VFH’s worst drop since 2004 was 79%
Vanguard Financials ETF (VFH) fell 79% from Jun 2007 to Mar 2009. It took 9.4 years from that peak to close at a new high, in Nov 2016. Over the same years the S&P 500 fell as much as 55%.
That drop ranks 23rd deepest among the 203 ETFs PortfolioAutopsy tracks.
Drawdown from the last high, 2004 to now
How VFH held up in each crash
| Crash | Years | VFH | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dot-com bust | 2000–02 | not trading yet | −47.5% |
| Financial crisis | 2007–09 | −77.9% | −55.2% |
| COVID crash | 2020 | −44.4% | −33.7% |
| 2022 rate shock | 2022 | −25.7% | −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 VFH’s maximum drawdown?
VFH’s deepest fall since 2004 was 78.6%, from its high on June 4, 2007 to its low on March 6, 2009. The figure uses daily prices with dividends reinvested.
How long did VFH take to recover?
9.4 years. VFH first closed above its Jun 2007 high again on November 10, 2016.
Was VFH riskier than the S&P 500?
Over the same years, VFH’s worst drop was 78.6% against 55.2% for the S&P 500 (SPY), and its worst 12 months were −68.9% against −47.4%.
Compare with
Daily adjusted closes from Yahoo Finance, February 2, 2004 through October 13, 2026, dividends reinvested. Historical facts, not a forecast and not investment advice.