What if you'd held PPL?
A $1,000 investment in PPL Corporation (PPL) at the month-end close of 1980-03 would be worth $85,518 at the close of 2026-08 — +8451.8% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $75,502.
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 1980
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | $1,000 | — |
| 1981 | $1,098 | +9.8% |
| 1982 | $1,346 | +22.6% |
| 1983 | $1,321 | -1.9% |
| 1984 | $1,610 | +21.9% |
| 1985 | $1,979 | +22.9% |
| 1986 | $2,613 | +32.0% |
| 1987 | $2,458 | -5.9% |
| 1988 | $2,852 | +16.0% |
| 1989 | $3,640 | +27.6% |
| 1990 | $3,991 | +9.6% |
| 1991 | $5,134 | +28.7% |
| 1992 | $5,656 | +10.2% |
| 1993 | $5,929 | +4.8% |
| 1994 | $4,510 | -23.9% |
| 1995 | $6,417 | +42.3% |
| 1996 | $6,344 | -1.1% |
| 1997 | $7,130 | +12.4% |
| 1998 | $9,353 | +31.2% |
| 1999 | $7,973 | -14.8% |
| 2000 | $16,378 | +105.4% |
| 2001 | $12,938 | -21.0% |
| 2002 | $13,437 | +3.9% |
| 2003 | $17,631 | +31.2% |
| 2004 | $22,235 | +26.1% |
| 2005 | $25,542 | +14.9% |
| 2006 | $32,205 | +26.1% |
| 2007 | $48,080 | +49.3% |
| 2008 | $29,285 | -39.1% |
| 2009 | $32,305 | +10.3% |
| 2010 | $27,733 | -14.2% |
| 2011 | $32,601 | +17.6% |
| 2012 | $33,371 | +2.4% |
| 2013 | $36,822 | +10.3% |
| 2014 | $46,456 | +26.2% |
| 2015 | $49,137 | +5.8% |
| 2016 | $51,159 | +4.1% |
| 2017 | $48,501 | -5.2% |
| 2018 | $47,041 | -3.0% |
| 2019 | $62,763 | +33.4% |
| 2020 | $52,175 | -16.9% |
| 2021 | $58,895 | +12.9% |
| 2022 | $59,103 | +0.4% |
| 2023 | $56,875 | -3.8% |
| 2024 | $70,519 | +24.0% |
| 2025 | $78,547 | +11.4% |
| 2026 | $80,843 | +2.9% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought PPL was 1980-03 ($0.41): $1,000 then is $85,518 today. The worst was 2026-02 ($38.38): $1,000 then is $925.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in PPL be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in PPL Corporation (PPL) at the start of 1980 would be worth about $85,518 today, a total return of +8451.8%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for PPL?
PPL Corporation (PPL)'s strongest calendar year since 1980 was 2000, a +105.4% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,054 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -39.1%.
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 PPL have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1980-03 would have grown to about $835,435 on $55,800 invested.
Did PPL beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $75,502. PPL beat the S&P 500 by +13.3% 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
PPL Corporation (PPL) historical total-return data from 1980-03 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.