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Should Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth ETF (VONG) Be on Your Investing Radar?

Zacks Equity Research
·3 min read

Launched on 09/22/2010, the Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth ETF (VONG) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Large Cap Growth segment of the US equity market.

The fund is sponsored by Vanguard. It has amassed assets over $9.05 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Growth segment of the US equity market.

Why Large Cap Growth

Companies that fall in the large cap category tend to have a market capitalization above $10 billion. Overall, they are usually a stable option, with less risk and more sure-fire cash flows than mid and small cap companies.

While growth stocks do boast higher than average sales and earnings growth rates, and they are expected to grow faster than the wider market, investors should note these kinds of stocks have higher valuations. 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 0.08%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.94%.

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 43.30% of the portfolio. Consumer Discretionary and Healthcare round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Apple Inc. (AAPL) accounts for about 12.13% of total assets, followed by Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) and Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN).

Performance and Risk

VONG seeks to match the performance of the Russell 1000 Growth Index before fees and expenses. The Russell 1000 Growth Index measures the performance of large-capitalization growth stocks in the United States.

The ETF return is roughly 4.43% so far this year and is down about -21.56% in the last one year (as of 01/18/2023). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $53.17 and $73.32.

The ETF has a beta of 1.07 and standard deviation of 28.35% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 512 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

Vanguard Russell 1000 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, VONG 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 Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG) and the Invesco QQQ (QQQ) track a similar index. While Vanguard Growth ETF has $71.68 billion in assets, Invesco QQQ has $152.30 billion. VUG has an expense ratio of 0.04% 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 Russell 1000 Growth ETF (VONG): ETF Research Reports

Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Apple Inc. (AAPL) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Invesco QQQ (QQQ): ETF Research Reports

Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG): ETF Research Reports

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Zacks Investment Research

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