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 $27.86 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Growth segment of the US equity market.
Large cap companies typically have a market capitalization above $10 billion. Considered a more stable option, large cap companies boast more predictable cash flows and are less volatile than their mid and small cap counterparts.
Qualities of growth stocks include faster growth rates compared to the broader market, as well as higher valuations and higher than average sales and earnings growth rates. Something to keep in mind is the higher level of volatility that is affiliated with growth stocks. When you consider growth versus value, growth stocks are usually the clear winner in strong bull markets but tend to fall flat in nearly all other environments.
Investors should also pay attention to an ETF’s expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain 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 0.53%.
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.
This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Information Technology sector–about 48.80% of the portfolio. Consumer Discretionary and Telecom round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Apple Inc (AAPL) accounts for about 11.29% of total assets, followed by Microsoft Corp (MSFT) and Nvidia Corp (NVDA).
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 1.21% so far this year and it’s up approximately 12.60% in the last one year (as of 06/16/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $82.51 and $107.82.
The ETF has a beta of 1.14 and standard deviation of 21.42% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 394 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
