ETF Evaluator:
Vanguard Wellington Dividend Gr Actv ETF (VDIG)
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(as of Aug 07)
Best Performing in Large Value Over the Last Year
| 72.4% | iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF (VLUE) |
| 39.0% | SEI QiM U.S. Lrg Cap Value Actv ETF (SEIV) |
| 34.8% | LSV Disciplined Value ETF (LSVD) |
| 34.7% | iShares Core Dividend ETF (DIVB) |
| 34.4% | Avantis US Large Cap Value ETF (AVLV) |
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ETF Details
Vanguard Wellington Dividend Gr Actv ETF Overview
Vanguard Wellington Dividend Gr Actv ETF (VDIG) is an actively managed U.S. Equity Large Value exchange-traded fund (ETF). Vanguard launched the ETF in 2025.
The investment seeks to provide a growing stream of income over time and long-term capital appreciation and current income.
The fund employs an active management approach, investing primarily in stocks that tend to offer current dividends. Under normal circumstances, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in dividend growth stocks. The fund seeks to invest broadly across industry sectors. The fund is non-diversified.
About Vanguard Wellington Dividend Gr Actv ETF (VDIG)
There are 2 members of the management team with an average tenure of 0.06 years: G. Thomas Levering (2026) and Timothy Casaletto (2026). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
Vanguard Wellington Dividend Gr Actv ETF has 39 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 42.6% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a nondiversified fund. The ETF is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
Vanguard Wellington Dividend Gr Actv ETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the U.S. Equity ETF group. Vanguard Wellington Dividend Gr Actv ETF has 3.1% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 94.6% There is 3.1% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 0.0% (0.0% domestic bond, 0.0% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). Vanguard Wellington Dividend Gr Actv ETF has 2.3% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $29 million in total assets, which is below the $5 billion average for the Large Value category. Normally, lower assets under management translates to higher average expense ratios, and greater total assets are desired. However, for some investment categories, such as small-cap investing, it may be difficult for the manager to fully employ the desired active strategy if assets grow too large or too quickly.
VDIG Performance and Fees
The expense ratio measures how much of a fund’s assets are used for administrative expenses and operating expenses, including adviser fees and fees for the transfer agent and custodial services. The Vanguard Wellington Dividend Gr Actv ETF expense ratio is average compared to funds in the Large Value category. Vanguard Wellington Dividend Gr Actv ETF has an expense ratio of 0.40%, which is 7% higher than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a C. While it is difficult to predict returns, it is known that high annual expense ratios reduce your rate of return, and excessive fees are difficult to overcome. Active management normally comes with higher expense ratios than passive index management. Certain investment categories such as small company and foreign also normally have higher expense ratios. It is best to compare fund expense ratios against the category averages for meaningful assessments.
High portfolio turnover can translate to higher expenses and lower aftertax returns. Vanguard Wellington Dividend Gr Actv ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 0%, which indicates that it holds its assets around /years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 40% for the Large Value category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, Vanguard Wellington Dividend Gr Actv ETF returned 1.5%, which earned it a grade of D, as the Large Value category had an average return of 2.4%. The letter grades of A, B, C, D and F are based upon relative rankings within the investment category. A grade of A, for example, would indicate that the return is in the highest 20% for that time period compared to all ETFs in that category.
Vanguard Wellington Dividend Gr Actv ETF has a trailing yield of 0.00%, which is below the 1.70% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income annually and its capital gains annually.
It’s natural to seek the best-performing investments, but you must consider the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.
Vanguard Wellington Dividend Gr Actv ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 3.3%, 11.1 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of F.
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VDIG Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 7/31/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| VDIG Return (NAV) | 1.5% | 4.5% | na | na | na | na |
| VDIG Return (Price) | 1.6% | 4.5% | na | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Return | -0.100% | -0.049% | na | na | na | na |
| Large Value Avg | 2.4% | 5.9% | 24.1% | 16.3% | 11.3% | 12.1% |
| VDIG Grade (NAV) | D | D | na | na | na | na |
| +/- Category (NAV) | -0.9% | -1.4% | na | na | na | na |
| VDIG Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | na | na | na | na |
VDIG Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| VDIG Return (NAV) | 3.3% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| VDIG Return (Price) | 3.4% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | 0.018% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Large Value Avg | 14.4% | 14.8% | 15.5% | 13.1% | -6.5% | 26.7% | 5.4% | 27.4% | -6.6% | 17.7% | 15.7% |
| VDIG Grade (NAV) | F | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| +/- Category | -11.1% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | na |
| R-Squared: | na |
| Standard Deviation: | na |
| Category Risk Index: | na |
| Category Risk Rating: | |
| Total Risk Index: | na |
| Total Risk Rating: | |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | -- |
| Total Assets: | $ 30 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 30 Mil |
| Turnover: | na |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.40% |
| Index Fund: | No |
| Index Tracked: | N/A |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 2 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 0.1 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 0.1 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Levering G. Thomas (2026), Casaletto Timothy (2026) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 6/30/26)
| # of Holdings: | 39 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 42.6% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | Yes |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 3.1% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 94.6% |
| Foreign Stock: | 3.1% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 2.3% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | Vanguard |
| Phone Number: | 866-499-8473 |
| Website: | www.vanguard.com |
| Inception Date: | November 14, 2025 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.40% (Rating: Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.37% |