Is Vanguard S&P 500 ETF a good investment?
The fund provides wide diversification and has historically yielded strong returns, averaging over 10% annually including dividends. Its low expense ratio of only 0.03% further enhances its appeal. The fund's top holdings are Microsoft MSFT (7.07%), Apple AAPL (5.63%) and Nvidia NVDA (5.05%).
Even Warren Buffett recommends it above any other investment. There's a good reason for that. Its low expense ratio and tight index tracking make it a top choice for anyone looking to match the returns of the S&P 500. Last year, the exchange-traded fund produced a total return of 26.3%.
| ETF | Ticker | Annualized 5-year return |
|---|---|---|
| iShares Core S&P 500 ETF | IVV | 15.65% |
| Vanguard S&P 500 ETF | VOO | 14.72% |
| SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust | SPY | 14.60% |
In the last 30 Years, the Vanguard S&P 500 (VOO) ETF obtained a 10.55% compound annual return, with a 15.09% standard deviation.
- Invests in stocks in the S&P 500 Index, representing 500 of the largest U.S. companies.
- Goal is to closely track the index's return, which is considered a gauge of overall U.S. stock returns.
- Offers high potential for investment growth; share value rises and falls more sharply than that of funds holding bonds.
Is Investing in the S&P 500 Less Risky Than Buying a Single Stock? Generally, yes. The S&P 500 is considered well-diversified by sector, which means it includes stocks in all major areas, including technology and consumer discretionary—meaning declines in some sectors may be offset by gains in other sectors.
Fund literature
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.
Investing in an S&P 500 fund can instantly diversify your portfolio and is generally considered less risky. S&P 500 index funds or ETFs will track the performance of the S&P 500, which means when the S&P 500 does well, your investment will, too. (The opposite is also true, of course.)
Experts agree that for most personal investors, a portfolio comprising 5 to 10 ETFs is perfect in terms of diversification.
Key Takeaways. Dividend ETFs invest in high-yielding dividend stocks to maintain a stable, steady income. The S&P 500 is a broad-based index of large U.S. stocks, providing growth and diversification. The best choice for you will depend on whether you prefer income or growth from your investments.
How much would $1000 invested in the S&P 500 in 1980 be worth today?
In 1980, had you invested a mere $1,000 in what went on to become the top-performing stock of S&P 500, then you would be sitting on a cool $1.2 million today.
How much does it cost to buy Vanguard index fund shares? Investors make an initial minimum investment — typically around $3,000 — and pay annual costs to maintain the fund, known as an expense ratio, based on a small percentage of your cash invested in the fund.
Dividend Summary
There are typically 4 dividends per year (excluding specials), and the dividend cover is approximately 1.0.
Key Takeaways. Investors can buy and sell Vanguard mutual funds and ETFs through any number of brokerage firms and financial advisors. If you buy directly through Vanguard, you may benefit from lower fees, better customer service, and additional product research.
In fact, Vanguard's index funds and ETFs (including VOO, which we just discussed) are popular choices with investors, thanks in part to their low costs and competitive long-term performances.
How Does an S&P 500 ETF Differ from an S&P 500 Index Fund? Both an index ETF and an index mutual fund passively track the S&P 500 index in order to duplicate its return. ETFs trade like stocks on exchanges, while mutual funds can only be traded at the end of each trading day.
- Relatively high minimum investment requirements for many fund options.
- Higher-than-average per-contract options fee.
- Slow process to open an account.
- No trading platform for active traders.
- No fractional shares of stocks or ETFs.
The main drawback to the S&P 500 is that the index gives higher weights to companies with more market capitalization. The stock prices for Apple and Microsoft have a much greater influence on the index than a company with a lower market cap.
- Nippon India ETF Nifty 50 BeES. ₹ 241.63.
- Nippon India ETF PSU Bank BeES. ₹ 76.03.
- BHARAT 22 ETF. ₹ 96.10.
- Mirae Asset NYSE FANG+ ETF. ₹ 84.5.
- UTI S&P BSE Sensex ETF. ₹ 781.
- Nippon India ETF Gold BeES. ₹ 55.5.
- Nippon India Etf Nifty Bank Bees. ₹ 471.9.
- HDFC Nifty50 Value 20 ETF. ₹ 123.2.
All investments carry some risk, and Vanguard ETFs are no exception. But Vanguard is a fund provider with a reliable company history, and well-diversified ETFs tend to be safer than individual stocks.
Is my money safe with Vanguard?
Rest easy knowing the cash in your Vanguard Cash Plus bank sweep is eligible for FDIC coverage up to $1.25 million for individual accounts and $2.5 million for joint accounts. You can keep all your money in the bank sweep or diversify into 5 available Vanguard money market funds (each with a $3,000 minimum investment).
S&P 500 5 Year Return is at 85.38%, compared to 83.02% last month and 55.60% last year. This is higher than the long term average of 45.20%.
According to our calculations, a $1000 investment made in February 2014 would be worth $5,971.20, or a gain of 497.12%, as of February 5, 2024, and this return excludes dividends but includes price increases. Compare this to the S&P 500's rally of 178.17% and gold's return of 55.50% over the same time frame.
ETFs are subject to market fluctuation and the risks of their underlying investments. ETFs are subject to management fees and other expenses. Unlike mutual funds, ETF shares are bought and sold at market price, which may be higher or lower than their NAV, and are not individually redeemed from the fund.
Leveraged ETF prices tend to decay over time, and triple leverage will tend to decay at a faster rate than 2x leverage. As a result, they can tend toward zero.
