Vaughan Nelson Global Equity SMID Fund - Active ETF
Performance
Total return to 23 Oct 2026, distributions reinvested, before franking. ASX figures are to 30 Sept 2026 and gross of franking, so they run higher for franked Australian funds.
What it costs to hold
Management fee plus trading costs, compared with similar funds.
A typical fund among Global ex-Australia equity funds would cost $296 (0.59% a year), so VNGS is $316 dearer.
Spread is the average gap between buying and selling prices on the ASX. Fees are shown on a flat balance, not compounded on growth. Excludes tax and any adviser or platform fees.
Calendar-year returns
Where the money is
The issuer does not publish machine-readable holdings for this fund, so exposures and holdings overlap are not available. Return correlations still are.
Monthly returns
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1.4 | 2.5 | −6.6 | 5.1 | 1.4 | 5.6 | −1.9 | 0.5 | −1.3 | −2.6 | 3.3YTD | ||
| 2025 | 5.4 | −4.8 | −2.2 | −2.6 | 5.6 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 3.2 | −0.6 | 3.1 | 0.5 | −1.1 | 15.8 |
| 2024 | 1.8 | 5.7 | 3.7 | −4.5 | 0.0 | −1.0 | 6.8 | −3.2 | −0.7 | 2.3 | 5.8 | −3.1 | 13.7 |
| 2023 | 0.0 | 6.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 3.4 | 0.0 | −1.8 | −1.5 | 3.7 | 15.4 |
| 2022 | −5.5 | 4.7 | 1.9 | −0.0 | −4.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | −3.6 |
Total return each month in %, distributions reinvested, before franking. The latest month runs to the last price date. The first year starts from listing.
Most similar funds
Overlap is the share of the portfolio held in common, look-through. Correlation is of daily returns. High overlap means close substitutes.
VNGS questions answered
Written from the latest data on this page. General information only, not financial advice.
How diversified is Vaughan Nelson Global Equity SMID Fund - Active ETF?
The issuer of Vaughan Nelson Global Equity SMID Fund - Active ETF doesn't publish its holdings in a form we can read, so we can't measure how diversified it is. It is classed as equity with a Global ex-Australia focus; the product disclosure statement (PDS) and the issuer's fact sheet list what it owns.
Which ETFs does VNGS double up with most?
We can't compare holdings for VNGS, as the issuer doesn't publish them in a form we can read, but its returns move most closely with Betashares Wealthbuilder All Gr Geared Complex ETF (GHHF) (correlation 0.71). A correlation near 1 means the two funds tend to rise and fall together, so holding both adds little diversification.
How is Vaughan Nelson Global Equity SMID Fund - Active ETF managed – active or passive?
Vaughan Nelson Global Equity SMID Fund - Active ETF is actively managed. Rather than tracking an index, a fund manager at Vaughan / IML decides what to buy and sell, aiming to do better than the market after fees.
Among Global ex-Australia equity funds, active funds charge a median 0.75% a year and index funds 0.45%.
What will I pay in fees for VNGS?
VNGS charges a management fee of 1.12% a year, about $112 for every $10,000 invested. Only 7% of the 471 ASX ETFs we track charge more, and the median fee is 0.44%. Among Global ex-Australia equity funds, the median is 0.55%.
Lower-cost funds with a similar focus include VanEck MSCI International Quality ETF (QUAL) at 0.40%, VanEck MSCI International Quality (AUD Hedged) ETF (QHAL) at 0.43% and VanEck MSCI International Small Companies Quality ETF (QSML) at 0.59%.
The fee is taken from the fund's assets and is already reflected in its returns. You'll also pay brokerage when you buy or sell, and the bid-ask spread, which has averaged 0.52% for VNGS.
Does Vaughan Nelson Global Equity SMID Fund - Active ETF follow a theme?
No. Vaughan Nelson Global Equity SMID Fund - Active ETF is a broad equity fund: it aims to cover a wide slice of its market (Global ex-Australia) rather than one theme or sector.
What is under the hood of VNGS?
The issuer doesn't publish VNGS's holdings in a form we can read. Its website and fact sheet list the full portfolio.
As an active fund it has no index rule: the manager decides which investments to hold and how much of each, within the limits set out in the PDS.
How well has Vaughan Nelson Global Equity SMID Fund - Active ETF performed?
Based on its category, Vaughan Nelson Global Equity SMID Fund - Active ETF aims to grow your capital faster than its market after fees.
To 23 Oct 2026, with distributions reinvested, it returned 3.9% over 1 year (median 6.3%; ranked 74 of 121) and 11.6% a year over 3 years (median 16.8% a year; ranked 65 of 82). The medians and rankings compare it with Global ex-Australia equity funds. Since listing in 2022 it has returned 9.9% a year.
As an active fund, VNGS has no index to track. The fairer test is whether it beats similar funds and its market after fees, over several years.
Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.