What if you'd held IAU?
A $1,000 investment in iShares Gold Trust Shares (IAU) at the month-end close of 2005-01 would be worth $10,040 at the close of 2026-08 — +904.0% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $6,525.
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 2005
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | $1,000 | — |
| 2006 | $1,222 | +22.2% |
| 2007 | $1,593 | +30.4% |
| 2008 | $1,674 | +5.1% |
| 2009 | $2,074 | +23.9% |
| 2010 | $2,686 | +29.5% |
| 2011 | $2,943 | +9.6% |
| 2012 | $3,146 | +6.9% |
| 2013 | $2,257 | -28.3% |
| 2014 | $2,211 | -2.1% |
| 2015 | $1,977 | -10.6% |
| 2016 | $2,141 | +8.3% |
| 2017 | $2,417 | +12.9% |
| 2018 | $2,375 | -1.8% |
| 2019 | $2,802 | +18.0% |
| 2020 | $3,503 | +25.0% |
| 2021 | $3,363 | -4.0% |
| 2022 | $3,342 | -0.6% |
| 2023 | $3,771 | +12.8% |
| 2024 | $4,784 | +26.9% |
| 2025 | $7,843 | +63.9% |
| 2026 | $8,197 | +4.5% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought IAU was 2005-05 ($8.34): $1,000 then is $10,173 today. The worst was 2026-02 ($99.07): $1,000 then is $856.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in IAU be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in iShares Gold Trust Shares (IAU) at the start of 2005 would be worth about $10,040 today, a total return of +904.0%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for IAU?
iShares Gold Trust Shares (IAU)'s strongest calendar year since 2005 was 2025, a +63.9% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,639 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2013, at -28.3%.
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 IAU have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2005-01 would have grown to about $94,357 on $26,000 invested.
Did IAU beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $6,525. IAU beat the S&P 500 by +53.9% 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
iShares Gold Trust Shares (IAU) historical total-return data from 2005-01 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.