Should You Invest in the Vanguard Materials ETF (VAW)?

Core Insights - The Vanguard Materials ETF (VAW) provides broad exposure to the Materials - Broad segment of the equity market and is passively managed, launched on January 26, 2004 [1] - The ETF has amassed over $2.64 billion in assets, making it one of the largest in its category, and aims to match the performance of the MSCI US Investable Market Materials 25/50 Index [3] - VAW has an annual operating expense of 0.09% and a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.73%, positioning it as a cost-effective investment option [4] Sector Exposure and Holdings - VAW is fully allocated to the Materials sector, with Linde Plc (LIN) making up approximately 16.93% of total assets, followed by Sherwin-Williams Co (SHW) and Ecolab Inc (ECL) [5] - The top 10 holdings constitute about 51.43% of total assets under management [6] Performance Metrics - As of August 4, 2025, VAW has returned roughly 3.74% year-to-date but is down about 2.7% over the past year, with a trading range between $163.82 and $215.21 in the last 52 weeks [7] - The ETF has a beta of 1.04 and a standard deviation of 19.18% over the trailing three-year period, indicating medium risk [7] Alternatives - VAW holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), suggesting it is a viable option for investors seeking exposure to the Materials sector [8] - Other alternatives include the FlexShares Morningstar Global Upstream Natural Resources ETF (GUNR) and the Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLB), with GUNR having $4.74 billion in assets and XLB at $5.21 billion [9]