Vanguard’s VXF Captured 194% Over 10 Years While Holding Stocks the S&P 500 Ignores

Core Insights - The S&P 500 does not represent the entire U.S. equity market, as it only includes around 500 of the largest companies, leaving out thousands of mid-, small-, and micro-cap stocks [2] - The Vanguard Extended Market Index Fund ETF Shares (VXF) is designed to complement the S&P 500 by tracking the S&P Completion Index, which includes all U.S. stocks not in the S&P 500 [3] Fund Overview - VXF has been operational since December 27, 2001, with assets totaling $85.1 billion and an annual expense ratio of 0.05% [4] - The fund maintains a low portfolio turnover rate of 12%, enhancing its tax efficiency for taxable accounts [4] Performance and Sector Exposure - VXF's returns are driven by the growth of underlying businesses, with a sector allocation skewed towards Information Technology (18%), Industrials (17%), Financials (15%), and Healthcare (11%) [6] - The fund has underperformed compared to the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO), returning 25% over five years versus VOO's 78%, particularly during periods when large-cap technology stocks dominate market performance [7] - VXF's focus on small and mid-cap stocks results in higher volatility during risk-off periods, making it more effective when paired with VOO for total market exposure [7]