The Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth ETF (VONG Quick QuoteVONG - Free Report) was launched on September 20, 2010, and is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Large Cap Growth segment of the US equity market.

The fund is sponsored by Vanguard. It has amassed assets over $35.80 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. Considered a more stable option, large cap companies boast more predictable cash flows and are less volatile than their mid and small cap counterparts.

While growth stocks do boast higher than average sales and earnings growth rates, and they are expected to grow faster than the wider market, investors should note these kinds of stocks have higher valuations. Also, growth stocks are a type of equity that carries more risk compared to others. Even though growth stocks are more likely to outperform their value counterparts in strong bull markets, value stocks have a record of delivering better returns in almost all markets than growth stocks.

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 0.45%.

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 51.7% of the portfolio. Consumer Discretionary and Telecom round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Nvidia Corp (NVDA) accounts for about 12.22% of total assets, followed by Apple Inc (AAPL) and Microsoft Corp (MSFT).

Performance and Risk

VONG seeks to match the performance of the Russell 1000 Growth Index before fees and expenses. The Russell 1000 Growth Index measures the performance of large-capitalization growth stocks in the United States.

The ETF has gained about 19.9% so far this year and is up about 17.15% in the last one year (as of 12/24/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $82.51 and $126.51.

The ETF has a beta of 1.15 and standard deviation of 18.93% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 394 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, VONG is an excellent option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Growth segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.

The Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG) and the Invesco QQQ (QQQ) track a similar index. While Vanguard Growth ETF has $204.32 billion in assets, Invesco QQQ has $410.70 billion. VUG has an expense ratio of 0.04% and QQQ charges 0.2%.

Bottom-Line

While an excellent vehicle for long term investors, passively managed ETFs are a popular choice among institutional and retail investors due to their low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency.

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.