Want to invest outside of Canadian and American stocks? The Vanguard VIU ETF could be an ideal solution for you.
This ETF presents Canadian investors with a broader scope for investing outside the standard North American stocks.
In this Vanguard VIU ETF review, I will look closer at the product to help you understand why it might be the right pick for you.
Our Verdict
9/10Our Score
Vanguard VIU
ex-North American ETF
Allows you to diversify your investments in developed economies worldwide besides Canada and North America.
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Pros
- Diversified exposure beyond Canadian and American stocks
- You don’t need to monitor individual equities
- Manages your funds to track the performance of developed markets beyond North America
- Follows a passively managed full-replication approach
Cons
- Fees for management
Table of Contents show
What is the Vanguard VIU ETF?
The Vanguard VIU ETF is a Canadian ETF offered by Vanguard Canada since December 1, 2015.
The investment strategy for the Vanguard VIU ETF is fairly straightforward: it offers exposure to the developed world outside of North America.
Its main focus is to track the FTSE Developed All Cap ex North America Index, which consists of small, mid, and large-cap stocks from developed countries, excluding North America.
Many all-in-one portfolios trading on the TSX have some holdings from VIU. Tracking the FTSE Developed All Cap ex North America Index to the extent possible, VIU employs a full-replication strategy that is passively managed.
It uses cost-effective and efficient index management techniques to align with investing goals. VIU’s net assets as of July 8, 2022, are $2.84 Billion.
VIU.TO is currently trading at close to $32.04.
Vanguard VIU Key Facts
As of October 06, 2023:
- Ticker Symbol:VIU.TO
- Exchange:Toronto Stock Exchange
- Assets Under Management:$3.34 Billion
- MER:0.23%
- 12-Month Trailing Yield:2.78%
- Currency Traded:CAD
- Eligible Accounts:Most registered (TFSA, RRSP, etc) and non-registered available
Vanguard VIU MER
Vanguard VIU has a management fee of 0.20% and a Management Expense Ratio (MER) of 0.23%. The MER is much lower with Vanguard VIU compared to any traditional mutual fund products offered by large financial institutions.
Despite the lower management expense ratio, VIU ETF offers you a professionally managed strategy to track the performance of international markets.
Vanguard VIU Dividends
As of August 31, 2023:
- 12-month trailing yield: 2.78%
- Distribution yield: 5.55%
- Dividend schedule: Quarterly
Vanguard VIU ETF Performance
Vanguard VIU ETF tracks the performance of the FTSE Developed All Cap ex North America Index as closely as possible. The fund has a very low tracking error margin of 0.18% and has managed to track the index very closely since its inception. The performance has been up and down over the five years of the fund since its inception.
Here is a better look at the fund’s performance as of June 30, 2022:
Showing 31 Dec 2015 – 30 Sep 2023
| Fund Type | Month End | YTD | 1YR | 3YR | 5YR | 10YR | Since Inception |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VIU (Market Price) | −3.52% | +6.65% | +22.92% | +5.29% | +3.65% | — | +4.66% |
| VIU (NAV) | −3.68% | +6.28% | +22.87% | +5.27% | +3.62% | — | +4.66% |
| Benchmark | −3.67% | +6.28% | +22.95% | +5.31% | +3.67% | +6.68% | +4.69% |
Go to the Vanguard website forreal-time performance numbers of VIU.
What does Vanguard VIU Invest in?
Vanguard VIU tracks, as closely as possible, the FTSE Developed All Cap ex North America Index before fees and expenses. The Index is a broad and internationally diversified equity index that includes companies of all market capitalizations from developed nations besides Canada and North America.
The index effectively allows Canadian investors to truly bank on the international market movements of developed countries without exposure to North American markets.
It can be an ideal solution for investors who may already have investments in Canadian and American equities and diversify their investments further.
Vanguard VIU uses a cost-effective strategy to very closely track the performance of the FTSE Developed All Cap ex North America Index.
Vanguard VIU Portfolio Characteristics
As of August 31, 2022:
| Fundamentals | Fund | Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Stocks | 3,862 | 3,803 |
| Median Market Cap | $46.9 B | $47.7 B |
| Price / Earnings Ratio | 12.7 x | 12.8 x |
| Price / Book Ratio | 1.6 x | 1.6 x |
| Return on Equity | 11.5% | 11.5% |
| Earnings Growth Rate | 8.1% | 8.0% |
Vanguard VIU Market Capitalization
As of August 31, 2023:
| Capitalization | Fund | Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Large | 70.30% | 70.50% |
| Medium/Large | 3.97% | 3.97% |
| Medium | 13.02% | 12.97% |
| Medium/Small | 5.16% | 5.13% |
| Small | 7.44% | 7.42% |
| Total | 99.89% | 99.99% |
Vanguard VIU Region Exposure
As of August 31, 2023:
| Region | Fund | Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 0.29% | — |
| Pacific | 40.13% | 40.14% |
| Europe | 58.93% | 59.22% |
| Middle East | 0.64% | 0.64% |
| North America | 0.01% | — |
| Total | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Vanguard VIU ETF Sector Weighting
The Vanguard VIU ETF has a portfolio of investments diversified across market capitalizations and various sectors of the economy. While Industrials account for the most significant portion of its sector weighting, it is followed closely by Financials, Consumer Discretionary, and then Health Care sectors.
Here is a better look at Vanguard VIU’s sector weighting as of the close of August 31, 2023:
| Sector | Fund |
|---|---|
| Industrials | 18.01% |
| Financials | 17.01% |
| Consumer Discretionary | 14.66% |
| Health Care | 12.03% |
| Consumer Staples | 8.34% |
| Technology | 8.19% |
| Basic Materials | 6.81% |
| Energy | 4.38% |
| Telecommunications | 4.19% |
| Real Estate | 3.24% |
| Utilities | 3.13% |
| Total | 100.0% |
Vanguard VIU ETF Market Allocation
Vanguard VIU ETF provides investors with highly diversified exposure to developed markets worldwide. Its most significant exposure is in Japan, followed by the UK, and then Switzerland. Here is a better look at Vanguard VIU’s market allocation as of August 31, 2023.
| Country | Region | Fund | Benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | Pacific | 23.7% | 23.7% |
| United Kingdom | Europe | 14.4% | 14.4% |
| France | Europe | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| Switzerland | Europe | 8.7% | 8.7% |
| Germany | Europe | 7.5% | 7.5% |
| Australia | Pacific | 7.4% | 7.4% |
| South Korea | Pacific | 5.2% | 5.2% |
| Netherlands | Europe | 3.8% | 3.8% |
| Sweden | Europe | 2.9% | 2.9% |
| Denmark | Europe | 2.8% | 2.8% |
| Total | 86.3% | 86.6% |
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Vanguard VIU ETF Holdings
Vanguard VIU ETF’s top ten holdings make up approximately 11% of its total holdings. Its most significant holding is Nestle SA, followed closely by Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., and then Roche Holding AG.
Here is a better look at Vanguard VIU ETF’s top ten holdings.
As of August 31, 2023:
| Holding Name | % of Market Value | Sector |
|---|---|---|
| Nestle SA | 1.7 % | Food Products |
| Novo Nordisk A/S | 1.5 % | Pharmaceuticals |
| Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. | 1.4 % | Computer Hardware |
| ASML Holding NV | 1.4 % | Production Technology Equipment |
| Roche Holding AG | 1.1 % | Pharmaceuticals |
| LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE | 1.1 % | Manufacturing |
| Shell plc | 1.1 % | Integrated Oil and Gas |
| Toyota Motor Corp. | 1.1 % | Automobiles |
| Novartis AG | 1.1 % | Pharmaceuticals |
| AstraZeneca plc | 1.1 % | Pharmaceuticals |
Vanguard VIU Risk and Volatility
As of August 31, 2023:
| Fund Type | R-Squared | BETA | ALPHA | Standard Deviation | Sharpe Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fund | 1.00 | 1.00 | − 0.00 | 14.20% | 0.36 |
| Benchmark | — | — | — | 14.21% | 0.36 |
Who should buy VIU?
There are several reasons you could consider buying the Vanguard VIU ETF, including:
- You are seeking a low-fee passive investing solution that has nothing to do with the Canadian or American stock markets.
- You understand that the ETF might not help you leverage the growth of local markets when other markets are performing poorly compared to North American stock markets.
- You want to invest solely in markets from developed economies worldwide.
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Conclusion
Vanguard VIU ETF is one of the many unique funds from Vanguard that does what it says: It tracks the FTSE Developed All Cap ex North America Index. If you are a passive investor who wants to diversify beyond equities that you may already own individually or through other funds, VIU could make an excellent pick.
I personally like Vanguard VIU for that very reason. As good as it is to have exposure to Canadian and American equities, I feel it is important to diversify my investment beyond the borders to developed economies elsewhere.
