What if you'd held EWU?
A $1,000 investment in iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (EWU) at the month-end close of 1996-03 would be worth $6,179 at the close of 2026-08 — +517.9% 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 | $1,181 | +18.1% |
| 1998 | $1,412 | +19.5% |
| 1999 | $1,580 | +11.9% |
| 2000 | $1,365 | -13.6% |
| 2001 | $1,175 | -13.9% |
| 2002 | $995 | -15.3% |
| 2003 | $1,342 | +34.8% |
| 2004 | $1,587 | +18.3% |
| 2005 | $1,681 | +5.9% |
| 2006 | $2,191 | +30.3% |
| 2007 | $2,333 | +6.5% |
| 2008 | $1,249 | -46.5% |
| 2009 | $1,701 | +36.2% |
| 2010 | $1,874 | +10.2% |
| 2011 | $1,801 | -3.9% |
| 2012 | $2,075 | +15.2% |
| 2013 | $2,481 | +19.6% |
| 2014 | $2,292 | -7.6% |
| 2015 | $2,132 | -7.0% |
| 2016 | $2,106 | -1.2% |
| 2017 | $2,559 | +21.5% |
| 2018 | $2,193 | -14.3% |
| 2019 | $2,660 | +21.3% |
| 2020 | $2,347 | -11.8% |
| 2021 | $2,773 | +18.2% |
| 2022 | $2,651 | -4.4% |
| 2023 | $2,980 | +12.4% |
| 2024 | $3,181 | +6.7% |
| 2025 | $4,293 | +35.0% |
| 2026 | $4,809 | +12.0% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought EWU was 1996-03 ($7.86): $1,000 then is $6,179 today. The worst was 2026-07 ($48.68): $1,000 then is $998.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in EWU be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (EWU) at the start of 1996 would be worth about $6,179 today, a total return of +517.9%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for EWU?
iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (EWU)'s strongest calendar year since 1996 was 2009, a +36.2% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,362 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -46.5%.
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 EWU have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1996-03 would have grown to about $99,831 on $36,600 invested.
Did EWU beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $11,941. EWU trailed the S&P 500 by +48.3% 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
iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (EWU) 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.