Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund Admiral Shares (VSMAX)

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The chart shows the growth of an initial investment of $10,000 in Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund Admiral Shares, comparing it to the performance of the S&P 500 index or another benchmark. All prices have been adjusted for splits and dividends.

Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund Admiral Shares (VSMAX) has returned -1.21% so far this year and 16.07% over the past 12 months. Over the last ten years, VSMAX has returned 10.15% per year, falling short of the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 12.16% annually.

Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Nov 13, 2000, VSMAX's average daily return is +0.04%, while the average monthly return is +0.83%. At this rate, your investment would double in approximately 7.0 years.

Historically, 62% of months were positive and 38% were negative. The best month was Apr 2009 with a return of +18.3%, while the worst month was Mar 2020 at -21.9%. The longest winning streak lasted 10 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 5 months.

On a daily basis, VSMAX closed higher 53% of trading days. The best single day was Mar 24, 2020 with a return of +10.0%, while the worst single day was Dec 20, 2000 at -17.5%.

Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund Admiral Shares has an annualized alpha of 2.08%, beta of 1.09, and R² of 0.83 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since November 14, 2000.

• This fund captured 123.00% of S&P 500 Index gains and 110.49% of its losses — amplifying both gains and losses, but participating more in upside than downside.
• This fund generated an annualized alpha of 2.08% versus S&P 500 Index — delivering returns beyond what market exposure alone would predict.
• With beta of 1.09 and R² of 0.83, this fund moves broadly in line with S&P 500 Index — much of its variation is explained by market exposure rather than independent behavior.

VSMAX has an expense ratio of 0.05%, which is considered low.

VSMAX ranks 33 for risk / return — below 33% 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.

The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund Admiral Shares (VSMAX) and compare them to a chosen benchmark (S&P 500 Index).

Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund Admiral Shares provided a 1.38% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $1.67 per share.

The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund Admiral Shares. The dividends shown in the table have been adjusted to account for any splits that may have occurred.

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.

The table below displays the maximum drawdowns of the Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund Admiral 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 Small-Cap Index Fund Admiral Shares was 59.68%, occurring on Mar 9, 2009. Recovery took 452 trading sessions.

The current Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund Admiral Shares drawdown is 8.97%.

The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.