What if you'd held LQD?
A $1,000 investment in iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (LQD) at the month-end close of 2002-07 would be worth $2,887 at the close of 2026-08 — +188.7% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $8,455.
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 2002
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | $1,000 | — |
| 2003 | $1,091 | +9.1% |
| 2004 | $1,154 | +5.7% |
| 2005 | $1,167 | +1.2% |
| 2006 | $1,216 | +4.2% |
| 2007 | $1,261 | +3.7% |
| 2008 | $1,292 | +2.4% |
| 2009 | $1,401 | +8.4% |
| 2010 | $1,532 | +9.3% |
| 2011 | $1,681 | +9.8% |
| 2012 | $1,853 | +10.2% |
| 2013 | $1,816 | -2.0% |
| 2014 | $1,965 | +8.2% |
| 2015 | $1,940 | -1.3% |
| 2016 | $2,061 | +6.2% |
| 2017 | $2,197 | +6.6% |
| 2018 | $2,113 | -3.8% |
| 2019 | $2,481 | +17.4% |
| 2020 | $2,753 | +11.0% |
| 2021 | $2,702 | -1.8% |
| 2022 | $2,218 | -17.9% |
| 2023 | $2,426 | +9.4% |
| 2024 | $2,447 | +0.9% |
| 2025 | $2,640 | +7.9% |
| 2026 | $2,623 | -0.7% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought LQD was 2002-07 ($36.91): $1,000 then is $2,887 today. The worst was 2020-12 ($112): $1,000 then is $953.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in LQD be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (LQD) at the start of 2002 would be worth about $2,887 today, a total return of +188.7%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for LQD?
iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (LQD)'s strongest calendar year since 2002 was 2019, a +17.4% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,174 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2022, at -17.9%.
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 LQD have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2002-07 would have grown to about $45,384 on $29,000 invested.
Did LQD beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $8,455. LQD trailed the S&P 500 by +65.9% 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 iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (LQD) historical total-return data from 2002-07 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.