What if you'd held URTH?
A $1,000 investment in iShares MSCI World ETF (URTH) at the month-end close of 2012-01 would be worth $5,330 at the close of 2026-08 — +433.0% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $5,873.
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 2012
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | $1,000 | — |
| 2013 | $1,267 | +26.7% |
| 2014 | $1,322 | +4.4% |
| 2015 | $1,314 | -0.6% |
| 2016 | $1,409 | +7.3% |
| 2017 | $1,733 | +22.9% |
| 2018 | $1,585 | -8.6% |
| 2019 | $2,031 | +28.1% |
| 2020 | $2,351 | +15.8% |
| 2021 | $2,875 | +22.3% |
| 2022 | $2,358 | -18.0% |
| 2023 | $2,923 | +23.9% |
| 2024 | $3,469 | +18.7% |
| 2025 | $4,209 | +21.4% |
| 2026 | $4,772 | +13.4% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought URTH was 2012-05 ($38.36): $1,000 then is $5,454 today. The worst was 2026-08 ($209): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in URTH be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in iShares MSCI World ETF (URTH) at the start of 2012 would be worth about $5,330 today, a total return of +433.0%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for URTH?
iShares MSCI World ETF (URTH)'s strongest calendar year since 2012 was 2019, a +28.1% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,281 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2022, at -18.0%.
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 URTH have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2012-01 would have grown to about $47,810 on $17,600 invested.
Did URTH beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $5,873. URTH trailed the S&P 500 by +9.2% 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 MSCI World ETF (URTH) historical total-return data from 2012-01 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.