Russell 2000: What If You Had Invested?
Use the calculator with any investment amount and start date. Hypothetical returns use end-of-day closing prices for this index. Available history: Sep 10, 1987–May 5, 2026.
^RUT
Historical extremes
What if you bought at the best or worst time? Check max profit, max drawdown, and total return since inception.
Max profit
+2,582%
(26.8 times)
- Buy
- Oct 28, 1987
- $106.08
- Sell
- May 5, 2026
- $2,845
Buying ^RUT at the best price and selling at the peak would have turned $1,000 into $26,819.38.
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
+1,584%
(16.8 times)
- Inception
- Sep 10, 1987
- $168.97
- Current
- May 5, 2026
- $2,845
A $1,000 investment in ^RUT at inception would be worth $16,837.31 today.
Frequently asked questions
What is Russell 2000 (^RUT)'s all-time high (ATH) and all-time low (ATL)?
Russell 2000 (^RUT)'s all-time low (ATL) was $106.08 on Oct 28, 1987. The all-time high (ATH) was $2,845 on May 5, 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 ($2,845 on May 5, 2026) would have turned $1,000 into $26,819.38. Historical return: +2,581.94% (26.8 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 May 5, 2026 at $2,845. This investment would have returned +2,581.94% (26.8 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 $16,837.31 today. Historical return: +1,583.73% (16.8 times). Latest closing level: $2,845 as of May 5, 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 ($2,241.37 on May 5, 2021) would be worth $1,269.31 today. Historical return: +26.93% (1.26 times). Latest closing level: $2,845 as of May 5, 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 ($1,107.95 on May 5, 2016) would be worth $2,567.81 today. Historical return: +156.78% (2.56 times). Latest closing level: $2,845 as of May 5, 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 ($781.83 on May 5, 2006) would be worth $3,638.9 today. Historical return: +263.89% (3.63 times). Latest closing level: $2,845 as of May 5, 2026.
Data & methodology
How is the return calculated?
We use daily end-of-day closing prices. 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.