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Should Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG) Be on Your Investing Radar?
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Launched on 01/26/2004, the Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG - Free Report) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Large Cap Growth segment of the US equity market.
The fund is sponsored by Vanguard. It has amassed assets over $85.39 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Growth segment of the US equity market.
Why Large Cap Growth
Large cap companies usually have a market capitalization above $10 billion. Overall, they are usually a stable option, with less risk and more sure-fire cash flows than mid and small cap companies.
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. Additionally, growth stocks have a greater level of risk 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
Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts if all other fundamentals are the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.04%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.62%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure that minimizes single stock risk, investors should also look at the actual holdings inside the fund. 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 43.90% of the portfolio. Consumer Discretionary and Telecom round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Apple Inc. (AAPL - Free Report) accounts for about 13.05% of total assets, followed by Microsoft Corp. (MSFT - Free Report) and Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN - Free Report) .
Performance and Risk
VUG seeks to match the performance of the CRSP U.S. Large Cap Growth Index before fees and expenses. The CRSP US Large Cap Growth Index represents the growth companies of the CRSP US Large Cap Index.
The ETF has added roughly 22.57% so far this year and it's up approximately 13.84% in the last one year (as of 05/26/2023). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $208.44 and $266.28.
The ETF has a beta of 1.11 and standard deviation of 24.40% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 252 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Vanguard Growth ETF carries a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Thus, VUG is a sufficient option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Growth area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.
The iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (IWF - Free Report) and the Invesco QQQ (QQQ - Free Report) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF has $65.41 billion in assets, Invesco QQQ has $181.21 billion. IWF has an expense ratio of 0.18% and QQQ charges 0.20%.
Bottom-Line
An increasingly popular option among retail and institutional investors, passively managed ETFs offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; they 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.
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Should Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG) Be on Your Investing Radar?
Launched on 01/26/2004, the Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG - Free Report) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Large Cap Growth segment of the US equity market.
The fund is sponsored by Vanguard. It has amassed assets over $85.39 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Growth segment of the US equity market.
Why Large Cap Growth
Large cap companies usually have a market capitalization above $10 billion. Overall, they are usually a stable option, with less risk and more sure-fire cash flows than mid and small cap companies.
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. Additionally, growth stocks have a greater level of risk 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
Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts if all other fundamentals are the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.04%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.62%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure that minimizes single stock risk, investors should also look at the actual holdings inside the fund. 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 43.90% of the portfolio. Consumer Discretionary and Telecom round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Apple Inc. (AAPL - Free Report) accounts for about 13.05% of total assets, followed by Microsoft Corp. (MSFT - Free Report) and Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN - Free Report) .
Performance and Risk
VUG seeks to match the performance of the CRSP U.S. Large Cap Growth Index before fees and expenses. The CRSP US Large Cap Growth Index represents the growth companies of the CRSP US Large Cap Index.
The ETF has added roughly 22.57% so far this year and it's up approximately 13.84% in the last one year (as of 05/26/2023). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $208.44 and $266.28.
The ETF has a beta of 1.11 and standard deviation of 24.40% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 252 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Vanguard Growth ETF carries a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Thus, VUG is a sufficient option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Growth area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.
The iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (IWF - Free Report) and the Invesco QQQ (QQQ - Free Report) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF has $65.41 billion in assets, Invesco QQQ has $181.21 billion. IWF has an expense ratio of 0.18% and QQQ charges 0.20%.
Bottom-Line
An increasingly popular option among retail and institutional investors, passively managed ETFs offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; they 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.