VAW — Vanguard Materials Index Fund ETF Shares

VAW Price Performance — Growth of $10,000

Value of a $10,000 investment in VAW over time, compared with SPY. Both lines are rebased to $10,000 on the first shared date. Based on total returns — prices are adjusted for dividends and splits, so this assumes distributions were reinvested. Hover or tap the chart for exact values.

VAW Drawdown

The "underwater" chart: VAW's decline from its highest prior value at each point in time. It shows how deep past losses ran and how long the fund took to recover to break-even.

Overview

The Vanguard Materials Index Fund ETF Shares (VAW) operates within the Materials category, which ETFValuer tracks alongside 15 other funds. Issued by Vanguard, this fund holds $4.49 billion in assets under management and trades at a price of $227.21. It currently holds an overall rank of #363 out of 458 tracked ETFs across all categories and has received an ETFValuer grade of C with a score of 52.4. The fund carries an expense ratio of 0.09% and offers a dividend yield of 1.39%. The substantial asset size suggests significant investor adoption relative to the category average, despite the mid-tier ranking. These metrics collectively define the fund's cost structure and income profile for potential investors.

Over the last day, the fund declined by 1.37%, while the one-week return showed a modest gain of 0.53%. The one-month period resulted in a slight decrease of 0.26%, followed by a three-month decline of 1.88%. A six-month view indicates a minor loss of 0.68%, contrasting with a year-to-date increase of 8.49%. The one-year return stands at 14.27%, and the three-year return totals 29.53%. This pattern reveals a divergence where short-term performance has been negative or flat, while longer-term horizons demonstrate positive growth.

VAW carries a moderate volatility label and a beta of 0.91, suggesting price movements that are generally in line with or slightly less volatile than the broader market. The fund's Sharpe ratio is 0.50, indicating a moderate risk-adjusted return profile over the measured period. A maximum drawdown of -23.21% highlights the potential for significant temporary losses during market downturns. This combination of a beta below 1.0 and a moderate drawdown suggests the fund may experience slightly dampened swings compared to higher-beta peers. However, the negative short-term returns alongside the moderate drawdown reflect periods of market stress that impact the overall risk profile.

AI-generated summary based on the data on this page.

VAW Top Holdings

Holdings as of 2026-05-31 per the fund's most recent SEC N-PORT-P filing. Top 10 holdings make up 55.4% of net assets — a rough gauge of concentration risk (the higher this figure, the more the fund's return depends on a handful of names). To see how VAW's holdings overlap with other ETFs you own or are considering, check the Stock Overlap tool.

Which Funds Overlap With VAW

Holding two funds that own the same companies adds cost and complexity without adding much diversification. These tracked ETFs share the most names with VAW's top 10 — FMAT overlaps most, holding 10 of the same companies as VAW's top 10 (55.4% of VAW's assets).

Compares the top 10 reported holdings of each fund, so it's a floor on true overlap — two S&P 500 trackers overlap ~100% even when only 10 names are listed. Use the Stock Overlap tool to search by individual company.

Market Backdrop

10-Year Treasury Yield: 4.61% (as of 2026-07-28) — The yield on 10-year US Treasury bonds — the standard "risk-free rate" benchmark used to contextualize this fund’s Sharpe ratio and returns.

CBOE Volatility Index (VIX): 18.21 (as of 2026-07-28) — A real-time gauge of expected S&P 500 volatility over the next 30 days — useful context for this fund’s own volatility label.

Federal Funds Rate: 3.63% (as of 2026-06-01) — The Federal Reserve’s target policy rate, which anchors short-term borrowing costs across the economy.

VAW Liquidity, Domicile & Tax Treatment

Liquidity: Quoted bid/ask spread is 1.63% and average daily volume is 55K/day. Tighter spreads and higher volume mean lower round-trip trading costs; this is a live-market snapshot and can widen during volatile sessions. AUM of $4.49B provides ample scale, supporting tight spreads and issuer commitment to keep the fund open.

Domicile & tax treatment: VAW is a US-domiciled, SEC-registered ('40 Act) exchange-traded fund. Dividends and capital gains distributions are reported to US investors on Form 1099-DIV, and the fund is not subject to the PFIC reporting or UCITS-specific rules that apply to Irish- or Luxembourg-domiciled funds. Non-US investors should note that US-domiciled ETFs are generally subject to 30% US withholding tax on dividends (unless reduced by treaty) and to US estate tax exposure on the position — Irish-domiciled UCITS ETFs tracking the same index often avoid both, which is why non-US residents frequently prefer the UCITS equivalent where one exists. This is general information, not tax advice — consult a tax professional for your situation.

VAW Performance History

How VAW Compares to Other Materials ETFs