What if you'd held EEM?
A $1,000 investment in iShares MSCI Emerging Index Fund (EEM) at the month-end close of 2003-04 would be worth $8,791 at the close of 2026-08 — +779.1% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $8,406.
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 2003
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | $1,000 | — |
| 2004 | $1,246 | +24.6% |
| 2005 | $1,653 | +32.7% |
| 2006 | $2,169 | +31.2% |
| 2007 | $2,891 | +33.3% |
| 2008 | $1,478 | -48.9% |
| 2009 | $2,497 | +68.9% |
| 2010 | $2,910 | +16.5% |
| 2011 | $2,363 | -18.8% |
| 2012 | $2,813 | +19.1% |
| 2013 | $2,710 | -3.7% |
| 2014 | $2,604 | -3.9% |
| 2015 | $2,183 | -16.2% |
| 2016 | $2,420 | +10.9% |
| 2017 | $3,323 | +37.3% |
| 2018 | $2,814 | -15.3% |
| 2019 | $3,327 | +18.2% |
| 2020 | $3,893 | +17.0% |
| 2021 | $3,751 | -3.6% |
| 2022 | $2,980 | -20.6% |
| 2023 | $3,247 | +9.0% |
| 2024 | $3,457 | +6.5% |
| 2025 | $4,632 | +34.0% |
| 2026 | $5,626 | +21.5% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought EEM was 2003-04 ($7.52): $1,000 then is $8,791 today. The worst was 2026-06 ($68.41): $1,000 then is $966.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in EEM be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in iShares MSCI Emerging Index Fund (EEM) at the start of 2003 would be worth about $8,791 today, a total return of +779.1%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for EEM?
iShares MSCI Emerging Index Fund (EEM)'s strongest calendar year since 2003 was 2009, a +68.9% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,689 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -48.9%.
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 EEM have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2003-04 would have grown to about $68,627 on $28,100 invested.
Did EEM beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $8,406. EEM beat the S&P 500 by +4.6% 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
iShares MSCI Emerging Index Fund (EEM) historical total-return data from 2003-04 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.