VTI vs VT: Returns, Drawdowns and Dividends Since 2016
VTI (Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF) and VT (Vanguard Total World Stock ETF) moved almost in lockstep: their daily returns had a correlation of 0.975, where 1 would mean identical. VTI came out ahead, returning 14.6% a year with dividends reinvested from January 2016 to November 2026, against 12.2% for VT.
Bought on any day and held five years, VTI finished ahead 100% of the time. Both fell about 35% at their worst, in March 2020.
| Measure | VTI | VT |
|---|---|---|
| Annual return | 14.6% | 12.2% |
| $10,000 grew to | $43,623 | $34,912 |
| Worst decline | −35.0%Mar 2020 | −34.2%Mar 2020 |
| Volatility Volatility How much the fund's daily returns swing: their standard deviation over this period, annualized with the square root of 252 trading days. | 18.0% | 17.1% |
| Sharpe ratio Sharpe ratio Return above T-bills for each unit of risk: daily returns minus the T-bill ETF BIL, averaged, divided by their standard deviation and annualized. Higher is better. T-bill funds show none. Sharpe ratio calculator | 0.73 | 0.64 |
| 12-month yield 12-month yield Cash dividends with ex-dividend dates in the past 12 months, divided by the latest closing price. | 1.0% | 1.5% |
| Best year | +30.7%2019 | +26.8%2019 |
| Worst year | −19.5%2022 | −18.0%2022 |
| Correlation between them Correlation How closely the two funds' daily returns moved together over this period: 1 means identical every day, 0 means no relation. | 0.975 | |
VTI: Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETFVT: Vanguard Total World Stock ETF
Jan 4, 2016 to Nov 4, 2026, dividends reinvested.
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Worst declines
VTI fell 35.0% from Feb 19, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020 and was back at its high on Aug 12, 2020. VT fell 34.2% from Feb 12, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020 and was back at its high on Aug 24, 2020.
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Year by year
VTI was ahead in 8 of the 11 calendar years.
| Year | VTI | VT | Ahead (pts) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to Nov 4) | +13.4% | +12.8% | VTI+0.6 |
| 2025 | +17.1% | +22.4% | VT+5.3 |
| 2024 | +23.8% | +16.5% | VTI+7.3 |
| 2023 | +26.1% | +22.0% | VTI+4.0 |
| 2022 | −19.5% | −18.0% | VT+1.5 |
| 2021 | +25.7% | +18.3% | VTI+7.4 |
| 2020 | +21.0% | +16.6% | VTI+4.4 |
| 2019 | +30.7% | +26.8% | VTI+3.9 |
| 2018 | −5.2% | −9.8% | VTI+4.5 |
| 2017 | +21.2% | +24.5% | VT+3.3 |
| 2016 (from Jan 4) | +14.5% | +10.4% | VTI+4.2 |
Held for 1, 3 or 5 years: which came out ahead
Buy on any trading day from Jan 4, 2016, hold for a set time, and see which fund ended higher. The periods overlap, so they show how much the start date mattered, not separate results.
| Hold | Days tested | Ahead more often | Median lead (pts) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year | 2,474 | VTI70% | +2.8 |
| 3 years | 1,970 | VTI100% | +10.1 |
| 5 years | 1,466 | VTI100% | +24.3 |
Median lead is the typical gap in total return across all start dates, in percentage points. The latest 5-year hold starts on Oct 27, 2021.
Dividends
Over the past 12 months VTI paid 1.0% of its price in dividends and VT 1.5%. The returns above already include them, reinvested on each ex-dividend date.
Dividends per share by year
| Year | VTI | VT |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to Nov 4) | $3.00 3 payments | $1.30 3 payments |
| 2025 | $3.76 4 payments | $2.57 4 payments |
| 2024 | $3.67 4 payments | $2.29 4 payments |
| 2023 | $3.41 4 payments | $2.14 4 payments |
| 2022 | $3.18 4 payments | $1.90 4 payments |
| 2021 | $2.93 4 payments | $1.96 4 payments |
| 2020 | $2.77 4 payments | $1.54 4 payments |
| 2019 | $2.90 4 payments | $1.88 4 payments |
| 2018 | $2.60 4 payments | $1.66 4 payments |
| 2017 | $2.34 4 payments | $1.56 4 payments |
| 2016 (from Jan 4) | $2.21 4 payments | $1.46 4 payments |
Per share in today's shares (earlier amounts are restated for share splits), by ex-dividend date.
The two funds
- VTI
- Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF, an ETF launched May 24, 2001. FinLab prices start Jan 4, 2016.
- VTI price and signal backtests
- VT
- Vanguard Total World Stock ETF, an ETF launched Jun 26, 2008. FinLab prices start Jan 4, 2016.
- VT price and signal backtests
More comparisons
Source: FinLab U.S. fund prices, Jan 4, 2016 to Nov 4, 2026, the days both funds traded. Returns use prices adjusted for dividends and splits, before taxes; annual return is compounded.
For research and education. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and this is not investment advice.