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Should Vanguard S&P Small-Cap 600 Growth Index Fund ETF Shares (VIOG) Be on Your Investing Radar?
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The Vanguard S&P Small-Cap 600 Growth Index Fund ETF Shares (VIOG - Free Report) was launched on September 9, 2010, and is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Small Cap Growth segment of the US equity market.
The fund is sponsored by Vanguard. It has amassed assets over $1.02 billion, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Small Cap Growth segment of the US equity market.
Why Small Cap Growth
There's a lot of potential to investing in small cap companies, but with market capitalization below $2 billion, that high potential comes with even higher risk.
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. When you consider growth versus value, growth stocks are usually the clear winner in strong bull markets but tend to fall flat in nearly all other environments.
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 0.1%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.81%.
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 Industrials sector -- about 21.4% of the portfolio. Information Technology and Healthcare round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Formfactor Inc (FORM) accounts for about 1.25% of total assets, followed by Viavi Solutions Inc (VIAV) and Primoris Services Corp (PRIM).
The top 10 holdings account for about 8.5% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
VIOG seeks to match the performance of the S&P Small-Cap 600 Growth Index before fees and expenses. The S&P Small-Cap 600 Growth Index represents the growth companies of the S&P Small-Cap 600 Index.
The ETF return is roughly 18.98% so far this year and was up about 31.25% in the last one year (as of 06/18/2026). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $110.83 and $146.47.
The ETF has a beta of 1.06 and standard deviation of 19.68% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 345 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Vanguard S&P Small-Cap 600 Growth Index Fund ETF Shares carries a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Thus, VIOG is a sufficient option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Growth area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.
The iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF (IWO) and the Vanguard Small-Cap Growth Index Fund ETF Shares (VBK) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF has $14.69 billion in assets, Vanguard Small-Cap Growth Index Fund ETF Shares has $23.54 billion. IWO has an expense ratio of 0.24% and VBK 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 S&P Small-Cap 600 Growth Index Fund ETF Shares (VIOG) Be on Your Investing Radar?
The Vanguard S&P Small-Cap 600 Growth Index Fund ETF Shares (VIOG - Free Report) was launched on September 9, 2010, and is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Small Cap Growth segment of the US equity market.
The fund is sponsored by Vanguard. It has amassed assets over $1.02 billion, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Small Cap Growth segment of the US equity market.
Why Small Cap Growth
There's a lot of potential to investing in small cap companies, but with market capitalization below $2 billion, that high potential comes with even higher risk.
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. When you consider growth versus value, growth stocks are usually the clear winner in strong bull markets but tend to fall flat in nearly all other environments.
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 0.1%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.81%.
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 Industrials sector -- about 21.4% of the portfolio. Information Technology and Healthcare round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Formfactor Inc (FORM) accounts for about 1.25% of total assets, followed by Viavi Solutions Inc (VIAV) and Primoris Services Corp (PRIM).
The top 10 holdings account for about 8.5% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
VIOG seeks to match the performance of the S&P Small-Cap 600 Growth Index before fees and expenses. The S&P Small-Cap 600 Growth Index represents the growth companies of the S&P Small-Cap 600 Index.
The ETF return is roughly 18.98% so far this year and was up about 31.25% in the last one year (as of 06/18/2026). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $110.83 and $146.47.
The ETF has a beta of 1.06 and standard deviation of 19.68% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 345 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Vanguard S&P Small-Cap 600 Growth Index Fund ETF Shares carries a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Thus, VIOG is a sufficient option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Growth area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.
The iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF (IWO) and the Vanguard Small-Cap Growth Index Fund ETF Shares (VBK) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF has $14.69 billion in assets, Vanguard Small-Cap Growth Index Fund ETF Shares has $23.54 billion. IWO has an expense ratio of 0.24% and VBK 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.