What if you'd held VUG?
A $1,000 investment in Vanguard Morningstar Growth ETF (VUG) at the month-end close of 2004-01 would be worth $13,424 at the close of 2026-08 — +1242.4% 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 | $1,049 | +4.9% |
| 2006 | $1,147 | +9.3% |
| 2007 | $1,289 | +12.4% |
| 2008 | $799 | -38.0% |
| 2009 | $1,089 | +36.2% |
| 2010 | $1,275 | +17.1% |
| 2011 | $1,298 | +1.8% |
| 2012 | $1,519 | +17.0% |
| 2013 | $2,013 | +32.5% |
| 2014 | $2,288 | +13.6% |
| 2015 | $2,360 | +3.2% |
| 2016 | $2,509 | +6.3% |
| 2017 | $3,205 | +27.8% |
| 2018 | $3,099 | -3.3% |
| 2019 | $4,246 | +37.0% |
| 2020 | $5,955 | +40.3% |
| 2021 | $7,583 | +27.3% |
| 2022 | $5,068 | -33.2% |
| 2023 | $7,443 | +46.9% |
| 2024 | $9,876 | +32.7% |
| 2025 | $11,792 | +19.4% |
| 2026 | $12,781 | +8.4% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought VUG was 2009-02 ($4.84): $1,000 then is $18,167 today. The worst was 2026-05 ($89.50): $1,000 then is $982.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in VUG be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Vanguard Morningstar Growth ETF (VUG) at the start of 2004 would be worth about $13,424 today, a total return of +1242.4%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for VUG?
Vanguard Morningstar Growth ETF (VUG)'s strongest calendar year since 2004 was 2023, a +46.9% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,469 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -38.0%.
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 VUG have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2004-01 would have grown to about $183,175 on $27,200 invested.
Did VUG beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $6,814. VUG beat the S&P 500 by +97.0% 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 Growth ETF (VUG) 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.