What if you'd held EWM?
A $1,000 investment in iShares MSCI Malaysia Index Fund (EWM) at the month-end close of 1996-03 would be worth $1,826 at the close of 2026-08 — +82.6% 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 | $333 | -66.7% |
| 1998 | $252 | -24.4% |
| 1999 | $519 | +106.1% |
| 2000 | $376 | -27.6% |
| 2001 | $392 | +4.4% |
| 2002 | $386 | -1.6% |
| 2003 | $511 | +32.5% |
| 2004 | $579 | +13.3% |
| 2005 | $576 | -0.6% |
| 2006 | $785 | +36.5% |
| 2007 | $1,136 | +44.6% |
| 2008 | $680 | -40.2% |
| 2009 | $1,015 | +49.4% |
| 2010 | $1,411 | +39.0% |
| 2011 | $1,374 | -2.6% |
| 2012 | $1,578 | +14.8% |
| 2013 | $1,701 | +7.8% |
| 2014 | $1,506 | -11.5% |
| 2015 | $1,196 | -20.6% |
| 2016 | $1,148 | -4.0% |
| 2017 | $1,426 | +24.2% |
| 2018 | $1,336 | -6.3% |
| 2019 | $1,317 | -1.4% |
| 2020 | $1,359 | +3.1% |
| 2021 | $1,258 | -7.4% |
| 2022 | $1,182 | -6.0% |
| 2023 | $1,140 | -3.6% |
| 2024 | $1,362 | +19.4% |
| 2025 | $1,576 | +15.7% |
| 2026 | $1,667 | +5.8% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought EWM was 1998-08 ($2.32): $1,000 then is $12,224 today. The worst was 2014-08 ($29.85): $1,000 then is $950.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in EWM be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in iShares MSCI Malaysia Index Fund (EWM) at the start of 1996 would be worth about $1,826 today, a total return of +82.6%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for EWM?
iShares MSCI Malaysia Index Fund (EWM)'s strongest calendar year since 1996 was 1999, a +106.1% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,061 by year-end. Its weakest year was 1997, at -66.7%.
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 EWM have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1996-03 would have grown to about $80,986 on $36,600 invested.
Did EWM beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $11,947. EWM trailed the S&P 500 by +84.7% 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 Malaysia Index Fund (EWM) 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.