When holding the Vanguard FTSE Canada All Cap Index (VCN.TO) ETF, how long should you stay invested to have high probability to achieve a positive return?

Over the selected period (~42 years), the longest duration with a negative return was 107 months (from April 2000 to February 2009).

This indicates that, within the same timeframe, any rolling period of 108 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.

Previous vs subsequent Returns

Is there a correlation between past and future returns over all 10-year rolling periods?

The following chart illustrates the relationship between past returns (x-axis) and subsequent returns (y-axis).

Data points are aggregated to show occurrences, and you can zoom in by clicking or drawing over the desired area.

VANGUARD FTSE CANADA ALL CAP INDEX (VCN.TO) ETF
Previous vs Next Returns - 10 Years annualized
Time Period: 1 July 1996 - 30 June 2026 (30 Years)
Time Period: 1 January 1985 - 30 June 2026 (~42 years)
30 Years
(1996/07 - 2026/06)
All Data
(1985/01 - 2026/06)

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As of Jun 30, 2026, the annualized return of the previous 10 years has been 12.67%.

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 CANADA ALL CAP INDEX (VCN.TO) ETF
Annualized Rolling Returns
Annualized Rolling Returns - Inflation Adjusted
Time Period: 1 July 1996 - 30 June 2026 (30 Years)
Time Period: 1 January 1985 - 30 June 2026 (~42 years)
30 Years
(1996/07 - 2026/06)
All Data
(1985/01 - 2026/06)
Canada 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 CANADA ALL CAP INDEX (VCN.TO) ETF
Rolling Returns Chart
Rolling Returns Chart - Inflation Adjusted
Time Period: 1 January 1985 - 30 June 2026 (~42 years)
Over Time
Histogram
Canada Inflation Adjusted:

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Swipe left to see all data
Worst Median Best Negative Periods
-38.24%
Mar 2008 - Feb 2009
+9.91% +61.36%
Sep 1999 - Aug 2000
27.93%
136 out of 487
-39.10%
Mar 2008 - Feb 2009
+7.29% +57.31%
Sep 1999 - Aug 2000
32.24%
157 out of 487
-23.13%
Sep 2000 - Aug 2002
+7.24% +42.61%
Sep 1998 - Aug 2000
19.79%
94 out of 475
-25.14%
Sep 2000 - Aug 2002
+4.93% +39.37%
Sep 1998 - Aug 2000
28.00%
133 out of 475
-11.81%
Sep 2000 - Aug 2003
+7.33% +25.71%
Apr 2003 - Mar 2006
14.04%
65 out of 463
-14.19%
Apr 2000 - Mar 2003
+4.67% +23.55%
Apr 2003 - Mar 2006
21.17%
98 out of 463
-6.58%
Sep 2000 - Aug 2004
+6.91% +21.91%
Apr 2003 - Mar 2007
9.31%
42 out of 451
-8.67%
Sep 2000 - Aug 2004
+4.53% +19.66%
Apr 2003 - Mar 2007
21.73%
98 out of 451
-3.26%
Oct 1987 - Sep 1992
+7.04% +20.58%
Nov 2002 - Oct 2007
5.47%
24 out of 439
-7.04%
Oct 1987 - Sep 1992
+4.75% +18.24%
Nov 2002 - Oct 2007
20.50%
90 out of 439
-0.58%
Apr 1987 - Mar 1993
+7.00% +19.68%
Apr 2020 - Mar 2026
0.94%
4 out of 427
-4.36%
Apr 1987 - Mar 1993
+4.70% +15.69%
Apr 2020 - Mar 2026
13.82%
59 out of 427
+0.56%
Aug 1987 - Jul 1994
+6.85% +15.40%
Jan 2019 - Dec 2025
0.00%
0 out of 415
-2.53%
Aug 1987 - Jul 1994
+4.77% +13.55%
Sep 1993 - Aug 2000
5.78%
24 out of 415
+0.85%
Feb 2001 - Jan 2009
+6.88% +16.12%
Sep 1992 - Aug 2000
0.00%
0 out of 403
-1.42%
Sep 1987 - Aug 1995
+4.77% +14.28%
Sep 1992 - Aug 2000
4.47%
18 out of 403
+0.29%
Mar 2000 - Feb 2009
+7.42% +13.79%
Sep 1991 - Aug 2000
0.00%
0 out of 391
-1.81%
Mar 2000 - Feb 2009
+5.27% +12.04%
Sep 1991 - Aug 2000
2.05%
8 out of 391
+2.42%
Sep 2000 - Aug 2010
+7.31% +13.42%
Mar 2016 - Feb 2026
0.00%
0 out of 379
+0.41%
Sep 2000 - Aug 2010
+5.14% +10.72%
Sep 1990 - Aug 2000
0.00%
0 out of 379
+2.56%
Mar 1998 - Feb 2009
+7.17% +11.14%
Jul 2015 - Jun 2026
0.00%
0 out of 367
+0.43%
Sep 1987 - Aug 1998
+4.97% +8.85%
Feb 1995 - Jan 2006
0.00%
0 out of 367
+2.48%
Sep 2000 - Aug 2012
+7.23% +11.33%
Nov 1995 - Oct 2007
0.00%
0 out of 355
+0.44%
Sep 2000 - Aug 2012
+4.97% +9.11%
Nov 1995 - Oct 2007
0.00%
0 out of 355
+2.65%
Apr 2007 - Mar 2020
+7.16% +11.43%
Jul 2013 - Jun 2026
0.00%
0 out of 343
+1.00%
Sep 2000 - Aug 2013
+4.89% +8.90%
Feb 1993 - Jan 2006
0.00%
0 out of 343
+3.23%
Apr 2006 - Mar 2020
+7.06% +11.14%
Jul 2012 - Jun 2026
0.00%
0 out of 331
+1.56%
Apr 2006 - Mar 2020
+4.86% +9.01%
Feb 1993 - Jan 2007
0.00%
0 out of 331
+3.09%
Oct 1987 - Sep 2002
+7.04% +11.09%
Nov 1992 - Oct 2007
0.00%
0 out of 319
+0.51%
Oct 1987 - Sep 2002
+5.00% +9.03%
Nov 1992 - Oct 2007
0.00%
0 out of 319
+3.53%
Apr 1987 - Mar 2003
+6.85% +10.44%
Jun 1992 - May 2008
0.00%
0 out of 307
+0.83%
Apr 1987 - Mar 2003
+4.86% +8.30%
Jun 1992 - May 2008
0.00%
0 out of 307
+3.91%
Sep 2000 - Aug 2017
+6.91% +11.74%
Mar 2009 - Feb 2026
0.00%
0 out of 295
+1.77%
Apr 1986 - Mar 2003
+4.87% +9.29%
Mar 2009 - Feb 2026
0.00%
0 out of 295
+4.25%
Sep 2000 - Aug 2018
+7.14% +9.33%
Feb 1993 - Jan 2011
0.00%
0 out of 283
+2.30%
Apr 1985 - Mar 2003
+5.04% +7.37%
Mar 1993 - Feb 2011
0.00%
0 out of 283
+4.20%
Sep 2000 - Aug 2019
+7.26% +9.28%
Apr 2003 - Mar 2022
0.00%
0 out of 271
+2.26%
Sep 2000 - Aug 2019
+5.11% +7.18%
Apr 2003 - Mar 2022
0.00%
0 out of 271
+3.86%
Apr 2000 - Mar 2020
+7.45% +8.76%
Nov 1987 - Oct 2007
0.00%
0 out of 259
+1.98%
Apr 2000 - Mar 2020
+5.28% +6.48%
Feb 1991 - Jan 2011
0.00%
0 out of 259
+5.32%
Aug 1987 - Jul 2012
+7.02% +8.80%
Jul 2001 - Jun 2026
0.00%
0 out of 199
+2.95%
Aug 1987 - Jul 2012
+4.90% +6.47%
Jul 2001 - Jun 2026
0.00%
0 out of 199
+5.74%
Aug 1987 - Jul 2017
+7.09% +8.81%
Jul 1996 - Jun 2026
0.00%
0 out of 139
+3.52%
Aug 1987 - Jul 2017
+5.00% +6.52%
Mar 1996 - Feb 2026
0.00%
0 out of 139
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