What if you'd held EWI?
A $1,000 investment in iShares MSCI Italy ETF (EWI) at the month-end close of 1996-03 would be worth $8,055 at the close of 2026-08 — +705.5% 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 | $1,369 | +36.9% |
| 1998 | $2,030 | +48.4% |
| 1999 | $2,047 | +0.8% |
| 2000 | $2,274 | +11.1% |
| 2001 | $1,646 | -27.6% |
| 2002 | $1,531 | -7.0% |
| 2003 | $2,172 | +41.8% |
| 2004 | $2,892 | +33.2% |
| 2005 | $2,946 | +1.9% |
| 2006 | $3,902 | +32.5% |
| 2007 | $4,048 | +3.7% |
| 2008 | $2,154 | -46.8% |
| 2009 | $2,628 | +22.0% |
| 2010 | $2,255 | -14.2% |
| 2011 | $1,712 | -24.1% |
| 2012 | $1,975 | +15.4% |
| 2013 | $2,352 | +19.1% |
| 2014 | $2,094 | -10.9% |
| 2015 | $2,161 | +3.2% |
| 2016 | $1,975 | -8.6% |
| 2017 | $2,543 | +28.7% |
| 2018 | $2,106 | -17.2% |
| 2019 | $2,674 | +27.0% |
| 2020 | $2,719 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $3,110 | +14.4% |
| 2022 | $2,670 | -14.2% |
| 2023 | $3,488 | +30.6% |
| 2024 | $3,844 | +10.2% |
| 2025 | $5,987 | +55.7% |
| 2026 | $7,060 | +17.9% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought EWI was 1996-03 ($7.80): $1,000 then is $8,055 today. The worst was 2026-08 ($62.83): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in EWI be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in iShares MSCI Italy ETF (EWI) at the start of 1996 would be worth about $8,055 today, a total return of +705.5%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for EWI?
iShares MSCI Italy ETF (EWI)'s strongest calendar year since 1996 was 2025, a +55.7% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,557 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -46.8%.
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 EWI have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1996-03 would have grown to about $117,826 on $36,600 invested.
Did EWI beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $11,941. EWI trailed the S&P 500 by +32.5% 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 Italy ETF (EWI) 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.