What if you'd held FXL?
A $1,000 investment in First Trust Technology AlphaDEX (FXL) at the month-end close of 2007-05 would be worth $11,216 at the close of 2026-08 — +1021.6% 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 | $516 | -48.4% |
| 2009 | $861 | +66.8% |
| 2010 | $1,090 | +26.6% |
| 2011 | $962 | -11.7% |
| 2012 | $1,044 | +8.6% |
| 2013 | $1,444 | +38.2% |
| 2014 | $1,680 | +16.4% |
| 2015 | $1,624 | -3.3% |
| 2016 | $1,874 | +15.4% |
| 2017 | $2,545 | +35.8% |
| 2018 | $2,614 | +2.7% |
| 2019 | $3,625 | +38.7% |
| 2020 | $5,590 | +54.2% |
| 2021 | $6,607 | +18.2% |
| 2022 | $4,596 | -30.4% |
| 2023 | $6,457 | +40.5% |
| 2024 | $7,498 | +16.1% |
| 2025 | $8,495 | +13.3% |
| 2026 | $10,825 | +27.4% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought FXL was 2009-02 ($9.17): $1,000 then is $23,386 today. The worst was 2026-06 ($217): $1,000 then is $987.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in FXL be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in First Trust Technology AlphaDEX (FXL) at the start of 2007 would be worth about $11,216 today, a total return of +1021.6%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for FXL?
First Trust Technology AlphaDEX (FXL)'s strongest calendar year since 2007 was 2009, a +66.8% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,668 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -48.4%.
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 FXL have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2007-05 would have grown to about $149,406 on $23,200 invested.
Did FXL beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $5,036. FXL beat the S&P 500 by +122.7% 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 Technology AlphaDEX (FXL) 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.