What if you'd held XLE?
A $1,000 investment in State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) at the month-end close of 1998-12 would be worth $11,135 at the close of 2026-08 — +1013.5% 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 | $1,180 | +18.0% |
| 2000 | $1,469 | +24.5% |
| 2001 | $1,201 | -18.2% |
| 2002 | $1,026 | -14.6% |
| 2003 | $1,291 | +25.8% |
| 2004 | $1,729 | +33.9% |
| 2005 | $2,422 | +40.1% |
| 2006 | $2,860 | +18.1% |
| 2007 | $3,916 | +36.9% |
| 2008 | $2,391 | -39.0% |
| 2009 | $2,911 | +21.8% |
| 2010 | $3,545 | +21.8% |
| 2011 | $3,644 | +2.8% |
| 2012 | $3,835 | +5.2% |
| 2013 | $4,842 | +26.3% |
| 2014 | $4,422 | -8.7% |
| 2015 | $3,471 | -21.5% |
| 2016 | $4,443 | +28.0% |
| 2017 | $4,405 | -0.9% |
| 2018 | $3,602 | -18.2% |
| 2019 | $4,025 | +11.7% |
| 2020 | $2,709 | -32.7% |
| 2021 | $4,154 | +53.3% |
| 2022 | $6,825 | +64.3% |
| 2023 | $6,783 | -0.6% |
| 2024 | $7,159 | +5.6% |
| 2025 | $7,723 | +7.9% |
| 2026 | $11,135 | +44.2% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought XLE was 1999-02 ($5.29): $1,000 then is $12,019 today. The worst was 2026-08 ($63.58): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in XLE be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) at the start of 1998 would be worth about $11,135 today, a total return of +1013.5%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for XLE?
State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE)'s strongest calendar year since 1998 was 2022, a +64.3% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,643 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -39.0%.
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 XLE have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1998-12 would have grown to about $142,349 on $33,300 invested.
Did XLE beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $6,271. XLE beat the S&P 500 by +77.6% 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 Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) 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.