What if you'd held VBK?
A $1,000 investment in Vanguard Morningstar Small-Cap Growth ETF (VBK) at the month-end close of 2004-01 would be worth $8,501 at the close of 2026-08 — +750.1% 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 | $1,086 | +8.6% |
| 2006 | $1,219 | +12.2% |
| 2007 | $1,340 | +9.9% |
| 2008 | $799 | -40.3% |
| 2009 | $1,142 | +42.8% |
| 2010 | $1,495 | +31.0% |
| 2011 | $1,471 | -1.6% |
| 2012 | $1,733 | +17.8% |
| 2013 | $2,396 | +38.3% |
| 2014 | $2,492 | +4.0% |
| 2015 | $2,426 | -2.6% |
| 2016 | $2,690 | +10.9% |
| 2017 | $3,278 | +21.9% |
| 2018 | $3,092 | -5.7% |
| 2019 | $4,104 | +32.7% |
| 2020 | $5,559 | +35.4% |
| 2021 | $5,874 | +5.7% |
| 2022 | $4,203 | -28.4% |
| 2023 | $5,105 | +21.4% |
| 2024 | $5,947 | +16.5% |
| 2025 | $6,452 | +8.5% |
| 2026 | $7,710 | +19.5% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought VBK was 2009-02 ($31.33): $1,000 then is $11,497 today. The worst was 2026-06 ($366): $1,000 then is $985.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in VBK be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Vanguard Morningstar Small-Cap Growth ETF (VBK) at the start of 2004 would be worth about $8,501 today, a total return of +750.1%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for VBK?
Vanguard Morningstar Small-Cap Growth ETF (VBK)'s strongest calendar year since 2004 was 2009, a +42.8% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,428 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -40.3%.
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 VBK have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2004-01 would have grown to about $107,932 on $27,200 invested.
Did VBK beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $6,814. VBK beat the S&P 500 by +24.8% 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 Growth ETF (VBK) 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.