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Should Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF (VO) Be on Your Investing Radar?
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Looking for broad exposure to the Mid Cap Blend segment of the US equity market? You should consider the Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF (VO - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 01/26/2004.
The fund is sponsored by Vanguard. It has amassed assets over $80.90 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs attempting to match the Mid Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
Why Mid Cap Blend
Mid cap companies have market capitalization between $2 billion and $10 billion. They usually have higher growth prospects than large cap companies and are less volatile than small cap companies. Thus, companies that fall under this category provide a stable and growth-heavy investment.
Blend ETFs are aptly named, since they tend to hold a mix of growth and value stocks, as well as show characteristics of both kinds of equities.
Costs
Investors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain 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 1.51%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
ETFs offer a diversified exposure and thus minimize single stock risk but it is still important to delve into a fund's holdings before investing. Most ETFs are very transparent products and many disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Industrials sector--about 17.80% of the portfolio. Financials and Information Technology round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Amphenol Corp (APH - Free Report) accounts for about 1.16% of total assets, followed by Arthur J Gallagher & Co (AJG - Free Report) and Transdigm Group Inc (TDG - Free Report) .
The top 10 holdings account for about 4.88% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
VO seeks to match the performance of the CRSP US Mid Cap Index before fees and expenses. The CRSP US Mid Cap Index targets inclusion of the U.S. companies that fall between the top 70%-85% of investable market capitalization.
The ETF return is roughly 3.96% so far this year and is up about 14.66% in the last one year (as of 06/10/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $228.54 and $284.63.
The ETF has a beta of 1.02 and standard deviation of 17.98% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 313 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Vanguard Mid-Cap 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, VO is a great option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Mid Cap Blend segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.
The iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF (IWR - Free Report) and the iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF (IJH - Free Report) track a similar index. While iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF has $41.20 billion in assets, iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF has $93.79 billion. IWR has an expense ratio of 0.19% and IJH charges 0.05%.
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 Mid-Cap ETF (VO) Be on Your Investing Radar?
Looking for broad exposure to the Mid Cap Blend segment of the US equity market? You should consider the Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF (VO - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 01/26/2004.
The fund is sponsored by Vanguard. It has amassed assets over $80.90 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs attempting to match the Mid Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
Why Mid Cap Blend
Mid cap companies have market capitalization between $2 billion and $10 billion. They usually have higher growth prospects than large cap companies and are less volatile than small cap companies. Thus, companies that fall under this category provide a stable and growth-heavy investment.
Blend ETFs are aptly named, since they tend to hold a mix of growth and value stocks, as well as show characteristics of both kinds of equities.
Costs
Investors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain 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 1.51%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
ETFs offer a diversified exposure and thus minimize single stock risk but it is still important to delve into a fund's holdings before investing. Most ETFs are very transparent products and many disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Industrials sector--about 17.80% of the portfolio. Financials and Information Technology round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Amphenol Corp (APH - Free Report) accounts for about 1.16% of total assets, followed by Arthur J Gallagher & Co (AJG - Free Report) and Transdigm Group Inc (TDG - Free Report) .
The top 10 holdings account for about 4.88% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
VO seeks to match the performance of the CRSP US Mid Cap Index before fees and expenses. The CRSP US Mid Cap Index targets inclusion of the U.S. companies that fall between the top 70%-85% of investable market capitalization.
The ETF return is roughly 3.96% so far this year and is up about 14.66% in the last one year (as of 06/10/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $228.54 and $284.63.
The ETF has a beta of 1.02 and standard deviation of 17.98% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 313 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Vanguard Mid-Cap 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, VO is a great option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Mid Cap Blend segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.
The iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF (IWR - Free Report) and the iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF (IJH - Free Report) track a similar index. While iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF has $41.20 billion in assets, iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF has $93.79 billion. IWR has an expense ratio of 0.19% and IJH charges 0.05%.
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.