What if you'd held VAW?
A $1,000 investment in Vanguard Materials ETF (VAW) at the month-end close of 2004-01 would be worth $7,157 at the close of 2026-08 — +615.7% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $6,814.
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 2004
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | $1,000 | — |
| 2005 | $1,035 | +3.5% |
| 2006 | $1,236 | +19.5% |
| 2007 | $1,564 | +26.5% |
| 2008 | $836 | -46.5% |
| 2009 | $1,266 | +51.4% |
| 2010 | $1,576 | +24.5% |
| 2011 | $1,426 | -9.5% |
| 2012 | $1,673 | +17.3% |
| 2013 | $2,090 | +24.9% |
| 2014 | $2,174 | +4.0% |
| 2015 | $1,952 | -10.2% |
| 2016 | $2,372 | +21.5% |
| 2017 | $2,936 | +23.8% |
| 2018 | $2,422 | -17.5% |
| 2019 | $2,992 | +23.5% |
| 2020 | $3,574 | +19.4% |
| 2021 | $4,555 | +27.4% |
| 2022 | $4,017 | -11.8% |
| 2023 | $4,567 | +13.7% |
| 2024 | $4,588 | +0.5% |
| 2025 | $5,153 | +12.3% |
| 2026 | $5,884 | +14.2% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought VAW was 2009-02 ($28.27): $1,000 then is $8,324 today. The worst was 2026-02 ($242): $1,000 then is $971.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in VAW be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Vanguard Materials ETF (VAW) at the start of 2004 would be worth about $7,157 today, a total return of +615.7%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for VAW?
Vanguard Materials ETF (VAW)'s strongest calendar year since 2004 was 2009, a +51.4% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,514 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -46.5%.
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 VAW have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2004-01 would have grown to about $86,645 on $27,200 invested.
Did VAW beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $6,814. VAW beat the S&P 500 by +5.0% in total return.
Is this investment advice?
No. Wall Street Regrets is an entertainment and education tool. Every number is a historical calculation, not a prediction, and past performance never guarantees future results.
Methodology
Vanguard Materials ETF (VAW) historical total-return data from 2004-01 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. Wall Street Regrets is entertainment, not investment advice.
What if you'd held…
Data: adjusted close prices via Yahoo Finance. As of 2026-08. Not financial advice.