Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Should Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth ETF (VOT) Be on Your Investing Radar?

Read MoreHide Full Article

If you're interested in broad exposure to the Mid Cap Growth segment of the US equity market, look no further than the Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth ETF (VOT - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 08/17/2006.

The fund is sponsored by Vanguard. It has amassed assets over $10.23 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs attempting to match the Mid Cap Growth segment of the US equity market.

Why Mid Cap Growth

With market capitalization between $2 billion and $10 billion, mid cap companies usually contain higher growth prospects than large cap companies, and are considered less risky than their small cap counterparts. Thus, companies that fall under this category provide a stable and growth-heavy investment.

Qualities of growth stocks include faster growth rates compared to the broader market, as well as higher valuations and higher than average sales and earnings growth rates. Further, growth stocks have a higher level of volatility associated with them. They are likely to outperform value stocks in strong bull markets but over the longer-term, value stocks have delivered better returns than growth stocks in almost all markets.

Costs

Since cheaper funds tend to produce better results than more expensive funds, assuming all other factors remain equal, it is important for investors to pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.07%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.74%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure which minimizes single stock risk, it is still important to look into a fund's holdings before investing. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Information Technology sector--about 27.20% of the portfolio. Industrials and Healthcare round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Motorola Solutions Inc. (MSI - Free Report) accounts for about 1.64% of total assets, followed by Dexcom Inc. (DXCM - Free Report) and Amphenol Corp. (APH - Free Report) .

The top 10 holdings account for about 14.26% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

VOT seeks to match the performance of the CRSP U.S. Mid Cap Growth Index before fees and expenses. The CRSP U.S. Mid Cap Growth Index measures the investment return of mid-capitalization growth stocks.

The ETF has added about 7.18% so far this year and it's up approximately 13.49% in the last one year (as of 09/27/2023). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $165.84 and $213.93.

The ETF has a beta of 1.11 and standard deviation of 23.36% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 160 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, VOT is a great option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Mid Cap Growth segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.

The iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth ETF (IJK - Free Report) and the iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF (IWP - Free Report) track a similar index. While iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth ETF has $7.32 billion in assets, iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF has $12.24 billion. IJK has an expense ratio of 0.17% and IWP charges 0.23%.

Bottom-Line

Retail and institutional investors increasingly turn to passively managed ETFs because they offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; these kind of funds are also excellent vehicles for long term investors.

To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.

Published in