Launched on December 17, 2007, the Vanguard Mega Cap ETF (MGC) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
The fund is sponsored by Vanguard. It has amassed assets over $7.99 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
Why Large Cap Blend
Companies that find themselves in the large cap category typically 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.
Blend ETFs usually hold a mix of growth and value stocks as well as stocks that exhibit both value and growth characteristics.
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 0.07%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.01%.
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 37.9% of the portfolio. Financials and Telecom round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Nvidia Corp (NVDA) accounts for about 9.18% of total assets, followed by Microsoft Corp (MSFT) and Apple Inc (AAPL).
The top 10 holdings account for about 43.06% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
MGC seeks to match the performance of the CRSP US Mega Cap Index before fees and expenses. The CRSP U.S. Mega Cap Index includes the largest U.S. companies, with a target of including the top 70% of investable market capitalization. The index includes securities traded on NYSE, NYSE Market, NASDAQ or ARCA.
The ETF return is roughly 12.29% so far this year and is up about 22.17% in the last one year (as of 09/10/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $179.23 and $237.64.
The ETF has a beta of 1.01 and standard deviation of 16.84% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 187 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Vanguard Mega 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, MGC is an outstanding option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Blend segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.
The iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) and the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) track a similar index. While iShares Core S&P 500 ETF has $666.80 billion in assets, Vanguard S&P 500 ETF has $740.20 billion. IVV has an expense ratio of 0.03% and VOO charges 0.03%.
Bottom-Line
Passively managed ETFs are becoming increasingly popular with institutional as well as retail investors due to their low cost, transparency, flexibility and tax efficiency. They are 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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Vanguard Mega Cap ETF (MGC): ETF Research ReportsThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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