Designed to provide broad exposure to the Large Cap Growth segment of the US equity market, the Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG) is a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 01/26/2004.
The fund is sponsored by Vanguard. It has amassed assets over $162.58 billion, making it 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.
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. 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 0.04%, making it the least expensive products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.48%.
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 Information Technology sector--about 49.10% of the portfolio. Consumer Discretionary and Telecom round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Apple Inc (AAPL) accounts for about 11.60% of total assets, followed by Microsoft Corp (MSFT) and Nvidia Corp (NVDA).
The top 10 holdings account for about 56.57% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
VUG seeks to match the performance of the CRSP U.S. Large Cap Growth Index before fees and expenses. The CRSP US Large Cap Growth Index represents the growth companies of the CRSP US Large Cap Index.
The ETF has lost about -0.63% so far this year and was up about 15.67% in the last one year (as of 05/22/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $329.49 and $428.11.
The ETF has a beta of 1.18 and standard deviation of 23% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 167 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Vanguard 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, VUG is a good option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Growth area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.
The iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (IWF) and the Invesco QQQ (QQQ) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF has $104.97 billion in assets, Invesco QQQ has $327.22 billion. IWF has an expense ratio of 0.19% and QQQ charges 0.20%.
Bottom-Line
Retail and institutional investors increasingly turn to passively managed ETFs because they offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; these kind of funds 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.
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG): ETF Research Reports Apple Inc. (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report Microsoft Corporation (MSFT): Free Stock Analysis Report NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA): Free Stock Analysis Report Invesco QQQ (QQQ): ETF Research Reports iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (IWF): ETF Research ReportsThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
Zacks Investment Research
