What if you'd held FEMS?
A $1,000 investment in First Trust Emerging Markets Small Cap AlphaDEX Fund (FEMS) at the month-end close of 2012-02 would be worth $2,512 at the close of 2026-08 — +151.2% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $5,644.
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 2012
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | $1,000 | — |
| 2013 | $1,063 | +6.3% |
| 2014 | $988 | -7.0% |
| 2015 | $850 | -14.0% |
| 2016 | $969 | +14.0% |
| 2017 | $1,444 | +49.0% |
| 2018 | $1,117 | -22.6% |
| 2019 | $1,439 | +28.9% |
| 2020 | $1,553 | +7.9% |
| 2021 | $1,611 | +3.8% |
| 2022 | $1,641 | +1.8% |
| 2023 | $1,699 | +3.6% |
| 2024 | $1,731 | +1.9% |
| 2025 | $2,016 | +16.5% |
| 2026 | $2,236 | +10.9% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought FEMS was 2012-05 ($15.32): $1,000 then is $2,997 today. The worst was 2026-04 ($47.17): $1,000 then is $974.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in FEMS be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in First Trust Emerging Markets Small Cap AlphaDEX Fund (FEMS) at the start of 2012 would be worth about $2,512 today, a total return of +151.2%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for FEMS?
First Trust Emerging Markets Small Cap AlphaDEX Fund (FEMS)'s strongest calendar year since 2012 was 2017, a +49.0% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,490 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2018, at -22.6%.
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 FEMS have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2012-02 would have grown to about $31,070 on $17,500 invested.
Did FEMS beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $5,644. FEMS trailed the S&P 500 by +55.5% 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 Emerging Markets Small Cap AlphaDEX Fund (FEMS) historical total-return data from 2012-02 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.