HSY vs VTI: which was the better investment?
The Hershey Company against Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF on real daily total-return data — every dividend reinvested, from Jun 15, 2001 to Jul 15, 2026.
Set up your comparison
What are you comparing?
Pick one investment — or add several to build a portfolio.
Compare against
The benchmark your investment has to beat.
Time & money
When the money goes in, and how much.
Leave empty for earliest
Leave empty for today
0 for a one-time investment
Daily total-return data — dividends reinvested. Monthly additions buy on the first trading day.
Track your entire portfolio in one free Google Sheet
Enter your trades once and values update automatically. We'll send it straight to your inbox.
Related comparisons
Browse all match-ups on the comparison hub, build your own in the Compare Investments tool, or check a single asset's exact-date returns with the Investment Calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Did HSY beat VTI?
It was effectively a tie over the full overlap period (Jun 15, 2001 to Jul 15, 2026): $10,000 grew to $102,856 in HSY and $104,019 in VTI, a difference of under 2%.
What would $10,000 in HSY be worth today?
$10,000 invested in The Hershey Company (HSY) on Jun 15, 2001 would be worth about $102,856 as of Jul 15, 2026, a total return of 928.6% (9.7% per year). The same $10,000 in VTI would be worth $104,019.
Which was riskier — HSY or VTI?
HSY swung with an annualized volatility of 22.3% and a worst peak-to-trough drop of -49.2%; VTI ran at 19.1% volatility with a -55.5% maximum drawdown. Risk-adjusted (Sharpe ratio), that is 0.35 for HSY vs 0.41 for VTI.
What data is this comparison based on?
Daily adjusted closing prices covering Jun 15, 2001 through Jul 15, 2026 — the full period where both assets have price history. Adjusted prices include dividends and splits, so these are total returns. The page refreshes with new market data every day.
Can I change the dates, amounts, or add monthly investing?
Yes — the interactive tool on this page is pre-loaded with HSY vs VTI. You can set any start and end date, change the starting amount, add monthly contributions, or build a multi-asset portfolio and compare it against any benchmark.