What if you'd held IWM?
A $1,000 investment in iShares Russell 2000 Index Fund (IWM) at the month-end close of 2000-05 would be worth $8,895 at the close of 2026-08 — +789.5% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $5,426.
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 2000
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | $1,000 | — |
| 2001 | $1,018 | +1.8% |
| 2002 | $811 | -20.4% |
| 2003 | $1,199 | +47.9% |
| 2004 | $1,415 | +18.1% |
| 2005 | $1,478 | +4.5% |
| 2006 | $1,748 | +18.3% |
| 2007 | $1,717 | -1.8% |
| 2008 | $1,131 | -34.1% |
| 2009 | $1,453 | +28.5% |
| 2010 | $1,844 | +26.9% |
| 2011 | $1,762 | -4.4% |
| 2012 | $2,057 | +16.7% |
| 2013 | $2,853 | +38.7% |
| 2014 | $2,997 | +5.0% |
| 2015 | $2,862 | -4.5% |
| 2016 | $3,480 | +21.6% |
| 2017 | $3,988 | +14.6% |
| 2018 | $3,544 | -11.1% |
| 2019 | $4,444 | +25.4% |
| 2020 | $5,334 | +20.0% |
| 2021 | $6,110 | +14.5% |
| 2022 | $4,858 | -20.5% |
| 2023 | $5,676 | +16.8% |
| 2024 | $6,322 | +11.4% |
| 2025 | $7,122 | +12.7% |
| 2026 | $8,766 | +23.1% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought IWM was 2002-09 ($26.20): $1,000 then is $11,516 today. The worst was 2026-08 ($302): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in IWM be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in iShares Russell 2000 Index Fund (IWM) at the start of 2000 would be worth about $8,895 today, a total return of +789.5%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for IWM?
iShares Russell 2000 Index Fund (IWM)'s strongest calendar year since 2000 was 2003, a +47.9% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,479 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -34.1%.
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 IWM have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2000-05 would have grown to about $138,067 on $31,600 invested.
Did IWM beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $5,426. IWM beat the S&P 500 by +63.9% 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 Russell 2000 Index Fund (IWM) historical total-return data from 2000-05 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.