Launched on September 9, 2010, the Vanguard S&P Small-Cap 600 Growth ETF (VIOG) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Small Cap Growth segment of the US equity market.
The fund is sponsored by Vanguard. It has amassed assets over $891.18 million, 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
Small cap companies have market capitalization below $2 billion. They usually have higher potential than large and mid cap companies with stocks but higher risk.
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. Something to keep in mind is the higher level of volatility that is affiliated with growth stocks. Compared to value stocks, growth stocks are a safer bet in a strong bull market, but don't perform as strongly in almost all other financial 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 0.96%.
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 21.5% of the portfolio. Information Technology and Healthcare round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Ttm Technologies Inc (TTMI) accounts for about 1.21% of total assets, followed by Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals Inc (ARWR) and Sanmina Corp (SANM).
The top 10 holdings account for about 7.75% 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 has added about 8.37% so far this year and was up about 10.92% in the last one year (as of 02/12/2026). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $93.75 and $131.89.
The ETF has a beta of 1.06 and standard deviation of 19.84% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 340 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Vanguard S&P Small-Cap 600 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, 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 ETF (VBK) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF has $13.38 billion in assets, Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF has $21.12 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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Vanguard S&P Small-Cap 600 Growth ETF (VIOG): ETF Research ReportsThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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