If you invested $1,000 in VPU — what it would be worth today
A $1,000 investment in Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU) in January 2016 would be worth $2,636 as of August 2026 with dividends reinvested — 9.7% a year. Use the dropdowns above to try any amount, ticker, or starting month back to January 2004.
Over the same period, the same $1,000 would be worth $4,690 in the S&P 500 (SPY) and $7,398 in the Nasdaq-100 (QQQ). VPU trailed both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq-100 over that period.
Growth of $1,000 in VPU since January 2016#
monthlyVanguard Utilities ETF (VPU). Total return approximated via dividend- and split-adjusted closes (no taxes or fees). Not investment advice.
Growth of $1,000 in VPU by starting month#
$1,000 invested in VPU, by starting year#
| Invested in | Worth today | Same in QQQ | Multiple | Annualized |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | $2,636 | $7,398 | 2.6× | 9.7% |
| 2017 | $2,320 | $6,116 | 2.3× | 9.3% |
| 2018 | $2,156 | $4,457 | 2.2× | 9.4% |
| 2019 | $1,929 | $4,452 | 1.9× | 9.1% |
| 2020 | $1,510 | $3,390 | 1.5× | 6.5% |
| 2021 | $1,632 | $2,344 | 1.6× | 9.3% |
| 2022 | $1,424 | $2,021 | 1.4× | 8.1% |
| 2023 | $1,383 | $2,472 | 1.4× | 9.7% |
| 2024 | $1,522 | $1,735 | 1.5× | 18.2% |
| 2025 | $1,163 | $1,377 | 1.2× | 10.5% |
Methodology#
Investments are assumed made at the first trading day's close of the chosen year. "Dividends reinvested" uses split- and dividend-adjusted closes (a standard total-return approximation; taxes and fees excluded). "Price-only" uses split-adjusted closes. VPU data begins January 2004; values as of August 2026 and refresh daily. Past performance does not predict future returns; not investment advice.
See the live VPU chart and fundamentals on the VPU quote page or compare with the same investment in SPY.
FAQ
- How much would $1,000 invested in VPU be worth today?
- A $1,000 investment in Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU) in January 2016 would be worth about $2,636 as of August 2026, with dividends reinvested. That works out to about 9.7% a year.
- How far back does the VPU calculation go?
- VPU data begins January 2004. You can pick any starting month from then to the present and see what your investment would be worth today.
- Does this include dividends?
- Yes. The default "dividends reinvested" view uses split- and dividend-adjusted closing prices — a standard total-return approximation that excludes taxes and fees. A price-only view (split-adjusted, no dividends) is also available.