VSIAX vs. VEMPX

Last updated Aug 4, 2026

VSIAX (Vanguard Small-Cap Value Index Fund Admiral Shares) and VEMPX (Vanguard Extended Market Index Fund Institutional Plus Shares) are both mutual funds - VSIAX is a Small Cap Value Equities fund tracking the CRSP US Small Cap Value Index, while VEMPX is a Mid Cap Blend Equities fund tracking the Spliced Extended Market Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, VSIAX returned 10.74%/yr vs 11.75%/yr for VEMPX. Their correlation of 0.93 means they have usually moved in the same direction. VSIAX charges 0.07%/yr vs 0.04%/yr for VEMPX.

Performance

VSIAX vs. VEMPX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Vanguard Small-Cap Value Index Fund Admiral Shares (VSIAX) and Vanguard Extended Market Index Fund Institutional Plus Shares (VEMPX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VSIAX achieves a 16.66% return, which is significantly higher than VEMPX's 13.52% return. Over the past 10 years, VSIAX has underperformed VEMPX with an annualized return of 10.74%, while VEMPX has yielded a comparatively higher 11.75% annualized return.

VSIAX

• 1D: -0.19%
• 1M: 0.56%
• 6M: 9.84%
• YTD: 16.66%
• 1Y: 27.64%
• 3Y*: 14.39%
• 5Y*: 9.74%
• 10Y*: 10.74%
• ALL TIME*: 12.38%

VEMPX

• 1D: -0.41%
• 1M: -3.02%
• 6M: 10.17%
• YTD: 13.52%
• 1Y: 23.28%
• 3Y*: 16.00%
• 5Y*: 6.12%
• 10Y*: 11.75%
• ALL TIME*: 11.34%

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

Liquidity Comparison

Position	Avg. Volume Value (2W)	Avg. Volume Value (1M)	Avg. Volume Value (3M)
VEMPX Vanguard Extended Market Index Fund Institutional Plus Shares	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
VSIAX Vanguard Small-Cap Value Index Fund Admiral Shares	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00

VSIAX vs. VEMPX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
VSIAX Vanguard Small-Cap Value Index Fund Admiral Shares	16.66%	9.09%	11.34%	17.06%	-9.31%	28.10%	5.80%	22.76%	-12.24%	11.80%
VEMPX Vanguard Extended Market Index Fund Institutional Plus Shares	13.52%	11.43%	15.50%	26.98%	-26.45%	12.48%	32.24%	28.06%	-9.35%	18.13%

Correlation

The correlation between VSIAX and VEMPX is 0.84, meaning they have usually moved in the same direction, including during past declines.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.	0.84
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history.	0.91
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period.	0.91
Correlation (10Y) Provides a long-term view across more market conditions.	0.90
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 27, 2011	0.93

The correlation between VSIAX and VEMPX has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.84 to 0.93 - a consistent structural relationship.

VSIAX vs. VEMPX - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	VSIAX	VEMPX
Financial Services	17.5%	13.7%
Industrials	17.3%	19.6%
Consumer Cyclical	13.6%	8.5%
Real Estate	11.1%	5.6%
Technology	10.9%	19.2%
Healthcare	8.4%	13.6%
Basic Materials	5.3%	4.7%
Utilities	4.9%	1.8%
Energy	4.3%	4.3%
Consumer Defensive	4.2%	2.6%
Communication Services	2.4%	2.8%

Return for Risk

VSIAX vs. VEMPX — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.

VSIAX

VSIAX Risk / Return Rank: 76
VSIAX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 72
VSIAX Sortino Ratio Rank: 74
VSIAX Omega Ratio Rank: 66
VSIAX Calmar Ratio Rank: 84
VSIAX Martin Ratio Rank: 83

VEMPX

VEMPX Risk / Return Rank: 39
VEMPX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 34
VEMPX Sortino Ratio Rank: 35
VEMPX Omega Ratio Rank: 31
VEMPX Calmar Ratio Rank: 51
VEMPX Martin Ratio Rank: 45

The rank (0–100) uses a weighted average of the Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin percentile ranks for the trailing 12 months. Higher means stronger historical risk-adjusted performance within the peer group.

VSIAX vs. VEMPX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Small-Cap Value Index Fund Admiral Shares (VSIAX) and Vanguard Extended Market Index Fund Institutional Plus Shares (VEMPX). 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.

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.

	VSIAX	VEMPX	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.74	1.17	+0.56
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	2.57	1.72	+0.85
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.31	1.21	+0.10
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.91	2.03	+0.88
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	10.69	6.89	+3.80

VSIAX vs. VEMPX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VSIAX Sharpe Ratio is 1.74, which is higher than the VEMPX Sharpe Ratio of 1.17. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VSIAX and VEMPX, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Drawdowns

VSIAX vs. VEMPX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VSIAX drawdown since its inception was -45.39%, which is greater than VEMPX's maximum drawdown of -41.62%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VSIAX and VEMPX.

Drawdown Indicators

	VSIAX	VEMPX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-45.39%	-41.62%	-3.77%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-8.87%	-10.25%	+1.38%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-24.09%	-26.83%	+2.74%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-24.09%	-36.32%	+12.23%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-45.39%	-41.62%	-3.77%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.40%	-4.13%	+2.73%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-5.44%	-7.90%	+2.46%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.42%	3.02%	-0.60%

Volatility

VSIAX vs. VEMPX - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Vanguard Small-Cap Value Index Fund Admiral Shares (VSIAX) is 3.34%, while Vanguard Extended Market Index Fund Institutional Plus Shares (VEMPX) has a volatility of 3.88%. This indicates that VSIAX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than VEMPX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VSIAX	VEMPX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.34%	3.88%	-0.54%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.26%	13.31%	-3.05%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	14.92%	17.81%	-2.89%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	19.57%	22.40%	-2.83%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	22.38%	22.34%	+0.04%

VSIAX vs. VEMPX - Expense Ratio Comparison

VSIAX has a 0.07% expense ratio, which is higher than VEMPX's 0.04% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

Dividends

VSIAX vs. VEMPX - Dividend Comparison

VSIAX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.76%, more than VEMPX's 1.05% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
VEMPX Vanguard Extended Market Index Fund Institutional Plus Shares	1.05%	1.15%	1.11%	1.27%	1.17%	1.15%	1.09%	1.32%	1.68%	1.27%	1.46%	1.39%
VSIAX Vanguard Small-Cap Value Index Fund Admiral Shares	1.76%	1.95%	1.98%	2.10%	2.03%	1.75%	1.68%	2.06%	2.35%	1.79%	1.77%	1.99%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both VSIAX and VEMPX in my portfolio?

VSIAX and VEMPX have a correlation of 0.84, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, VSIAX or VEMPX?

VEMPX has higher volatility (3.88%) compared to VSIAX (3.34%). In terms of maximum drawdown, VSIAX dropped -45.39% vs VEMPX's -41.62%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

VSIAX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.74 vs 1.17), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.