VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) Performance
RTH total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +7.4% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +8.5% total return
- 5 years
- +8.7% a year
- 10 years
- +14.5% a year
- Since first price
- +10.4% a year since 2001
RTH trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | RTH total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +5.5% | +5.5% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +5.9% | +5.9% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | −0.4% | −0.4% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +7.4% | +7.4% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +8.5% | +7.5% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +67.2%+18.7%/yr | +62.6% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +51.6%+8.7%/yr | +44.6% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| 10 years | +286.7%+14.5%/yr | +247.5% | +315.9%+15.3%/yr | +538.9%+20.4%/yr | +14.0%+1.3%/yr |
| 15 years | +795.8%+15.7%/yr | +616.8% | +696.0%+14.8%/yr | +1,299.3%+19.2%/yr | +32.2%+1.9%/yr |
| 20 years | +989.3%+12.7%/yr | +700.1% | +696.9%+10.9%/yr | +1,839.9%+16.0%/yr | +79.6%+3.0%/yr |
| Since inceptionMay 2, 2001 | +1,147.5%+10.4%/yr | +726.0% | — | — | — |
Total return from adjusted closes (distributions reinvested, before tax). Periods of 3 years or more are also shown annualized. Price only excludes distributions.
Growth of $10,000: RTH vs SPY
From May 2, 2001: RTH grew to $124,750, SPY to $94,621.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
RTH returns by calendar year
19 of 24 full years positive. Best 2013 (+40.2%), worst 2002 (−27.3%). 2026 is year to date.
RTH annual returns table
| Year | RTH | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +7.4% | −8.7% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +12.4% | −13.8% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +20.0% | −7.6% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +20.1% | −11.9% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −17.7% | −23.9% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +24.9% | −8.9% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +31.6% | −24.9% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +29.1% | −8.2% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | +3.9% | −21.2% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | +22.4% | −7.1% | +21.7% | +32.7% | +3.6% |
| 2016 | −0.7% | −11.5% | +12.0% | +7.1% | +2.4% |
| 2015 | +11.0% | −9.7% | +1.2% | +9.4% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | +18.2% | −8.7% | +13.5% | +19.2% | +6.0% |
| 2013 | +40.2% | −5.8% | +32.3% | +36.6% | −2.0% |
| 2012 | +26.6% | −6.1% | +16.0% | +18.1% | +3.8% |
| 2011 | +7.2% | −16.6% | +1.9% | +3.4% | +7.7% |
| 2010 | +15.5% | −19.9% | +15.1% | +19.9% | +6.4% |
| 2009 | +27.2% | −21.8% | +26.4% | +54.7% | +3.0% |
| 2008 | −18.0% | −38.1% | −36.8% | −41.7% | +7.9% |
| 2007 | −4.8% | −15.1% | +5.1% | +19.0% | +6.6% |
| 2006 | +7.2% | −10.2% | +15.8% | +7.1% | +3.9% |
| 2005 | +1.9% | −12.0% | +4.8% | +1.6% | +2.3% |
| 2004 | +10.2% | −12.2% | +10.7% | +10.5% | +3.8% |
| 2003 | +30.3% | −11.3% | +28.2% | +49.7% | — |
| 2002 | −27.3% | −33.6% | −21.6% | −37.4% | — |
Largest drop = deepest fall from a high within that calendar year.
Calendar-year return vs largest drop within the year
Most years include a sizable fall at some point even when the year ends higher.
RTH largest drawdowns
Now 2.4% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 13, 2007 | −41.8% | Mar 9, 2009 | Apr 8, 2010 | 1.7 years | 2.7 years |
| Mar 20, 2002 | −36.8% | Mar 11, 2003 | Nov 11, 2004 | 12 months | 2.6 years |
| May 22, 2001 | −28.4% | Sep 21, 2001 | Feb 26, 2002 | 4 months | 9 months |
| Nov 18, 2021 | −25.0% | May 20, 2022 | Feb 1, 2024 | 6 months | 2.2 years |
| Feb 20, 2020 | −24.9% | Mar 16, 2020 | May 27, 2020 | 25 days | 3 months |
| Sep 12, 2018 | −21.2% | Dec 24, 2018 | Jul 3, 2019 | 3 months | 10 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
RTH risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | Since 2001 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +15.3% | +8.5% | +13.6% | +10.2% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 13.4% | 15.7% | 16.0% | 15.9% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.81 | 0.37 | 0.74 | — |
| Sortino ratio | 1.45 | 0.58 | 1.27 | — |
| Best month | +8.6% | +11.2% | +14.8% | +14.8% |
| Worst month | −6.1% | −7.3% | −8.3% | −13.8% |
| Best 12 months | +31.4% | +31.4% | +57.8% | +57.8% |
| Worst 12 months | +0.8% | −17.7% | −17.7% | −32.2% |
| Positive months | 67% | 60% | 63% | 61% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.77 | 0.85 | 0.89 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.71 | 0.84 | 0.85 | — |
From monthly total returns. Sharpe and Sortino use 1–3 month T-bills (BIL) as the risk-free rate, so they need history from 2007 on.
RTH rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 294 | −32.2% | +12.1% | +57.8% | 81% |
| 3-year (a year) | 270 | −10.3% | +12.4% | +28.5% | 90% |
| 5-year (a year) | 246 | −4.6% | +13.2% | +25.8% | 96% |
| 10-year (a year) | 186 | +3.1% | +13.7% | +20.3% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2001. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
RTH performance overview
VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) returned +8.5% over the past year and +14.5% a year over ten years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2001 it has returned +10.4% a year, turning $10,000 into about $124,750. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −41.8%, from Jul 13, 2007 to Mar 9, 2009, and it took 1.1 years to get back to the old high. RTH finished 19 of its 24 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2013 (+40.2%) and the worst 2002 (−27.3%). Volatility has been 15.9% a year.
Related: RTH chart, RTH holdings, RTH dividends, RTH valuation. See the RTH overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
RTH performance FAQ
What is the RTH return over the past year?
RTH returned +8.5% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 7.5%.
What is the average annual return of RTH?
RTH has returned +8.7% a year over 5 years, +14.5% a year over 10 years, +10.4% a year since May 2, 2001 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in RTH be worth?
$10,000 invested in RTH at its first recorded close on May 2, 2001 would be worth about $124,750 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for RTH?
The worst calendar year was 2002, with a total return of −27.3%. The best was 2013 at +40.2%.
What is the biggest drawdown of RTH?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −41.8% between July 13, 2007 and March 9, 2009. It recovered to the old high on April 8, 2010, 1.1 years after the bottom.
How volatile is RTH?
Over the past 3 years RTH had an annualized volatility of 13.4% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.81 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).