About VFSNX
Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Small-Cap Index Fund Institutional Shares is a passively managed mutual fund designed to track the performance of the FTSE Global Small Cap ex US Index. This index comprises small-cap companies across more than 40 developed and emerging markets, specifically excluding the United States. Through a broadly diversified portfolio, the fund provides institutional investors with exposure to thousands of international small-cap stocks, reducing single-stock risk by limiting the concentration in any one holding—less than 4% of assets rest in its top ten positions. The fund’s strategy emphasizes market-cap weighting, allowing stocks that grow in size to occupy a larger share of the portfolio while minimizing portfolio turnover. By investing in both developed regions like Europe, the Pacific, and Canada and notable emerging markets, the fund offers comprehensive access to global small-cap equity market performance, with an increased allocation to emerging markets compared to similar funds. This global diversification helps capture local market growth and sector trends, notably in industries such as industrials, information technology, materials, and energy.
Fund Family Vanguard
Category Foreign Small/Mid Blend
Performance Rating Average
Risk Rating Average
Stock Exchange NASDAQ
Ticker Symbol VFSNX
Share Class Institutional Shares
Index FTSE Global Small Cap ex-US Net Tax NR USD
VFSNX had a total return of 37.73% in the past year, including dividends. Since the fund's
inception, the average annual return has been 48.23%.
