VFH vs VTI: which was the better investment?
Vanguard Financials ETF against Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF on real daily total-return data — every dividend reinvested, from Jan 30, 2004 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 VFH beat VTI?
No — measured from Jan 30, 2004 to Jul 15, 2026 with dividends reinvested, VTI came out ahead: $101,968 versus $44,820 from a $10,000 start. That gap compounds from a 10.9% annual return against 6.9%.
What would $10,000 in VFH be worth today?
$10,000 invested in Vanguard Financials ETF (VFH) on Jan 30, 2004 would be worth about $44,820 as of Jul 15, 2026, a total return of 348.2% (6.9% per year). The same $10,000 in VTI would be worth $101,968.
Which was riskier — VFH or VTI?
VFH swung with an annualized volatility of 26.6% and a worst peak-to-trough drop of -78.6%; VTI ran at 18.9% volatility with a -55.5% maximum drawdown. Risk-adjusted (Sharpe ratio), that is 0.18 for VFH vs 0.47 for VTI.
What data is this comparison based on?
Daily adjusted closing prices covering Jan 30, 2004 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 VFH 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.