- ISIN
- US9220386091
- CUSIP
- 922038609
- Issuer
- Vanguard
- Inception Date
- Apr 24, 2006
- Region
- North America (U.S.)
- Category
- Small Cap Blend Equities
- Min. Investment
- $3,000
- Distribution Policy
- Distributing
- Asset Class
- Equity
- Asset Class Size
- Small-Cap
- Asset Class Style
- Blend
- Assets Under Management
- $3B
Share Price Chart
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Performance
VSTCX Performance Chart
Vanguard Strategic Small-Cap Equity Fund (VSTCX) is up 20.8% since the beginning of the year. VSTCX is currently trading at $51 per share. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of VSTCX shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,855.
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Returns By Period
Vanguard Strategic Small-Cap Equity Fund (VSTCX) has returned 20.84% so far this year and 45.39% over the past 12 months. Over the last ten years, VSTCX has returned 13.03% per year, falling short of the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 13.88% annually.
Vanguard Strategic Small-Cap Equity Fund
- 1D
- 1.49%
- 1M
- 4.62%
- YTD
- 20.84%
- 6M
- 18.00%
- 1Y
- 45.39%
- 3Y*
- 21.98%
- 5Y*
- 13.15%
- 10Y*
- 13.03%
Benchmark (S&P 500 Index)
- 1D
- -0.37%
- 1M
- -0.01%
- YTD
- 9.16%
- 6M
- 8.64%
- 1Y
- 25.22%
- 3Y*
- 19.78%
- 5Y*
- 11.99%
- 10Y*
- 13.88%
VSTCX Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Apr 20, 2006, VSTCX's average daily return is +0.05%, while the average monthly return is +0.93%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 6.2 years.
Historically, 63% of months were positive and 37% were negative. The best month was Oct 2011 with a return of +17.1%, while the worst month was Mar 2020 at -25.1%. The longest winning streak lasted 10 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 5 months.
On a daily basis, VSTCX closed higher 53% of trading days. The best single day was Mar 24, 2020 with a return of +10.9%, while the worst single day was Mar 16, 2020 at -14.6%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3.85% | 2.14% | -3.74% | 11.77% | 2.87% | 2.94% | 20.84% | ||||||
| 2025 | 2.91% | -4.97% | -7.29% | -2.54% | 7.01% | 5.16% | 0.94% | 7.54% | 2.84% | 0.77% | 2.17% | 0.79% | 15.20% |
| 2024 | -2.16% | 5.11% | 4.57% | -6.44% | 4.94% | -1.75% | 10.23% | -1.22% | 1.11% | -1.26% | 11.04% | -7.84% | 15.40% |
| 2023 | 10.09% | -1.01% | -5.19% | -1.93% | -1.84% | 9.19% | 5.39% | -4.09% | -4.46% | -6.51% | 9.22% | 13.32% | 21.34% |
| 2022 | -6.35% | 1.83% | 0.46% | -7.11% | 0.40% | -9.95% | 10.28% | -2.22% | -10.15% | 13.04% | 4.33% | -5.36% | -13.00% |
| 2021 | 5.23% | 7.69% | 4.57% | 3.56% | 2.35% | 1.10% | -2.16% | 2.76% | -2.70% | 4.31% | -2.05% | 5.22% | 33.53% |
Benchmark Metrics
Vanguard Strategic Small-Cap Equity Fund has an annualized alpha of 0.02%, beta of 1.14, and R2 of 0.82 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since April 20, 2006.
- This fund captured 115.77% of S&P 500 Index gains and 112.81% of its losses - amplifying both gains and losses, but participating more in upside than downside.
- With beta of 1.14 and R2 of 0.82, 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
- 0.02%
- Beta
- 1.14
- R²
- 0.82
- Upside Capture
- 115.77%
- Downside Capture
- 112.81%
Expense Ratio
VSTCX has an expense ratio of 0.26%, which is considered low.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
VSTCX ranks 85 for risk / return — in the top 85% of mutual funds on our site. This means strong returns relative to risk — exactly what professional investors look for. Well-suited for investors who want to maximize return per unit of risk.
Return / Risk — by metrics
The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Strategic Small-Cap Equity Fund (VSTCX) and compare them to S&P 500 Index.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| VSTCX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.51 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.76 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.43 | 1.37 | +0.06 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 5.62 | 2.78 | +2.83 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 19.82 | 12.44 | +7.38 |
Dividends
Dividend History
Vanguard Strategic Small-Cap Equity Fund provided a 6.25% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $3.20 per share.
| Period | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend | $3.20 | $3.20 | $3.82 | $0.93 | $2.35 | $7.78 | $0.44 | $1.37 | $3.30 | $2.05 | $0.47 | $0.68 |
Dividend yield | 6.25% | 7.55% | 9.66% | 2.50% | 7.44% | 19.92% | 1.24% | 4.14% | 11.74% | 5.76% | 1.35% | 2.33% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for Vanguard Strategic Small-Cap Equity Fund. 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 | $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 | $3.20 | $3.20 |
| 2024 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $3.82 | $3.82 |
| 2023 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.93 | $0.93 |
| 2022 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $2.35 | $2.35 |
| 2021 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $7.78 | $7.78 |
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.
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Worst Drawdowns
The table below displays the maximum drawdowns of the Vanguard Strategic Small-Cap Equity Fund. 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 Strategic Small-Cap Equity Fund was 62.50%, occurring on Mar 9, 2009. Recovery took 884 trading sessions.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Financial crisis2007–2009 | -62.50%Mar 2009 | 1y 9mo | 3y 6mo | 5y 3moJun 2007 - Sep 2012 |
COVID crash2020 | -48.08%Mar 2020 | 1y 6mo | 9mo 2d | 2y 3moSep 2018 - Dec 2020 |
2025 selloff2025 | -27.47%Apr 2025 | 4mo 13d | 4mo 29d | 9mo 12dNov 2024 - Sep 2025 |
Bear market2022 | -24.90%Sep 2022 | 10mo 22d | 1y 2mo | 2y 1moNov 2021 - Dec 2023 |
2016 bear market2016 | -21.98%Feb 2016 | 7mo 22d | 9mo 4d | 1y 4moJun 2015 - Nov 2016 |
Drawdown Indicators
| VSTCX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -62.50% | -56.78% | -5.72% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -8.08% | -9.10% | +1.02% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -27.47% | -18.90% | -8.57% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -27.47% | -25.43% | -2.04% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -48.08% | -33.92% | -14.16% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | 0.00% | -1.80% | +1.80% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -10.63% | -10.71% | +0.08% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 2.29% | 2.03% | +0.26% |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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