What if you invested in Russell 2000 (IWM) in 2005?
IWM · Index · Data through 2026-06-01
If you invested $1,000 in Russell 2000 (IWM) in 2005
The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $9,342(+834.2%)
The S&P 500 returned $9,342 on the same $1,000. S&P 500 outperformed by $2,928.
Try a different start date
Pick any month and year to see what Russell 2000 (IWM) would be worth.
Compare Russell 2000 (IWM) to another stock
See how Russell 2000 (IWM) stacks up since 2005, head to head.
What if Russell 2000 (IWM) keeps this up?
Project forward at Russell 2000 (IWM)'s 9% historical growth rate. See 5-30 year scenarios.
Growth of $1,000
Russell 2000 (IWM) vs. S&P 500 vs. US Dollar, 2005 to present
Year-by-Year Returns
$1,000 invested in Russell 2000 (IWM) starting January 2005
| Year | Price | Value | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | $46.73 | $1,000 | - |
| 2006 | $55.17 | $1,181 | +18.1% |
| 2007 | $61.20 | $1,310 | +10.9% |
| 2008 | $55.24 | $1,182 | -9.7% |
| 2009 | $35.16 | $752 | -36.3% |
| 2010 | $48.15 | $1,030 | +36.9% |
| 2011 | $63.24 | $1,353 | +31.3% |
| 2012 | $65.00 | $1,391 | +2.8% |
| 2013 | $75.21 | $1,610 | +15.7% |
| 2014 | $95.47 | $2,043 | +26.9% |
| 2015 | $99.76 | $2,135 | +4.5% |
| 2016 | $90.07 | $1,927 | -9.7% |
| 2017 | $120.13 | $2,571 | +33.4% |
| 2018 | $140.77 | $3,013 | +17.2% |
| 2019 | $135.81 | $2,906 | -3.5% |
| 2020 | $148.22 | $3,172 | +9.1% |
| 2021 | $192.50 | $4,120 | +29.9% |
| 2022 | $190.25 | $4,071 | -1.2% |
| 2023 | $183.64 | $3,930 | -3.5% |
| 2024 | $187.74 | $4,018 | +2.2% |
| 2025 | $223.03 | $4,773 | +18.8% |
| 2026 | $258.57 | $5,534 | +15.9% |
What this return means
Putting $1,000 into Russell 2000 (IWM) in 2005 returned $6,414. That is a +541.4% gain, a little over 6.4x your money, measured to 2026-06-01.
That is about 9% a year compounded, broadly in line with long-run stock market averages. Because this is a broad S&P 500 fund, it is the benchmark here rather than something measured against it.
The path was not smooth. The best single year was 2010 at +36.9%, and the worst was 2009 at -36.3%. At its lowest point the position was down about 43% from an earlier high. These figures use split-adjusted closing prices and exclude dividends, taxes, trading fees, and inflation, so a real after-tax result would differ.
None of this is a recommendation. It is a record of what already happened, and past performance does not guarantee future results.
What if you invested $100 a month instead?
Most people do not drop a lump sum in on day one. They add a fixed amount every month. Putting $100 into Russell 2000 (IWM) at the close of every month from January 2005 through June 2026 means 258 buys and $25,800 contributed over about 21.5 years.
$100/month, dollar-cost averaged
$88,808
+244.2% on $25,800 in
Same $25,800, all in at the start
$165,489
+541.4% on $25,800 in
Going all in at the start beat spreading the buys out by $76,681. That is the usual result when a stock trends up: each monthly buy pays a higher price than the last, so the average cost climbs. Averaging in also meant an average buy price of $87.08 per share across the whole stretch, so the monthly buyer never had to time a single low. Neither number counts dividends, taxes, or trading costs.
Illustrative fixed $100/month example, not a recommendation. Figures are computed from IWM split-adjusted monthly closes through June 2026. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Russell 2000 (IWM) at different times
See how the start year changes the outcome
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Numbers worth sharing
Occasional data drops when something interesting surfaces. No schedule, just signal.
For informational and educational purposes only. Not financial advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. All calculations are based on split-adjusted closing prices from Yahoo Finance and do not account for dividends, taxes, or trading fees. See our methodology and full disclaimer.