What if you'd held AEF?
A $1,000 investment in abrdn Emerging Markets ex-China Fund, Inc. (AEF) at the month-end close of 1989-09 would be worth $32,893 at the close of 2026-08 — +3189.3% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $22,076.
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 1989
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | $1,000 | — |
| 1990 | $1,073 | +7.3% |
| 1991 | $1,876 | +74.8% |
| 1992 | $2,884 | +53.7% |
| 1993 | $4,023 | +39.5% |
| 1994 | $4,232 | +5.2% |
| 1995 | $4,938 | +16.7% |
| 1996 | $4,139 | -16.2% |
| 1997 | $4,239 | +2.4% |
| 1998 | $2,884 | -32.0% |
| 1999 | $3,799 | +31.7% |
| 2000 | $2,861 | -24.7% |
| 2001 | $3,212 | +12.3% |
| 2002 | $2,799 | -12.9% |
| 2003 | $5,637 | +101.4% |
| 2004 | $6,564 | +16.4% |
| 2005 | $10,672 | +62.6% |
| 2006 | $10,927 | +2.4% |
| 2007 | $16,027 | +46.7% |
| 2008 | $7,819 | -51.2% |
| 2009 | $15,247 | +95.0% |
| 2010 | $22,718 | +49.0% |
| 2011 | $17,486 | -23.0% |
| 2012 | $19,394 | +10.9% |
| 2013 | $15,139 | -21.9% |
| 2014 | $11,911 | -21.3% |
| 2015 | $9,907 | -16.8% |
| 2016 | $11,355 | +14.6% |
| 2017 | $17,459 | +53.8% |
| 2018 | $14,629 | -16.2% |
| 2019 | $17,969 | +22.8% |
| 2020 | $20,058 | +11.6% |
| 2021 | $20,722 | +3.3% |
| 2022 | $14,583 | -29.6% |
| 2023 | $15,622 | +7.1% |
| 2024 | $17,097 | +9.4% |
| 2025 | $25,680 | +50.2% |
| 2026 | $35,560 | +38.5% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought AEF was 1990-09 ($0.19): $1,000 then is $47,969 today. The worst was 2026-05 ($9.62): $1,000 then is $957.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in AEF be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in abrdn Emerging Markets ex-China Fund, Inc. (AEF) at the start of 1989 would be worth about $32,893 today, a total return of +3189.3%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for AEF?
abrdn Emerging Markets ex-China Fund, Inc. (AEF)'s strongest calendar year since 1989 was 2003, a +101.4% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,014 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -51.2%.
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 AEF have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1989-09 would have grown to about $303,075 on $44,400 invested.
Did AEF beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $22,076. AEF beat the S&P 500 by +49.0% 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
abrdn Emerging Markets ex-China Fund, Inc. (AEF) historical total-return data from 1989-09 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.