What if you'd held F?
A $1,000 investment in Ford Motor Company (F) at the month-end close of 1972-06 would be worth $73,980 at the close of 2026-08 — +7298.0% 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. Click any year for the full story.
Every year, $1,000 from 1972
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | $1,000 | — |
| 1973 | $538 | -46.2% |
| 1974 | $478 | -11.2% |
| 1975 | $675 | +41.2% |
| 1976 | $988 | +46.4% |
| 1977 | $984 | -0.4% |
| 1978 | $980 | -0.4% |
| 1979 | $819 | -16.4% |
| 1980 | $562 | -31.4% |
| 1981 | $498 | -11.4% |
| 1982 | $1,157 | +132.3% |
| 1983 | $1,912 | +65.3% |
| 1984 | $2,161 | +13.0% |
| 1985 | $2,896 | +34.0% |
| 1986 | $4,402 | +52.0% |
| 1987 | $6,141 | +39.5% |
| 1988 | $8,627 | +40.5% |
| 1989 | $7,916 | -8.2% |
| 1990 | $5,209 | -34.2% |
| 1991 | $5,884 | +13.0% |
| 1992 | $9,341 | +58.8% |
| 1993 | $14,486 | +55.1% |
| 1994 | $12,900 | -11.0% |
| 1995 | $13,960 | +8.2% |
| 1996 | $16,329 | +17.0% |
| 1997 | $25,675 | +57.2% |
| 1998 | $48,345 | +88.3% |
| 1999 | $45,378 | -6.1% |
| 2000 | $37,843 | -16.6% |
| 2001 | $26,474 | -30.0% |
| 2002 | $16,185 | -38.9% |
| 2003 | $28,912 | +78.6% |
| 2004 | $27,177 | -6.0% |
| 2005 | $14,912 | -45.1% |
| 2006 | $14,992 | +0.5% |
| 2007 | $13,438 | -10.4% |
| 2008 | $4,570 | -66.0% |
| 2009 | $19,964 | +336.8% |
| 2010 | $33,518 | +67.9% |
| 2011 | $21,482 | -35.9% |
| 2012 | $26,337 | +22.6% |
| 2013 | $32,213 | +22.3% |
| 2014 | $33,406 | +3.7% |
| 2015 | $31,598 | -5.4% |
| 2016 | $29,100 | -7.9% |
| 2017 | $31,643 | +8.7% |
| 2018 | $20,775 | -34.3% |
| 2019 | $26,932 | +29.6% |
| 2020 | $25,888 | -3.9% |
| 2021 | $61,478 | +137.5% |
| 2022 | $35,546 | -42.2% |
| 2023 | $41,169 | +15.8% |
| 2024 | $35,775 | -13.1% |
| 2025 | $50,928 | +42.4% |
| 2026 | $58,233 | +14.3% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought F was 1974-11 ($0.11): $1,000 then is $131,818 today. The worst was 2026-05 ($17.25): $1,000 then is $840.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in F be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Ford Motor Company (F) at the start of 1972 would be worth about $73,980 today, a total return of +7298.0%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for F?
Ford Motor Company (F)'s strongest calendar year since 1972 was 2009, a +336.8% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $4,368 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -66.0%.
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 F have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1972-06 would have grown to about $1.29M on $65,100 invested.
Did F beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $71,943. F beat the S&P 500 by +2.8% 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
Ford Motor Company (F) 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.
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.