VEXPX Performance — Vanguard Explorer Fund, Investor Shares
Data updated: 2026-09-28
VEXPX returned +14.32% year to date and +22.91% over one year to Jul 2026. Annualised returns are +11.80% over 3 years and +4.84% over 5 years. The fund beat its US Mid-Cap Growth category average: $100 invested three years ago grew to $140, against $139 for the category, and to $123 over one year, against $110. Volatility over the past three years was 17.73% a year. In the 12 months to Jul 2026 the fund lost a net $581.8M, and assets reached $22.12B.
VEXPX Growth of $100
What $100 invested in Vanguard Explorer Fund grew to, compounded from monthly returns reported on SEC Form N-PORT, against the US Mid-Cap Growth category average over the same months.
| Period | VEXPX | Category average |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year (Aug 2025 – Jul 2026) | $123 | $110 |
| 3 years (Aug 2023 – Jul 2026) | $140 | $139 |
| 5 years (Aug 2021 – Jul 2026) | $127 | $121 |
| Since data start (Aug 2019 – Jul 2026) | $200 | $189 |
VEXPX Trailing Returns
Total returns to Jul 2026, from SEC N-PORT.
| Period | Total return |
|---|---|
| YTD | +14.32% |
| 1 year | +22.91% |
| 3 years (annualised) | +11.80% |
| 5 years (annualised) | +4.84% |
VEXPX Annual Returns
Calendar-year total returns of Vanguard Explorer Fund, compounded from monthly SEC N-PORT returns. Partial years show the months covered.
| Year | Total return |
|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Jul) | +14.32% |
| 2025 | +7.11% |
| 2024 | +10.25% |
| 2023 | +19.77% |
| 2022 | −23.24% |
| 2021 | +16.25% |
| 2020 | +31.33% |
| 2019 (Aug–Dec) | +5.59% |
VEXPX 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 | +3.7% | +1.3% | −4.9% | +11.0% | +3.7% | +4.6% | −5.0% | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2025 | +4.5% | −6.3% | −7.0% | −1.9% | +5.6% | +4.6% | +0.9% | +4.1% | +1.5% | +1.1% | +1.6% | −0.9% |
| 2024 | −1.9% | +6.3% | +2.9% | −6.1% | +4.0% | −1.3% | +4.6% | +1.4% | +1.0% | −1.7% | +9.1% | −7.2% |
| 2023 | +10.3% | −1.6% | −1.4% | −1.6% | −1.6% | +8.1% | +3.2% | −3.6% | −5.2% | −6.2% | +9.5% | +10.4% |
| 2022 | −10.2% | 0.0% | +0.9% | −9.3% | −2.6% | −7.7% | +10.8% | −3.3% | −9.1% | +8.4% | +4.0% | −5.2% |
| 2021 | +1.7% | +5.1% | −0.2% | +4.8% | −1.7% | +3.0% | +0.7% | +2.1% | −3.7% | +5.0% | −3.3% | +2.2% |
| 2020 | −1.7% | −7.4% | −19.6% | +16.7% | +10.4% | +3.0% | +5.7% | +3.7% | −2.7% | +1.9% | +14.8% | +8.2% |
| 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | −3.8% | +0.3% | +1.4% | +5.8% | +2.0% |
VEXPX Risk
Risk measures from monthly returns over Aug 2023 – Jul 2026.
- 3-year volatility (annualised): 17.73%
- 3-year Sharpe ratio: 0.41 (vs 4.5% risk-free rate)
- Best month: +11.04% (Apr 2026)
- Worst month: −7.20% (Dec 2024)
VEXPX Fund Flows
Monthly money in and out of Vanguard Explorer Fund, from SEC Form N-PORT.
- 12-month net flow: −$581.8M
- 12-month gross sales (incl. reinvestments): $3.8B
- Sales ÷ redemptions: 0.87×
| Month | Sales | Redemptions | Net flow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2026 | $198.8M | $241.1M | −$42.4M |
| Jun 2026 | $164.8M | $286.5M | −$121.7M |
| May 2026 | $232.2M | $387.0M | −$154.8M |
| Apr 2026 | $110.1M | $281.5M | −$171.3M |
| Mar 2026 | $160.7M | $277.3M | −$116.6M |
| Feb 2026 | $130.9M | $287.4M | −$156.6M |
| Jan 2026 | $235.3M | $402.3M | −$167.0M |
| Dec 2025 | $2.0B | $799.0M | $1.2B |
| Nov 2025 | $222.8M | $381.9M | −$159.1M |
| Oct 2025 | $97.3M | $335.6M | −$238.3M |
| Sep 2025 | $183.2M | $382.3M | −$199.2M |
| Aug 2025 | $74.4M | $305.4M | −$231.0M |
VEXPX Assets Under Management
Net assets of Vanguard Explorer Fund by report date, from SEC N-PORT filings.
| Report date | Net assets |
|---|---|
| 2026-07-31 | $22.12B |
| 2026-04-30 | $21.77B |
| 2026-01-31 | $20.79B |
| 2025-10-31 | $20.56B |
| 2025-07-31 | $19.89B |
| 2025-04-30 | $18.87B |
| 2025-01-31 | $22.90B |
| 2024-10-31 | $21.98B |
| 2024-07-31 | $22.41B |
| 2024-04-30 | $21.35B |
| 2024-01-31 | $20.92B |
| 2023-10-31 | $17.94B |
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.