VFWSX Mutual Fund — Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Index Fund Institutional Shares

Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Index Fund Institutional Shares (VFWSX)

Updated October 16, 2026.

VFWSX is a low-cost Mutual Fund. its distribution rate is 2.43%, its trailing-12-month yield is 2.40%, its expense ratio is 0.05%. Dividend Vision Distribution Safety Score™ is 65/100 (Generally safe). Total return is 176.8% over the past 19.6 years, 500.6 points behind SPY at 677.4%.

Vanguard's mutual fund tracks the FTSE All-World ex-US Index through a full replication strategy, holding stocks from developed and emerging markets outside the United States in the same proportions as the index. The fund carries a low expense ratio of 0.05% and distributes income at a modest current rate. It appeals to investors seeking broad international equity exposure with minimal costs and no specific income focus.

VFWSX performance versus SPY

Price and return data through 2026-10-16.

Total return is 176.8% over the past 19.6 years, 500.6 points behind SPY at 677.4%. Over the past year its total return — price change plus distributions reinvested — is 15.8%. Its deepest 1-year drawdown was 11.3%.

VFWSX key facts

Distribution Safety Score™

65 · Generally safe

Safety-Adjusted Yield

1.58%

Issuer

Vanguard

Asset type

Mutual Fund

Asset class

Equity

Expense ratio

0.05%

Distribution rate

2.43%

Distribution frequency

Quarterly

Trailing yield

2.40%

Last close

$160.40 (as of 2026-10-16)

NAV

$168.64 as of 2026-09-30; source eodhd (stale)

Premium / discount

N/A (price 2026-10-16, NAV 2026-09-30) (NAV stale)

AUM

$37,312,897,024

Average volume

0.0

Dividend

$0.384

Ex-dividend date

09/18/2026

Beta

0.91

How Dividend Vision calculates yield and returns

Distribution rate (2.43%) uses calculation basis unavailable. Issuer rates can use a different denominator and date, including ex-date NAV. Trailing-12-month yield (2.40%) is the sum of split-adjusted cash distributions with ex-dates in the last 12 months, divided by the published price. It lags a recent raise or cut. Total return uses split-adjusted close with distributions reinvested on the ex-dividend date (a modeling convention, not the cash-settlement date) from the first stored bar on or after inception through the latest bar, compared with the same window on the benchmark. That is the security's total return, not your personal gain/loss.

Yield and safety methodology · Distribution rate methodology · Distribution Safety Score methodology

Sources and review

Primary sources: Vanguard or company page; prices and distributions from Dividend Vision, derived from vendor EOD data.

Reviewed by Bert Sweet, CEO and Co-owner of Dividend Vision. Methodology: Distribution Safety Score.

VFWSX risks and drawbacks

VFWSX's current distribution rate is moderate, not a high-yield payout — the strategy is dividend quality more than maximum income. Payments are quarterly, so cash flow is lumpy versus a monthly fund. Total return has trailed SPY over the available window. The deepest 1-year drawdown on record here is 11.3%.

Who may consider VFWSX — and who may not

VFWSX may suit someone looking for low-cost broad dividend exposure, moderate current income with a quality tilt. It is a weaker fit for investors who need monthly cash flow (VFWSX pays quarterly); investors hunting double-digit covered-call yields; investors whose main goal is matching SPY total return. This is educational context, not a recommendation to buy or sell.

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Frequently asked questions

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