At a glance
VT charges 0.06% a year, below the 0.16% average of the 8 funds most like it (the 5th cheapest of 9). It has $97.88B in assets, the 2nd largest of that group; it paid 1.56% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, quarterly. Over the past year it returned +12.5% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), 5th of those 9 funds; over three years it returned +22.2% a year. At its worst it fell 26.2% in the 2022 bear market (S&P 500: 24.5%), and was back at its earlier high 15 months after the low. Its ten largest positions make up 21.5% of the fund, out of 10,072 in all.
The short version
Vanguard Total World Stock ETF (VT) tracks the FTSE Global All Cap Index, putting large, mid-size and small company stocks from developed and emerging markets into one fund. Its annual fee (expense ratio) of 0.06% is far below the 0.32% charged by iShares MSCI ACWI ETF, the most similar global fund. As of July 31, 2026, it had 10,072 holdings, but about 62% of its money sat in U.S. companies.
Price history
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VT +12.5% over the year to Oct 30, 2026, total return with distributions reinvested.
How it has behaved
| YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr | 10 yr | Since start | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VT official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2025 | — | +22.44% | — | +11.01% | +11.78% | — |
| VT price data to Oct 30, 2026 | +11.1% | +12.5% | +22.2% | +9.9% | — | +14.3% |
- Over the year to Oct 30, 2026, VT returned +12.5%, 5th of 9 among similar funds.
- Its 5-year annualized return was +9.9%.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2022 (-18.0%); its best was 2025 (+22.4%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 26.4% (Nov 8, 2021 to Oct 12, 2022), recovered by Jan 29, 2024.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +11.1% | — |
| 2025 | +22.4% | +22.44% |
| 2024 | +16.5% | +16.48% |
| 2023 | +22.0% | +21.90% |
| 2022 | -18.0% | -18.00% |
| 2021 | +18.3% | +18.25% |
| 2020 | — | +16.74% |
| 2019 | — | +26.80% |
| 2018 | — | -9.67% |
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Before this security existed |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Not in the price data, which starts Jun 2, 2020 |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Lost 26.1% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 26.2%, back to its old high 15.4 months after the low |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | $1.3000 | |
| 2025 | $2.5800 | +12.2% |
| 2024 | $2.3000 | +7.0% |
| 2023 | $2.1500 | +13.2% |
| 2022 | $1.9000 | -2.6% |
| 2021 | $1.9500 |
What's inside
As of Jul 31, 2026, the fund held 10,072 securities; the ten largest made up 21.46% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA Corp | 4.06% | |
| Apple Inc | 3.87% | |
| Microsoft Corp | 2.99% | |
| Amazon.com Inc | 2.28% | |
| Alphabet Inc Class A | 1.83% | |
| Broadcom Inc | 1.57% | |
| Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd | 1.56% | |
| Alphabet Inc Class C | 1.44% | |
| Meta Platforms Inc | 1.06% | |
| JPMorgan Chase & Co | 0.81% | |
| Micron Technology Inc | 0.80% | |
| Eli Lilly & Co | 0.79% | |
| Tesla Inc | 0.79% | |
| Berkshire Hathaway Inc | 0.72% | |
| Samsung Electronics Co Ltd | 0.70% |
By country
United States 61.76%Japan 5.79%United Kingdom 3.26%Taiwan 3.05%Canada 3.01%By asset type
Stocks 98.99%Preferred stock 0.26%By sector
Sectors of the companies held, for the 49% of the fund in companies that have a stock page here; other holdings and cash aren't classified. Source: N-PORT holdings report as of Jul 31, 2026. Cash, money-market funds and derivatives are shown separately from the securities list.What changed recently
- Over the three months to Jul 31, 2026, investors added a net $5.06B (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +4.62%, -0.35%, -0.62%.
How it works
VT is the exchange-traded share class of Vanguard Total World Stock Index Fund, so ETF holders own a slice of the same portfolio as the fund's other share classes. It aims to track the FTSE Global All Cap Index, which covers large, mid-size and small companies in developed and emerging markets. The index is float-adjusted and market-cap weighted: each company counts in proportion to the value of its publicly available shares, so the biggest firms carry the most weight. As of July 31, 2026, NVIDIA (4.1%), Apple (3.9%) and Microsoft (3.0%) led, and the 10 largest positions made up 21.5% of assets.
Rather than owning every stock in the index, the fund uses sampling: it holds a range of securities that, together, approximate the index's key risk factors and characteristics. That can cause small gaps between its return and the index's. At least 80% of net assets normally sit in index stocks. As of July 31, 2026, it had 10,072 holdings, about 0.98% in cash and a negligible amount in futures and currency forward contracts.
Because weights move with stock prices, the fund needs little trading to keep pace. Portfolio turnover, the share of holdings replaced in a year, was 3%. Foreign stocks are priced in local currencies, so exchange-rate swings also affect returns in dollars.
What it really costs
- VT charges 0.06% a year, versus an average of 0.16% for the similar funds below (5th of 9, cheapest first).
- Of that, 0.05% is the management fee; the rest covers other fund expenses.
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $6 in the first year and $77 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VT | $6 | $19 | $34 | $77 |
In a retirement portfolio
Its global spread of large, mid-size and small company stocks for a 0.06% expense ratio lets VT supply a portfolio's whole stock allocation in one fund.
VT gives worldwide stock exposure in one fund, but it falls with global markets. Since June 2020, its deepest drop was 26.4%, from November 8, 2021, to October 12, 2022, and it took about 15.6 months from that low to regain its old high, in January 2024. Its worst calendar year was 2022, down 18%. In the 2020 COVID crash it lost 22.27% in the first quarter but ended 2020 up 16.74%. Figures covering the 2008 crisis aren't available here. Anyone drawing income from VT alone in a year like 2022 would have been cashing out shares at depressed prices.
Income is modest: a trailing 12-month yield of 1.53% as of October 27, 2026, paid quarterly. Costs are low: $77 over 10 years on $10,000 in the SEC's standard example. Past results don't predict the future, and a plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.
Who it may suit — and who should look elsewhere
May suit
- Investors who want large, mid-size and small company stocks from developed and emerging markets in one fund, with 10,072 holdings as of July 31, 2026.
- Cost-conscious long-term holders: the 0.06% expense ratio comes to $77 over 10 years on $10,000 in the SEC's standard example.
- Hands-off investors who want a mix weighted by company size and little trading; portfolio turnover was 3%, per the February 2026 prospectus.
Look elsewhere if
- Retirees who need sizable income from their stock funds: the trailing 12-month yield was 1.53% as of October 27, 2026, paid quarterly.
- Investors who can't stomach stock-market swings: VT lost 18% in 2022 and 22.27% in the first quarter of 2020, with no bonds to cushion drops.
- Investors seeking a real break from U.S. tech: about 62% was in U.S. stocks as of July 31, 2026, led by NVIDIA, Apple and Microsoft.
Close alternatives
Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VT this fund | — | 0.06% | $97.88B | +12.5% | +22.2% |
| ACWI iShares MSCI ACWI ETF | 74% | 0.32% | $32.49B | +11.9% | +20.9% |
| BKLC BNY Mellon US Large Cap Core Equity ETF | 53% | 0% | $5.47B | +13.4% | +25.4% |
| VTHR Vanguard Russell 3000 ETF | 53% | 0.07% | $6.41B | +13.1% | +24.5% |
| VTI Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF | 52% | 0.03% | $2.30T | +12.5% | +23.4% |
| ITOT iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF | 52% | 0.03% | $94.14B | +11.4% | +21.8% |
| QDPL Pacer Metaurus US Large Cap Dividend Multip… | 52% | 0.6% | $1.71B | +12.6% | +22.7% |
| USPX Franklin U.S. Equity Index ETF | 52% | 0.03% | $1.98B | +12.9% | +24.9% |
Compared head to head: VT vs VTI · all comparisons →
Questions investors ask
Is VT good for retirement?
It can work as the stock portion of a retirement portfolio, but VT holds only stocks, so it offers no cushion against market drops on its own. It charges 0.06% a year and owned 10,072 holdings across developed and emerging markets as of July 31, 2026. It lost 18% in 2022, its worst calendar year in the prospectus, and took about 15.6 months after its October 2022 low to regain its old high. Its trailing yield was 1.53% as of October 27, 2026.
What's the difference between VT and ACWI?
The biggest difference is cost: VT's expense ratio is 0.06%, while iShares MSCI ACWI ETF charges 0.32%. Both are global stock index funds, and their holdings overlapped by 74% in their latest SEC holdings reports. VT tracks the FTSE Global All Cap Index, which spans large, mid-size and small companies; ACWI follows an MSCI index. Returns have been close: as of October 27, 2026, VT gained 13.2% over one year versus 13.1% for ACWI, and 23.3% a year over three years versus 23.5%.
Does VT pay dividends?
Yes. VT pays dividends quarterly. Over the 12 months through October 27, 2026, it paid $2.42 per share, a trailing yield of 1.53%. That income comes from the dividends of the companies the fund owns, minus its 0.06% expense ratio. Payouts can rise or fall with company profits and exchange rates, so the quarterly amount isn't fixed. Investors looking mainly for income may find the yield modest, since VT is built to track the global stock market rather than to maximize payouts.
What is VT's expense ratio?
VT's expense ratio is 0.06%, which includes a 0.05% management fee, according to the prospectus filed February 27, 2026. In the SEC's standard example, which assumes $10,000 invested and a 5% yearly return, costs would total about $6 after one year, $34 after five years and $77 after 10. That's below the 0.16% average for the similar funds we compared, though U.S.-focused funds such as iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF (ITOT) charge 0.03%.
How much of VT is in U.S. stocks?
About 62% of VT's assets were in U.S. companies as of July 31, 2026. Next came Japan at 5.8%, the U.K. at 3.3%, Taiwan at 3.1%, Canada at 3.0% and Hong Kong at 2.4%. The mix follows market-cap weighting, so countries with larger stock markets get more weight. The largest holdings were NVIDIA (4.1%), Apple (3.9%) and Microsoft (3.0%); Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, at 1.6%, was the largest non-U.S. stock. So U.S. results drive much of VT's return.