You bought VT onceDividends kept buying more

Choose how many shares you bought and the month you bought them. This historical illustration follows every VT cash distribution and reinvests it into additional fractional shares.

Purchase pattern

1 share became1.229732 shares

Modeled purchase: November 1, 2016 at $59.29 per share. Valued at $154.94 on November 10, 2026.

Initial investment$59.29
Shares today1.229732+0.229732 from reinvestment
Value with reinvestment$190.53$35.59 more than price alone
Total return221.4%12.4% annualized
Value without reinvestment$154.94
Price return161.3%
Cash dividends reinvested$21.63
Distributions received40
Show how each dividend bought more shares
Pay dateShares beforeDividend/shareCash receivedReinvestment datePriceShares purchasedShares after
2016-12-271$0.4570$0.462016-12-27$61.410.0074421.007442
2017-04-041.007442$0.2530$0.252017-04-04$65.200.0039091.011351
2017-07-051.011351$0.4660$0.472017-07-05$67.640.0069681.018319
2017-10-021.018319$0.3540$0.362017-10-02$70.880.0050861.023404
2017-12-221.023404$0.4915$0.502017-12-22$74.100.0067881.030193
2018-03-291.030193$0.2573$0.272018-03-29$73.630.0036001.033793
2018-06-271.033793$0.5511$0.572018-06-27$72.640.0078431.041636
2018-10-011.041636$0.3615$0.382018-10-01$76.070.0049501.046586
2018-12-281.046586$0.4890$0.512018-12-28$65.080.0078641.054450
2019-03-281.05445$0.2810$0.302019-03-28$72.780.0040711.058521
2019-06-201.058521$0.5508$0.582019-06-20$75.400.0077331.066253
2019-09-271.066253$0.4348$0.462019-09-27$74.550.0062191.072472
2019-12-271.072472$0.6109$0.662019-12-27$81.210.0080681.080540
2020-03-261.08054$0.2205$0.242020-03-26$63.900.0037291.084268
2020-06-251.084268$0.3600$0.392020-06-25$74.880.0052131.089481
2020-09-241.089481$0.4025$0.442020-09-24$78.440.0055901.095072
2020-12-241.095072$0.5524$0.602020-12-24$91.590.0066051.101676
2021-03-251.101676$0.2531$0.282021-03-25$95.990.0029051.104581
2021-06-241.104581$0.5049$0.562021-06-24$103.570.0053851.109966
2021-09-231.109966$0.4120$0.462021-09-23$105.280.0043441.114310
2021-12-231.11431$0.7850$0.872021-12-23$106.760.0081931.122503
2022-03-241.122503$0.2572$0.292022-03-24$101.200.0028531.125356
2022-06-241.125356$0.5978$0.672022-06-24$87.710.0076701.133026
2022-09-221.133026$0.4026$0.462022-09-22$82.720.0055141.138540
2022-12-221.13854$0.6381$0.732022-12-22$85.910.0084571.146997
2023-03-231.146997$0.2852$0.332023-03-23$88.680.0036891.150686
2023-06-231.150686$0.6504$0.752023-06-23$94.780.0078961.158582
2023-09-211.158582$0.4055$0.472023-09-21$94.030.0049961.163578
2023-12-211.163578$0.8008$0.932023-12-21$102.070.0091291.172707
2024-03-201.172707$0.4212$0.492024-03-20$110.000.0044901.177198
2024-06-251.177198$0.5779$0.682024-06-25$112.770.0060331.183230
2024-09-241.18323$0.4174$0.492024-09-24$119.080.0041471.187378
2024-12-241.187378$0.8774$1.042024-12-24$119.700.0087031.196081
2025-03-251.196081$0.3852$0.462025-03-25$119.320.0038611.199943
2025-06-241.199943$0.5947$0.712025-06-24$126.490.0056421.205584
2025-09-231.205584$0.4781$0.582025-09-23$137.510.0041921.209776
2025-12-231.209776$1.1152$1.352025-12-23$142.010.0095001.219276
2026-03-241.219276$0.3272$0.402026-03-24$137.900.0028931.222169
2026-06-231.222169$0.5627$0.692026-06-23$154.330.0044561.226625
2026-09-221.226625$0.4084$0.502026-09-22$161.240.0031071.229732

The same 1-share purchaseGiven more time

All periods are valued onNovember 10, 2026.

Dane Does Data

Each column starts with the same number of shares on the first VT trading day of that month.

KPIIf you bought 1 share of VT…1 year agoNov 3, 20252 years agoNov 1, 20245 years agoNov 1, 202110 years agoNov 1, 2016
Initial investment$140.76$117.56$107.73$59.29
Shares today1.0164961.035671.1035821.229732
Shares added by dividends+0.016496+0.03567+0.103582+0.229732
Value with reinvestment$157.50$160.47$170.99$190.53
Additional value from reinvestment+$2.56+$5.53+$16.05+$35.59
Cash dividends reinvested$2.43$4.83$11.57$21.63
Distributions received482040
Price return10.1%31.8%43.8%161.3%
Total return11.9%36.5%58.7%221.4%
Annualized total return11.7%16.6%9.6%12.4%

The point is not that you should have started ten years ago. It is that compounding needs a starting date. You cannot change yesterday’s date, but money invested today has more time than money invested tomorrow: time in the market beats timing the market. Once your emergency fund is set, the simplest way to put that principle into practice is to Always Be Buying—invest consistently instead of waiting for the perfect moment.

The share count compoundsNot just the price

The calculator uses the first VT trading close in the selected month. Each eligible cash distribution equals the shares owned on its ex-dividend date multiplied by the dividend per share. That cash buys fractional shares at the closing price on the payable date, or the next available trading date.

Educational illustration. Results use historical daily closing prices and assume full dividend reinvestment, fractional shares, and no taxes, fees, bid/ask spread, or tracking differences. A broker’s actual reinvestment price may differ. Past performance does not guarantee future results. VT’s official inception date is June 24, 2008. Review the Vanguard fund profile.