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$5,000 invested in the ASX 200 at the start of 2026 is now worth…

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The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is one of the main indices of the ASX share market and gives investors exposure to a number of leading Australian blue chips.

Some of the businesses we can find in the ASX 200 includes BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC), National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB), ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: ANZ), Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES), Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG), Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO), Goodman Group (ASX: GMG), Fortescue Ltd (ASX: FMG), Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS), Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS), and CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL).

A significant portion of the return is influenced by the names above because of their large market capitalisations, and by how much smaller many of the other ASX shares are, particularly in the second 100 of the index.

ASX 200 capital growth in 2026 to date

The ASX 200 has risen by 0.87% since the start of the year, so investors would have seen some capital growth, though not much. But a gain is better than nothing.

If it weren’t for the Middle East conflict and the jump in inflation and interest rates, the ASX share market could have delivered a stronger return.

Let’s look at how the biggest influences on the index have performed this year to date.

  • The BHP share price is up 37.5%
  • The CBA share price is down 1%
  • The Westpac share price is down 10%
  • The NAB share price is down 14%
  • The ANZ share price is down 6%
  • The Wesfarmers share price is up 6%
  • The Macquarie share price is up 19%
  • The Rio Tinto share price is up 25%
  • The Goodman share price is up 2%
  • The Fortescue share price is down 9%
  • The Woodside share price is up 32%
  • The Telstra share price is up 7%
  • The CSL share price is down 37%

As you can see, some shares are up significantly, while others are down quite a bit. The index has largely evened out, with it just slightly up.

How much would $5,000 have grown?

If someone had $5,000 invested in the ASX 200 at the start of the year, it would now be worth just over $5,040, plus the dividend payments.

You can’t exactly invest directly in an index, but you can invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that track the ASX 200, with management fees being a key difference. For example, there’s the iShares Core S&P/ASX 200 ETF (ASX: IOZ) and the State Street SPDR S&P/ASX 200 ETF (ASX: STW).

BetaShares Australia 200 ETF (ASX: A200) also invests in 200 ASX shares, with similar holdings to the ASX 200.

The post $5,000 invested in the ASX 200 at the start of 2026 is now worth… appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended CSL, Goodman Group, Macquarie Group, and Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Telstra Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended BHP Group, CSL, Goodman Group, Macquarie Group, and Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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