What if you'd held VB?
A $1,000 investment in Vanguard Morningstar Small-Cap ETF (VB) at the month-end close of 2004-01 would be worth $8,613 at the close of 2026-08 — +761.3% 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 | $1,072 | +7.2% |
| 2006 | $1,241 | +15.7% |
| 2007 | $1,259 | +1.4% |
| 2008 | $803 | -36.2% |
| 2009 | $1,097 | +36.6% |
| 2010 | $1,405 | +28.1% |
| 2011 | $1,366 | -2.8% |
| 2012 | $1,616 | +18.3% |
| 2013 | $2,225 | +37.7% |
| 2014 | $2,396 | +7.6% |
| 2015 | $2,305 | -3.8% |
| 2016 | $2,730 | +18.4% |
| 2017 | $3,174 | +16.3% |
| 2018 | $2,878 | -9.3% |
| 2019 | $3,664 | +27.3% |
| 2020 | $4,368 | +19.2% |
| 2021 | $5,135 | +17.6% |
| 2022 | $4,236 | -17.5% |
| 2023 | $5,008 | +18.2% |
| 2024 | $5,717 | +14.2% |
| 2025 | $6,225 | +8.9% |
| 2026 | $7,433 | +19.4% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought VB was 2009-02 ($26.28): $1,000 then is $11,642 today. The worst was 2026-08 ($306): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in VB be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Vanguard Morningstar Small-Cap ETF (VB) at the start of 2004 would be worth about $8,613 today, a total return of +761.3%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for VB?
Vanguard Morningstar Small-Cap ETF (VB)'s strongest calendar year since 2004 was 2013, a +37.7% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,377 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -36.2%.
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 VB have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2004-01 would have grown to about $108,542 on $27,200 invested.
Did VB beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $6,814. VB beat the S&P 500 by +26.4% 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 Morningstar Small-Cap ETF (VB) 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.