What if you'd held AAAU?
A $1,000 investment in Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF Shares (AAAU) at the month-end close of 2018-08 would be worth $3,707 at the close of 2026-08 — +270.7% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $2,657.
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 2018
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | $1,000 | — |
| 2019 | $1,182 | +18.2% |
| 2020 | $1,477 | +25.0% |
| 2021 | $1,418 | -4.0% |
| 2022 | $1,411 | -0.5% |
| 2023 | $1,594 | +12.9% |
| 2024 | $2,023 | +27.0% |
| 2025 | $3,319 | +64.0% |
| 2026 | $3,470 | +4.5% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought AAAU was 2018-09 ($11.92): $1,000 then is $3,732 today. The worst was 2026-02 ($51.92): $1,000 then is $857.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in AAAU be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF Shares (AAAU) at the start of 2018 would be worth about $3,707 today, a total return of +270.7%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for AAAU?
Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF Shares (AAAU)'s strongest calendar year since 2018 was 2025, a +64.0% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,640 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2021, at -4.0%.
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 AAAU have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2018-08 would have grown to about $22,077 on $9,700 invested.
Did AAAU beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $2,657. AAAU beat the S&P 500 by +39.5% in total return.
Is this investment advice?
No. Wall Street Regrets is an entertainment and education tool. Every number is a historical calculation, not a prediction, and past performance never guarantees future results.
Methodology
Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF Shares (AAAU) historical total-return data from 2018-08 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. Wall Street Regrets is entertainment, not investment advice.
What if you'd held…
Data: adjusted close prices via Yahoo Finance. As of 2026-08. Not financial advice.