What if you'd held SLX?
A $1,000 investment in VanEck Steel ETF (SLX) at the month-end close of 2006-10 would be worth $4,355 at the close of 2026-08 — +335.5% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $5,594.
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 2006
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | $1,000 | — |
| 2007 | $1,843 | +84.3% |
| 2008 | $668 | -63.7% |
| 2009 | $1,422 | +112.9% |
| 2010 | $1,702 | +19.7% |
| 2011 | $1,142 | -32.9% |
| 2012 | $1,195 | +4.7% |
| 2013 | $1,246 | +4.2% |
| 2014 | $918 | -26.3% |
| 2015 | $533 | -42.0% |
| 2016 | $1,043 | +95.8% |
| 2017 | $1,299 | +24.5% |
| 2018 | $1,048 | -19.3% |
| 2019 | $1,166 | +11.2% |
| 2020 | $1,406 | +20.6% |
| 2021 | $1,795 | +27.7% |
| 2022 | $2,052 | +14.3% |
| 2023 | $2,694 | +31.3% |
| 2024 | $2,210 | -17.9% |
| 2025 | $3,259 | +47.5% |
| 2026 | $4,098 | +25.7% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought SLX was 2016-01 ($12.53): $1,000 then is $8,516 today. The worst was 2026-05 ($111): $1,000 then is $962.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in SLX be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in VanEck Steel ETF (SLX) at the start of 2006 would be worth about $4,355 today, a total return of +335.5%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for SLX?
VanEck Steel ETF (SLX)'s strongest calendar year since 2006 was 2009, a +112.9% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,129 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -63.7%.
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 SLX have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2006-10 would have grown to about $78,033 on $23,900 invested.
Did SLX beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $5,594. SLX trailed the S&P 500 by +22.1% 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 Steel ETF (SLX) historical total-return data from 2006-10 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.