What if you'd held IBM?
A $1,000 investment in International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) at the month-end close of 1962-01 would be worth $174,511 at the close of 2026-08 — +17351.1% 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 | $1,301 | +30.1% |
| 1964 | $1,315 | +1.0% |
| 1965 | $1,604 | +22.0% |
| 1966 | $1,794 | +11.8% |
| 1967 | $3,035 | +69.2% |
| 1968 | $3,067 | +1.1% |
| 1969 | $3,589 | +17.0% |
| 1970 | $3,170 | -11.7% |
| 1971 | $3,412 | +7.6% |
| 1972 | $4,134 | +21.2% |
| 1973 | $3,218 | -22.2% |
| 1974 | $2,247 | -30.2% |
| 1975 | $3,099 | +37.9% |
| 1976 | $3,975 | +28.3% |
| 1977 | $4,046 | +1.8% |
| 1978 | $4,609 | +13.9% |
| 1979 | $4,172 | -9.5% |
| 1980 | $4,644 | +11.3% |
| 1981 | $4,130 | -11.1% |
| 1982 | $7,351 | +78.0% |
| 1983 | $9,626 | +30.9% |
| 1984 | $10,055 | +4.5% |
| 1985 | $13,135 | +30.6% |
| 1986 | $10,462 | -20.4% |
| 1987 | $10,385 | -0.7% |
| 1988 | $11,379 | +9.6% |
| 1989 | $9,168 | -19.4% |
| 1990 | $11,524 | +25.7% |
| 1991 | $9,502 | -17.6% |
| 1992 | $5,697 | -40.0% |
| 1993 | $6,599 | +15.8% |
| 1994 | $8,724 | +32.2% |
| 1995 | $10,964 | +25.7% |
| 1996 | $18,387 | +67.7% |
| 1997 | $25,614 | +39.3% |
| 1998 | $45,459 | +77.5% |
| 1999 | $53,448 | +17.6% |
| 2000 | $42,311 | -20.8% |
| 2001 | $60,507 | +43.0% |
| 2002 | $39,052 | -35.5% |
| 2003 | $47,057 | +20.5% |
| 2004 | $50,439 | +7.2% |
| 2005 | $42,454 | -15.8% |
| 2006 | $50,849 | +19.8% |
| 2007 | $57,376 | +12.8% |
| 2008 | $45,451 | -20.8% |
| 2009 | $72,105 | +58.6% |
| 2010 | $82,388 | +14.3% |
| 2011 | $104,972 | +27.4% |
| 2012 | $111,191 | +5.9% |
| 2013 | $110,994 | -0.2% |
| 2014 | $97,245 | -12.4% |
| 2015 | $86,137 | -11.4% |
| 2016 | $107,853 | +25.2% |
| 2017 | $103,553 | -4.0% |
| 2018 | $80,193 | -22.6% |
| 2019 | $99,099 | +23.6% |
| 2020 | $97,947 | -1.2% |
| 2021 | $114,258 | +16.7% |
| 2022 | $126,412 | +10.6% |
| 2023 | $154,031 | +21.8% |
| 2024 | $214,520 | +39.3% |
| 2025 | $296,523 | +38.2% |
| 2026 | $242,247 | -18.3% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought IBM was 1962-06 ($0.85): $1,000 then is $278,684 today. The worst was 2025-11 ($302): $1,000 then is $784.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in IBM be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) at the start of 1962 would be worth about $174,511 today, a total return of +17351.1%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for IBM?
International Business Machines Corporation (IBM)'s strongest calendar year since 1962 was 1982, a +78.0% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,780 by year-end. Its weakest year was 1992, at -40.0%.
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 IBM have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1962-01 would have grown to about $2.98M on $77,600 invested.
Did IBM beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $111,969. IBM beat the S&P 500 by +55.9% 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
International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) 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.