Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) delivers 8.69% since start of 2026

The Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) recorded a return of 8.69 percent since the beginning of 2026 (as of mid-June 2026). An exchange-traded fund (ETF) is a security that tracks an index and is traded on an exchange like a stock. VTI tracks the entire US stock market and thus provides investors with access to a broadly diversified portfolio of American companies.

Short-term performance lags global counterpart

Over a one-year period through mid-2026, VTI generated a total return of 22.78 percent. By comparison, the Vanguard Total World Stock ETF (VT), which covers international markets in addition to US stocks, achieved 24.06 percent over the same period. Since the beginning of 2026, VT also leads with 9.79 percent ahead of the US-focused VTI.

This short-term underperformance of VTI relative to the globally diversified VT suggests that international stock markets were able to gain more ground than the US market alone during the first six months of 2026.

US focus convinces over the long term

Over a ten-year period, the picture reverses: VTI achieved an annualized return of 15.13 to 15.15 percent. The globally-oriented VT achieved 12.94 percent per year over the same period – a difference of approximately 2.19 percentage points annually in favor of the US-focused ETF.

This difference accumulates over a decade to significant wealth disparities. An investment of 10,000 francs or euros would have grown to approximately 41,100 francs/euros with VTI, and to around 34,200 francs/euros with VT (without taking taxes and transaction costs into account).

Fund structure and diversification

VTI holds a broadly distributed portfolio across various sectors and company sizes. According to data from June 12, 2026, the fund includes detailed breakdowns by sector weightings and individual positions. Temporary cash positions and equity index products are not counted among official holdings (as of March 31, 2026).

The broad diversification across the entire US stock market – from large caps through mid caps to small caps – distinguishes VTI from more concentrated ETFs such as the S&P 500. While the latter only represents the 500 largest listed US companies, VTI covers nearly the entire investable US stock market.

Dividend distributions for investors

VTI regularly distributes dividends to shareholders. Historical dividend data, current yields, payment dates and information on dividend growth are available through specialized financial databases. The exact level of dividend yield varies with the price level of the ETF and the distributions of the companies held within the fund.

Access via broker platforms

Private investors in the DACH region can acquire VTI through international brokers. The purchase process includes logging into an existing depot, searching for the ticker symbol "VTI" and placing a buy order. It should be noted that for Swiss investors, there may be restrictions on purchasing US-domiciled ETFs due to regulatory provisions – investors should check the specific conditions of their broker.

Cost structure remains competitive

Vanguard is known for its cost-efficient index funds. VTI has an expense ratio that ranks among the lowest in the ETF segment. The exact current fees can be found in the official Vanguard documentation and on major financial platforms.

Low ongoing costs have a significant long-term impact on net returns. Over an investment horizon of ten years or more, the cost difference between inexpensive and more expensive ETFs can amount to several percentage points of total return.

Volatility and risk metrics

Vanguard's official fund documentation (as of March 31, 2026) contains detailed information on the volatility of the ETF, based on monthly return data over three years. Standard deviation serves as a measure of the range of fluctuations in performance. These risk metrics help investors assess expected price fluctuations and compare VTI with other investment products.