What if you'd held HYEM?
A $1,000 investment in VanEck Emerging Markets High Yield Bond ETF (HYEM) at the month-end close of 2012-05 would be worth $1,959 at the close of 2026-08 — +95.9% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $5,882.
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 | $985 | -1.5% |
| 2014 | $961 | -2.4% |
| 2015 | $995 | +3.5% |
| 2016 | $1,141 | +14.6% |
| 2017 | $1,231 | +7.9% |
| 2018 | $1,190 | -3.4% |
| 2019 | $1,342 | +12.8% |
| 2020 | $1,434 | +6.9% |
| 2021 | $1,416 | -1.3% |
| 2022 | $1,226 | -13.4% |
| 2023 | $1,329 | +8.4% |
| 2024 | $1,490 | +12.2% |
| 2025 | $1,628 | +9.3% |
| 2026 | $1,697 | +4.2% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought HYEM was 2012-05 ($10.23): $1,000 then is $1,959 today. The worst was 2026-07 ($20.04): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in HYEM be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in VanEck Emerging Markets High Yield Bond ETF (HYEM) at the start of 2012 would be worth about $1,959 today, a total return of +95.9%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for HYEM?
VanEck Emerging Markets High Yield Bond ETF (HYEM)'s strongest calendar year since 2012 was 2016, a +14.6% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,146 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2022, at -13.4%.
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 HYEM have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2012-05 would have grown to about $24,189 on $17,200 invested.
Did HYEM beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $5,882. HYEM trailed the S&P 500 by +66.7% 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
VanEck Emerging Markets High Yield Bond ETF (HYEM) historical total-return data from 2012-05 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.