VDE’s worst drop since 2004 was 75%
Vanguard Energy ETF (VDE) fell 75% from Jun 2014 to Mar 2020. It took 7.8 years from that peak to close at a new high, in Apr 2022. Over the same years the S&P 500 fell as much as 55%.
That drop ranks 29th deepest among the 203 ETFs PortfolioAutopsy tracks.
Drawdown from the last high, 2004 to now
How VDE held up in each crash
| Crash | Years | VDE | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dot-com bust | 2000–02 | not trading yet | −47.5% |
| Financial crisis | 2007–09 | −58.2% | −55.2% |
| COVID crash | 2020 | −61.6% | −33.7% |
| 2022 rate shock | 2022 | −26.6% | −24.5% |
Each number is the deepest fall from a high inside that window, using daily prices with dividends reinvested.
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What was VDE’s maximum drawdown?
VDE’s deepest fall since 2004 was 74.7%, from its high on June 23, 2014 to its low on March 18, 2020. The figure uses daily prices with dividends reinvested.
How long did VDE take to recover?
7.8 years. VDE first closed above its Jun 2014 high again on April 18, 2022.
Was VDE riskier than the S&P 500?
Over the same years, VDE’s worst drop was 74.7% against 55.2% for the S&P 500 (SPY), and its worst 12 months were −63.5% against −47.4%.
Compare with
Daily adjusted closes from Yahoo Finance, September 30, 2004 through October 13, 2026, dividends reinvested. Historical facts, not a forecast and not investment advice.