What if you'd held EMD?
A $1,000 investment in Western Asset Emerging Markets Debt Fund Inc (EMD) at the month-end close of 2003-12 would be worth $3,970 at the close of 2026-08 — +297.0% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $6,932.
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 | $1,071 | +7.1% |
| 2005 | $1,067 | -0.3% |
| 2006 | $1,157 | +8.4% |
| 2007 | $1,250 | +8.1% |
| 2008 | $989 | -20.9% |
| 2009 | $1,519 | +53.6% |
| 2010 | $1,728 | +13.8% |
| 2011 | $1,914 | +10.8% |
| 2012 | $2,366 | +23.6% |
| 2013 | $2,011 | -15.0% |
| 2014 | $2,000 | -0.6% |
| 2015 | $1,903 | -4.9% |
| 2016 | $2,235 | +17.5% |
| 2017 | $2,504 | +12.0% |
| 2018 | $2,160 | -13.7% |
| 2019 | $2,735 | +26.6% |
| 2020 | $2,929 | +7.1% |
| 2021 | $2,918 | -0.4% |
| 2022 | $2,313 | -20.7% |
| 2023 | $2,597 | +12.3% |
| 2024 | $3,019 | +16.2% |
| 2025 | $3,728 | +23.5% |
| 2026 | $3,970 | +6.5% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought EMD was 2008-11 ($2.13): $1,000 then is $4,995 today. The worst was 2026-04 ($10.65): $1,000 then is $999.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in EMD be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Western Asset Emerging Markets Debt Fund Inc (EMD) at the start of 2003 would be worth about $3,970 today, a total return of +297.0%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for EMD?
Western Asset Emerging Markets Debt Fund Inc (EMD)'s strongest calendar year since 2003 was 2009, a +53.6% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,536 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -20.9%.
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 EMD have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2003-12 would have grown to about $60,575 on $27,300 invested.
Did EMD beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $6,932. EMD trailed the S&P 500 by +42.7% 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
Western Asset Emerging Markets Debt Fund Inc (EMD) historical total-return data from 2003-12 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.