What if you'd held GENZ?
A $1,000 investment in VanEck Digital Native Economy ETF (GENZ) at the month-end close of 2008-01 would be worth $1,436 at the close of 2026-08 — +43.6% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $5,591.
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 2008
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | $1,000 | — |
| 2009 | $1,363 | +36.3% |
| 2010 | $1,879 | +37.8% |
| 2011 | $1,834 | -2.4% |
| 2012 | $2,247 | +22.5% |
| 2013 | $3,419 | +52.2% |
| 2014 | $2,585 | -24.4% |
| 2015 | $2,224 | -14.0% |
| 2016 | $2,446 | +10.0% |
| 2017 | $3,451 | +41.1% |
| 2018 | $2,527 | -26.8% |
| 2019 | $3,289 | +30.1% |
| 2020 | $3,707 | +12.7% |
| 2021 | $3,548 | -4.3% |
| 2022 | $3,093 | -12.8% |
| 2023 | $3,449 | +11.5% |
| 2024 | $3,401 | -1.4% |
| 2025 | $3,542 | +4.1% |
| 2026 | $3,451 | -2.5% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought GENZ was 2009-02 ($9.43): $1,000 then is $4,224 today. The worst was 2021-04 ($50.59): $1,000 then is $787.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in GENZ be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in VanEck Digital Native Economy ETF (GENZ) at the start of 2008 would be worth about $1,436 today, a total return of +43.6%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for GENZ?
VanEck Digital Native Economy ETF (GENZ)'s strongest calendar year since 2008 was 2013, a +52.2% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,522 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2018, at -26.8%.
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 GENZ have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2008-01 would have grown to about $32,057 on $22,400 invested.
Did GENZ beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $5,591. GENZ trailed the S&P 500 by +74.3% 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
VanEck Digital Native Economy ETF (GENZ) historical total-return data from 2008-01 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.