What if you'd held GD?
A $1,000 investment in General Dynamics Corporation (GD) at the month-end close of 1962-01 would be worth $1.96M at the close of 2026-08 — +196364.7% 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.
Every year, $1,000 from 1962
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | $1,000 | — |
| 1963 | $837 | -16.3% |
| 1964 | $1,250 | +49.4% |
| 1965 | $2,076 | +66.0% |
| 1966 | $1,794 | -13.6% |
| 1967 | $2,511 | +40.0% |
| 1968 | $1,785 | -28.9% |
| 1969 | $1,108 | -37.9% |
| 1970 | $772 | -30.3% |
| 1971 | $877 | +13.7% |
| 1972 | $1,023 | +16.6% |
| 1973 | $807 | -21.1% |
| 1974 | $777 | -3.7% |
| 1975 | $1,518 | +95.4% |
| 1976 | $2,168 | +42.9% |
| 1977 | $1,845 | -14.9% |
| 1978 | $3,207 | +73.8% |
| 1979 | $6,258 | +95.1% |
| 1980 | $9,008 | +43.9% |
| 1981 | $5,287 | -41.3% |
| 1982 | $7,308 | +38.2% |
| 1983 | $13,138 | +79.8% |
| 1984 | $16,007 | +21.8% |
| 1985 | $16,062 | +0.3% |
| 1986 | $16,043 | -0.1% |
| 1987 | $11,728 | -26.9% |
| 1988 | $12,447 | +6.1% |
| 1989 | $11,204 | -10.0% |
| 1990 | $6,497 | -42.0% |
| 1991 | $14,260 | +119.5% |
| 1992 | $28,065 | +96.8% |
| 1993 | $36,194 | +29.0% |
| 1994 | $35,225 | -2.7% |
| 1995 | $49,405 | +40.3% |
| 1996 | $60,664 | +22.8% |
| 1997 | $76,044 | +25.4% |
| 1998 | $105,378 | +38.6% |
| 1999 | $95,633 | -9.2% |
| 2000 | $144,043 | +50.6% |
| 2001 | $149,302 | +3.7% |
| 2002 | $150,830 | +1.0% |
| 2003 | $174,892 | +16.0% |
| 2004 | $205,345 | +17.4% |
| 2005 | $227,096 | +10.6% |
| 2006 | $300,157 | +32.2% |
| 2007 | $364,251 | +21.4% |
| 2008 | $239,791 | -34.2% |
| 2009 | $291,676 | +21.6% |
| 2010 | $311,174 | +6.7% |
| 2011 | $299,158 | -3.9% |
| 2012 | $323,757 | +8.2% |
| 2013 | $456,443 | +41.0% |
| 2014 | $672,158 | +47.3% |
| 2015 | $684,050 | +1.8% |
| 2016 | $878,704 | +28.5% |
| 2017 | $1.05M | +19.9% |
| 2018 | $828,411 | -21.3% |
| 2019 | $950,976 | +14.8% |
| 2020 | $826,017 | -13.1% |
| 2021 | $1.19M | +43.8% |
| 2022 | $1.45M | +21.7% |
| 2023 | $1.55M | +7.1% |
| 2024 | $1.6M | +3.5% |
| 2025 | $2.09M | +30.4% |
| 2026 | $2.47M | +18.1% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought GD was 1974-10 ($0.10): $1,000 then is $4.04M today. The worst was 2026-08 ($392): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in GD be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in General Dynamics Corporation (GD) at the start of 1962 would be worth about $1.96M today, a total return of +196364.7%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for GD?
General Dynamics Corporation (GD)'s strongest calendar year since 1962 was 1991, a +119.5% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,195 by year-end. Its weakest year was 1990, at -42.0%.
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 GD have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1962-01 would have grown to about $45.22M on $77,600 invested.
Did GD beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $111,969. GD beat the S&P 500 by +1654.6% 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
General Dynamics Corporation (GD) 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. 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.