What if you'd held ACWI?
A $1,000 investment in iShares MSCI ACWI ETF (ACWI) at the month-end close of 2008-03 would be worth $4,606 at the close of 2026-08 — +360.6% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $5,827.
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 2008
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | $1,000 | — |
| 2009 | $1,324 | +32.4% |
| 2010 | $1,493 | +12.8% |
| 2011 | $1,376 | -7.8% |
| 2012 | $1,607 | +16.7% |
| 2013 | $1,966 | +22.4% |
| 2014 | $2,041 | +3.8% |
| 2015 | $1,997 | -2.2% |
| 2016 | $2,164 | +8.4% |
| 2017 | $2,691 | +24.3% |
| 2018 | $2,445 | -9.1% |
| 2019 | $3,095 | +26.6% |
| 2020 | $3,601 | +16.3% |
| 2021 | $4,273 | +18.7% |
| 2022 | $3,487 | -18.4% |
| 2023 | $4,264 | +22.3% |
| 2024 | $5,008 | +17.4% |
| 2025 | $6,131 | +22.4% |
| 2026 | $7,008 | +14.3% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought ACWI was 2009-02 ($18.35): $1,000 then is $8,757 today. The worst was 2026-08 ($161): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in ACWI be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in iShares MSCI ACWI ETF (ACWI) at the start of 2008 would be worth about $4,606 today, a total return of +360.6%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for ACWI?
iShares MSCI ACWI ETF (ACWI)'s strongest calendar year since 2008 was 2009, a +32.4% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,324 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2022, at -18.4%.
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 ACWI have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2008-03 would have grown to about $71,111 on $22,200 invested.
Did ACWI beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $5,827. ACWI trailed the S&P 500 by +21.0% 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
iShares MSCI ACWI ETF (ACWI) historical total-return data from 2008-03 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. 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.