What if you'd held FIW?
A $1,000 investment in First Trust Water ETF (FIW) at the month-end close of 2007-05 would be worth $6,141 at the close of 2026-08 — +514.1% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $5,036.
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 2007
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | $1,000 | — |
| 2008 | $706 | -29.4% |
| 2009 | $846 | +19.9% |
| 2010 | $1,014 | +19.9% |
| 2011 | $959 | -5.5% |
| 2012 | $1,214 | +26.6% |
| 2013 | $1,590 | +31.0% |
| 2014 | $1,596 | +0.4% |
| 2015 | $1,436 | -10.0% |
| 2016 | $1,898 | +32.2% |
| 2017 | $2,367 | +24.7% |
| 2018 | $2,149 | -9.2% |
| 2019 | $2,951 | +37.4% |
| 2020 | $3,576 | +21.2% |
| 2021 | $4,719 | +32.0% |
| 2022 | $3,978 | -15.7% |
| 2023 | $4,788 | +20.3% |
| 2024 | $5,189 | +8.4% |
| 2025 | $5,563 | +7.2% |
| 2026 | $5,743 | +3.2% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought FIW was 2009-02 ($11.14): $1,000 then is $10,032 today. The worst was 2026-02 ($114): $1,000 then is $984.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in FIW be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in First Trust Water ETF (FIW) at the start of 2007 would be worth about $6,141 today, a total return of +514.1%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for FIW?
First Trust Water ETF (FIW)'s strongest calendar year since 2007 was 2019, a +37.4% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,374 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -29.4%.
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 FIW have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2007-05 would have grown to about $80,975 on $23,200 invested.
Did FIW beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $5,036. FIW beat the S&P 500 by +21.9% 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 Water ETF (FIW) historical total-return data from 2007-05 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.