Share Price Chart
Loading graphics...
Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs
Search for stocks, ETFs, and funds for a quick comparison or use the comparison tool for more options.
Performance
Performance Chart
The chart shows the growth of an initial investment of $10,000 in Vanguard Explorer Fund Investor Shares, comparing it to the performance of the S&P 500 index or another benchmark. All prices have been adjusted for splits and dividends.
Loading graphics...
Returns By Period
Vanguard Explorer Fund Investor Shares (VEXPX) has returned -3.76% so far this year and 13.16% over the past 12 months. Over the last ten years, VEXPX has had an annualized return of 11.62%, just under the S&P 500 Index benchmark’s 12.16%.
Vanguard Explorer Fund Investor Shares
- 1D
- -1.32%
- 1M
- -8.34%
- YTD
- -3.76%
- 6M
- -2.02%
- 1Y
- 13.16%
- 3Y*
- 10.59%
- 5Y*
- 3.84%
- 10Y*
- 11.62%
Benchmark (S&P 500 Index)
- 1D
- 2.91%
- 1M
- -5.09%
- YTD
- -4.63%
- 6M
- -2.39%
- 1Y
- 16.33%
- 3Y*
- 16.69%
- 5Y*
- 10.18%
- 10Y*
- 12.16%
Monthly Returns
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Jan 2, 1980, VEXPX's average daily return is +0.04%, while the average monthly return is +0.93%. At this rate, your investment would double in approximately 6.2 years.
Historically, 61% of months were positive and 39% were negative. The best month was Feb 2000 with a return of +20.1%, while the worst month was Oct 1987 at -28.1%. The longest winning streak lasted 11 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 8 months.
On a daily basis, VEXPX closed higher 54% of trading days. The best single day was Mar 24, 2020 with a return of +10.6%, while the worst single day was Oct 19, 1987 at -20.2%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3.69% | 1.26% | -8.34% | -3.76% | |||||||||
| 2025 | 4.45% | -6.28% | -6.97% | -1.88% | 5.57% | 4.62% | 0.93% | 4.08% | 1.45% | 1.12% | 1.60% | -0.89% | 7.08% |
| 2024 | -1.95% | 6.33% | 2.86% | -6.11% | 4.04% | -1.32% | 4.63% | 1.42% | 0.98% | -1.72% | 9.13% | -1.31% | 17.25% |
| 2023 | 10.33% | -1.63% | -1.41% | -1.56% | -1.58% | 8.14% | 3.22% | -3.62% | -5.23% | -6.25% | 9.52% | 10.38% | 19.78% |
| 2022 | -10.25% | -0.03% | 0.87% | -9.35% | -2.58% | -7.70% | 10.75% | -3.30% | -9.09% | 8.39% | 3.97% | -5.27% | -23.32% |
| 2021 | 1.66% | 5.12% | -0.25% | 4.82% | -1.71% | 2.92% | 0.78% | 2.11% | -3.69% | 5.06% | -3.31% | 1.90% | 15.96% |
Benchmark Metrics
Vanguard Explorer Fund Investor Shares has an annualized alpha of 1.66%, beta of 0.90, and R² of 0.69 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since January 03, 1980.
- This fund captured 108.28% of S&P 500 Index gains and 106.57% of its losses — amplifying both gains and losses, but participating more in upside than downside.
- With beta of 0.90 and R² of 0.69, this fund moves broadly in line with S&P 500 Index — much of its variation is explained by market exposure rather than independent behavior.
- Alpha
- 1.66%
- Beta
- 0.90
- R²
- 0.69
- Upside Capture
- 108.28%
- Downside Capture
- 106.57%
Expense Ratio
VEXPX has an expense ratio of 0.40%, placing it in the medium range.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
VEXPX ranks 23 for risk / return — below 23% of mutual funds on our site. The returns aren't fully compensating for the risk involved. This isn't necessarily a dealbreaker, but factor it into your decision — especially if you're risk-averse.
Return / Risk — by metrics
The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Explorer Fund Investor Shares (VEXPX) and compare them to a chosen benchmark (S&P 500 Index).
| VEXPX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 0.58 | 0.90 | -0.31 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 0.97 | 1.39 | -0.42 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.13 | 1.21 | -0.08 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.73 | 1.40 | -0.67 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 3.09 | 6.61 | -3.52 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
Explore VEXPX risk-adjusted metrics in detail
Dive deeper into individual metrics with historical trends, benchmark comparisons, and performance across different time periods.
Dividends
Dividend History
Vanguard Explorer Fund Investor Shares provided a 7.67% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $8.48 per share.
| Period | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend | $8.48 | $8.48 | $14.47 | $0.88 | $4.75 | $20.48 | $8.55 | $5.19 | $9.16 | $10.89 | $3.89 | $8.61 |
Dividend yield | 7.67% | 7.38% | 12.59% | 0.79% | 5.09% | 16.00% | 6.64% | 4.97% | 10.95% | 11.46% | 4.49% | 10.71% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for Vanguard Explorer Fund Investor Shares. The dividends shown in the table have been adjusted to account for any splits that may have occurred.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | |||||||||
| 2025 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $8.48 | $8.48 |
| 2024 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $14.47 | $14.47 |
| 2023 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.88 | $0.88 |
| 2022 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $4.75 | $4.75 |
| 2021 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $20.48 | $20.48 |
Drawdowns
Drawdowns Chart
The Drawdowns chart displays portfolio losses from any high point along the way. Drawdowns are calculated considering price movements and all distributions paid, if any.
Loading graphics...
Worst Drawdowns
The table below displays the maximum drawdowns of the Vanguard Explorer Fund Investor Shares. A maximum drawdown is a measure of risk, indicating the largest reduction in portfolio value due to a series of losing trades.
The maximum drawdown for the Vanguard Explorer Fund Investor Shares was 57.40%, occurring on Mar 9, 2009. Recovery took 485 trading sessions.
The current Vanguard Explorer Fund Investor Shares drawdown is 10.18%.
Depth | Start | To Bottom | Bottom | To Recover | End | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -57.4% | Jul 16, 2007 | 416 | Mar 9, 2009 | 485 | Feb 8, 2011 | 901 |
| -47.37% | Jun 27, 1983 | 1099 | Oct 28, 1987 | 1054 | Dec 30, 1991 | 2153 |
| -43.82% | Mar 13, 2000 | 647 | Oct 9, 2002 | 320 | Jan 16, 2004 | 967 |
| -39.87% | Feb 21, 2020 | 19 | Mar 18, 2020 | 95 | Aug 3, 2020 | 114 |
| -39.1% | Jun 8, 1981 | 195 | Mar 15, 1982 | 209 | Jan 10, 1983 | 404 |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
Loading graphics...