Should You Invest in the Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC)?

Core Insights - The Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC) is designed to provide broad exposure to the Consumer Staples - Broad segment of the equity market and was launched on January 26, 2004 [1] - VDC is a passively managed ETF favored by both institutional and retail investors due to its low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency [1] Fund Overview - The fund is sponsored by Vanguard and has over $7.57 billion in assets, making it one of the largest ETFs in the Consumer Staples - Broad segment [3] - VDC aims to match the performance of the MSCI US Investable Market Consumer Staples 25/50 Index [3] Cost Structure - The annual operating expenses for VDC are 0.09%, positioning it as one of the cheaper options in the ETF space [4] - The ETF has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.26% [4] Sector Exposure and Holdings - VDC has a heavy allocation in the Consumer Staples sector, with approximately 99.9% of its portfolio dedicated to this sector [5] - Costco Wholesale Corp (COST) constitutes about 13.04% of total assets, with Walmart Inc (WMT) and Procter & Gamble Co (PG) also among the top holdings [6] - The top 10 holdings represent about 44.87% of total assets under management [6] Performance Metrics - Year-to-date, VDC has gained approximately 4.27%, and it is up about 6.09% over the last 12 months as of August 5, 2025 [7] - The ETF has traded between $204.89 and $226.16 in the past 52 weeks [7] - VDC has a beta of 0.57 and a standard deviation of 12.41% for the trailing three-year period, indicating a medium risk profile [7] Alternatives - VDC carries a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), suggesting it is a sufficient option for investors seeking exposure to the Consumer Staples sector [8] - Other ETF options include iShares U.S. Consumer Staples ETF (IYK) and Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP), with respective assets of $1.38 billion and $16.01 billion [9] - IYK has an expense ratio of 0.4%, while XLP charges 0.08% [9]