US Stock Market
IndexWhat is the US Stock Market YTD return in 2026?
The US Stock Market is up +13.82% year to date with dividends reinvested (total return through Aug 28, 2026), or +13.14% on price alone — dividends have added 0.68 points so far. VTI started the year at $335.27 and closed at $379.32. That makes 2026 the 8th best start in 25 years of data through this date.
Price return vs total return#
Total return assumes distributions are reinvested; price return measures only the change in the ETF's share price. The 0.68 percentage-point gap is the contribution from dividends so far this year.
2026 YTD daily chart#
Daily total return since the final market close of 2025, with dividends reinvested.
- High of the year
- +15.3% · Aug 13, 2026
- Low of the year
- -6.7% · Mar 30, 2026
- Max drawdown YTD
- -8.9%
- All-time-high closes
- 29 days
How 2026 compares with previous years#
Every year is measured through Aug 28 — the same calendar date as the current result — so the comparison is not skewed by full-year outcomes.
Years that looked like this one
The five closest starts to 2026's +13.8%, each traced through its full year — labels show how each finished. 2026's path so far is the bold line.
2012 (+13.4% then → finished +16.5%) · 2023 (+16.0% then → finished +26.0%) · 2019 (+16.3% then → finished +30.7%) · 2025 (+11.2% then → finished +17.1%) · 2024 (+16.9% then → finished +23.8%).
Every year's YTD return through the same date#
Ranked by total return through Aug 28, with each completed calendar year's final return alongside it.
Best starts
| Year | YTD then | Finished |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | +20.3% | +25.7% |
| 2009 | +18.1% | +28.9% |
| 2003 | +17.4% | +30.7% |
| 2013 | +17.1% | +33.4% |
| 2024 | +16.9% | +23.8% |
Worst starts
| Year | YTD then | Finished |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | -18.0% | -20.5% |
| 2022 | -15.0% | -19.5% |
| 2008 | -8.9% | -37.0% |
| 2011 | -6.1% | +1.0% |
| 2010 | -2.7% | +17.4% |
| Rank | Year | YTD through this date | Full-year return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2021 | +20.3% | +25.7% |
| 2 | 2009 | +18.1% | +28.9% |
| 3 | 2003 | +17.4% | +30.7% |
| 4 | 2013 | +17.1% | +33.4% |
| 5 | 2024 | +16.9% | +23.8% |
| 6 | 2019 | +16.3% | +30.7% |
| 7 | 2023 | +16.0% | +26.0% |
| 8 | 2026 (now) | +13.8% | — |
| 9 | 2012 | +13.4% | +16.5% |
| 10 | 2025 | +11.2% | +17.1% |
| 11 | 2018 | +10.1% | -5.2% |
| 12 | 2017 | +9.7% | +21.2% |
| 13 | 2020 | +9.6% | +21.1% |
| 14 | 2014 | +8.9% | +12.5% |
| 15 | 2016 | +7.9% | +12.8% |
| 16 | 2006 | +5.1% | +15.7% |
| 17 | 2007 | +2.3% | +5.4% |
| 18 | 2005 | +1.5% | +6.3% |
| 19 | 2004 | +0.9% | +12.8% |
| 20 | 2015 | -2.0% | +0.4% |
| 21 | 2010 | -2.7% | +17.4% |
| 22 | 2011 | -6.1% | +1.0% |
| 23 | 2008 | -8.9% | -37.0% |
| 24 | 2022 | -15.0% | -19.5% |
| 25 | 2002 | -18.0% | -20.5% |
2026 monthly YTD chart#
Each bar is one calendar month's total return; the current month runs through Aug 28, 2026.
2026 YTD return by month#
Monthly total return and the compounded year-to-date result after each month.
| Month | Monthly return | Cumulative YTD |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | +1.6% | +1.6% |
| Feb | -0.5% | +1.0% |
| Mar | -5.0% | -4.0% |
| Apr | +10.4% | +6.0% |
| May | +5.2% | +11.5% |
| Jun | -0.4% | +11.0% |
| Jul | -0.5% | +10.5% |
| Aug | +3.0% | +13.8% |
Notes & related#
Returns are computed from VTI (the US Stock Market ETF): total return uses dividend-adjusted closes, price return uses split-adjusted closes only. “YTD through the same date” compares each year at the identical month-day, so early-year rankings aren't skewed by full-year outcomes. Data updates after each market close.
Keep going: US Stock Market returns by year, monthly returns, or the drawdown record.