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Vanguard

Vanguard Parent Rating

High

As The Vanguard Group settles on new senior leadership, it retains a High Parent rating.

Vanguard announced current CEO Tim Buckley will step down by the end of the year, marking an end to his 33 years at the firm. Historically, Vanguard has pronounced CEO retirements while simultaneously signaling who (from inside the firm) would take over. In this instance, Vanguard’s board said it will evaluate internal and external candidates in the coming months to find its next, and fifth, leader, though it also promoted CIO Greg Davis to president.

Vanguard flourished in several respects under Buckley’s leadership. Assets under management have grown by two thirds over his six years at the helm, while its asset-weighted average US fund fee ratcheted lower to 0.08% at the end of 2023. Vanguard further refined its advice business through its low-cost Digital Advisor platform and more holistic Vanguard Personal Advisor Services, and it debuted promising investment options.

Vanguard has had its share of challenges under Buckley, too. Growing its business outside the US has proved difficult, and ex US investors account for less than 10% of AUM. Between 2019 and 2023, Vanguard’s efforts to build its China business underwent dramatic shifts, with the firm ultimately abandoning plans to launch low-cost index funds there. It also ended a partnership with Ant Financial to provide advisory services to retail investors. Inside the US, customer service issues have continued to be a problem, and some of Vanguard’s newer offers, such as margin loans, seem a departure from a more-conservative approach to investing.

Vanguard retains an investor-friendly culture at its core that’s burnished by a commitment to low costs and supported by its unique mutual ownership structure and direct-to-investor playbook.

Vanguard Investments

Market

US Open-end ex MM ex FoF ex Feeder

Total Net Assets

5.34 Tril

Investment Flows (TTM)

−77.40 Bil

Asset Growth Rate (TTM)

−1.69%

# of Share Classes

298
Morningstar Rating # of Share Classes
29
136
99
20
3
Not Rated 11

Exchange-Traded Funds

See All Vanguard ETFs

Market

US ETFs

Total Net Assets

2.61 Tril

Investment Flows (TTM)

221.83 Bil

Asset Growth Rate (TTM)

10.93%

# of Share Classes

87
Morningstar Rating # of Share Classes
9
34
26
12
0
Not Rated 6

Morningstar Mentions

These top-rated Vanguard ETFs and mutual funds are excellent choices to buy and hold in 2024 and beyond.

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