What if you'd held EWA?
A $1,000 investment in iShares MSCI Australia Index Fund (EWA) at the month-end close of 1996-03 would be worth $9,859 at the close of 2026-08 — +885.9% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $11,941.
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 1996
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | $1,000 | — |
| 1997 | $878 | -12.2% |
| 1998 | $914 | +4.1% |
| 1999 | $1,089 | +19.2% |
| 2000 | $961 | -11.7% |
| 2001 | $979 | +1.9% |
| 2002 | $967 | -1.2% |
| 2003 | $1,503 | +55.4% |
| 2004 | $1,946 | +29.5% |
| 2005 | $2,268 | +16.5% |
| 2006 | $2,970 | +31.0% |
| 2007 | $3,810 | +28.3% |
| 2008 | $1,979 | -48.0% |
| 2009 | $3,330 | +68.3% |
| 2010 | $3,842 | +15.4% |
| 2011 | $3,396 | -11.6% |
| 2012 | $4,214 | +24.1% |
| 2013 | $4,289 | +1.8% |
| 2014 | $4,089 | -4.6% |
| 2015 | $3,685 | -9.9% |
| 2016 | $4,092 | +11.1% |
| 2017 | $4,908 | +19.9% |
| 2018 | $4,315 | -12.1% |
| 2019 | $5,286 | +22.5% |
| 2020 | $5,723 | +8.3% |
| 2021 | $6,235 | +8.9% |
| 2022 | $5,863 | -6.0% |
| 2023 | $6,676 | +13.9% |
| 2024 | $6,780 | +1.6% |
| 2025 | $7,688 | +13.4% |
| 2026 | $8,920 | +16.0% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought EWA was 1998-08 ($2.46): $1,000 then is $12,183 today. The worst was 2026-08 ($29.97): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in EWA be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in iShares MSCI Australia Index Fund (EWA) at the start of 1996 would be worth about $9,859 today, a total return of +885.9%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for EWA?
iShares MSCI Australia Index Fund (EWA)'s strongest calendar year since 1996 was 2009, a +68.3% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,683 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -48.0%.
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 EWA have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1996-03 would have grown to about $150,485 on $36,600 invested.
Did EWA beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $11,941. EWA trailed the S&P 500 by +17.4% 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 Australia Index Fund (EWA) historical total-return data from 1996-03 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.