What if you'd held OXY?
A $1,000 investment in Occidental Petroleum Corporation (OXY) at the month-end close of 1981-12 would be worth $36,640 at the close of 2026-08 — +3564.0% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $62,897.
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 1981
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | $1,000 | — |
| 1982 | $933 | -6.7% |
| 1983 | $1,305 | +39.9% |
| 1984 | $1,598 | +22.4% |
| 1985 | $1,915 | +19.8% |
| 1986 | $1,860 | -2.9% |
| 1987 | $1,738 | -6.6% |
| 1988 | $1,994 | +14.7% |
| 1989 | $2,537 | +27.2% |
| 1990 | $1,713 | -32.5% |
| 1991 | $1,744 | +1.8% |
| 1992 | $1,750 | +0.3% |
| 1993 | $1,835 | +4.9% |
| 1994 | $2,189 | +19.3% |
| 1995 | $2,543 | +16.2% |
| 1996 | $2,902 | +14.1% |
| 1997 | $3,780 | +30.3% |
| 1998 | $2,274 | -39.8% |
| 1999 | $3,073 | +35.1% |
| 2000 | $3,616 | +17.7% |
| 2001 | $4,098 | +13.3% |
| 2002 | $4,555 | +11.2% |
| 2003 | $6,970 | +53.0% |
| 2004 | $9,848 | +41.3% |
| 2005 | $13,707 | +39.2% |
| 2006 | $17,030 | +24.2% |
| 2007 | $27,299 | +60.3% |
| 2008 | $21,659 | -20.7% |
| 2009 | $29,963 | +38.3% |
| 2010 | $36,787 | +22.8% |
| 2011 | $35,823 | -2.6% |
| 2012 | $30,055 | -16.1% |
| 2013 | $38,396 | +27.8% |
| 2014 | $34,963 | -8.9% |
| 2015 | $30,543 | -12.6% |
| 2016 | $33,585 | +10.0% |
| 2017 | $36,439 | +8.5% |
| 2018 | $31,683 | -13.1% |
| 2019 | $22,720 | -28.3% |
| 2020 | $9,854 | -56.6% |
| 2021 | $16,524 | +67.7% |
| 2022 | $36,207 | +119.1% |
| 2023 | $34,732 | -4.1% |
| 2024 | $29,207 | -15.9% |
| 2025 | $24,841 | -14.9% |
| 2026 | $36,640 | +47.5% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought OXY was 1982-07 ($1.25): $1,000 then is $48,072 today. The worst was 2011-04 ($70.60): $1,000 then is $851.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in OXY be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Occidental Petroleum Corporation (OXY) at the start of 1981 would be worth about $36,640 today, a total return of +3564.0%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for OXY?
Occidental Petroleum Corporation (OXY)'s strongest calendar year since 1981 was 2022, a +119.1% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,191 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2020, at -56.6%.
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 OXY have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1981-12 would have grown to about $504,097 on $53,700 invested.
Did OXY beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $62,897. OXY trailed the S&P 500 by +41.7% 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
Occidental Petroleum Corporation (OXY) historical total-return data from 1981-12 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.