What if you'd held XLF?
A $1,000 investment in State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) at the month-end close of 1998-12 would be worth $5,141 at the close of 2026-08 — +414.1% 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 | $1,027 | +2.7% |
| 2000 | $1,292 | +25.9% |
| 2001 | $1,171 | -9.4% |
| 2002 | $998 | -14.7% |
| 2003 | $1,302 | +30.5% |
| 2004 | $1,444 | +10.9% |
| 2005 | $1,534 | +6.3% |
| 2006 | $1,823 | +18.8% |
| 2007 | $1,474 | -19.1% |
| 2008 | $665 | -54.9% |
| 2009 | $782 | +17.6% |
| 2010 | $875 | +11.9% |
| 2011 | $725 | -17.2% |
| 2012 | $930 | +28.4% |
| 2013 | $1,261 | +35.6% |
| 2014 | $1,451 | +15.0% |
| 2015 | $1,425 | -1.8% |
| 2016 | $1,744 | +22.4% |
| 2017 | $2,128 | +22.0% |
| 2018 | $1,851 | -13.0% |
| 2019 | $2,440 | +31.9% |
| 2020 | $2,398 | -1.7% |
| 2021 | $3,233 | +34.8% |
| 2022 | $2,890 | -10.6% |
| 2023 | $3,238 | +12.0% |
| 2024 | $4,227 | +30.6% |
| 2025 | $4,857 | +14.9% |
| 2026 | $5,141 | +5.9% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought XLF was 2009-02 ($4.51): $1,000 then is $12,745 today. The worst was 2026-08 ($57.48): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in XLF be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) at the start of 1998 would be worth about $5,141 today, a total return of +414.1%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for XLF?
State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF)'s strongest calendar year since 1998 was 2013, a +35.6% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,356 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -54.9%.
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 XLF have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1998-12 would have grown to about $124,337 on $33,300 invested.
Did XLF beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $6,271. XLF trailed the S&P 500 by +18.0% 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
State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) 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.