Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Small-Cap ETF (VSS): Rolling Returns

Simulation Settings
Category:
Period: May 2009 - November 2025 (~17 years)
Initial Amount: 1$
Currency: USD
Inflation: US
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When holding the Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Small-Cap ETF (VSS) ETF, how long should you stay invested to have high probability to achieve a positive return?

Over the selected period (~17 years), the longest duration with a negative return was 108 months (from April 2011 to March 2020).

This indicates that, within the same timeframe, any rolling period of 109 months or more has consistently resulted in a positive return.

Understanding this metric is crucial as it highlights the importance of a safe investment horizon. Knowing the minimum duration required to likely see positive returns helps investors set realistic expectations and reinforces the strategy of staying invested through market cycles. This approach can mitigate the emotional reactions to short-term market fluctuations and enhance the likelihood of achieving financial goals.

Rolling Returns

A rolling return is a measure of investment performance that calculates the return of an investment over a set period of time, with the starting date rolling forward. This approach can provide a more accurate representation of the investment's historical performance and helps investors to evaluate the investment's consistency over time.

VANGUARD FTSE ALL-WORLD EX-US SMALL-CAP ETF (VSS) ETF
Annualized Rolling Returns
Annualized Rolling Returns - Inflation Adjusted
Time Period: 1 December 2015 - 30 November 2025 (10 Years)
Time Period: 1 May 2009 - 30 November 2025 (~17 years)
All Data
(2009/05 - 2025/11)
US Inflation Adjusted:

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Rolling Period Analysis

By selecting the 'Rolling Period', the chart and data will update. To study a different date range, change the simulation settings.

VANGUARD FTSE ALL-WORLD EX-US SMALL-CAP ETF (VSS) ETF
Rolling Returns Chart
Rolling Returns Chart - Inflation Adjusted
Time Period: 1 May 2009 - 30 November 2025 (~17 years)
Over Time
Histogram
US Inflation Adjusted:

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Worst Median Best Negative Periods
-28.85%
Oct 2021 - Sep 2022
+8.68% +67.31%
Apr 2020 - Mar 2021
34.57%
65 out of 188
-34.24%
Oct 2021 - Sep 2022
+6.00% +63.04%
Apr 2020 - Mar 2021
37.77%
71 out of 188
-16.54%
Apr 2018 - Mar 2020
+4.87% +40.40%
May 2009 - Apr 2011
31.25%
55 out of 176
-17.94%
Apr 2018 - Mar 2020
+2.66% +36.79%
May 2009 - Apr 2011
38.64%
68 out of 176
-5.91%
Apr 2017 - Mar 2020
+5.64% +19.08%
Oct 2022 - Sep 2025
13.41%
22 out of 164
-7.67%
Apr 2017 - Mar 2020
+3.16% +15.63%
May 2009 - Apr 2012
26.22%
43 out of 164
-2.13%
Oct 2018 - Sep 2022
+5.08% +17.30%
May 2009 - Apr 2013
1.97%
3 out of 152
-6.00%
Oct 2018 - Sep 2022
+2.52% +14.80%
May 2009 - Apr 2013
21.71%
33 out of 152
-1.86%
Apr 2015 - Mar 2020
+5.86% +16.80%
May 2009 - Apr 2014
4.29%
6 out of 140
-5.23%
Oct 2017 - Sep 2022
+3.25% +14.35%
May 2009 - Apr 2014
22.14%
31 out of 140
-2.34%
Apr 2014 - Mar 2020
+4.78% +13.74%
May 2009 - Apr 2015
1.56%
2 out of 128
-3.78%
Apr 2014 - Mar 2020
+2.74% +11.77%
May 2009 - Apr 2015
17.97%
23 out of 128
+0.15%
Apr 2013 - Mar 2020
+5.25% +10.71%
May 2009 - Apr 2016
0.00%
0 out of 116
-1.85%
Feb 2018 - Jan 2025
+3.36% +8.89%
May 2009 - Apr 2016
11.21%
13 out of 116
+1.26%
Apr 2012 - Mar 2020
+5.60% +10.99%
May 2009 - Apr 2017
0.00%
0 out of 104
-1.30%
Oct 2014 - Sep 2022
+2.37% +9.09%
May 2009 - Apr 2017
5.77%
6 out of 104
-0.04%
Apr 2011 - Mar 2020
+5.34% +11.62%
May 2009 - Apr 2018
1.09%
1 out of 92
-1.65%
Apr 2011 - Mar 2020
+2.78% +9.62%
May 2009 - Apr 2018
8.70%
8 out of 92
+2.04%
Apr 2010 - Mar 2020
+5.03% +9.43%
May 2009 - Apr 2019
0.00%
0 out of 80
-0.23%
Nov 2013 - Oct 2023
+2.66% +7.46%
May 2009 - Apr 2019
1.25%
1 out of 80
+2.92%
Jul 2011 - Jun 2022
+5.17% +8.60%
Jul 2010 - Jun 2021
0.00%
0 out of 68
+0.41%
Jul 2011 - Jun 2022
+2.45% +6.47%
Jun 2010 - May 2021
0.00%
0 out of 68
+2.92%
Nov 2010 - Oct 2022
+5.49% +10.34%
May 2009 - Apr 2021
0.00%
0 out of 56
+0.32%
Nov 2010 - Oct 2022
+2.78% +8.28%
May 2009 - Apr 2021
0.00%
0 out of 56
+3.33%
Nov 2010 - Oct 2023
+5.32% +8.45%
May 2009 - Apr 2022
0.00%
0 out of 44
+0.67%
Nov 2010 - Oct 2023
+2.66% +5.93%
May 2009 - Apr 2022
0.00%
0 out of 44
+3.74%
May 2011 - Apr 2025
+5.29% +7.74%
May 2009 - Apr 2023
0.00%
0 out of 32
+1.12%
May 2011 - Apr 2025
+2.58% +5.06%
May 2009 - Apr 2023
0.00%
0 out of 32
+4.98%
Apr 2010 - Mar 2025
+5.99% +7.67%
May 2009 - Apr 2024
0.00%
0 out of 20
+2.31%
Apr 2010 - Mar 2025
+3.27% +4.93%
May 2009 - Apr 2024
0.00%
0 out of 20
+6.60%
Dec 2009 - Nov 2025
+6.95% +7.74%
May 2009 - Apr 2025
0.00%
0 out of 8
+3.94%
Dec 2009 - Nov 2025
+4.27% +5.01%
May 2009 - Apr 2025
0.00%
0 out of 8
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