What if you'd held VO?
A $1,000 investment in Vanguard Morningstar Mid-Cap ETF (VO) at the month-end close of 2004-01 would be worth $9,313 at the close of 2026-08 — +831.3% 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 | $1,139 | +13.9% |
| 2006 | $1,299 | +14.0% |
| 2007 | $1,370 | +5.5% |
| 2008 | $801 | -41.6% |
| 2009 | $1,125 | +40.5% |
| 2010 | $1,413 | +25.6% |
| 2011 | $1,385 | -2.0% |
| 2012 | $1,609 | +16.2% |
| 2013 | $2,173 | +35.1% |
| 2014 | $2,471 | +13.7% |
| 2015 | $2,438 | -1.4% |
| 2016 | $2,713 | +11.3% |
| 2017 | $3,236 | +19.3% |
| 2018 | $2,937 | -9.2% |
| 2019 | $3,846 | +31.0% |
| 2020 | $4,543 | +18.1% |
| 2021 | $5,665 | +24.7% |
| 2022 | $4,604 | -18.7% |
| 2023 | $5,342 | +16.0% |
| 2024 | $6,159 | +15.3% |
| 2025 | $6,875 | +11.6% |
| 2026 | $7,927 | +15.3% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought VO was 2009-02 ($7.07): $1,000 then is $11,750 today. The worst was 2026-08 ($83.07): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in VO be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Vanguard Morningstar Mid-Cap ETF (VO) at the start of 2004 would be worth about $9,313 today, a total return of +831.3%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for VO?
Vanguard Morningstar Mid-Cap ETF (VO)'s strongest calendar year since 2004 was 2009, a +40.5% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,405 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -41.6%.
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 VO have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2004-01 would have grown to about $112,351 on $27,200 invested.
Did VO beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $6,814. VO beat the S&P 500 by +36.7% 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 Mid-Cap ETF (VO) 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.