What if you'd held EWQ?
A $1,000 investment in iShares MSCI France Index Fund (EWQ) at the month-end close of 1996-03 would be worth $8,653 at the close of 2026-08 — +765.3% 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 | $1,119 | +11.9% |
| 1998 | $1,588 | +41.9% |
| 1999 | $2,097 | +32.1% |
| 2000 | $2,123 | +1.2% |
| 2001 | $1,617 | -23.9% |
| 2002 | $1,292 | -20.1% |
| 2003 | $1,821 | +41.0% |
| 2004 | $2,161 | +18.6% |
| 2005 | $2,380 | +10.1% |
| 2006 | $3,179 | +33.6% |
| 2007 | $3,563 | +12.1% |
| 2008 | $2,083 | -41.5% |
| 2009 | $2,649 | +27.2% |
| 2010 | $2,583 | -2.5% |
| 2011 | $2,127 | -17.7% |
| 2012 | $2,643 | +24.3% |
| 2013 | $3,281 | +24.1% |
| 2014 | $2,929 | -10.7% |
| 2015 | $2,935 | +0.2% |
| 2016 | $3,080 | +4.9% |
| 2017 | $3,976 | +29.1% |
| 2018 | $3,463 | -12.9% |
| 2019 | $4,386 | +26.7% |
| 2020 | $4,511 | +2.8% |
| 2021 | $5,479 | +21.4% |
| 2022 | $4,818 | -12.1% |
| 2023 | $5,864 | +21.7% |
| 2024 | $5,534 | -5.6% |
| 2025 | $7,133 | +28.9% |
| 2026 | $7,656 | +7.3% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought EWQ was 1996-08 ($5.37): $1,000 then is $8,782 today. The worst was 2026-08 ($47.16): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in EWQ be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in iShares MSCI France Index Fund (EWQ) at the start of 1996 would be worth about $8,653 today, a total return of +765.3%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for EWQ?
iShares MSCI France Index Fund (EWQ)'s strongest calendar year since 1996 was 1998, a +41.9% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,419 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -41.5%.
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 EWQ have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1996-03 would have grown to about $116,964 on $36,600 invested.
Did EWQ beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $11,941. EWQ trailed the S&P 500 by +27.5% 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 France Index Fund (EWQ) 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.