What if you'd held NSC?
A $1,000 investment in Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC) at the month-end close of 1982-06 would be worth $233,588 at the close of 2026-08 — +23258.8% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $70,322.
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 1982
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | $1,000 | — |
| 1983 | $1,208 | +20.8% |
| 1984 | $1,191 | -1.4% |
| 1985 | $1,738 | +45.9% |
| 1986 | $1,880 | +8.2% |
| 1987 | $1,825 | -2.9% |
| 1988 | $2,279 | +24.9% |
| 1989 | $3,060 | +34.3% |
| 1990 | $3,284 | +7.3% |
| 1991 | $4,825 | +46.9% |
| 1992 | $5,131 | +6.3% |
| 1993 | $6,077 | +18.4% |
| 1994 | $5,383 | -11.4% |
| 1995 | $7,262 | +34.9% |
| 1996 | $8,268 | +13.8% |
| 1997 | $8,814 | +6.6% |
| 1998 | $9,393 | +6.6% |
| 1999 | $6,251 | -33.4% |
| 2000 | $4,262 | -31.8% |
| 2001 | $5,951 | +39.6% |
| 2002 | $6,568 | +10.4% |
| 2003 | $7,891 | +20.1% |
| 2004 | $12,240 | +55.1% |
| 2005 | $15,366 | +25.5% |
| 2006 | $17,475 | +13.7% |
| 2007 | $17,858 | +2.2% |
| 2008 | $16,995 | -4.8% |
| 2009 | $19,579 | +15.2% |
| 2010 | $24,055 | +22.9% |
| 2011 | $28,563 | +18.7% |
| 2012 | $24,923 | -12.7% |
| 2013 | $38,421 | +54.2% |
| 2014 | $46,393 | +20.8% |
| 2015 | $36,951 | -20.4% |
| 2016 | $48,579 | +31.5% |
| 2017 | $66,481 | +36.9% |
| 2018 | $69,956 | +5.2% |
| 2019 | $92,612 | +32.4% |
| 2020 | $115,546 | +24.8% |
| 2021 | $147,044 | +27.3% |
| 2022 | $124,120 | -15.6% |
| 2023 | $122,093 | -1.6% |
| 2024 | $123,984 | +1.5% |
| 2025 | $155,781 | +25.6% |
| 2026 | $188,913 | +21.3% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought NSC was 1982-07 ($1.47): $1,000 then is $235,177 today. The worst was 2026-08 ($346): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in NSC be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC) at the start of 1982 would be worth about $233,588 today, a total return of +23258.8%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for NSC?
Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC)'s strongest calendar year since 1982 was 2004, a +55.1% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,551 by year-end. Its weakest year was 1999, at -33.4%.
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 NSC have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1982-06 would have grown to about $1.86M on $53,100 invested.
Did NSC beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $70,322. NSC beat the S&P 500 by +232.2% 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
Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC) historical total-return data from 1982-06 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. 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.