The Bureau of Historic Losses · Counterfactual Division
What if you'd bought Westpac in 2009?
Australia's oldest bank entered 2009 near its GFC lows, having dodged the worst of the global carnage but not the fear. Fully-franked dividends plus a recovery awaited anyone who could stomach the headlines.
$100 on 2009-01-01, worth today
A$556
As of 2026-06-12, $100 of Westpac bought at 2009's open (A$6.29) is worth A$556 — 5.56×.
total return · dividends reinvested · AUD
How much would $100 of Westpac bought in 2009 be worth today?
| You'd have put in | You'd have now | Multiple |
|---|---|---|
| A$100 | A$556 | 5.56× |
| A$1,000 | A$5,561 | 5.56× |
| A$10,000 | A$55,613 | 5.56× |
Lump sum on the year's first trading day, total return (dividends reinvested, splits adjusted), valued at the latest close. Past performance isn't a promise — it's a taunt.
What did Westpac do in 2009?
Opened
A$6.29
2009-01-01
Peaked
A$10.63
2009-10-25
Bottomed
A$5.48
2009-01-22
Closed
A$9.99
2009-12-30
Levels are dividend-adjusted, so historical figures look lower than the headline price of the day — that's the total-return lens, and it's the honest one.
Would steady buying have beaten going all in?
A$91,100 deployed as $100 a week from 2009-01-01, under four temperaments — same money, different nerves.
| All in on day one | A$506,634 |
| Steady weekly buys | A$208,412 |
| Sold dips, rebought rallies | A$151,680 |
| Traded it perfectly | A$439,400 |
“Traded it perfectly” requires knowing the future. Nobody knew the future.
The same $1,000, elsewhere
$1,000 at 2009's open, each valued at the latest close. Hindsight remains undefeated.
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