What if you'd held XLB?
A $1,000 investment in State Street Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLB) at the month-end close of 1998-12 would be worth $8,753 at the close of 2026-08 — +775.3% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $6,271.
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 1998
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | $1,000 | — |
| 1999 | $1,228 | +22.8% |
| 2000 | $1,028 | -16.3% |
| 2001 | $1,052 | +2.3% |
| 2002 | $995 | -5.4% |
| 2003 | $1,367 | +37.4% |
| 2004 | $1,552 | +13.5% |
| 2005 | $1,615 | +4.1% |
| 2006 | $1,912 | +18.4% |
| 2007 | $2,333 | +22.1% |
| 2008 | $1,307 | -44.0% |
| 2009 | $1,935 | +48.1% |
| 2010 | $2,333 | +20.6% |
| 2011 | $2,078 | -10.9% |
| 2012 | $2,383 | +14.7% |
| 2013 | $3,002 | +25.9% |
| 2014 | $3,218 | +7.2% |
| 2015 | $2,938 | -8.7% |
| 2016 | $3,432 | +16.8% |
| 2017 | $4,257 | +24.0% |
| 2018 | $3,623 | -14.9% |
| 2019 | $4,497 | +24.1% |
| 2020 | $5,417 | +20.5% |
| 2021 | $6,903 | +27.4% |
| 2022 | $6,055 | -12.3% |
| 2023 | $6,808 | +12.4% |
| 2024 | $6,818 | +0.1% |
| 2025 | $7,497 | +9.9% |
| 2026 | $8,753 | +16.8% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought XLB was 2000-09 ($5.10): $1,000 then is $10,298 today. The worst was 2026-02 ($52.98): $1,000 then is $991.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in XLB be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in State Street Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLB) at the start of 1998 would be worth about $8,753 today, a total return of +775.3%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for XLB?
State Street Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLB)'s strongest calendar year since 1998 was 2009, a +48.1% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,481 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -44.0%.
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 XLB have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1998-12 would have grown to about $136,784 on $33,300 invested.
Did XLB beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $6,271. XLB beat the S&P 500 by +39.6% 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
State Street Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLB) historical total-return data from 1998-12 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.