What if you'd held VWO?
A $1,000 investment in Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (VWO) at the month-end close of 2005-03 would be worth $4,457 at the close of 2026-08 — +345.7% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $6,529.
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 2005
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | $1,000 | — |
| 2006 | $1,294 | +29.4% |
| 2007 | $1,776 | +37.3% |
| 2008 | $844 | -52.5% |
| 2009 | $1,489 | +76.3% |
| 2010 | $1,779 | +19.5% |
| 2011 | $1,445 | -18.8% |
| 2012 | $1,723 | +19.2% |
| 2013 | $1,638 | -4.9% |
| 2014 | $1,637 | -0.1% |
| 2015 | $1,378 | -15.8% |
| 2016 | $1,546 | +12.2% |
| 2017 | $2,032 | +31.5% |
| 2018 | $1,732 | -14.8% |
| 2019 | $2,092 | +20.8% |
| 2020 | $2,410 | +15.2% |
| 2021 | $2,440 | +1.3% |
| 2022 | $2,001 | -18.0% |
| 2023 | $2,187 | +9.3% |
| 2024 | $2,418 | +10.6% |
| 2025 | $3,037 | +25.6% |
| 2026 | $3,396 | +11.8% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought VWO was 2005-04 ($13.15): $1,000 then is $4,566 today. The worst was 2026-08 ($60.04): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in VWO be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (VWO) at the start of 2005 would be worth about $4,457 today, a total return of +345.7%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for VWO?
Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (VWO)'s strongest calendar year since 2005 was 2009, a +76.3% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,763 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -52.5%.
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 VWO have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2005-03 would have grown to about $53,442 on $25,800 invested.
Did VWO beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $6,529. VWO trailed the S&P 500 by +31.7% in total return.
Is this investment advice?
No. What If I'd Held is an entertainment and education tool. Every number is a historical calculation, not a prediction, and past performance never guarantees future results.
Methodology
Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (VWO) historical total-return data from 2005-03 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. What If I'd Held is entertainment, not investment advice.
What if you'd held…
Data: adjusted close prices via Yahoo Finance. As of 2026-08. Not financial advice.