What if you'd held WM?
A $1,000 investment in Waste Management, Inc. (WM) at the month-end close of 1988-06 would be worth $93,162 at the close of 2026-08 — +9216.2% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $28,183.
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 1988
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | $1,000 | — |
| 1989 | $631 | -36.9% |
| 1990 | $2,420 | +283.5% |
| 1991 | $7,366 | +204.4% |
| 1992 | $6,104 | -17.1% |
| 1993 | $4,788 | -21.6% |
| 1994 | $4,788 | 0.0% |
| 1995 | $7,945 | +65.9% |
| 1996 | $13,417 | +68.9% |
| 1997 | $16,521 | +23.1% |
| 1998 | $19,633 | +18.8% |
| 1999 | $7,242 | -63.1% |
| 2000 | $11,698 | +61.5% |
| 2001 | $13,457 | +15.0% |
| 2002 | $9,670 | -28.1% |
| 2003 | $12,493 | +29.2% |
| 2004 | $12,969 | +3.8% |
| 2005 | $13,514 | +4.2% |
| 2006 | $16,788 | +24.2% |
| 2007 | $15,319 | -8.8% |
| 2008 | $16,045 | +4.7% |
| 2009 | $17,054 | +6.3% |
| 2010 | $19,313 | +13.2% |
| 2011 | $17,825 | -7.7% |
| 2012 | $19,188 | +7.6% |
| 2013 | $26,447 | +37.8% |
| 2014 | $31,270 | +18.2% |
| 2015 | $33,499 | +7.1% |
| 2016 | $45,688 | +36.4% |
| 2017 | $56,865 | +24.5% |
| 2018 | $59,891 | +5.3% |
| 2019 | $78,129 | +30.5% |
| 2020 | $82,397 | +5.5% |
| 2021 | $118,505 | +43.8% |
| 2022 | $113,180 | -4.5% |
| 2023 | $131,511 | +16.2% |
| 2024 | $150,296 | +14.3% |
| 2025 | $166,079 | +10.5% |
| 2026 | $171,555 | +3.3% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought WM was 1990-01 ($0.76): $1,000 then is $296,548 today. The worst was 2026-02 ($239): $1,000 then is $942.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in WM be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Waste Management, Inc. (WM) at the start of 1988 would be worth about $93,162 today, a total return of +9216.2%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for WM?
Waste Management, Inc. (WM)'s strongest calendar year since 1988 was 1990, a +283.5% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $3,835 by year-end. Its weakest year was 1999, at -63.1%.
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 WM have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1988-06 would have grown to about $1.01M on $45,900 invested.
Did WM beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $28,183. WM beat the S&P 500 by +230.6% 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
Waste Management, Inc. (WM) historical total-return data from 1988-06 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.