NAV
Equity
Market Captialization Small Investment Style Growth
Also available at a lower cost as an Admiral™ Shares mutual fund.
Management style
Asset class
Category
Risk / reward scale
Less
More
Investment minimum
as of 05/05/2025
NAV price
as of 05/05/2025
CUSIP | 921926101 |
|---|---|
Management style | Active |
Asset class | Domestic Stock - More Aggressive |
Category | Small Growth |
Inception date | 12/11/1967 |
Fund Number | 0024 |
Minimum Investment
NAV Price
as of 05/05/2025
NAV change
as of 05/05/2025
YTD returns
as of 05/05/2025
This fund seeks to identify small and midsize companies with growth potential. Because it focuses on small and mid-size companies, the fund tends to be more unpredictable than stock funds that focus on larger companies. However, the fund’s use of multiple advisors with diverse strategies, and its broad exposure to more than 500 stocks, can help reduce—but not eliminate—risk that may come from investing in this often-volatile segment of the market. This fund may be considered complementary to a well-diversified, long-term portfolio.
Wellington Management Company LLP
Stephens Investment Management Group, LLC
ArrowMark Partners
Vanguard Quantitative Equity Group
ClearBridge Investments, LLC
as of 04/30/2025
Recent returns
Average annual
| Month-end | 3-Month total | YTD | 1-yr | 3-yr | 5-yr | 10-yr | Since inception 12/11/1967 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VEXPX | -1.90% | -14.47% | -10.66% | -2.17% | 3.35% | 10.09% | 8.38% | 9.18% |
| -0.32% | -14.36% | -11.09% | 0.84% | 4.59% | 8.04% | 7.63% | — |
as of 03/31/2025
| Year | 1st Qtr | 2nd Qtr | 3rd Qtr | 4th Qtr | Year-end | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | -8.93% | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2024 | 7.25% | -3.60% | 7.14% | -0.47% | 10.25% | 13.90% |
| 2023 | 7.00% | 4.76% | -5.72% | 13.33% | 19.77% | 18.93% |
| 2022 | -9.50% | -18.48% | -2.64% | 6.85% | -23.26% | -26.21% |
| 2021 | 6.62% | 6.05% | -0.91% | 3.76% | 16.26% | 5.04% |
| 2020 | -26.74% | 32.76% | 6.65% | 26.62% | 31.33% | 40.47% |
| 2019 | 17.51% | 4.18% | -2.09% | 9.51% | 31.26% | 32.65% |
| 2018 | 4.14% | 7.15% | 8.59% | -19.54% | -2.50% | -7.47% |
| 2017 | 6.16% | 4.62% | 4.44% | 5.99% | 22.95% | 24.46% |
| 2016 | -1.18% | 2.62% | 8.26% | 2.32% | 12.33% | 9.73% |
| 2015 | 6.29% | 0.06% | -12.89% | 3.25% | -4.34% | -0.19% |
as of 12/31/2024
| Year | Capital return by NAV | Income return by NAV | Total return by NAV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 9.82% | 0.44% | 10.25% | 13.90% |
| 2023 | 19.14% | 0.63% | 19.77% | 18.93% |
| 2022 | -23.54% | 0.28% | -23.26% | -26.21% |
| 2021 | 16.03% | 0.23% | 16.26% | 5.04% |
| 2020 | 31.18% | 0.15% | 31.33% | 40.47% |
| 2019 | 30.91% | 0.36% | 31.26% | 32.65% |
| 2018 | -2.80% | 0.30% | -2.50% | -7.47% |
| 2017 | 22.40% | 0.55% | 22.95% | 24.46% |
| 2016 | 11.94% | 0.39% | 12.33% | 9.73% |
| 2015 | -4.63% | 0.29% | -4.34% | -0.19% |
| 2014 | 3.76% | 0.15% | 3.91% | 7.05% |
| 2013 | 44.31% | 0.05% | 44.36% | 40.65% |
| 2012 | 14.50% | 0.39% | 14.89% | 16.13% |
| 2011 | -2.02% | 0.13% | -1.89% | -1.57% |
| 2010 | 27.24% | 0.19% | 27.43% | 28.86% |
as of 04/30/2025
| 1-yr | 3-yr | 5-yr | 10-yr | Since inception 12/11/1967 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VEXPX | -2.17% | 10.38% | 61.74% | 123.57% | 15325.06% |
| 0.84% | 14.40% | 47.19% | 108.55% | — |
VEXPX
0.44%
Average expense ratio of similar funds2
1.14%
Purchase fee
None
Fund family redemption fee
None
None
The performance data shown represent past performance, which is not a guarantee of future results. Investment returns and principal value will fluctuate so that investors' shares, when sold, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data cited.
Performance data do not reflect the deduction of the $25 annual account service fee that may be applied to certain accounts. If this fee was included, performance would be lower.
Closing price as of 05/05/2025
NAV
NAV change
52-week High
as of 12/04/2024
52-week Low
as of 04/08/2025
52-week Difference
| Name | Date | NAV |
|---|---|---|
| VEXPX | 05/02/2025 | $105.33 |
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as of 03/31/2025
| Fundamental | VEXPX | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of stocks | 745 | 1289 |
| Median market cap | $6.5 B | $5.3 B |
| Earnings growth rate | 17.1% | 19.6% |
| Short-term reserves | 1.6% | — |
| P/E ratio | 21.5x | 22.9x |
| P/B ratio | 2.8x | 4.2x |
| Turnover rate (Fiscal Year-end 10/31/2024) | 35.1% | — |
| Return on equity | 10.1% | 11.0% |
| Foreign holdings | 1.3% | — |
| Fund total net assets as of 03/31/2025 | $19.8 B | — |
| Share class total net assets | $2.8 B | — |
Equity
Market Captialization Small Investment Style Growth
as of 03/31/2025
Weighted equity exposures exclude any temporary cash investments and equity index futures. Some short-term fixed income securities are classified as cash and are excluded from the weighted bond exposures.
as of 03/31/2025
| Ticker | Holdings | Shares | Market value |
|---|---|---|---|
| VB | Vanguard Small-Cap ETF | 1,328,035 | $294,491,761 |
| GWRE | Guidewire Software Inc. | 1,175,413 | $220,225,380 |
| VNOM | Viper Energy Partners LP | 4,498,016 | $203,085,422 |
| KEX | Kirby Corp. | 1,693,672 | $171,077,809 |
| AR | Antero Resources Corp. | 4,219,297 | $170,628,371 |
| WIX | Wix.com Ltd. | 969,441 | $158,387,271 |
| DT | Dynatrace Inc. | 3,318,929 | $156,487,502 |
| HLI | Houlihan Lokey Inc. Class A | 941,693 | $152,083,420 |
| GMED | Globus Medical Inc. | 2,043,975 | $149,618,970 |
| MIDD | Middleby Corp. | 974,724 | $148,138,554 |
| Ticker | Holdings | Shares | Market value |
|---|---|---|---|
| VB | Vanguard Small-Cap ETF | 1,328,035 | $294,491,761 |
| GWRE | Guidewire Software Inc. | 1,175,413 | $220,225,380 |
| VNOM | Viper Energy Partners LP | 4,498,016 | $203,085,422 |
| KEX | Kirby Corp. | 1,693,672 | $171,077,809 |
| AR | Antero Resources Corp. | 4,219,297 | $170,628,371 |
| WIX | Wix.com Ltd. | 969,441 | $158,387,271 |
| DT | Dynatrace Inc. | 3,318,929 | $156,487,502 |
| HLI | Houlihan Lokey Inc. Class A | 941,693 | $152,083,420 |
| GMED | Globus Medical Inc. | 2,043,975 | $149,618,970 |
| MIDD | Middleby Corp. | 974,724 | $148,138,554 |
| Ticker | Holdings | Shares | Market value |
|---|---|---|---|
| VB | Vanguard Small-Cap ETF | 1,328,035 | $294,491,761 |
| GWRE | Guidewire Software Inc. | 1,175,413 | $220,225,380 |
| VNOM | Viper Energy Partners LP | 4,498,016 | $203,085,422 |
| KEX | Kirby Corp. | 1,693,672 | $171,077,809 |
| AR | Antero Resources Corp. | 4,219,297 | $170,628,371 |
| WIX | Wix.com Ltd. | 969,441 | $158,387,271 |
| DT | Dynatrace Inc. | 3,318,929 | $156,487,502 |
| HLI | Houlihan Lokey Inc. Class A | 941,693 | $152,083,420 |
| GMED | Globus Medical Inc. | 2,043,975 | $149,618,970 |
| MIDD | Middleby Corp. | 974,724 | $148,138,554 |
as of 03/31/2025
Realized gain
% of NAV
Unrealized gains of NAV
% of NAV
Fiscal year end
Distribution schedule
A fund's capital gains and losses can reveal the tax implications of holding a particular fund in a taxable account. This is true of both realized and unrealized capital gains and losses.
Learn about realized and unrealized gains and lossesA fund's capital gains and losses can reveal the tax implications of holding a particular fund in a taxable account. This is true of both realized and unrealized capital gains and losses.
Learn about realized and unrealized gains and lossesVanguard Explorer™ Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation using a multimanager approach that provides exposure to a broad universe of small- and mid-capitalization growth stocks. The fund’s five investment advisors—four using a fundamental approach and one using a quantitative approach—manage independent subportfolios. The multimanager structure diversifies risk and increases investment capacity, while providing individual managers with the opportunity to generate superior returns. The fund’s broad diversification tends to produce lower volatility. Vanguard may invest the fund’s cash flows in equity index futures and/or exchange-traded funds to manage liquidity needs while ensuring that the fund remains fully invested.
Investment Manager Biography
Investment Manager Biography
Investment Manager Biography
Performance & fees
Most recent data available. © 2023 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved. The information contained herein: (1) is proprietary to Morningstar and/or its content providers; (2) may not be copied or distributed; (3) does not constitute investment advice offered by Morningstar; and (4) is not warranted to be accurate, complete, or timely. Neither Morningstar nor its content providers are responsible for any damages or losses arising from any use of this information. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
R-squared and beta are calculated from trailing 36-month fund returns relative to the associated benchmark.
Portfolio composition
Sector categories are based on the Global Industry Classification Standard (“GICS”), except for the “Other” category (if applicable), which includes securities that have not been provided a GICS classification as of the effective reporting period.
© 2023 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The information contained herein: (1) is proprietary to Morningstar; (2) may not be copied or distributed; and (3) is not warranted to be accurate, complete or timely. Neither Morningstar nor its content providers are responsible for any damages or losses arising from any use of this information. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
Vanguard average mutual fund expense ratio: 0.09%. Industry average mutual fund expense ratio: 0.50%. All averages are asset-weighted. Industry average excludes Vanguard. Sources: Vanguard and Morningstar, Inc., as of December 31, 2023.
Total returns: Short-term total return information is provided only as a service. Historical performance—particularly short-term performance—is no guarantee of future returns. Price, yield, and return on an actual investment will fluctuate, and you may have a gain or loss when you sell. Average annual returns include changes in price and reinvestments of dividends and capital gains. Since-inception returns for less than 1 year and year-to-date returns aren't annualized. Index performance is provided as a benchmark but isn't illustrative of any particular investment. You can't invest in an index.
Standardized returns: To see quarterly fee-adjusted returns, refer to the Price & Performance details.
Expense ratios: Expense ratios are displayed on Overview. For investments that are less than 1 fiscal year old, expense ratios are estimated.
Risk: All investing is subject to risk, including the possible loss of the money you invest. Funds that concentrate on a relatively narrow market sector face the risk of higher share-price volatility. Investments in stocks or bonds issued by non-U.S. companies are subject to risks including country/regional risk and currency risk.
An investment in the fund could lose money over short or even long periods. You should expect the fund’s share price and total return to fluctuate within a wide range, like the fluctuations of the overall stock market. The fund’s performance could be hurt by: