What if you'd held VTI?
A $1,000 investment in Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) at the month-end close of 2001-06 would be worth $10,428 at the close of 2026-08 — +942.8% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $6,295.
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.
Every year, $1,000 from 2001
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | $1,000 | — |
| 2002 | $795 | -20.5% |
| 2003 | $1,040 | +30.7% |
| 2004 | $1,173 | +12.8% |
| 2005 | $1,247 | +6.3% |
| 2006 | $1,442 | +15.7% |
| 2007 | $1,520 | +5.4% |
| 2008 | $958 | -37.0% |
| 2009 | $1,235 | +28.9% |
| 2010 | $1,450 | +17.4% |
| 2011 | $1,464 | +1.0% |
| 2012 | $1,704 | +16.4% |
| 2013 | $2,275 | +33.5% |
| 2014 | $2,560 | +12.5% |
| 2015 | $2,569 | +0.4% |
| 2016 | $2,899 | +12.8% |
| 2017 | $3,513 | +21.2% |
| 2018 | $3,330 | -5.2% |
| 2019 | $4,351 | +30.7% |
| 2020 | $5,267 | +21.1% |
| 2021 | $6,620 | +25.7% |
| 2022 | $5,328 | -19.5% |
| 2023 | $6,715 | +26.0% |
| 2024 | $8,314 | +23.8% |
| 2025 | $9,736 | +17.1% |
| 2026 | $11,101 | +14.0% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought VTI was 2002-09 ($25.17): $1,000 then is $15,097 today. The worst was 2026-08 ($380): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in VTI be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) at the start of 2001 would be worth about $10,428 today, a total return of +942.8%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for VTI?
Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF (VTI)'s strongest calendar year since 2001 was 2013, a +33.5% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,335 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -37.0%.
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 VTI have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2001-06 would have grown to about $179,633 on $30,300 invested.
Did VTI beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $6,295. VTI beat the S&P 500 by +65.6% in total return.
Is this investment advice?
No. What If I'd Held is an entertainment and education tool. Every number is a historical calculation, not a prediction, and past performance never guarantees future results.
Methodology
Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) historical total-return data from 2001-06 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. What If I'd Held is entertainment, not investment advice.
What if you'd held…
Data: adjusted close prices via Yahoo Finance. As of 2026-08. Not financial advice.