VSMAX Mutual Fund — Vanguard Small Cap Index Fund Admiral Shares

Vanguard Small Cap Index Fund Admiral Shares (VSMAX)

Updated October 16, 2026.

VSMAX is a low-cost Mutual Fund. its distribution rate is 1.24%, its trailing-12-month yield is 1.27%, its expense ratio is 0.05%. Dividend Vision Distribution Safety Score™ is 100/100 (Safe). Its deepest 1-year drawdown was 9.0%.

Vanguard Small Cap Index Fund Admiral Shares is a mutual fund that tracks the CRSP U.S. Small Cap Index by holding a broadly diversified portfolio of small-cap U.S. company stocks in the same proportions as the index. The fund has a modest current distribution rate and pays distributions quarterly, with an expense ratio of 0.05%. It appeals to equity investors seeking low-cost, diversified exposure to the small-cap segment of the U.S. stock market.

VSMAX performance

Returns are updating. VSMAX's total return appears here after the next nightly update.

Its deepest 1-year drawdown was 9.0%.

VSMAX key facts

Distribution Safety Score™

100 · Safe

Safety-Adjusted Yield

1.24%

Issuer

Vanguard

Asset type

Mutual Fund

Asset class

Equity

Inception date

10/03/1960

Expense ratio

0.05%

Distribution rate

1.24%

Distribution frequency

Quarterly

Trailing yield

1.27%

Last close

$136.21 (as of 2026-10-16)

NAV

$138.54 as of 2026-09-30; source eodhd (stale)

Premium / discount

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

AUM

$175,772,310,000

Average volume

0.0

Dividend

$0.40

Ex-dividend date

09/28/2026

Payment date

09/29/2026

Beta

1.11

How Dividend Vision calculates yield and returns

Distribution rate (1.24%) uses calculation basis unavailable. Issuer rates can use a different denominator and date, including ex-date NAV. Trailing-12-month yield (1.27%) 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.

VSMAX risks and drawbacks

VSMAX'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. The deepest 1-year drawdown on record here is 9.0%.

Who may consider VSMAX — and who may not

VSMAX may suit someone looking for low-cost broad dividend exposure, a high Distribution Safety Score. It is a weaker fit for investors who need monthly cash flow (VSMAX pays quarterly); investors hunting double-digit covered-call yields. This is educational context, not a recommendation to buy or sell.

More on VSMAX

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Tagged: Mutual Fund.

Frequently asked questions

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