What if you'd held MLN?
A $1,000 investment in VanEck Long Muni ETF (MLN) at the month-end close of 2008-01 would be worth $1,685 at the close of 2026-08 — +68.5% 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 | $1,221 | +22.1% |
| 2010 | $1,205 | -1.3% |
| 2011 | $1,400 | +16.1% |
| 2012 | $1,540 | +10.0% |
| 2013 | $1,399 | -9.2% |
| 2014 | $1,647 | +17.7% |
| 2015 | $1,711 | +3.9% |
| 2016 | $1,705 | -0.3% |
| 2017 | $1,845 | +8.2% |
| 2018 | $1,836 | -0.5% |
| 2019 | $2,031 | +10.6% |
| 2020 | $2,157 | +6.2% |
| 2021 | $2,205 | +2.3% |
| 2022 | $1,826 | -17.2% |
| 2023 | $1,973 | +8.1% |
| 2024 | $2,004 | +1.6% |
| 2025 | $2,039 | +1.8% |
| 2026 | $2,065 | +1.3% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought MLN was 2008-12 ($8.43): $1,000 then is $2,065 today. The worst was 2021-07 ($18.65): $1,000 then is $934.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in MLN be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in VanEck Long Muni ETF (MLN) at the start of 2008 would be worth about $1,685 today, a total return of +68.5%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for MLN?
VanEck Long Muni ETF (MLN)'s strongest calendar year since 2008 was 2009, a +22.1% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,221 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2022, at -17.2%.
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 MLN have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2008-01 would have grown to about $28,396 on $22,400 invested.
Did MLN beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $5,591. MLN trailed the S&P 500 by +69.9% 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
VanEck Long Muni ETF (MLN) 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.