What if you'd held EWS?
A $1,000 investment in iShares MSCI Singapore ETF (EWS) at the month-end close of 1996-03 would be worth $3,747 at the close of 2026-08 — +274.7% 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 | $556 | -44.4% |
| 1998 | $528 | -5.1% |
| 1999 | $806 | +52.7% |
| 2000 | $593 | -26.4% |
| 2001 | $469 | -21.0% |
| 2002 | $402 | -14.1% |
| 2003 | $583 | +45.0% |
| 2004 | $724 | +24.1% |
| 2005 | $828 | +14.4% |
| 2006 | $1,207 | +45.7% |
| 2007 | $1,544 | +27.9% |
| 2008 | $832 | -46.1% |
| 2009 | $1,396 | +67.9% |
| 2010 | $1,741 | +24.7% |
| 2011 | $1,417 | -18.6% |
| 2012 | $1,866 | +31.7% |
| 2013 | $1,866 | 0.0% |
| 2014 | $1,916 | +2.7% |
| 2015 | $1,566 | -18.3% |
| 2016 | $1,576 | +0.7% |
| 2017 | $2,124 | +34.8% |
| 2018 | $1,884 | -11.3% |
| 2019 | $2,157 | +14.5% |
| 2020 | $1,975 | -8.4% |
| 2021 | $2,083 | +5.5% |
| 2022 | $1,878 | -9.8% |
| 2023 | $1,994 | +6.2% |
| 2024 | $2,434 | +22.1% |
| 2025 | $3,198 | +31.4% |
| 2026 | $3,991 | +24.8% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought EWS was 1998-08 ($2.30): $1,000 then is $14,661 today. The worst was 2026-08 ($33.72): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in EWS be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in iShares MSCI Singapore ETF (EWS) at the start of 1996 would be worth about $3,747 today, a total return of +274.7%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for EWS?
iShares MSCI Singapore ETF (EWS)'s strongest calendar year since 1996 was 2009, a +67.9% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,679 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -46.1%.
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 EWS have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1996-03 would have grown to about $139,563 on $36,600 invested.
Did EWS beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $11,941. EWS trailed the S&P 500 by +68.6% 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 Singapore ETF (EWS) 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.