VAW Performance — Vanguard Materials Index Fund
Data updated: 2026-07-29
VAW returned +12.51% year to date and +23.87% over one year to May 2026. Annualised returns are +14.09% over 3 years and +5.82% over 5 years. The fund trailed its Materials Equity category average: $100 invested three years ago grew to $149, against $167 for the category, and to $124 over one year, against $136. Volatility over the past three years was 17.84% a year. In the 12 months to May 2026 the fund took in a net $42.5M, and assets reached $4.52B.
VAW Growth of $100
What $100 invested in Vanguard Materials Index Fund grew to, compounded from monthly returns reported on SEC Form N-PORT, against the Materials Equity category average over the same months.
| Period | VAW | Category average |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year (Jun 2025 – May 2026) | $124 | $136 |
| 3 years (Jun 2023 – May 2026) | $149 | $167 |
| 5 years (Jun 2021 – May 2026) | $133 | $157 |
| Since data start (Sep 2019 – May 2026) | $214 | $251 |
VAW Trailing Returns
Total returns to May 2026, from SEC N-PORT.
| Period | Total return |
|---|---|
| YTD | +12.51% |
| 1 year | +23.87% |
| 3 years (annualised) | +14.09% |
| 5 years (annualised) | +5.82% |
VAW Annual Returns
Calendar-year total returns of Vanguard Materials Index Fund, compounded from monthly SEC N-PORT returns. Partial years show the months covered.
| Year | Total return |
|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–May) | +12.51% |
| 2025 | +12.26% |
| 2024 | +0.46% |
| 2023 | +13.67% |
| 2022 | −11.74% |
| 2021 | +27.27% |
| 2020 | +19.41% |
| 2019 (Sep–Dec) | +10.44% |
VAW Monthly Returns
Monthly total returns as reported on SEC Form N-PORT.
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | +8.5% | +8.4% | −7.3% | +3.0% | +0.1% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2025 | +5.0% | −0.3% | −3.6% | −1.6% | +2.7% | +2.6% | 0.0% | +6.9% | −1.3% | −4.8% | +4.1% | +2.5% |
| 2024 | −4.1% | +5.9% | +6.2% | −4.9% | +3.8% | −4.1% | +5.8% | +1.3% | +2.8% | −2.6% | +3.1% | −11.1% |
| 2023 | +9.7% | −2.9% | −1.5% | −0.9% | −6.6% | +11.1% | +3.8% | −3.4% | −5.1% | −3.8% | +8.7% | +5.8% |
| 2022 | −7.0% | +0.5% | +5.8% | −4.0% | +1.1% | −14.4% | +7.0% | −3.1% | −10.3% | +9.7% | +11.2% | −5.4% |
| 2021 | −2.5% | +4.6% | +8.2% | +5.0% | +5.4% | −5.1% | +1.5% | +1.9% | −7.0% | +7.3% | −0.9% | +7.3% |
| 2020 | −6.5% | −9.0% | −15.3% | +15.3% | +7.3% | +2.0% | +6.9% | +4.5% | +0.2% | +0.4% | +12.8% | +3.8% |
| 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | +3.4% | +0.4% | +3.2% | +3.0% |
VAW Risk
Risk measures from monthly returns over Jun 2023 – May 2026.
- 3-year volatility (annualised): 17.84%
- 3-year Sharpe ratio: 0.54 (vs 4.5% risk-free rate)
- Best month: +11.08% (Jun 2023)
- Worst month: −11.09% (Dec 2024)
VAW Fund Flows
Monthly money in and out of Vanguard Materials Index Fund, from SEC Form N-PORT.
- 12-month net flow: $42.5M
- 12-month gross sales (incl. reinvestments): $873.9M
- Sales ÷ redemptions: 1.05×
| Month | Sales | Redemptions | Net flow |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | $38.0M | $55.3M | −$17.3M |
| Apr 2026 | $100.2M | $35.9M | $64.3M |
| Mar 2026 | $49.3M | $84.8M | −$35.5M |
| Feb 2026 | $81.0M | $49.3M | $31.7M |
| Jan 2026 | $142.8M | $253.8M | −$111.0M |
| Dec 2025 | $28.5M | $53.7M | −$25.2M |
| Nov 2025 | $35.6M | $30.5M | $5.2M |
| Oct 2025 | $44.8M | $71.1M | −$26.3M |
| Sep 2025 | $58.4M | $22.8M | $35.5M |
| Aug 2025 | $17.8M | $61.7M | −$43.9M |
| Jul 2025 | $80.7M | $55.1M | $25.6M |
| Jun 2025 | $196.8M | $57.6M | $139.2M |
VAW Assets Under Management
Net assets of Vanguard Materials Index Fund by report date, from SEC N-PORT filings.
| Report date | Net assets |
|---|---|
| 2026-05-31 | $4.52B |
| 2026-02-28 | $4.73B |
| 2025-11-30 | $4.04B |
| 2025-08-31 | $4.12B |
| 2025-05-31 | $3.66B |
| 2025-02-28 | $3.97B |
| 2024-11-30 | $4.38B |
| 2024-08-31 | $4.28B |
| 2024-05-31 | $4.27B |
| 2024-02-29 | $4.03B |
| 2023-11-30 | $3.64B |
| 2023-08-31 | $4.14B |
For information only. Not investment advice: figures are as reported in SEC filings and may contain errors or be out of date. Past performance does not guarantee future results.