What if you'd held EWL?
A $1,000 investment in iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF (EWL) at the month-end close of 1996-03 would be worth $9,666 at the close of 2026-08 — +866.6% 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 | $1,341 | +34.1% |
| 1998 | $1,642 | +22.5% |
| 1999 | $1,584 | -3.5% |
| 2000 | $1,699 | +7.2% |
| 2001 | $1,276 | -24.9% |
| 2002 | $1,133 | -11.2% |
| 2003 | $1,513 | +33.5% |
| 2004 | $1,776 | +17.3% |
| 2005 | $2,005 | +12.9% |
| 2006 | $2,606 | +30.0% |
| 2007 | $2,749 | +5.5% |
| 2008 | $2,002 | -27.2% |
| 2009 | $2,444 | +22.1% |
| 2010 | $2,797 | +14.5% |
| 2011 | $2,576 | -7.9% |
| 2012 | $3,137 | +21.8% |
| 2013 | $3,943 | +25.7% |
| 2014 | $3,874 | -1.8% |
| 2015 | $3,885 | +0.3% |
| 2016 | $3,788 | -2.5% |
| 2017 | $4,672 | +23.3% |
| 2018 | $4,242 | -9.2% |
| 2019 | $5,582 | +31.6% |
| 2020 | $6,240 | +11.8% |
| 2021 | $7,501 | +20.2% |
| 2022 | $6,085 | -18.9% |
| 2023 | $7,159 | +17.6% |
| 2024 | $6,958 | -2.8% |
| 2025 | $9,250 | +32.9% |
| 2026 | $9,939 | +7.5% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought EWL was 1996-05 ($6.22): $1,000 then is $10,178 today. The worst was 2026-02 ($63.95): $1,000 then is $990.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in EWL be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF (EWL) at the start of 1996 would be worth about $9,666 today, a total return of +866.6%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for EWL?
iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF (EWL)'s strongest calendar year since 1996 was 1997, a +34.1% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,341 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -27.2%.
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 EWL have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1996-03 would have grown to about $151,184 on $36,600 invested.
Did EWL beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $11,947. EWL trailed the S&P 500 by +19.1% 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
iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF (EWL) 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.