What if you'd held VDE?
A $1,000 investment in Vanguard Energy ETF (VDE) at the month-end close of 2004-09 would be worth $5,991 at the close of 2026-08 — +499.1% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $6,916.
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 | $1,390 | +39.0% |
| 2006 | $1,654 | +19.0% |
| 2007 | $2,228 | +34.6% |
| 2008 | $1,346 | -39.6% |
| 2009 | $1,690 | +25.6% |
| 2010 | $2,046 | +21.1% |
| 2011 | $2,103 | +2.8% |
| 2012 | $2,175 | +3.4% |
| 2013 | $2,736 | +25.8% |
| 2014 | $2,416 | -11.7% |
| 2015 | $1,855 | -23.2% |
| 2016 | $2,396 | +29.2% |
| 2017 | $2,336 | -2.5% |
| 2018 | $1,870 | -19.9% |
| 2019 | $2,044 | +9.3% |
| 2020 | $1,369 | -33.0% |
| 2021 | $2,139 | +56.3% |
| 2022 | $3,485 | +62.9% |
| 2023 | $3,486 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | $3,721 | +6.7% |
| 2025 | $3,986 | +7.1% |
| 2026 | $5,739 | +44.0% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought VDE was 2004-10 ($29.85): $1,000 then is $5,999 today. The worst was 2026-08 ($179): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in VDE be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Vanguard Energy ETF (VDE) at the start of 2004 would be worth about $5,991 today, a total return of +499.1%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for VDE?
Vanguard Energy ETF (VDE)'s strongest calendar year since 2004 was 2022, a +62.9% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,629 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -39.6%.
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 VDE have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2004-09 would have grown to about $73,904 on $26,400 invested.
Did VDE beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $6,916. VDE trailed the S&P 500 by +13.4% 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 Energy ETF (VDE) historical total-return data from 2004-09 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.