VUG observed max drawdown: 47.2%
Vanguard Growth ETF. From its 2007-10-31 peak, VUG fell 47.2% to the 2009-02-28 trough and needed 3.3 years to make a new high (2011-02-28). Computed from 272 months of observed fund history. Fund inception boundary (first available fund observation): 2004-01-30; the monthly analysis runs from 2004-01-31 through 2026-08-31.
Before 2004-01-30, the extended history is simulated. Observed fund drawdowns come first; simulation assumptions and results are separated below.
What is VUG's observed maximum drawdown?
VUG's observed maximum drawdown was 47.2%, from a peak in 2007-10-31 to a trough in 2009-02-28, based on monthly closes from fund prices first observed on 2004-01-30. The sample contains 272 monthly observations through 2026-08-31. Monthly closes can miss deeper daily losses.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum drawdown | -47.2% |
| Peak | 2007-10-31 |
| Trough | 2009-02-28 |
| Recovered | 2011-02-28 |
| Monthly observations | 272 |
Last verified
What is VUG's observed maximum drawdown?
VUG's observed maximum drawdown was 47.2%, from a peak in 2007-10-31 to a trough in 2009-02-28, based on monthly closes from fund prices first observed on 2004-01-30.
How long did VUG take to recover from its worst drawdown?
VUG took 3.3 years from the 2007-10-31 peak to make a new high in 2011-02-28, based only on observed fund prices.
What was VUG's worst 12-month return?
VUG's worst observed rolling 12-month return was -40.0%, in the 12 months ending 2009-02-28.
VUG observed fund drawdown statistics
2007-10-31 peak to 2009-02-28 trough.
New high reached 2011-02-28.
Share of all months spent below a prior high.
Rolling year ending 2009-02-28.
The biggest VUG drawdowns in observed fund history
| Depth | Peak | Trough | Recovered | Peak to trough | Total underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -47.2% | 2007-10-31 | 2009-02-28 | 2011-02-28 | 16 mo | 3.3 years |
| -33.1% | 2021-12-31 | 2022-12-31 | 2024-01-31 | 12 mo | 2.1 years |
| -16.4% | 2020-01-31 | 2020-03-31 | 2020-05-31 | 2 mo | 4 months |
| -16.2% | 2018-09-30 | 2018-12-31 | 2019-04-30 | 3 mo | 7 months |
| -15.1% | 2011-04-30 | 2011-09-30 | 2012-02-29 | 5 mo | 10 months |
Methodology: observed VUG fund prices only, first available from 2004-01-30. Monthly closing-price statistics cover 2004-01-31 through 2026-08-31; no proxy or pre-inception simulation is included in this table. Educational information, not investment advice.
Before 2004-01-30: simulated from the underlying index with assumptions
This separate series combines observed prices with a modeled pre-inception extension from 1992-10-31 through 2026-09-30. The 2026-09-30 endpoint is the legacy current partial-month bucket/month-end label, not evidence that VUG was observed through that future date. It is not observed VUG performance. The API's observed boundary is 2004-01-30; observed monthly statistics run from 2004-01-31 through 2026-08-31.
- Rebalancing convention: monthly rebalance at month-end close; drawdown statistics use monthly closing prices.
- Proxy source for VUG: VIGRX (proxy_etf), from 1992-10-30 to 2004-01-29.
- Proxy source for SPY: VFINX (proxy_etf), from 1976-08-31 to 1993-01-28.
- Proxy source for SPY: spy_tr (static_monthly), from 1900-01-31 to 1976-08-30.
Modeled extended statistics
2000-03-31 peak to 2002-09-30 trough.
New high reached 2012-03-31.
Share of all months spent below a prior high.
Rolling year ending 2009-02-28.
For context, SPY (the S&P 500 baseline) had a maximum drawdown of 50.8% over the same kind of monthly-close analysis.
Modeled extended drawdowns
| Depth | Peak | Trough | Recovered | Peak to trough | Total underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -53.6% | 2000-03-31 | 2002-09-30 | 2012-03-31 | 30 mo | 12.0 years |
| -33.1% | 2021-12-31 | 2022-12-31 | 2024-01-31 | 12 mo | 2.1 years |
| -16.4% | 2020-01-31 | 2020-03-31 | 2020-05-31 | 2 mo | 4 months |
| -16.2% | 2018-09-30 | 2018-12-31 | 2019-04-30 | 3 mo | 7 months |
| -13.0% | 1998-06-30 | 1998-08-31 | 1998-10-31 | 2 mo | 4 months |
Monthly closing prices, peak-to-trough on total return where available. The pre-inception segment is a reconstruction, not a live fund record, and actual tracking, financing, taxes, spreads, and volatility drag can differ.
Drawdowns are the reason tactical strategies exist
Buy-and-hold VUG means living through every number on this page. BestFolio tracks published TAA strategies whose whole job is cutting these drawdowns, with out-of-sample track records.