ETF Evaluator:
Vanguard FTSE Pacific ETF (VPL)
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(as of Aug 03)
Best Performing in Focused Region Over the Last Year
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ETF Details
Vanguard FTSE Pacific ETF Overview
Vanguard FTSE Pacific ETF (VPL) is a passively managed International Equity Focused Region exchange-traded fund (ETF). Vanguard launched the ETF in 2005.
The investment seeks to track the performance of a benchmark index that measures the investment return of stocks issued by companies located in the major markets of the Pacific region.
The fund employs an indexing investment approach designed to track the performance of the Target Index, a market-capitalization weighted index that is made up of common stocks of companies located in European countries. Under normal circumstances, it invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in the stocks that make up the Target Index.
About Vanguard FTSE Pacific ETF (VPL)
There are 3 members of the management team with an average tenure of 7.35 years: Jeffrey Miller (2016), Nicole Brubaker (2025) and Michael Perre (2016). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 2 primary benchmarks: FTSE Global All Cap ex US TR USD index with a weighting of 100% and FTSE Dvlp Asia Pacific AC(US RIC)NR USD index with a weighting of 100%. Vanguard FTSE Pacific ETF has 2335 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 25.2% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a diversified fund. The ETF is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
Vanguard FTSE Pacific ETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the International Equity ETF group. Vanguard FTSE Pacific ETF has 97.8% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 0.2% There is 97.8% 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 FTSE Pacific ETF has 2.0% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $8 billion in total assets, which is above the $1 billion average for the Focused Region 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.
VPL 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 FTSE Pacific ETF expense ratio is low compared to funds in the Focused Region category. Vanguard FTSE Pacific ETF has an expense ratio of 0.07%, which is 86% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a A. 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 FTSE Pacific ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 7%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.1 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 26% for the Focused Region category.
Recently, in the month of June 2026, Vanguard FTSE Pacific ETF returned -0.3%, which earned it a grade of B, as the Focused Region category had an average return of -2.1%. 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 FTSE Pacific ETF has a trailing yield of 2.61%, which is below the 5.65% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income quarterly 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 FTSE Pacific ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 28.0%, 18.9 percentage points better than the category, which translates into a grade of A. The fund has returned 45.7% over the past year (grade of A), 22.3% over the past three years (grade of B) and 10.5% per year over the past five years (grade of B) and 10.7% per year over the past 10 years (grade of B).
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VPL Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 6/30/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| VPL Return (NAV) | -0.3% | 19.2% | 45.7% | 22.3% | 10.5% | 10.7% |
| VPL Return (Price) | -0.4% | 18.4% | 45.6% | 22.2% | 10.4% | 10.7% |
| NAV +/- Price Return | 0.087% | 0.821% | 0.107% | 0.149% | 0.036% | 0.005% |
| Focused Region Avg | -2.1% | 5.8% | 27.1% | 86.8% | 8.6% | 8.7% |
| VPL Grade (NAV) | B | A | A | B | B | B |
| +/- Category (NAV) | 1.8% | 13.4% | 18.6% | -64.5% | 1.9% | 2.0% |
| VPL Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 1.3% | 1.0% | 1.0% | 0.9% |
VPL Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 6/30/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| VPL Return (NAV) | 28.0% | 33.2% | 1.3% | 15.6% | -15.2% | 1.5% | 16.6% | 17.6% | -13.9% | 28.6% | 5.3% |
| VPL Return (Price) | 28.0% | 32.6% | 1.7% | 15.6% | -15.2% | 1.1% | 16.7% | 18.2% | -14.4% | 28.9% | 5.4% |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | -0.001% | -0.016% | 0.323% | 0.000% | 0.000% | -0.258% | 0.005% | 3.1% | 3.9% | 0.9% | 0.7% |
| Focused Region Avg | 9.1% | 40.1% | 7.5% | 33.4% | -15.0% | 8.3% | 3.6% | 20.0% | -13.7% | 26.4% | 13.0% |
| VPL Grade (NAV) | A | C | C | C | C | D | A | C | C | B | C |
| +/- Category | 18.9% | -6.9% | -6.2% | -17.9% | -0.2% | -6.8% | 13.0% | -2.4% | -0.1% | 2.2% | -7.7% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 1.10 |
| R-Squared: | 89% |
| Standard Deviation: | 16.3% |
| Category Risk Index: | 0.20 |
| Category Risk Rating: | Below Average |
| Total Risk Index: | 1.34 |
| Total Risk Rating: | Above Average |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 2.6% |
| Total Assets: | $ 13,811 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 8,591 Mil |
| Turnover: | 7.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.07% |
| Index Fund: | Yes |
| Index Tracked: | FTSE Global All Cap ex US TR USD |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Quarterly |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 3 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 10.4 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 7.4 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Miller Jeffrey (2016), Perre Michael (2016), Brubaker Nicole (2025) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 5/31/26)
| # of Holdings: | 2335 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 25.2% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 97.8% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 0.2% |
| Foreign Stock: | 97.8% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 2.0% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | Vanguard |
| Phone Number: | 866-499-8473 |
| Website: | www.vanguard.com |
| Inception Date: | March 4, 2005 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.07% (Rating: Low) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.52% |