What if you'd held EZA?
A $1,000 investment in iShares MSCI South Africa Index Fund (EZA) at the month-end close of 2003-02 would be worth $8,678 at the close of 2026-08 — +767.8% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $9,164.
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 2003
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | $1,000 | — |
| 2004 | $1,436 | +43.6% |
| 2005 | $1,808 | +25.9% |
| 2006 | $2,164 | +19.7% |
| 2007 | $2,499 | +15.5% |
| 2008 | $1,559 | -37.6% |
| 2009 | $2,364 | +51.6% |
| 2010 | $3,239 | +37.0% |
| 2011 | $2,731 | -15.7% |
| 2012 | $3,305 | +21.0% |
| 2013 | $3,058 | -7.5% |
| 2014 | $3,144 | +2.8% |
| 2015 | $2,327 | -26.0% |
| 2016 | $2,717 | +16.8% |
| 2017 | $3,696 | +36.0% |
| 2018 | $2,763 | -25.2% |
| 2019 | $3,034 | +9.8% |
| 2020 | $2,877 | -5.2% |
| 2021 | $3,105 | +7.9% |
| 2022 | $2,944 | -5.2% |
| 2023 | $2,988 | +1.5% |
| 2024 | $3,203 | +7.2% |
| 2025 | $5,610 | +75.2% |
| 2026 | $5,858 | +4.4% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought EZA was 2003-03 ($7.60): $1,000 then is $9,249 today. The worst was 2026-02 ($79.85): $1,000 then is $880.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in EZA be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in iShares MSCI South Africa Index Fund (EZA) at the start of 2003 would be worth about $8,678 today, a total return of +767.8%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for EZA?
iShares MSCI South Africa Index Fund (EZA)'s strongest calendar year since 2003 was 2025, a +75.2% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,752 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -37.6%.
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 EZA have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2003-02 would have grown to about $72,498 on $28,300 invested.
Did EZA beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $9,164. EZA trailed the S&P 500 by +5.3% 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 South Africa Index Fund (EZA) historical total-return data from 2003-02 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.