What if you'd held VCSH?
A $1,000 investment in Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCSH) at the month-end close of 2009-11 would be worth $1,597 at the close of 2026-08 — +59.7% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $7,035.
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 2009
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | $1,000 | — |
| 2010 | $1,053 | +5.3% |
| 2011 | $1,085 | +3.1% |
| 2012 | $1,145 | +5.6% |
| 2013 | $1,161 | +1.4% |
| 2014 | $1,178 | +1.4% |
| 2015 | $1,191 | +1.1% |
| 2016 | $1,222 | +2.6% |
| 2017 | $1,248 | +2.2% |
| 2018 | $1,260 | +0.9% |
| 2019 | $1,353 | +7.4% |
| 2020 | $1,423 | +5.1% |
| 2021 | $1,414 | -0.6% |
| 2022 | $1,334 | -5.6% |
| 2023 | $1,417 | +6.2% |
| 2024 | $1,487 | +4.9% |
| 2025 | $1,587 | +6.8% |
| 2026 | $1,601 | +0.9% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought VCSH was 2009-12 ($49.14): $1,000 then is $1,601 today. The worst was 2026-02 ($78.75): $1,000 then is $999.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in VCSH be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCSH) at the start of 2009 would be worth about $1,597 today, a total return of +59.7%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for VCSH?
Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCSH)'s strongest calendar year since 2009 was 2019, a +7.4% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,074 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2022, at -5.6%.
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 VCSH have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2009-11 would have grown to about $25,659 on $20,200 invested.
Did VCSH beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $7,035. VCSH trailed the S&P 500 by +77.3% 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 Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCSH) historical total-return data from 2009-11 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.