VWUSX’s worst drop since 1999 was 73%
Vanguard US Growth Fund (VWUSX) fell 73% from Sep 2000 to Mar 2009. It took 16.4 years from that peak to close at a new high, in Feb 2017. Over the same years the S&P 500 fell as much as 55%.
That drop ranks 4th deepest among the 109 mutual funds PortfolioAutopsy tracks.
Drawdown from the last high, 1999 to now
How VWUSX held up in each crash
| Crash | Years | VWUSX | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dot-com bust | 2000–02 | −72.0% | −47.5% |
| Financial crisis | 2007–09 | −50.5% | −55.2% |
| COVID crash | 2020 | −31.1% | −33.7% |
| 2022 rate shock | 2022 | −41.6% | −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 VWUSX’s maximum drawdown?
VWUSX’s deepest fall since 1999 was 73.4%, from its high on September 1, 2000 to its low on March 9, 2009. The figure uses daily prices with dividends reinvested.
How long did VWUSX take to recover?
16.4 years. VWUSX first closed above its Sep 2000 high again on February 14, 2017.
Was VWUSX riskier than the S&P 500?
Over the same years, VWUSX’s worst drop was 73.4% against 55.2% for the S&P 500 (SPY), and its worst 12 months were −60.6% against −47.4%.
Compare with
Daily adjusted closes from Yahoo Finance, January 5, 1999 through October 13, 2026, dividends reinvested. Historical facts, not a forecast and not investment advice.