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24 important things you should know about Vanguard VGTSX mutual fund
Updated: December 29, 2020
86
Bull Case
- High net assets
- 3-year return above the benchmark
- 5-year return above the benchmark
- 10-year return above the benchmark
- Low expense ratio
- No sales load or distribution fees
Bear Case
- 15-year return below the benchmark
Before we start: if you’re looking for VGTSX “stock” price, you can quickly find it out by visiting Finny and typing "VGTSX quote". If you’re looking for a quick scoop on VGTSX "stock" (price chart, key stats, buy or sell analysis and holdings), go to Finny and look for "VGTSX". You’ll get all this info in one place.
Are you looking to buy or sell VGTSX? Or perhaps you’re looking for VGTSX fact sheet, and learn about its alternatives? If so, you came to the right place.
In this VGTSX mutual fund review, we’ll address key questions our readers have been asking us about this fund, above and beyond what you can find in its prospectus, and on Morningstar or Yahoo Finance.
Here is what you’ll be able to find in this review:
- Fact Sheet: VGTSX performance, returns, expense ratio, holdings and dividend yield;
- Analysis: VGTSX buy or sell; the pros and cons of investing in VGTSX mutual fund;
- Alternatives: other ETFs and mutual funds you should consider as alternatives to VGTSX.
And here is the list of questions we’ll answer:
- Describe Vanguard STAR Funds: Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund; Investor Shares (VGTSX).
- What are VGTSX holdings?
- What is VGTSX performance? What are VGTSX historical returns?
- How many up and down years did VGTSX have historically?
- What is VGTSX dividend yield?
- What is VGTSX minimum initial investment amount?
- What is VGTSX expense ratio?
- Does VGTSX have any sales loads or 12b-1 distribution expenses?
- What is VGTSX tax efficiency (tax-cost ratio)?
- What is VGTSX beta? How would you assess VGTSX risk?
- What is VGTSX Sharpe ratio?
- What is VGTSX Finny Score? VGTSX buy or sell?
- What are the pros of investing in VGTSX? What are VGTSX buy reasons?
- What are the cons of investing in VGTSX? What are VGTSX sell reasons?
- Compare and contrast: VGTSX vs VTIAX.
- Compare and contrast: VGTSX vs VXUS.
- Compare and contrast: VGTSX vs VTSAX.
- Compare and contrast: VGTSX vs FTIHX.
- Compare and contrast: VGTSX vs SWISX.
- Compare and contrast: VGTSX vs VWIGX.
- Compare and contrast: VGTSX vs VTMGX.
- Compare and contrast: VGTSX vs VTI.
- Compare and contrast: VGTSX vs VEA.
So let’s start. Scroll down to the question that interests you the most.
Fact Sheet
1. Describe Vanguard STAR Funds: Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund; Investor Shares (VGTSX).
The Fund seeks to track the performance of a benchmark index that measures the investment return of stocks issued by companies located in developed and emerging markets, excluding the United States. The Fund employs an indexing investment approach designed to track the performance of the FTSE Global All Cap ex US Index.
2. What are VGTSX top holdings?
VGTSX has 5,922 stock holdings and 5 bond holdings.
The top 10 holdings represent 11.07% of total assets. Here are the top holdings:
| Name | Symbol | % Assets |
|---|---|---|
| Alibaba Group Holding Ltd ADR | BABA | 2.09% |
| Tencent Holdings Ltd | 00700 | 1.56% |
| Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd | 2330.TW | 1.46% |
| Nestle SA | NESN | 1.34% |
| Roche Holding AG Dividend Right Cert. | ROG | 0.97% |
| Samsung Electronics Co Ltd | 005930.KS | 0.93% |
| Novartis AG | NOVN | 0.75% |
| SAP SE | SAP.DE | 0.71% |
| Toyota Motor Corp | 7203 | 0.66% |
| ASML Holding NV | ASML | 0.60% |
3. What is VGTSX performance? What are VGTSX historical returns?
VGTSX has generated the following returns:
- 1-month return is 2.62%;
- 3-month return is 15.69%;
- 1-year return is 15.69%;
- 3-year return is 4.52%;
- 5-year return is 8.64%;
- 10-year return is 5.08%;
- 15-year return is 4.71%.
4. How many up and down years did VGTSX have historically?
In the last 10 years, VGTSX had 6 up years and 4 down years.
5. What is VGTSX dividend yield?
VGTSX yield is 2.22%.
6. What is VGTSX minimum initial investment amount?
VGTSX minimum initial investment amount is $3.00K.
7. What is VGTSX expense ratio?
VGTSX expense ratio is 0.17%. The expense ratio of a fund is the total percentage of fund assets used for administrative, management, and all other expenses.
8. Does VGTSX have any sales loads or 12b-1 distribution expenses?
VGTSX 12b-1 distribution fee is 0. VGTSX front-end sales load is 0. VGTSX back-end sales load is 0.
9. What is VGTSX tax efficiency (tax-cost ratio)?
- 1-year ax cost ratio is 0.7%;
- 3-year ax cost ratio is 0.77%.
10. What is VGTSX beta? How would you assess VGTSX risk?
- 3-year beta is 1.01;
- 5-year beta is 1.00;
- 10-year beta is 1.00;
- 15-year beta is 1.01.
11. What is VGTSX Sharpe ratio?
- 3-year Sharpe ratio is -0.02;
- 5-year Sharpe ratio is 0.30;
- 10-year Sharpe ratio is 0.27;
- 15-year Sharpe ratio is 0.29.
Analysis
12. What is Finny Score? buy or sell?
Finny Score is 86. Our quantitative analysis shows 6 reasons to buy and 1 reason to sell it, resulting in the Finny Score of 86.
13. What are the pros of investing in VGTSX? What are VGTSX buy reasons?
The following are VGTSX strengths from our perspective:
- VGTSX net assets are $173.71 billion. This fund is a popular choice with retail and institutional investors.
- VGTSX 3-year return is 4.52%, which is in line with the 3-year return of the benchmark index (FTSE Global All Cap ex US (USA) NR USD), 4.64%.
- VGTSX 5-year return is 8.64%, which is in line with the 5-year return of the benchmark index (FTSE Global All Cap ex US (USA) NR USD), 8.73%.
- VGTSX 10-year return is 5.08%, which is in line with the 10-year return of the benchmark index (FTSE Global All Cap ex US (USA) NR USD), 5.21%.
- VGTSX expense ratio is 0.17%, which is considered low. Nice job picking a low-cost fund.
- Good news: this fund does not have 12b1, front-end or back-end sales fees.
14. What are the cons of investing in VGTSX? What are VGTSX negatives?
The following are VGTSX weaknesses from our perspective:
- VGTSX 15-year return is 4.71%, which is lower than the 15-year return of the benchmark index (FTSE Global All Cap ex US (USA) NR USD), 5.28%.
Alternatives
15. Compare and contrast: VGTSX vs VTIAX.
Both VGTSX and VTIAX are mutual funds. VGTSX has a lower 5-year return than VTIAX (8.64% vs 8.72%). VGTSX has a higher expense ratio than VTIAX (0.17% vs 0.11%). Below is the comparison between VGTSX and VTIAX.
| VGTSX | VTIAX | |
|---|---|---|
| Segment | International Equity: Foreign Large Blend | International Equity: Foreign Large Blend |
| Net Assets | $173.71B | $70.78B |
| Expense Ratio | 0.17% | 0.11% |
| Management Style | passive (index-based) | passive (index-based) |
| Underlying Index | N/A | N/A |
| YTD Return | 9.85% | 9.94% |
| 1-Year Return | 15.69% | 15.74% |
| 3-Year Return | 4.52% | 4.58% |
| 5-Year Return | 8.64% | 8.72% |
| 10-Year Return | 5.08% | 5.14% |
| Dividend Yield | 2.22% | 2.27% |
VTIAX profile: The Fund seeks to track the performance of a benchmark index that measures the investment return of stocks issued by companies located in developed and emerging markets, excluding the United States. The Fund employs an indexing investment approach designed to track the performance of the FTSE Global All Cap ex US Index.
For further information, check out VGTSX vs VTIAX comparison details.
16. Compare and contrast: VGTSX vs VXUS.
VGTSX is a mutual fund, whereas VXUS is an ETF. VGTSX has a higher 5-year return than VXUS (8.64% vs 8.47%). VGTSX has a higher expense ratio than VXUS (0.17% vs 0.08%). Below is the comparison between VGTSX and VXUS.
| VGTSX | VXUS | |
|---|---|---|
| Segment | International Equity: Foreign Large Blend | Equity: Global Ex-U.S. - Total Market |
| Net Assets | $173.71B | $34.62B |
| Expense Ratio | 0.17% | 0.08% |
| Management Style | passive (index-based) | passive (index-based) |
| Underlying Index | N/A | FTSE Global All Cap ex US Net US RIC |
| YTD Return | 9.85% | 9.22% |
| 1-Year Return | 15.69% | 9.81% |
| 3-Year Return | 4.52% | 4.61% |
| 5-Year Return | 8.64% | 8.47% |
| 10-Year Return | 5.08% | 5.09% |
| Dividend Yield | 2.22% | 2.3% |
VXUS profile: The Fund seeks to track the performance of a benchmark index that measures the investment return of stocks issued by companies located in developed and emerging markets, excluding the United States. The Fund employs an indexing investment approach designed to track the performance of the FTSE Global All Cap ex US Index.
For further information, check out VGTSX vs VXUS comparison details.
17. Compare and contrast: VGTSX vs VTSAX.
Both VGTSX and VTSAX are mutual funds. VGTSX has a lower 5-year return than VTSAX (8.64% vs 15.2%). VGTSX has a higher expense ratio than VTSAX (0.17% vs 0.04%). Below is the comparison between VGTSX and VTSAX.
| VGTSX | VTSAX | |
|---|---|---|
| Segment | International Equity: Foreign Large Blend | U.S. Equity: Large Blend |
| Net Assets | $173.71B | $264.58B |
| Expense Ratio | 0.17% | 0.04% |
| Management Style | passive (index-based) | passive (index-based) |
| Underlying Index | N/A | N/A |
| YTD Return | 9.85% | 20.55% |
| 1-Year Return | 15.69% | 14.64% |
| 3-Year Return | 4.52% | 14.15% |
| 5-Year Return | 8.64% | 15.2% |
| 10-Year Return | 5.08% | 13.73% |
| Dividend Yield | 2.22% | 1.53% |
VTSAX profile: The Fund seeks to track the performance of a benchmark index that measures the investment return of the overall stock market. The Fund employs an indexing investment approach to track the performance of the CRSP US Total Market Index. The Fund invests by holding a collection of securities that approximates the Index.
For further information, check out VGTSX vs VTSAX comparison details.
18. Compare and contrast: VGTSX vs FTIHX.
Both VGTSX and FTIHX are mutual funds. VGTSX has a higher expense ratio than FTIHX (0.17% vs 0.06%). Below is the comparison between VGTSX and FTIHX.
| VGTSX | FTIHX | |
|---|---|---|
| Segment | International Equity: Foreign Large Blend | |
| Net Assets | $173.71B | $5.34B |
| Expense Ratio | 0.17% | 0.06% |
| Management Style | passive (index-based) | N/A |
| Underlying Index | N/A | N/A |
| YTD Return | 9.85% | 9.77% |
| 1-Year Return | 15.69% | 15.63% |
| 3-Year Return | 4.52% | 4.6% |
| 5-Year Return | 8.64% | N/A |
| 10-Year Return | 5.08% | N/A |
| Dividend Yield | 2.22% | 2.48% |
FTIHX profile: The Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond to the total return of foreign developed and emerging stock markets. It normally investing at least 80% of assets in securities included in the MSCI ACWI ex USA Investable Market Index and in depository receipts representing securities included in the index.
For further information, check out VGTSX vs FTIHX comparison details.
19. Compare and contrast: VGTSX vs SWISX.
Both VGTSX and SWISX are mutual funds. VGTSX has a higher 5-year return than SWISX (8.64% vs 7.42%). VGTSX has a higher expense ratio than SWISX (0.17% vs 0.06%). Below is the comparison between VGTSX and SWISX.
| VGTSX | SWISX | |
|---|---|---|
| Segment | International Equity: Foreign Large Blend | International Equity: Foreign Large Blend |
| Net Assets | $173.71B | $6.86B |
| Expense Ratio | 0.17% | 0.06% |
| Management Style | passive (index-based) | passive (index-based) |
| Underlying Index | N/A | N/A |
| YTD Return | 9.85% | 7.6% |
| 1-Year Return | 15.69% | 14.69% |
| 3-Year Return | 4.52% | 4.34% |
| 5-Year Return | 8.64% | 7.42% |
| 10-Year Return | 5.08% | 5.62% |
| Dividend Yield | 2.22% | 3% |
SWISX profile: The Fund seeks to track the total return of the Schwab International Index. The Schwab International Index includes common stocks of the 350 largest publicly traded companies from selected countries outside the United States.
For further information, check out VGTSX vs SWISX comparison details.
20. Compare and contrast: VGTSX vs VWIGX.
Both VGTSX and VWIGX are mutual funds. VGTSX has a lower 5-year return than VWIGX (8.64% vs 20.98%). VGTSX has a lower expense ratio than VWIGX (0.17% vs 0.44%). Below is the comparison between VGTSX and VWIGX.
| VGTSX | VWIGX | |
|---|---|---|
| Segment | International Equity: Foreign Large Blend | International Equity: Foreign Large Growth |
| Net Assets | $173.71B | $9.78B |
| Expense Ratio | 0.17% | 0.44% |
| Management Style | passive (index-based) | active |
| Underlying Index | N/A | N/A |
| YTD Return | 9.85% | 56.13% |
| 1-Year Return | 15.69% | 20.72% |
| 3-Year Return | 4.52% | 21.39% |
| 5-Year Return | 8.64% | 20.98% |
| 10-Year Return | 5.08% | 12.14% |
| Dividend Yield | 2.22% | 0.8% |
VWIGX profile: The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation by investing in equity securities of companies based outside the United States. In selecting stocks, the Fund's advisor evaluates foreign markets around the world and chooses companies with above-average growth potential.
For further information, check out VGTSX vs VWIGX comparison details.
21. Compare and contrast: VGTSX vs VTMGX.
Both VGTSX and VTMGX are mutual funds. VGTSX has a higher 5-year return than VTMGX (8.64% vs 8.06%). VGTSX has a higher expense ratio than VTMGX (0.17% vs 0.07%). Below is the comparison between VGTSX and VTMGX.
| VGTSX | VTMGX | |
|---|---|---|
| Segment | International Equity: Foreign Large Blend | International Equity: Foreign Large Blend |
| Net Assets | $173.71B | $20.21B |
| Expense Ratio | 0.17% | 0.07% |
| Management Style | passive (index-based) | passive (index-based) |
| Underlying Index | N/A | N/A |
| YTD Return | 9.85% | 9.46% |
| 1-Year Return | 15.69% | 15.64% |
| 3-Year Return | 4.52% | 4.53% |
| 5-Year Return | 8.64% | 8.06% |
| 10-Year Return | 5.08% | 5.93% |
| Dividend Yield | 2.22% | 2.18% |
VTMGX profile: The Fund seeks to track the performance of a benchmark index that measures the investment return of stocks issued by companies located in the major markets of Europe and the Pacific Region. The Fund employs an indexing investment approach designed to track the performance of FTSE Developed All Cap ex US Index.
For further information, check out VGTSX vs VTMGX comparison details.
22. Compare and contrast: VGTSX vs VTI.
VGTSX is a mutual fund, whereas VTI is an ETF. VGTSX has a lower 5-year return than VTI (8.64% vs 15.02%). VGTSX has a higher expense ratio than VTI (0.17% vs 0.03%). Below is the comparison between VGTSX and VTI.
| VGTSX | VTI | |
|---|---|---|
| Segment | International Equity: Foreign Large Blend | Equity: U.S. - Total Market |
| Net Assets | $173.71B | $188.90B |
| Expense Ratio | 0.17% | 0.03% |
| Management Style | passive (index-based) | passive (index-based) |
| Underlying Index | N/A | CRSP US Total Market Index |
| YTD Return | 9.85% | 19.89% |
| 1-Year Return | 15.69% | 20.03% |
| 3-Year Return | 4.52% | 14.01% |
| 5-Year Return | 8.64% | 15.02% |
| 10-Year Return | 5.08% | 13.68% |
| Dividend Yield | 2.22% | 1.54% |
VTI profile: The Fund seeks to track the performance of a benchmark index that measures the investment return of the overall stock market. The Fund employs an indexing investment approach to track the performance of the CRSP US Total Market Index. The Fund invests by holding a collection of securities that approximates the Index.
For further information, check out VGTSX vs VTI comparison details.
23. Compare and contrast: VGTSX vs VEA.
VGTSX is a mutual fund, whereas VEA is an ETF. VGTSX has a higher 5-year return than VEA (8.64% vs 7.84%). VGTSX has a higher expense ratio than VEA (0.17% vs 0.05%). Below is the comparison between VGTSX and VEA.
| VGTSX | VEA | |
|---|---|---|
| Segment | International Equity: Foreign Large Blend | Equity: Developed Markets Ex-U.S. - Total Market |
| Net Assets | $173.71B | $83.26B |
| Expense Ratio | 0.17% | 0.05% |
| Management Style | passive (index-based) | passive (index-based) |
| Underlying Index | N/A | FTSE Developed All Cap ex US Index Net TR US RIC |
| YTD Return | 9.85% | 8.72% |
| 1-Year Return | 15.69% | 9.31% |
| 3-Year Return | 4.52% | 4.57% |
| 5-Year Return | 8.64% | 7.84% |
| 10-Year Return | 5.08% | 5.85% |
| Dividend Yield | 2.22% | 2.19% |
For further information, check out VGTSX vs VEA comparison details.
