What if you'd held FEM?
A $1,000 investment in First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX Fund (FEM) at the month-end close of 2011-04 would be worth $1,767 at the close of 2026-08 — +76.7% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $5,653.
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 2011
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | $1,000 | — |
| 2012 | $1,211 | +21.1% |
| 2013 | $1,171 | -3.3% |
| 2014 | $1,043 | -11.0% |
| 2015 | $898 | -13.9% |
| 2016 | $1,039 | +15.7% |
| 2017 | $1,465 | +41.1% |
| 2018 | $1,238 | -15.5% |
| 2019 | $1,492 | +20.6% |
| 2020 | $1,467 | -1.7% |
| 2021 | $1,575 | +7.4% |
| 2022 | $1,352 | -14.2% |
| 2023 | $1,498 | +10.8% |
| 2024 | $1,543 | +3.0% |
| 2025 | $1,981 | +28.4% |
| 2026 | $2,379 | +20.1% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought FEM was 2016-01 ($11.66): $1,000 then is $2,797 today. The worst was 2026-04 ($33.18): $1,000 then is $983.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in FEM be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX Fund (FEM) at the start of 2011 would be worth about $1,767 today, a total return of +76.7%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for FEM?
First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX Fund (FEM)'s strongest calendar year since 2011 was 2017, a +41.1% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,411 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2018, at -15.5%.
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 FEM have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2011-04 would have grown to about $34,044 on $18,500 invested.
Did FEM beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $5,653. FEM trailed the S&P 500 by +68.7% 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 Emerging Markets AlphaDEX Fund (FEM) historical total-return data from 2011-04 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.