54.1% |
| 1987 | $76,825 | +37.9% |
| 1988 | $85,789 | +11.7% |
| 1989 | $146,895 | +71.2% |
| 1990 | $133,785 | -8.9% |
| 1991 | $151,830 | +13.5% |
| 1992 | $229,386 | +51.1% |
| 1993 | $228,706 | -0.3% |
| 1994 | $248,538 | +8.7% |
| 1995 | $320,675 | +29.0% |
| 1996 | $381,955 | +19.1% |
| 1997 | $545,724 | +42.9% |
| 1998 | $499,213 | -8.5% |
| 1999 | $491,991 | -1.4% |
| 2000 | $490,090 | -0.4% |
| 2001 | $354,641 | -27.6% |
| 2002 | $282,643 | -20.3% |
| 2003 | $408,139 | +44.4% |
| 2004 | $490,684 | +20.2% |
| 2005 | $427,578 | -12.9% |
| 2006 | $616,848 | +44.3% |
| 2007 | $595,343 | -3.5% |
| 2008 | $424,747 | -28.7% |
| 2009 | $610,666 | +43.8% |
| 2010 | $718,036 | +17.6% |
| 2011 | $729,899 | +1.7% |
| 2012 | $983,993 | +34.8% |
| 2013 | $1.53M | +55.3% |
| 2014 | $1.91M | +24.9% |
| 2015 | $2.16M | +12.9% |
| 2016 | $2.17M | +0.7% |
| 2017 | $2.27M | +4.8% |
| 2018 | $2.35M | +3.6% |
| 2019 | $3.14M | +33.5% |
| 2020 | $3.94M | +25.3% |
| 2021 | $3.37M | -14.5% |
| 2022 | $1.89M | -43.9% |
| 2023 | $1.97M | +4.3% |
| 2024 | $2.45M | +24.4% |
| 2025 | $2.53M | +3.3% |
| 2026 | $2.4M | -5.3% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought DIS was 1962-10 ($0.04): $1,000 then is $2.91M today. The worst was 2021-02 ($183): $1,000 then is $583.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in DIS be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Walt Disney Company (The) (DIS) at the start of 1962 would be worth about $1.88M today, a total return of +187496.5%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for DIS?
Walt Disney Company (The) (DIS)'s strongest calendar year since 1962 was 1975, a +133.3% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,333 by year-end. Its weakest year was 1973, at -60.1%.
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 DIS have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1962-01 would have grown to about $15.11M on $77,600 invested.
Did DIS beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $111,969. DIS beat the S&P 500 by +1575.4% 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
Walt Disney Company (The) (DIS) historical total-return data from 1962-01 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.