This Overlooked Vanguard ETF Could Be the Smartest Place to Park Your Money Right Now

Vanguard, the largest U.S. ETF provider, is steering attention toward a less-discussed product: the Vanguard U.S. Multifactor ETF (NYSEMKT: VFMF). The article notes Vanguard’s scale after overtaking iShares in U.S.-based ETF assets and highlights that five of the 10 largest ETFs by assets are Vanguard-managed, led by the $1 trillion Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. VFMF uses a quantitative approach that screens out volatile stocks, then combines momentum, quality and value factors in an equally weighted all-cap portfolio. It holds about 650 stocks, with Micron, Dell and Valero among the largest positions. Launched in 2018, it’s up about 22% year to date, about 28% over one year, and has averaged 14.3% annually over five years. Assets are about $976 million.