What if you'd held FDM?
A $1,000 investment in First Trust DJ Select MicroCap ETF (FDM) at the month-end close of 2005-09 would be worth $5,925 at the close of 2026-08 — +492.5% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $6,273.
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 2005
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | $1,000 | — |
| 2006 | $1,159 | +15.9% |
| 2007 | $1,074 | -7.4% |
| 2008 | $731 | -31.9% |
| 2009 | $878 | +20.0% |
| 2010 | $1,102 | +25.6% |
| 2011 | $1,007 | -8.6% |
| 2012 | $1,165 | +15.7% |
| 2013 | $1,679 | +44.1% |
| 2014 | $1,734 | +3.2% |
| 2015 | $1,732 | -0.1% |
| 2016 | $2,355 | +35.9% |
| 2017 | $2,560 | +8.7% |
| 2018 | $2,214 | -13.5% |
| 2019 | $2,821 | +27.4% |
| 2020 | $2,708 | -4.0% |
| 2021 | $3,657 | +35.1% |
| 2022 | $3,232 | -11.6% |
| 2023 | $3,645 | +12.8% |
| 2024 | $4,119 | +13.0% |
| 2025 | $4,887 | +18.6% |
| 2026 | $5,778 | +18.2% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought FDM was 2009-02 ($8.79): $1,000 then is $10,636 today. The worst was 2026-08 ($93.49): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in FDM be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in First Trust DJ Select MicroCap ETF (FDM) at the start of 2005 would be worth about $5,925 today, a total return of +492.5%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for FDM?
First Trust DJ Select MicroCap ETF (FDM)'s strongest calendar year since 2005 was 2013, a +44.1% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,441 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -31.9%.
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 FDM have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2005-09 would have grown to about $91,440 on $25,200 invested.
Did FDM beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $6,273. FDM trailed the S&P 500 by +5.5% 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
First Trust DJ Select MicroCap ETF (FDM) historical total-return data from 2005-09 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.