What if you'd held VIG?
A $1,000 investment in Vanguard Div Appreciation ETF (VIG) at the month-end close of 2006-05 would be worth $7,420 at the close of 2026-08 — +642.0% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $6,069.
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 2006
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | $1,000 | — |
| 2007 | $1,056 | +5.6% |
| 2008 | $774 | -26.7% |
| 2009 | $926 | +19.6% |
| 2010 | $1,062 | +14.7% |
| 2011 | $1,128 | +6.2% |
| 2012 | $1,259 | +11.7% |
| 2013 | $1,623 | +28.9% |
| 2014 | $1,787 | +10.1% |
| 2015 | $1,752 | -2.0% |
| 2016 | $1,961 | +12.0% |
| 2017 | $2,398 | +22.2% |
| 2018 | $2,347 | -2.1% |
| 2019 | $3,043 | +29.6% |
| 2020 | $3,512 | +15.4% |
| 2021 | $4,347 | +23.8% |
| 2022 | $3,921 | -9.8% |
| 2023 | $4,490 | +14.5% |
| 2024 | $5,253 | +17.0% |
| 2025 | $5,997 | +14.2% |
| 2026 | $6,740 | +12.4% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought VIG was 2009-02 ($23.27): $1,000 then is $10,529 today. The worst was 2026-08 ($245): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in VIG be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Vanguard Div Appreciation ETF (VIG) at the start of 2006 would be worth about $7,420 today, a total return of +642.0%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for VIG?
Vanguard Div Appreciation ETF (VIG)'s strongest calendar year since 2006 was 2019, a +29.6% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,296 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -26.7%.
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 VIG have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2006-05 would have grown to about $96,925 on $24,400 invested.
Did VIG beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $6,069. VIG beat the S&P 500 by +22.3% 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 Div Appreciation ETF (VIG) historical total-return data from 2006-05 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.