What if you'd held EFA?
A $1,000 investment in iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (EFA) at the month-end close of 2001-08 would be worth $5,066 at the close of 2026-08 — +406.6% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $6,800.
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. Click any year for the full story.
Every year, $1,000 from 2001
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | $1,000 | — |
| 2002 | $846 | -15.4% |
| 2003 | $1,186 | +40.3% |
| 2004 | $1,412 | +19.0% |
| 2005 | $1,599 | +13.3% |
| 2006 | $2,012 | +25.8% |
| 2007 | $2,212 | +9.9% |
| 2008 | $1,305 | -41.0% |
| 2009 | $1,657 | +27.0% |
| 2010 | $1,792 | +8.2% |
| 2011 | $1,573 | -12.2% |
| 2012 | $1,868 | +18.8% |
| 2013 | $2,268 | +21.5% |
| 2014 | $2,128 | -6.2% |
| 2015 | $2,107 | -1.0% |
| 2016 | $2,136 | +1.4% |
| 2017 | $2,672 | +25.1% |
| 2018 | $2,302 | -13.8% |
| 2019 | $2,810 | +22.0% |
| 2020 | $3,023 | +7.6% |
| 2021 | $3,369 | +11.4% |
| 2022 | $2,884 | -14.4% |
| 2023 | $3,414 | +18.4% |
| 2024 | $3,533 | +3.5% |
| 2025 | $4,647 | +31.5% |
| 2026 | $5,293 | +13.9% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought EFA was 2003-03 ($15.74): $1,000 then is $6,840 today. The worst was 2026-08 ($108): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in EFA be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (EFA) at the start of 2001 would be worth about $5,066 today, a total return of +406.6%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for EFA?
iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (EFA)'s strongest calendar year since 2001 was 2003, a +40.3% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,403 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -41.0%.
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 EFA have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2001-08 would have grown to about $84,247 on $30,100 invested.
Did EFA beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $6,800. EFA trailed the S&P 500 by +25.5% 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
iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (EFA) historical total-return data from 2001-08 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.