What if you'd held AFK?
A $1,000 investment in VanEck Africa Index ETF (AFK) at the month-end close of 2008-07 would be worth $1,117 at the close of 2026-08 — +11.7% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $6,082.
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 | $1,350 | +35.0% |
| 2010 | $1,691 | +25.3% |
| 2011 | $1,284 | -24.1% |
| 2012 | $1,618 | +26.0% |
| 2013 | $1,639 | +1.3% |
| 2014 | $1,417 | -13.5% |
| 2015 | $993 | -29.9% |
| 2016 | $1,135 | +14.3% |
| 2017 | $1,455 | +28.2% |
| 2018 | $1,171 | -19.6% |
| 2019 | $1,287 | +9.9% |
| 2020 | $1,341 | +4.2% |
| 2021 | $1,382 | +3.0% |
| 2022 | $1,143 | -17.3% |
| 2023 | $1,004 | -12.1% |
| 2024 | $1,126 | +12.1% |
| 2025 | $1,967 | +74.7% |
| 2026 | $2,121 | +7.9% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought AFK was 2020-03 ($10.90): $1,000 then is $2,647 today. The worst was 2026-02 ($30.56): $1,000 then is $944.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in AFK be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in VanEck Africa Index ETF (AFK) at the start of 2008 would be worth about $1,117 today, a total return of +11.7%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for AFK?
VanEck Africa Index ETF (AFK)'s strongest calendar year since 2008 was 2025, a +74.7% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,747 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2015, at -29.9%.
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 AFK have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2008-07 would have grown to about $35,429 on $21,800 invested.
Did AFK beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $6,082. AFK trailed the S&P 500 by +81.6% 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
VanEck Africa Index ETF (AFK) historical total-return data from 2008-07 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.