Launched on 01/26/2004, the Vanguard SmallCap Growth ETF (VBK) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Small Cap Growth segment of the US equity market.
The fund is sponsored by Vanguard. It has amassed assets over $12.19 billion, making it the largest ETFs attempting to match the Small Cap Growth segment of the US equity market.
Why Small Cap Growth
With more potential comes more risk, and small cap companies, with market capitalization below $2 billion, epitomizes this way of thinking.
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. They are likely to outperform value stocks in strong bull markets but over the longer-term, value stocks have delivered better returns than growth stocks in almost all markets.
Costs
Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts if all other fundamentals are the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.07%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.36%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
While ETFs offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, a deep look into a fund's holdings is a valuable exercise. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
Looking at individual holdings, Slcmt1142 accounts for about 2.16% of total assets, followed by Entegris Inc. (ENTG) and Bio-Techne Corp. (TECH).
The top 10 holdings account for about 8.34% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
VBK seeks to match the performance of the CRSP U.S. Small Cap Growth Index before fees and expenses. The CRSP U.S. Small Cap Growth Index measures the investment return of small-capitalization growth stocks.
The ETF has lost about -25.75% so far this year and is down about -29.21% in the last one year (as of 09/07/2022). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $188.16 and $305.79.
The ETF has a beta of 1.15 and standard deviation of 29.35% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 739 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Vanguard SmallCap 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, VBK is a reasonable option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Growth area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.