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VTCAX Vanguard Communication Services Index Fund Admiral Shares

Also available as an ETF (starting at the price of $1).

Management style

Index

Asset class

Domestic Stock - Sector-Specific

Category

Communications

Risk / reward scale

Start of Risk Scale. On a scale of 1 to 5, 1 is less risk less reward, 5 is more risk more reward
The fund risk level is a 5

Less

More

End of Risk Scale.

Expense ratio

0.09%

as of 02/03/2025

as of 03/31/2025

Investment minimum

$100,000

as of 04/11/2025

NAV price

$72.02

as of 04/11/2025

Overview

Key facts

CUSIP

92204A777

Management style

Index

Asset class

Domestic Stock - Sector-Specific

Category

Communications

Inception date

03/11/2005

Fund Number

5488

Ratings

Risk / reward scale

Start of Risk Scale. On a scale of 1 to 5, 1 is less risk less reward, 5 is more risk more reward
The fund risk level is a 5

Less

More

End of Risk Scale.
Price

Minimum Investment

$100,000

NAV Price

$72.02

as of 04/11/2025

NAV change

increased$0.64 (0.90%)

as of 04/11/2025

Expense Ratio

0.09%

as of 02/03/2025

Performance

YTD returns

-8.55%

as of 04/11/2025

Product summary

This low-cost index fund offers exposure to the communication services sector of the U.S. equity market, which includes stocks of companies that provide telephone, data transmission, cellular, or wireless communication services, and facilitate communication and offer related content and information through various media. The fund’s main risk is its narrow scope—it invests solely in communication services stocks. An investor should expect high volatility from the fund, which should be considered only as a small portion of an already well-diversified portfolio.

Fund management

Vanguard Equity Index Group

Performance & fees

Total returns
Month-end/Quarterly Pre-Tax Toggle

as of 03/31/2025

Recent returns

Average annual

Month-end3-Month totalYTD1-yr3-yr5-yr10-yr

Since inception

03/11/2005

VTCAX

-7.24%-3.97%-3.97%14.46%8.51%15.35%7.56%7.83%

Benchmark

-7.24%-3.97%-3.97%14.44%8.43%15.33%7.51%7.51%

as of 03/31/2025

Year1st Qtr2nd Qtr3rd Qtr4th QtrYear-end

Benchmark

2025-3.97%
202411.68%5.59%5.68%6.82%33.11% 33.06%
202317.86%10.23%-0.74%12.22%44.72% 44.41%
2022-11.35%-21.46%-12.18%0.13%-38.77% -38.74%
20218.23%10.96%-1.82%-3.50%13.78% 13.86%
2020-18.62%22.23%9.72%18.17%28.97% 29.02%
201912.82%3.92%0.39%8.78%28.02% 27.94%
2018-7.13%2.26%2.81%-14.47%-16.50% -16.55%
2017-4.31%-2.39%1.32%-0.20%-5.56% -5.71%
201611.04%6.76%-3.19%6.78%22.54% 22.45%
20151.97%0.57%-6.69%7.36%2.73% 2.73%

as of 12/31/2024

Year

Capital return by NAV

Income return by NAV

Total return by NAV

Benchmark

202431.61% 1.51%33.11%33.06%
202343.04% 1.68%44.72%44.41%
2022-39.25% 0.48%-38.77%-38.74%
202112.74% 1.05%13.78%13.86%
202027.82% 1.15%28.97%29.02%
201926.81% 1.21%28.02%27.94%
2018-18.49% 1.99%-16.50%-16.55%
2017-9.05% 3.49%-5.56%-5.71%
201619.12% 3.42%22.54%22.45%
2015-0.93% 3.66%2.73%2.73%
20141.29% 2.75%4.04%4.16%
201319.55% 4.79%24.33%24.12%
201212.60% 3.97%16.57%16.59%
2011-5.32% 3.10%-2.23%-2.09%
201016.27% 3.40%19.67%17.65%

as of 03/31/2025

1-yr3-yr5-yr10-yr

Since inception

03/11/2005

VTCAX14.46% 27.77%104.24% 107.18% 353.20%

Benchmark

14.44%27.48%104.05%106.23%

Expense ratio

VTCAX

0.09%

Average expense ratio of similar funds2

0.85%

Historical volatility measures
as of 02/28/2025
BenchmarkR-Squared3Beta3
Communication Services Spliced Index11.001.00
Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market Index0.761.03
Fund-specific fees

Purchase fee

None

Fund family redemption fee

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.

Price

Closing price

Closing price as of 04/11/2025

NAV

$72.02

NAV change

increased$0.64 (0.90%)

52-week High

$86.22

as of 02/14/2025

52-week Low

$63.98

as of 04/25/2024

52-week Difference

$22.24 (34.76%)

30 day SEC yield

1.02%

 

B SEC yield footnote code

 

as of 03/31/2025

Historical prices
Chart/Table Toggle
NameDateNAV
VTCAX 04/11/2025
$72.02

This chart can’t be displayed on mobile devices. For the best viewing experience, visit this page from your desktop or laptop.

Portfolio composition

Characteristics

as of 02/28/2025

FundamentalVTCAX
Benchmark
Number of stocks 117 116
Median market cap $308.7 B $419.4 B
Earnings growth rate 16.5% 17.0%
Short-term reserves
P/E ratio 20.4x 20.7x
P/B ratio 3.4x 3.5x
Turnover rate (Fiscal Year-end 08/31/2024) 15.5%
Return on equity 27.0% 27.0%
Foreign holdings 0.0%
Fund total net assets as of 02/28/2025 $5.0 B
Share class total net assets $288.4 M
Weighted exposures

as of 02/28/2025

3.50%Advertising
Sectors4VTCAX Benchmark Benchmark+/- Weight Advertising3.50%3.00%0.50%Alternative Carriers1.70%1.50%0.20%Broadcasting2.80%2.80%0.00%Cable & Satellite7.90%6.20%1.70%Integrated Telecommunication Services9.60%9.40%0.20%Interactive Home Entertainment4.20%4.10%0.10%Interactive Media & Services48.90%50.10%-1.20%Movies & Entertainment15.40%17.10%-1.70%Publishing1.90%1.90%0.00%Wireless Telecommunication Services3.90%3.90%0.00%

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.

Holding details

as of 02/28/2025

Ticker Holdings Shares Market value
META Facebook Inc. Class A 1,636,155 $1,093,278,771
GOOGL Alphabet Inc. Class A 3,579,813 $609,570,558
GOOG Alphabet Inc. Class C 2,767,661 $476,646,577
DIS Walt Disney Co. 2,059,816 $234,407,061
T AT&T Inc. 8,468,723 $232,127,697
NFLX Netflix Inc. 226,305 $221,905,631
VZ Verizon Communications Inc. 4,890,646 $210,786,843
TMUS T-Mobile US Inc. 655,771 $176,854,881
CMCSA Comcast Corp. Class A 4,619,444 $165,745,651
TTWO Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. 350,234 $74,242,603
Name

of issuer

Title of issuer Coupon/Yield Category of investment Cusip/Other id Effective maturity date Final maturity date Principal amount Amortized cost
30303M102
02079K305
02079K107
254687106
00206R102
64110L106
92343V104
872590104
20030N101
874054109
Ticker Description Shares
META
GOOGL
GOOG
DIS
T
NFLX
VZ
TMUS
CMCSA
TTWO
Ticker Holdings Shares Market value
META Facebook Inc. Class A 1,636,155 $1,093,278,771
GOOGL Alphabet Inc. Class A 3,579,813 $609,570,558
GOOG Alphabet Inc. Class C 2,767,661 $476,646,577
DIS Walt Disney Co. 2,059,816 $234,407,061
T AT&T Inc. 8,468,723 $232,127,697
NFLX Netflix Inc. 226,305 $221,905,631
VZ Verizon Communications Inc. 4,890,646 $210,786,843
TMUS T-Mobile US Inc. 655,771 $176,854,881
CMCSA Comcast Corp. Class A 4,619,444 $165,745,651
TTWO Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. 350,234 $74,242,603
Name

of issuer

Title of issuer Coupon/Yield Category of investment Cusip/Other id Effective maturity date Final maturity date Principal amount Amortized cost
30303M102
02079K305
02079K107
254687106
00206R102
64110L106
92343V104
872590104
20030N101
874054109
Ticker Description Shares
META
GOOGL
GOOG
DIS
T
NFLX
VZ
TMUS
CMCSA
TTWO
Ticker Holdings Shares Market value
META Facebook Inc. Class A 1,636,155 $1,093,278,771
GOOGL Alphabet Inc. Class A 3,579,813 $609,570,558
GOOG Alphabet Inc. Class C 2,767,661 $476,646,577
DIS Walt Disney Co. 2,059,816 $234,407,061
T AT&T Inc. 8,468,723 $232,127,697
NFLX Netflix Inc. 226,305 $221,905,631
VZ Verizon Communications Inc. 4,890,646 $210,786,843
TMUS T-Mobile US Inc. 655,771 $176,854,881
CMCSA Comcast Corp. Class A 4,619,444 $165,745,651
TTWO Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. 350,234 $74,242,603
Name

of issuer

Title of issuer Coupon/Yield Category of investment Cusip/Other id Effective maturity date Final maturity date Principal amount Amortized cost
30303M102
02079K305
02079K107
254687106
00206R102
64110L106
92343V104
872590104
20030N101
874054109
Ticker Description Shares
META
GOOGL
GOOG
DIS
T
NFLX
VZ
TMUS
CMCSA
TTWO

Distributions

Realized/Unrealized gains

as of 02/28/2025

Realized gain

-$13.26

% of NAV

decreased-16.22%

Unrealized gains of NAV

$10.77

% of NAV

increased13.18%

Fiscal year end

08/31/2025

Distribution schedule

Quarterly

How your fund can affect your taxes

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.

These tax implications don't apply to investors holding a fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an IRA or employer-sponsored retirement plan.

Learn about realized and unrealized gains and losses

How your fund can affect your taxes

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.

These tax implications don't apply to investors holding a fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an IRA or employer-sponsored retirement plan.

Learn about realized and unrealized gains and losses
Dividend income and capital gains
Type$/Share Payable date Record date Reinvest date Reinvest price
Dividend$0.19510003/26/202503/24/202503/25/2025$79.49
Dividend$0.23460012/19/202412/17/202412/18/2024$79.52
Dividend$0.26800009/30/202409/26/202409/27/2024$73.85
Dividend$0.16600007/01/202406/27/202406/28/2024$70.40
Dividend$0.16470003/25/202403/21/202403/22/2024$66.91
Dividend$0.14770012/19/202312/15/202312/18/2023$59.04

Fund management

Vanguard Communication Services Index Fund seeks to track the investment performance of the MSCI US Investable Market Communication Services 25/50 Index. The communication services sector is made up of companies that provide communications services primarily through a fixed-line, cellular, wireless, high bandwidth, and/or fiber-optic cable network and offer related content and information through various media. Whenever possible, the fund attempts to fully replicate the target index, holding each stock in approximately the same proportion as its weighting in the index. However, the fund will use a sampling strategy if regulatory constraints or other considerations prevent it from replicating the index. Vanguard’s Equity Index Group uses proprietary software to implement trading decisions that accommodate cash flows and maintain close correlation with index characteristics. Vanguard’s refined indexing process, combined with low management fees and efficient trading, has provided tight tracking net of expenses.

 

Vanguard Equity Index Group
Launched in 1975, The Vanguard Group, Malvern, Pennsylvania, is among the world’s largest equity and fixed income managers. As chief investment officer, Gregory Davis, CFA, oversees Vanguard’s Equity Index, Investment Strategy, Quantitative Equity, and Fixed Income Groups. Rodney Comegys, Principal and global head of Vanguard's Equity Index Group, is responsible for all equity index funds. The Equity Index Group manages indexed equity portfolios covering U.S. and international markets. It has developed sophisticated portfolio construction methodologies and efficient trading strategies that seek to deliver returns that are highly correlated with target portfolio benchmarks. The group has advised Vanguard Communication Services Index Fund since 2004.
Walter Nejman
Portfolio manager.
Advised the fund since 2015. Worked in investment management since 2008. B.A., Arcadia University. M.B.A., Villanova University.
Aaron Choi
CFA, Portfolio manager.
Advised the fund since 2025. Worked in investment management since 2015. B.S., Pennsylvania State University.
Chris Nieves
CFA, Portfolio manager.
Advised the fund since 2025. Worked in investment management since 2013. B.A., Cornell University. MEng., Cornell University.

Performance & fees

1
MSCI US Investable Market Telecommunication Services Index through February 26, 2010; MSCI US Investable Market Telecommunication Services 25/50 Index through May 2, 2018; MSCI US Investable Market Communication Services 25/50 Transition Index through December 2, 2018; MSCI US Investable Market Communication Services 25/50 Index thereafter.
2

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.

3

R-squared and beta are calculated from trailing 36-month fund returns relative to the associated benchmark.

Portfolio composition

4

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 long periods of time. You should expect the fund’s share price and total return to fluctuate within a wide range. The fund is subject to the following risks, which could affect the fund’s performance:

  • Stock market risk, which is the chance that stock prices overall will decline. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. The fund’s target index tracks a subset of the U.S. stock market, which could cause the fund to perform differently from the overall stock market.
  • Sector risk, which is the chance that significant problems will affect a particular sector, or that returns from that sector will trail returns from the overall stock market. Daily fluctuations in specific market sectors are often more extreme or volatile than fluctuations in the overall market. Because the fund seeks to invest all, or substantially all, of its assets in the communication services sector, the fund’s performance largely depends—for better or for worse—on the general condition of that sector. Companies in the communication services sector could be affected by, among other things, overall economic conditions, competition, and government regulation. Sector risk is expected to be high for the fund.
  • Nondiversification risk, which is the chance that the fund’s performance may be hurt disproportionately by the poor performance of relatively few stocks or even a single stock. The fund is considered nondiversified, which means that it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of a small number of issuers as compared with diversified mutual funds. Because the fund tends to invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in its ten largest holdings, fluctuations in the market value of a single fund holding could cause significant changes to the fund’s share price. Nondiversification risk is expected to be high for the fund.
  • Investment style risk, which is the chance that returns from the types of stocks in which the fund invests will trail returns from the overall stock market. Small-, mid-, and large-cap stocks each tend to go through cycles of doing better—or worse—than other segments of the stock market or the stock market in general. These periods have, in the past, lasted for as long as several years. Historically, small- and mid-cap stocks have been more volatile in price than large-cap stocks. The stock prices of small and mid-size companies tend to experience greater volatility because, among other things, these companies tend to be more sensitive to changing economic conditions.
  • Index replicating risk, which is the chance that the fund may be prevented from holding one or more securities in the same proportion as in its target index.
  • Index-related risks: The fund is subject to risks associated with index investing, which include passive management risk, tracking error risk, and index provider risk. Passive management risk is the chance that the fund's use of an indexing strategy will negatively impact the fund's performance. Because the fund seeks to track the performance of its target index regardless of how that index is performing, the fund's performance may be lower than it would be if the fund were actively managed. Tracking error risk is the chance that the fund's performance will deviate from the performance of its target index. Tracking error risk may be heightened during times of increased market volatility or under other unusual market conditions. Index provider risk is the chance that the fund will be negatively impacted by changes or errors made by the index provider. Any gains, losses, or costs associated with or resulting from an error made by the index provider will generally be borne by the fund and, as a result, the fund's shareholders.