What If You Invested $1,000 in Russell 2000 (^RUT)?

Enter any amount and start date. We use historical prices to show your hypothetical return.

If I had invested

on this date

Historical extremes

What if you bought at the best or worst time? Check max profit, max drawdown, and total return since inception.

Max profit

+2,463%

(25.6 times)

Buy
Oct 28, 1987
$106.08
Sell
Jan 22, 2026
$2,718.77

Buying ^RUT at the best price and selling at the peak would have turned $1,000 into $25,629.43.

Max drawdown

59.89%

(fell to 40% of peak)

Peak
Jul 13, 2007
$855.77
Trough
Mar 9, 2009
$343.26

A $1,000 investment in ^RUT at the peak would have shrunk to $401.11 at the trough.

Return since Inception

+1,343%

(14.4 times)

Inception
Sep 10, 1987
$168.97
Current
Mar 20, 2026
$2,438.45

A $1,000 investment in ^RUT at inception would be worth $14,431.26 today.

Frequently asked questions

What is Russell 2000 (^RUT)'s all-time high and all-time low?

Russell 2000 (^RUT)'s all-time low was $106.08 on Oct 28, 1987. The all-time high was $2,718.77 on Jan 22, 2026.

What if you invested $1,000 in Russell 2000 (^RUT) for maximum profit?

Buying Russell 2000 (^RUT) at the best price ($106.08 on Oct 28, 1987) and selling at the peak ($2,718.77 on Jan 22, 2026) would have turned $1,000 into $25,629.43. Historical return: +2,462.94% (25.6 times).

What are Russell 2000 (^RUT)'s best buy and sell dates for maximum profit?

The best buy date for Russell 2000 (^RUT) was Oct 28, 1987 at $106.08. The best sell date was Jan 22, 2026 at $2,718.77. This investment would have returned +2,462.94% (25.6 times).

What was Russell 2000 (^RUT)'s maximum drawdown?

Russell 2000 (^RUT)'s worst decline was 59.89% (fell to 40% of peak) from peak to trough. Peak: $855.77 on Jul 13, 2007. Trough: $343.26 on Mar 9, 2009. A $1,000 investment at the peak would have been worth $401.11 at the trough.

What if you bought Russell 2000 (^RUT) at inception?

A $1,000 investment in Russell 2000 (^RUT) at inception ($168.97 on Sep 10, 1987) would be worth $14,431.26 today. Historical return: +1,343.13% (14.4 times). Latest closing level: $2,438.45 as of Mar 20, 2026.

What if you invested $1,000 in Russell 2000 (^RUT) 5 years ago?

A $1,000 investment in Russell 2000 (^RUT) 5 years ago ($2,287.55 on Mar 19, 2021) would be worth $1,065.97 today. Historical return: +6.60% (1.07 times). Latest closing level: $2,438.45 as of Mar 20, 2026.

What if you invested $1,000 in Russell 2000 (^RUT) 10 years ago?

A $1,000 investment in Russell 2000 (^RUT) 10 years ago ($1,101.67 on Mar 18, 2016) would be worth $2,213.41 today. Historical return: +121.34% (2.21 times). Latest closing level: $2,438.45 as of Mar 20, 2026.

What if you invested $1,000 in Russell 2000 (^RUT) 20 years ago?

A $1,000 investment in Russell 2000 (^RUT) 20 years ago ($745.62 on Mar 20, 2006) would be worth $3,270.37 today. Historical return: +227.04% (3.27 times). Latest closing level: $2,438.45 as of Mar 20, 2026.

Data & methodology

How is the return calculated?

We use daily closing prices from FMP (EOD full). The return reflects price change. Units bought = investment ÷ price on start date. Current value = units × latest price.

What is CAGR?

Compound Annual Growth Rate measures the average annual return over the holding period, accounting for compounding.