VMGRX vs. BARIX

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth Fund (VMGRX) and Baron Asset Fund Institutional Class (BARIX).

VMGRX is managed by Vanguard. It was launched on Dec 31, 1997. BARIX is managed by Baron Capital Group. It was launched on May 29, 2009.

Performance

VMGRX vs. BARIX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth Fund (VMGRX) and Baron Asset Fund Institutional Class (BARIX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

VMGRX vs. BARIX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
VMGRX Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth Fund	-15.94%	8.80%	17.73%	24.15%	-30.13%	9.21%	33.40%	32.06%	-3.52%	21.60%
BARIX Baron Asset Fund Institutional Class	-9.30%	8.17%	10.64%	17.36%	-25.87%	14.17%	33.32%	37.98%	0.13%	26.55%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VMGRX achieves a -15.94% return, which is significantly lower than BARIX's -9.30% return. Over the past 10 years, VMGRX has underperformed BARIX with an annualized return of 8.01%, while BARIX has yielded a comparatively higher 10.43% annualized return.

VMGRX

• 1D: -0.95%
• 1M: -11.63%
• YTD: -15.94%
• 6M: -15.80%
• 1Y: 1.40%
• 3Y*: 6.85%
• 5Y*: 0.27%
• 10Y*: 8.01%

BARIX

• 1D: 0.01%
• 1M: -7.56%
• YTD: -9.30%
• 6M: -2.18%
• 1Y: 1.03%
• 3Y*: 6.54%
• 5Y*: 1.73%
• 10Y*: 10.43%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

VMGRX vs. BARIX - Expense Ratio Comparison

VMGRX has a 0.33% expense ratio, which is lower than BARIX's 1.03% expense ratio.

BARIX

Baron Asset Fund Institutional Class

VMGRX

Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth Fund

Return for Risk

VMGRX vs. BARIX — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

VMGRX

VMGRX Risk / Return Rank: 6
VMGRX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 6
VMGRX Sortino Ratio Rank: 7
VMGRX Omega Ratio Rank: 7
VMGRX Calmar Ratio Rank: 6
VMGRX Martin Ratio Rank: 5

BARIX

BARIX Risk / Return Rank: 8
BARIX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 8
BARIX Sortino Ratio Rank: 9
BARIX Omega Ratio Rank: 8
BARIX Calmar Ratio Rank: 8
BARIX Martin Ratio Rank: 7

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

VMGRX vs. BARIX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth Fund (VMGRX) and Baron Asset Fund Institutional Class (BARIX). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	VMGRX	BARIX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.04	0.14	-0.09
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.23	0.36	-0.13
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.03	1.05	-0.02
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.06	0.09	-0.15
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-0.21	0.23	-0.44
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VMGRX vs. BARIX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VMGRX Sharpe Ratio is 0.04, which is lower than the BARIX Sharpe Ratio of 0.14. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VMGRX and BARIX, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	VMGRX	BARIX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.04	0.14	-0.09
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.01	0.09	-0.08
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.36	0.53	-0.17
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.33	0.64	-0.31

Correlation

The correlation between VMGRX and BARIX is 0.93, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

VMGRX vs. BARIX - Dividend Comparison

VMGRX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 21.11%, more than BARIX's 11.67% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
VMGRX Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth Fund	21.11%	17.74%	1.80%	0.39%	0.26%	34.53%	6.30%	10.43%	14.53%	3.13%	0.67%	8.20%
BARIX Baron Asset Fund Institutional Class	11.67%	10.59%	17.88%	3.28%	0.01%	7.26%	2.92%	1.70%	7.14%	7.01%	4.74%	11.23%

Drawdowns

VMGRX vs. BARIX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VMGRX drawdown since its inception was -71.74%, which is greater than BARIX's maximum drawdown of -37.44%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VMGRX and BARIX.

Drawdown Indicators

	VMGRX	BARIX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-71.74%	-37.44%	-34.30%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-19.09%	-11.12%	-7.97%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-39.71%	-37.44%	-2.27%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-39.71%	-37.44%	-2.27%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-19.09%	-10.67%	-8.42%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-24.60%	-6.74%	-17.86%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	5.51%	4.37%	+1.14%

Volatility

VMGRX vs. BARIX - Volatility Comparison

Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth Fund (VMGRX) has a higher volatility of 6.95% compared to Baron Asset Fund Institutional Class (BARIX) at 3.35%. This indicates that VMGRX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than BARIX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VMGRX	BARIX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.95%	3.35%	+3.60%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	14.66%	11.71%	+2.95%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	24.32%	18.99%	+5.33%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	23.18%	19.65%	+3.53%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	22.20%	19.83%	+2.37%