What if you'd held EWJ?
A $1,000 investment in iShares MSCI Japan Index Fund (EWJ) at the month-end close of 1996-03 would be worth $2,394 at the close of 2026-08 — +139.4% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $11,947.
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 1996
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | $1,000 | — |
| 1997 | $756 | -24.4% |
| 1998 | $787 | +4.0% |
| 1999 | $1,266 | +60.9% |
| 2000 | $933 | -26.3% |
| 2001 | $650 | -30.3% |
| 2002 | $586 | -9.9% |
| 2003 | $813 | +38.7% |
| 2004 | $925 | +13.8% |
| 2005 | $1,150 | +24.3% |
| 2006 | $1,217 | +5.9% |
| 2007 | $1,150 | -5.5% |
| 2008 | $840 | -27.0% |
| 2009 | $867 | +3.1% |
| 2010 | $984 | +13.6% |
| 2011 | $839 | -14.8% |
| 2012 | $916 | +9.2% |
| 2013 | $1,155 | +26.0% |
| 2014 | $1,083 | -6.2% |
| 2015 | $1,182 | +9.2% |
| 2016 | $1,215 | +2.8% |
| 2017 | $1,509 | +24.3% |
| 2018 | $1,297 | -14.1% |
| 2019 | $1,547 | +19.3% |
| 2020 | $1,786 | +15.4% |
| 2021 | $1,806 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | $1,486 | -17.7% |
| 2023 | $1,788 | +20.3% |
| 2024 | $1,913 | +7.0% |
| 2025 | $2,408 | +25.8% |
| 2026 | $2,875 | +19.4% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought EWJ was 2003-04 ($18.03): $1,000 then is $5,317 today. The worst was 2026-08 ($95.87): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in EWJ be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in iShares MSCI Japan Index Fund (EWJ) at the start of 1996 would be worth about $2,394 today, a total return of +139.4%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for EWJ?
iShares MSCI Japan Index Fund (EWJ)'s strongest calendar year since 1996 was 1999, a +60.9% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,609 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2001, at -30.3%.
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 EWJ have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1996-03 would have grown to about $97,898 on $36,600 invested.
Did EWJ beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $11,947. EWJ trailed the S&P 500 by +80.0% 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 Japan Index Fund (EWJ) historical total-return data from 1996-03 to 2026-08, reduced to month-end closes for the tables above.
Returns use adjusted close prices — adjusted for stock splits and reinvested dividends, the same convention used by major brokerages. End-of-day and live prices come from EODHD; parts of the deep historical series are carried over from Yahoo Finance data. 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 (EODHD): 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 EODHD and Yahoo Finance. As of 2026-08. Not financial advice.