What if you'd held ^RUT?
A $1,000 investment in Russell 2000 Index (^RUT) at the month-end close of 1987-09 would be worth $17,756 at the close of 2026-08 — +1675.6% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $23,950.
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. Click any year for the full story.
Every year, $1,000 from 1987
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | $1,000 | — |
| 1988 | $1,224 | +22.4% |
| 1989 | $1,398 | +14.2% |
| 1990 | $1,098 | -21.5% |
| 1991 | $1,577 | +43.7% |
| 1992 | $1,835 | +16.4% |
| 1993 | $2,147 | +17.0% |
| 1994 | $2,079 | -3.2% |
| 1995 | $2,624 | +26.2% |
| 1996 | $3,011 | +14.8% |
| 1997 | $3,629 | +20.5% |
| 1998 | $3,504 | -3.4% |
| 1999 | $4,192 | +19.6% |
| 2000 | $4,015 | -4.2% |
| 2001 | $4,057 | +1.0% |
| 2002 | $3,181 | -21.6% |
| 2003 | $4,625 | +45.4% |
| 2004 | $5,411 | +17.0% |
| 2005 | $5,591 | +3.3% |
| 2006 | $6,541 | +17.0% |
| 2007 | $6,361 | -2.7% |
| 2008 | $4,148 | -34.8% |
| 2009 | $5,193 | +25.2% |
| 2010 | $6,508 | +25.3% |
| 2011 | $6,153 | -5.5% |
| 2012 | $7,053 | +14.6% |
| 2013 | $9,663 | +37.0% |
| 2014 | $10,004 | +3.5% |
| 2015 | $9,433 | -5.7% |
| 2016 | $11,270 | +19.5% |
| 2017 | $12,751 | +13.1% |
| 2018 | $11,199 | -12.2% |
| 2019 | $13,855 | +23.7% |
| 2020 | $16,400 | +18.4% |
| 2021 | $18,646 | +13.7% |
| 2022 | $14,626 | -21.6% |
| 2023 | $16,833 | +15.1% |
| 2024 | $18,520 | +10.0% |
| 2025 | $20,610 | +11.3% |
| 2026 | $25,186 | +22.2% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought ^RUT was 1987-11 ($112): $1,000 then is $27,153 today. The worst was 2026-08 ($3,033): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in ^RUT be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Russell 2000 Index (^RUT) at the start of 1987 would be worth about $17,756 today, a total return of +1675.6%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for ^RUT?
Russell 2000 Index (^RUT)'s strongest calendar year since 1987 was 2003, a +45.4% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,454 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -34.8%.
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 ^RUT have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1987-09 would have grown to about $313,191 on $46,800 invested.
Did ^RUT beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $23,950. ^RUT trailed the S&P 500 by +25.9% 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
Russell 2000 Index (^RUT) historical total-return data from 1987-09 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.