What if you'd held VPU?
A $1,000 investment in Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU) at the month-end close of 2004-01 would be worth $7,742 at the close of 2026-09 — +674.2% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500, dividends reinvested, would be worth $10,467.
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 2026-09, dividends included.
Every year, $1,000 from 2004
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | $1,000 | — |
| 2005 | $1,146 | +14.6% |
| 2006 | $1,394 | +21.7% |
| 2007 | $1,631 | +17.0% |
| 2008 | $1,175 | -27.9% |
| 2009 | $1,308 | +11.3% |
| 2010 | $1,400 | +7.1% |
| 2011 | $1,666 | +19.0% |
| 2012 | $1,696 | +1.8% |
| 2013 | $1,949 | +14.9% |
| 2014 | $2,455 | +26.0% |
| 2015 | $2,337 | -4.8% |
| 2016 | $2,748 | +17.6% |
| 2017 | $3,090 | +12.5% |
| 2018 | $3,226 | +4.4% |
| 2019 | $4,029 | +24.9% |
| 2020 | $3,999 | -0.7% |
| 2021 | $4,695 | +17.4% |
| 2022 | $4,745 | +1.1% |
| 2023 | $4,391 | -7.4% |
| 2024 | $5,403 | +23.0% |
| 2025 | $6,293 | +16.5% |
| 2026 | $6,421 | +2.0% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought VPU was 2004-04 ($23.79): $1,000 then is $7,833 today. The worst was 2026-02 ($203): $1,000 then is $917.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in VPU be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU) at the start of 2004 would be worth about $7,742 today, a total return of +674.2%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for VPU?
Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU)'s strongest calendar year since 2004 was 2014, a +26.0% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,260 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -27.9%.
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 VPU have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2004-01 would have grown to about $86,457 on $27,300 invested.
Did VPU beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 with dividends reinvested (the S&P 500 Total Return index) would be worth $10,467. VPU trailed the S&P 500 by +26.0% 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 Utilities ETF (VPU) historical total-return data from 2004-01 to 2026-09, reduced to month-end closes for the tables above.
Returns use adjusted close prices — adjusted for stock splits and reinvested dividends, the same convention used by major brokerages. End-of-day and live prices come from EODHD; parts of the deep historical series are carried over from Yahoo Finance data. 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 (EODHD): 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 EODHD and Yahoo Finance. As of 2026-09-04. Not financial advice.