If you invested $1,000 in VUG — what it would be worth today
$1,000
once in
Dollar-cost averaging invests the same amount every period, so the chart compares value against what you put in.January 2016
Priced at a real closing price — the month's last trading day, or that exact day's close when you pick one.today
Monthly data: valued at the closing price on the last trading day of that month.A $1,000 investment in Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG) in January 2016 would be worth $5,901 as of September 2026 with dividends reinvested — 18.1% a year compounded (CAGR). Use the dropdowns above to try any amount or starting month back to January 2004.
Over the same period, the same $1,000 would be worth $4,681 in the S&P 500 (SPY) and $7,675 in the Nasdaq-100 (QQQ). VUG beat the S&P 500 but trailed the Nasdaq-100 over that period.
Growth of $1,000 in VUG since January 2016— monthly
Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG). Total return approximated via dividend- and split-adjusted closes (no taxes or fees). Not investment advice.
What $1,000 in VUG would be worth today, by starting month— each bar = one starting month, held to today
$1,000 invested in VUG, by year— dividends reinvested, held to today
| Invested in | Worth today | Multiple | Annualized |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | $5,901 | 5.9× | 18.1% |
| 2017 | $5,042 | 5.0× | 18.2% |
| 2018 | $3,825 | 3.8× | 16.8% |
| 2019 | $3,871 | 3.9× | 19.3% |
| 2020 | $2,991 | 3.0× | 17.9% |
| 2021 | $2,222 | 2.2× | 15.1% |
| 2022 | $1,907 | 1.9× | 14.8% |
| 2023 | $2,341 | 2.3× | 26.1% |
| 2024 | $1,723 | 1.7× | 22.6% |
| 2025 | $1,301 | 1.3× | 17.2% |
Methodology
Investments are assumed made at the chosen month's last trading day close, or that exact day's close when a day is picked. "Dividends reinvested" uses split- and dividend-adjusted closes (a standard total-return approximation; taxes and fees excluded). "Price-only" uses split-adjusted closes. VUG data begins January 2004; values as of September 2026 and refresh daily. Past performance does not predict future returns; not investment advice.
See the live VUG chart and fundamentals on the VUG quote page or compare with the same investment in SPY.
FAQ#
- How much would $1,000 invested in VUG be worth today?
- A $1,000 investment in Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG) in January 2016 would be worth about $5,901 as of September 2026, with dividends reinvested. That works out to about 18.1% a year compounded (CAGR).
- How far back does the VUG calculation go?
- VUG 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.