What Is VOT? Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth ETF

VOT is the Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth ETF, a low-cost index fund that holds roughly 130 mid-sized US companies screened for growth characteristics. It tracks the CRSP US Mid Cap Growth Index and charges just 0.05% a year, making it one of the cheapest ways to own this part of the market.

Mid-cap growth sits between the mega-cap growth leaders of the S&P 500 and the smaller companies in small-cap funds. VOT targets that middle band, tilted toward businesses with faster sales and earnings growth and higher valuations than the broad market.

Approximate weights as of mid-2026; refresh quarterly from Vanguard's fund page. Each ticker links to its individual stock guide in Walnut.

VOT holds around 130 companies, with the top ten making up roughly 20% of assets and no single position much above 2.5%. Recent top holdings include Constellation Energy, Howmet Aerospace, Robinhood Markets, DoorDash, Vertiv Holdings, TransDigm, Seagate Technology, and Quanta Services.

The sector mix leans toward industrials, technology, energy infrastructure, and consumer discretionary, reflecting where mid-cap growth companies cluster. It holds far less of the cheap financials and utilities that anchor value funds like VOE.

The most direct comparison is VOE, Vanguard's Mid-Cap Value ETF. Both charge 0.05%, but VOT holds growth stocks while VOE holds value stocks, so they perform differently across cycles. Investors who want the full mid-cap market sometimes pair the two or own VO, Vanguard's blended Mid-Cap ETF.

Against rival mid-cap growth ETFs from providers like iShares, VOT competes mainly on cost and Vanguard's scale. Its 0.05% fee is at or near the bottom of the category, which compounds into a real advantage over long holding periods.

VOT's returns closely track its underlying growth index, minus the small fee. Because it emphasizes growth stocks, it has tended to lead during growth-driven rallies and lag during periods when value is in favor or when higher-multiple stocks sell off.

Growth can be rewarding but also more volatile, and no one can reliably predict when the style will lead. VOT's value is in giving cheap, rules-based access to mid-cap growth, letting the index define which companies qualify rather than a manager's judgment.

VOT can suit long-term investors who want to add a growth tilt or fill a mid-cap gap in a portfolio built around large-cap index funds. Its ultra-low fee and broad diversification make it a reasonable core or satellite holding.

Walnut is not an investment adviser, and whether VOT fits depends on your goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance. Growth stocks can swing more than the broad market and fall harder in downturns, so weigh VOT against your full plan rather than in isolation.

VOT trades like any stock during market hours, so you can buy it through brokerages such as Robinhood, Fidelity, Schwab, or Public, most of which support fractional shares if you want to start small. No Vanguard account is required to own it.

If you connect your brokerage to Walnut, you can track VOT inside a thematic basket alongside your other positions, watch how it is doing, and see how it fits your target weights. Walnut helps you track and understand your holdings, while trades are placed and settled at your own broker.

VOT delivers cheap, diversified access to mid-cap growth stocks for 0.05% a year, among the lowest fees in its category. It fits best as a long-term core or satellite holding for investors who want a growth tilt in the middle of the market, accepting that growth can be more volatile than value.

Whether VOT is worth buying today depends more on your time horizon and what you already hold than on any single call. We walk through valuation, concentration, and what would have to be true for it to outperform from here in is VOT a buy?

VOT yields ~0.6% as of mid-2026, paid by passing through the dividends of its underlying holdings. For the payout schedule, history, and how the distributions are taxed, see VOT dividend: yield and schedule.