What if you'd held EMF?
A $1,000 investment in Templeton Emerging Markets Fund (EMF) at the month-end close of 1987-02 would be worth $36,413 at the close of 2026-08 — +3541.3% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $27,122.
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 1987
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | $1,000 | — |
| 1988 | $1,370 | +37.0% |
| 1989 | $2,714 | +98.1% |
| 1990 | $2,663 | -1.9% |
| 1991 | $5,714 | +114.6% |
| 1992 | $5,101 | -10.7% |
| 1993 | $10,312 | +102.1% |
| 1994 | $7,250 | -29.7% |
| 1995 | $7,859 | +8.4% |
| 1996 | $8,417 | +7.1% |
| 1997 | $8,703 | +3.4% |
| 1998 | $7,246 | -16.7% |
| 1999 | $10,337 | +42.7% |
| 2000 | $5,884 | -43.1% |
| 2001 | $6,221 | +5.7% |
| 2002 | $6,199 | -0.3% |
| 2003 | $11,757 | +89.7% |
| 2004 | $13,678 | +16.3% |
| 2005 | $17,616 | +28.8% |
| 2006 | $19,746 | +12.1% |
| 2007 | $27,228 | +37.9% |
| 2008 | $12,482 | -54.2% |
| 2009 | $27,159 | +117.6% |
| 2010 | $32,790 | +20.7% |
| 2011 | $25,225 | -23.1% |
| 2012 | $28,678 | +13.7% |
| 2013 | $27,449 | -4.3% |
| 2014 | $26,058 | -5.1% |
| 2015 | $19,101 | -26.7% |
| 2016 | $23,543 | +23.3% |
| 2017 | $34,188 | +45.2% |
| 2018 | $29,138 | -14.8% |
| 2019 | $37,062 | +27.2% |
| 2020 | $45,678 | +23.2% |
| 2021 | $41,920 | -8.2% |
| 2022 | $32,895 | -21.5% |
| 2023 | $35,801 | +8.8% |
| 2024 | $38,149 | +6.6% |
| 2025 | $60,351 | +58.2% |
| 2026 | $79,819 | +32.3% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought EMF was 1987-12 ($0.28): $1,000 then is $79,819 today. The worst was 2026-06 ($23.22): $1,000 then is $949.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in EMF be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Templeton Emerging Markets Fund (EMF) at the start of 1987 would be worth about $36,413 today, a total return of +3541.3%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for EMF?
Templeton Emerging Markets Fund (EMF)'s strongest calendar year since 1987 was 2009, a +117.6% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,176 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -54.2%.
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 EMF have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1987-02 would have grown to about $489,399 on $47,500 invested.
Did EMF beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $27,122. EMF beat the S&P 500 by +34.3% 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
Templeton Emerging Markets Fund (EMF) historical total-return data from 1987-02 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.