What if you'd held FTCS?
A $1,000 investment in First Trust Capital Strength ETF (FTCS) at the month-end close of 2006-07 would be worth $6,700 at the close of 2026-08 — +570.0% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $6,038.
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 2006
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | $1,000 | — |
| 2007 | $1,104 | +10.4% |
| 2008 | $692 | -37.3% |
| 2009 | $967 | +39.7% |
| 2010 | $1,100 | +13.8% |
| 2011 | $1,069 | -2.8% |
| 2012 | $1,240 | +16.0% |
| 2013 | $1,706 | +37.6% |
| 2014 | $1,977 | +15.9% |
| 2015 | $2,003 | +1.3% |
| 2016 | $2,171 | +8.4% |
| 2017 | $2,748 | +26.6% |
| 2018 | $2,633 | -4.2% |
| 2019 | $3,336 | +26.7% |
| 2020 | $3,771 | +13.1% |
| 2021 | $4,780 | +26.7% |
| 2022 | $4,291 | -10.2% |
| 2023 | $4,655 | +8.5% |
| 2024 | $5,176 | +11.2% |
| 2025 | $5,510 | +6.5% |
| 2026 | $6,105 | +10.8% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought FTCS was 2009-02 ($9.91): $1,000 then is $10,283 today. The worst was 2026-08 ($102): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in FTCS be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in First Trust Capital Strength ETF (FTCS) at the start of 2006 would be worth about $6,700 today, a total return of +570.0%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for FTCS?
First Trust Capital Strength ETF (FTCS)'s strongest calendar year since 2006 was 2009, a +39.7% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,397 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -37.3%.
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 FTCS have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2006-07 would have grown to about $83,468 on $24,200 invested.
Did FTCS beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $6,038. FTCS beat the S&P 500 by +11.0% 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 Capital Strength ETF (FTCS) historical total-return data from 2006-07 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.