What if you'd held EMBX?
A $1,000 investment in VanEck Emerging Markets Bond ETF (EMBX) at the month-end close of 2012-07 would be worth $683 at the close of 2026-08 — -31.7% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $5,588.
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 2012
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | $1,000 | — |
| 2013 | $900 | -10.0% |
| 2014 | $864 | -4.1% |
| 2015 | $703 | -18.6% |
| 2016 | $720 | +2.4% |
| 2017 | $747 | +3.8% |
| 2018 | $655 | -12.3% |
| 2019 | $684 | +4.5% |
| 2020 | $710 | +3.7% |
| 2021 | $645 | -9.2% |
| 2022 | $554 | -14.0% |
| 2023 | $573 | +3.4% |
| 2024 | $546 | -4.8% |
| 2025 | $612 | +12.1% |
| 2026 | $638 | +4.2% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought EMBX was 2022-10 ($39.90): $1,000 then is $1,287 today. The worst was 2013-04 ($83.28): $1,000 then is $617.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in EMBX be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in VanEck Emerging Markets Bond ETF (EMBX) at the start of 2012 would be worth about $683 today, a total return of -31.7%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for EMBX?
VanEck Emerging Markets Bond ETF (EMBX)'s strongest calendar year since 2012 was 2025, a +12.1% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,121 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2015, at -18.6%.
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 EMBX have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2012-07 would have grown to about $15,861 on $17,000 invested.
Did EMBX beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $5,588. EMBX trailed the S&P 500 by +87.8% 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 Emerging Markets Bond ETF (EMBX) historical total-return data from 2012-07 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.