What Is the Vanguard U.S. Value Factor ETF and Who Should Buy It?
The Vanguard U.S. Value Factor ETF holds a diversified portfolio of value stocks expected to have lower valuations compared to their fundamentals. It has gained about 28.5% over the past year and delivered an annualized return of 10.96% since its inception eight years ago.
Intelligence analysis by Llama

The Vanguard U.S. Value Factor ETF is an actively managed fund that holds 666 stocks and includes companies of all sizes: large cap, mid cap, and small cap. It is well-diversified across sectors and has delivered average annual returns of 10.96% by net asset value since its inception in February 2018.
Imagine you're at a garage sale, and you find a bunch of old toys that are still in great shape. You think they're worth more than what the seller is asking for them. That's kind of like what the Vanguard U.S. Value Factor ETF does. It finds old companies that are still in great shape but are being sold for less than they're worth. The fund then buys those companies and hopes they'll go up in value over time.
Analysis
What Is the Vanguard U.S. Value Factor ETF and Who Should Buy It?
The Vanguard U.S. Value Factor ETF is an actively managed fund that holds a diversified portfolio of value stocks expected to have lower valuations compared to their fundamentals. It has gained about 28.5% over the past year and delivered an annualized return of 10.96% since its inception eight years ago.
Why Buy the Vanguard U.S. Value Factor ETF -- or Not
Vanguard is bullish on value stocks. According to recent market forecasts, the company's research team expects U.S. value stocks to outperform U.S. growth stocks by 1.6 to 3.6 percentage points per year for the next 10 years. The Vanguard research didn't recommend any specific ETFs, but the Vanguard U.S. Value Factor ETF fits this strategy: It's a broadly diversified all-cap value ETF. If you believe that today's undervalued stocks might be tomorrow's top performers, and you're willing to pay a little extra for the higher expense ratio of an actively managed fund, this Vanguard value ETF might be worth a look. But it didn't make the list of best value ETFs. Other value stock funds charge lower fees and might be a better choice for long-term investors.
Key points
- The Vanguard U.S. Value Factor ETF has gained about 28.5% over the past year and delivered an annualized return of 10.96% since its inception eight years ago.
- The fund is actively managed and charges a slightly higher expense ratio than typical passive Vanguard ETFs.
- The Vanguard U.S. Value Factor ETF holds 666 stocks and includes companies of all sizes: large cap, mid cap, and small cap.
- The fund is well-diversified across sectors and has delivered average annual returns of 10.96% by net asset value since its inception in February 2018.
If the Vanguard U.S. Value Factor ETF continues to perform well, it could be a good choice for investors looking for a diversified portfolio of value stocks. The fund's managers are experienced and have a good track record of finding undervalued stocks that go on to perform well.
One potential risk of the Vanguard U.S. Value Factor ETF is that the fund's managers might not be able to find enough undervalued stocks to meet the fund's investment objectives. This could lead to a decrease in the fund's performance and a loss of value for investors.



