Form 485BPOS VANGUARD SPECIALIZED
| SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION | |
| Washington, D.C. 20549 | |
| Form N-1A | |
| REGISTRATION STATEMENT (NO. 2-88116) | |
| UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 | [X] |
| Pre-Effective Amendment No. | [ ] |
| Post-Effective Amendment No. 88 | [X] |
| and | |
| REGISTRATION STATEMENT (NO. 811-03916) UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT | |
| OF 1940 | |
| Amendment No. 91 | [X] |
| VANGUARD SPECIALIZED FUNDS | |
| (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Declaration of Trust) | |
| P.O. Box 2600, Valley Forge, PA 19482 | |
| (Address of Principal Executive Office) | |
| Registrants Telephone Number (610) 669-1000 | |
| Anne E. Robinson, Esquire | |
| P.O. Box 876 | |
| Valley Forge, PA 19482 | |
| Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering: | |
| It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box) | |
| [ ] immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) | |
| [ X] on May 25, 2017 pursuant to paragraph (b) | |
| [ ] 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) | |
| [ ] on(date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) | |
| [ ] 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) | |
| [ ] on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of rule 485 | |
| If appropriate, check the following box: | |
| [ ] This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed | |
| post-effective amendment. | |
| Vanguard Energy Fund |
| Prospectus |
| May 25, 2017 |
| Investor Shares & Admiral Shares |
| Vanguard Energy Fund Investor Shares (VGENX) |
| Vanguard Energy Fund Admiral Shares (VGELX) |
| This prospectus contains financial data for the Fund through the fiscal year ended January 31, 2017. |
| The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or |
| passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. |
| Contents | |||
| Fund Summary | 1 | Investing With Vanguard | 27 |
| More on the Fund | 7 | Purchasing Shares | 27 |
| The Fund and Vanguard | 17 | Converting Shares | 30 |
| Investment Advisors | 18 | Redeeming Shares | 31 |
| Dividends, Capital Gains, and Taxes | 19 | Exchanging Shares | 35 |
| Share Price | 22 | Frequent-Trading Limitations | 35 |
| Financial Highlights | 24 | Other Rules You Should Know | 38 |
| Fund and Account Updates | 42 | ||
| Employer-Sponsored Plans | 43 | ||
| Contacting Vanguard | 44 | ||
| Additional Information | 45 | ||
| Glossary of Investment Terms | 46 | ||
Fund Summary
Investment Objective
The Fund seeks to provide long-term capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold Investor Shares or Admiral Shares of the Fund.
| Shareholder Fees | ||
| (Fees paid directly from your investment) | ||
| Investor Shares | Admiral Shares | |
| Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases | None | None |
| Purchase Fee | None | None |
| Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends | None | None |
| Redemption Fee | None | None |
| Account Service Fee (for certain fund account balances below | $20/year | $20/year |
| $10,000) |
| Annual Fund Operating Expenses | ||
| (Expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | ||
| Investor Shares | Admiral Shares | |
| Management Fees | 0.37% | 0.30% |
| 12b-1 Distribution Fee | None | None |
| Other Expenses | 0.04% | 0.03% |
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.41% | 0.33% |
1
Examples
The following examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Funds Investor Shares or Admiral Shares with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. They illustrate the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over various periods if you were to invest $10,000 in the Funds shares. These examples assume that the shares provide a return of 5% each year and that total annual fund operating expenses remain as stated in the preceding table. You would incur these hypothetical expenses whether or not you redeem your investment at the end of the given period. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
| 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years | |
| Investor Shares | $42 | $132 | $230 | $518 |
| Admiral Shares | $34 | $106 | $185 | $418 |
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or turns over its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in more taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the previous expense examples, reduce the Funds performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Funds portfolio turnover rate was 29% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in the common stocks of companies principally engaged in activities in the energy industry, such as the exploration, production, and transmission of energy or energy fuels; the making and servicing of component products for such activities; energy research; and energy conservation or pollution control. The Fund may invest in foreign stocks as part of its principal investment strategy. The Fund uses multiple investment advisors.
2
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund could lose money over short or even long periods. You should expect the Funds share price and total return to fluctuate within a wide range. The Fund is subject to the following risks, which could affect the Funds performance:
Industry concentration risk, which is the chance that there will be particular problems affecting an entire industry. Any fund that concentrates in a particular industry will generally be more volatile than a fund that invests more broadly. Because the Fund normally invests at least 80% of its assets in the common stocks of companies principally engaged in activities in the energy industry, the Funds performance largely dependsfor better or for worseon the overall condition of the energy industry. The energy industry could be adversely affected by energy prices, supply-and-demand for energy resources, and various political, regulatory, and economic factors. Additionally, commodity prices may have a significant impact on the stock prices of energy companies.
Stock market risk, which is the chance that stock prices overall will decline. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. The Funds investments in foreign stocks can be riskier than U.S. stock investments. Foreign stocks tend to be more volatile and less liquid than U.S. stocks. The prices of foreign stocks and the prices of U.S. stocks may move in opposite directions.
Manager risk, which is the chance that poor security selection will cause the Fund to underperform relevant benchmarks or other funds with a similar investment objective.
Country risk, which is the chance that world eventssuch as political upheaval, financial troubles, or natural disasterswill adversely affect the value of securities issued by companies in foreign countries.
Currency risk, which is the chance that the value of a foreign investment, measured in U.S. dollars, will decrease because of unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates.
Asset concentration risk, which is the chance that, because the Fund tends to invest a high percentage of assets in its ten largest holdings, the Funds performance may be hurt disproportionately by the poor performance of relatively few stocks.
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
3
Annual Total Returns
The following bar chart and table are intended to help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the performance of the Funds Investor Shares has varied from one calendar year to another over the periods shown. The table shows how the average annual total returns of the share classes presented compare with those of relevant market indexes and a comparative benchmark, which have investment characteristics similar to those of the Fund. MSCI ACWI Energy Index returns are adjusted for withholding taxes. Returns for the Global Natural Resources Funds Average are derived from data provided by Lipper, a Thomson Reuters Company. Keep in mind that the Funds past performance (before and after taxes) does not indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available on our website at vanguard.com/performance or by calling Vanguard toll-free at 800-662-7447.
Annual Total Returns Vanguard Energy Fund Investor Shares1
1 The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on March 31, 2017, was 4.01%.
During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a calendar quarter was 21.05% (quarter ended June 30, 2008), and the lowest return for a quarter was 30.47% (quarter ended September 30, 2008).
4
| Average Annual Total Returns for Periods Ended December 31, 2016 | |||
| 1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | |
| Vanguard Energy Fund Investor Shares | |||
| Return Before Taxes | 33.10% | 1.67% | 2.75% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions | 32.44 | 0.73 | 1.81 |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | 19.11 | 1.24 | 2.23 |
| Vanguard Energy Fund Admiral Shares | |||
| Return Before Taxes | 33.18% | 1.74% | 2.82% |
| Comparative Benchmarks | |||
| MSCI ACWI Energy Index | |||
| (reflects no deduction for fees or expenses) | 27.66% | 0.01% | 1.08% |
| Standard & Poor's Energy Sector Index | |||
| (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) | 27.36 | 3.92 | 4.30 |
| Spliced Energy Index | |||
| (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) | 27.66 | 0.01 | 1.20 |
| Global Natural Resources Funds Average | |||
| (reflects no deduction for taxes) | 22.42 | 1.81 | 1.23 |
Actual after-tax returns depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown in the preceding table. When after-tax returns are calculated, it is assumed that the shareholder was in the highest individual federal marginal income tax bracket at the time of each distribution of income or capital gains or upon redemption. State and local income taxes are not reflected in the calculations. Please note that after-tax returns are shown only for the Investor Shares and may differ for each share class. After-tax returns are not relevant for a shareholder who holds fund shares in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan. Also, figures captioned Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may be higher than other figures for the same period if a capital loss occurs upon redemption and results in an assumed tax deduction for the shareholder.
5
Investment Advisors
Wellington Management Company LLP (Wellington Management)
The Vanguard Group, Inc. (Vanguard)
Portfolio Managers
Gregory J. LeBlanc, CFA, Senior Managing Director and Global Industry Analyst of Wellington Management. He has co-managed a portion of the Fund since 2015.
James P. Stetler, Principal of Vanguard. He has co-managed a portion of the Fund since 2012.
Binbin Guo, Ph.D., Principal of Vanguard and head of Equity Research and Portfolio Strategies of Vanguards Quantitative Equity Group. He has co-managed a portion of the Fund since 2016.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may purchase or redeem shares online through our website (vanguard.com), by mail (The Vanguard Group, P.O. Box 1110, Valley Forge, PA 19482-1110), or by telephone (800-662-2739). The minimum investment amount required to open and maintain a Fund account for Investor Shares or Admiral Shares is $3,000 or $50,000, respectively. The minimum investment amount required to add to an existing Fund account is generally $1. Institutional, financial intermediary, and Vanguard retail managed clients should contact Vanguard for information on special eligibility rules that may apply to them regarding Admiral Shares. If you are investing through an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, your plan administrator or your benefits office can provide you with detailed information on how to participate in your plan.
Tax Information
The Funds distributions may be taxable as ordinary income or capital gain. If you are investing through a tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA or an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, special tax rules apply.
Payments to Financial Intermediaries
The Fund and its investment advisors do not pay financial intermediaries for sales of Fund shares.
6
More on the Fund
This prospectus describes the principal risks you would face as a Fund shareholder. It is important to keep in mind one of the main axioms of investing: generally, the higher the risk of losing money, the higher the potential reward. The reverse, also, is generally true: the lower the risk, the lower the potential reward. As you consider an investment in any mutual fund, you should take into account your personal tolerance
for fluctuations in the securities markets. Look for this
symbol throughout the
prospectus. It is used to mark detailed information about the more significant risks that you would confront as a Fund shareholder. To highlight terms and concepts important to mutual fund investors, we have provided Plain Talk® explanations along the way. Reading the prospectus will help you decide whether the Fund is the right investment for you. We suggest that you keep this prospectus for future reference.
Share Class Overview
The Fund offers two separate classes of shares: Investor Shares and Admiral Shares.
Both share classes offered by the Fund have the same investment objective, strategies, and policies. However, different share classes have different expenses; as a result, their investment performances will differ.
| Plain Talk About Fund Expenses |
| All mutual funds have operating expenses. These expenses, which are deducted |
| from a funds gross income, are expressed as a percentage of the net assets of |
| the fund. Assuming that operating expenses remain as stated in the Fees and |
| Expenses section, Vanguard Energy Funds expense ratios would be as follows: |
| for Investor Shares, 0.41%, or $4.10 per $1,000 of average net assets; for |
| Admiral Shares, 0.33%, or $3.30 per $1,000 of average net assets. The average |
| expense ratio for global natural resources funds in 2016 was 1.43%, or $14.30 per |
| $1,000 of average net assets (derived from data provided by Lipper, a Thomson |
| Reuters Company, which reports on the mutual fund industry). |
| Plain Talk About Costs of Investing |
| Costs are an important consideration in choosing a mutual fund. That is because |
| you, as a shareholder, pay a proportionate share of the costs of operating a fund, |
| plus any transaction costs incurred when the fund buys or sells securities. These |
| costs can erode a substantial portion of the gross income or the capital |
| appreciation a fund achieves. Even seemingly small differences in expenses can, |
| over time, have a dramatic effect on a funds performance. |
7
The following sections explain the principal investment strategies and policies that the Fund uses in pursuit of its objective. The Funds board of trustees, which oversees the Funds management, may change investment strategies or policies in the interest of shareholders without a shareholder vote, unless those strategies or policies are designated as fundamental. The Funds policy of investing at least 80% of its assets in companies principally engaged in activities in the energy industry may be changed only upon 60 days notice to shareholders.
Market Exposure
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in the common stocks of companies principally engaged in activities in the energy industry, such as the exploration, production, and transmission of energy or energy fuels; the making and servicing of component products for such activities; energy research; and energy conservation or pollution control.
The Fund is subject to industry concentration risk, which is the chance that there will be particular problems affecting an entire industry. Any fund that concentrates in a particular industry will generally be more volatile than a fund that invests more broadly. Because the Fund normally invests at least 80% of its assets in the common stocks of companies principally engaged in activities in the energy industry, the Funds performance largely dependsfor better or for worseon the overall condition of the energy industry. Additionally, commodity prices may have a significant impact on the stock prices of energy companies.
The Fund faces the risk that the earnings, dividends, and stock prices of energy companies will be greatly affected by changes in the prices and supplies of and demand for oil and other energy fuels. Prices and supplies of energy can fluctuate significantly over short and long periods because of a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, changes in international politics, policies of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), relationships among OPEC members and between OPEC and oil-importing nations, energy conservation, the regulatory environment, government tax policies, weather, financing costs, and the economic growth and stability of the key energy-consuming countries. Because the Funds performance depends on a variety of factors affecting energy companies, rather than on the stock markets generally, the performance of the Fund could decline, even if the performance of either the U.S. or foreign stock market is positive.
8
The Fund is subject to stock market risk, which is the chance that stock prices overall will decline. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. The Funds investments in foreign stocks can be riskier than U.S. stock investments. Foreign stocks tend to be more volatile and less liquid than U.S. stocks. The prices of foreign stocks and the prices of U.S. stocks may move in opposite directions.
Most of the stocks held by the Fund are mid- and large-capitalization stocks, because such stocks tend to be dominant in the energy industry.
Stocks of publicly traded companies and funds that invest in stocks are often classified according to market value, or market capitalization. These classifications typically include small-cap, mid-cap, and large-cap. It is important to understand that market capitalization ranges change over time. Also, interpretations of size vary, and there are no official definitions of small-, mid-, and large-cap, even among Vanguard fund advisors. The asset-weighted median market capitalization of the Funds stock holdings as of January 31, 2017, was $37.7 billion.
There is the chance that returns from the types of stocks in which the Fund invests will trail returns from the overall stock market. As a group, mid- and large-cap stocks tend to go through cycles of doing betteror worsethan the stock market in general. These periods have, in the past, lasted for as long as several years.
U.S. Stocks
To illustrate the volatility of stock prices, the following table shows the best, worst, and average annual total returns for the U.S. stock market over various periods as measured by the S&P 500 Index, a widely used barometer of U.S. stock market activity. Total returns consist of dividend income plus change in market price. Note that the returns shown do not include the costs of buying and selling stocks or other expenses that a real-world investment portfolio would incur.
| U.S. Stock Market Returns | ||||
| (19262016) | ||||
| 1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | 20 Years | |
| Best | 54.2% | 28.6% | 19.9% | 17.8% |
| Worst | 43.1 | 12.4 | 1.4 | 3.1 |
| Average | 11.9 | 10.1 | 10.3 | 11.0 |
The table covers all of the rolling 1-, 5-, 10-, and 20-year periods from 1926 through 2016. You can see, for example, that although the average annual return on common stocks for all of the 5-year periods was 10.1%, average annual returns for individual 5-year periods ranged from 12.4% (from 1928 through 1932) to 28.6% (from 1995
9
through 1999). These average annual returns reflect past performance of common stocks; you should not regard them as an indication of future performance of either the stock market as a whole or the Fund in particular.
Keep in mind that the S&P 500 Index tracks mainly large-cap stocks. Historically, industry-specific mid- and large-cap stocks, such as those held by the Fund, have been more volatile thanand at times have performed quite differently fromthe large-cap stocks found in the S&P 500 Index. This volatility is due to several factors, including special industry risks and less certain growth and dividend prospects for smaller companies.
Foreign Stocks
The Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in foreign stocks.
To illustrate the volatility of foreign stock prices, the following table shows the best, worst, and average annual total returns for foreign stock markets over various periods as measured by the MSCI EAFE Index, a widely used barometer of foreign stock market activity. Total returns consist of dividend income plus change in market price. Note that the returns shown do not include the costs of buying and selling stocks or other expenses that a real-world investment portfolio would incur.
| Foreign Stock Market Returns | ||||
| (19702016) | ||||
| 1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | 20 Years | |
| Best | 69.4% | 36.1% | 22.0% | 15.5% |
| Worst | 43.4 | 4.7 | 0.7 | 3.1 |
| Average | 10.8 | 9.4 | 9.7 | 9.9 |
The table covers all of the rolling 1-, 5-, 10-, and 20-year periods from 1970 through 2016. These average annual returns reflect past performance of foreign stocks; you should not regard them as an indication of future performance of either foreign markets as a whole or the Fund in particular.
10
Note that the MSCI EAFE Index does not take into account returns for emerging markets, which can be substantially more volatile and substantially less liquid than the more developed markets included in the Index. In addition, because the MSCI EAFE Index tracks the European and Pacific developed markets collectively, the returns in the preceding table do not reflect the variability of returns for these markets individually. To illustrate this variability, the following table shows returns for different foreign marketsas well as for the U.S. market for comparisonfrom 2007 through 2016, as measured by their respective indexes.
| Returns for Various Stock Markets1 | ||||
| European | Pacific | Emerging | U.S. | |
| Market2 | Market2 | Markets2 | Market | |
| 2007 | 13.86% | 5.30% | 39.39% | 5.49% |
| 2008 | 46.42 | 36.42 | 53.33 | 37.00 |
| 2009 | 35.83 | 24.18 | 78.51 | 26.46 |
| 2010 | 3.88 | 15.92 | 18.88 | 15.06 |
| 2011 | 11.06 | 13.74 | 18.42 | 2.11 |
| 2012 | 19.12 | 14.42 | 18.22 | 16.00 |
| 2013 | 25.23 | 18.27 | 2.60 | 32.39 |
| 2014 | 6.18 | 2.70 | 2.19 | 13.69 |
| 2015 | 2.84 | 2.96 | 14.92 | 1.38 |
| 2016 | 0.40 | 4.18 | 11.19 | 11.96 |
| 1 European market returns are measured by the MSCI Europe Index, Pacific market returns are measured by the MSCI Pacific | ||||
| Index, emerging markets returns are measured by the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, and U.S. market returns are measured | ||||
| by the S&P 500 Index. | ||||
| 2 MSCI Index returns reflect the reinvestment of cash dividends after deduction of withholding tax by applying the maximum | ||||
| rate of the companys country of incorporation applicable to institutional investors. | ||||
Keep in mind that these returns reflect past performance of the various indexes; you should not consider them as an indication of future performance of the indexes or of the Fund in particular.
The Fund is subject to country risk and currency risk. Country risk is the chance that world eventssuch as political upheaval, financial troubles, or natural disasterswill adversely affect the value of securities issued by companies in foreign countries. Currency risk is the chance that the value of a foreign investment, measured in U.S. dollars, will decrease because of unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates.
11
To the extent that the Fund invests in stocks of companies listed for trading in emerging markets or companies with operations located in emerging markets, the Fund is subject to emerging markets risk. Emerging markets risk is the chance that the stocks of companies located in emerging markets will be substantially more volatile, and substantially less liquid, than the stocks of companies located in more developed foreign markets because, among other factors, emerging markets can have greater custodial and operational risks; less developed legal, tax, regulatory, and accounting systems; and greater political, social, and economic instability than developed markets.
| Plain Talk About International Investing |
| U.S. investors who invest abroad will encounter risks not typically associated |
| with U.S. companies because foreign stock and bond markets operate differently |
| from the U.S. markets. For instance, foreign companies and governments are not |
| subject to the same accounting, auditing, legal, tax, and financial-reporting |
| standards and practices as U.S. companies and the U.S. government, and their |
| stocks and bonds may not be as liquid as those of similar U.S. entities. In |
| addition, foreign stock exchanges, brokers, companies, bond markets, and |
| dealers may be subject to less government supervision and regulation than their |
| counterparts in the United States. These factors, among others, could negatively |
| affect the returns U.S. investors receive from foreign investments. |
Security Selection
The Fund uses multiple investment advisors. Each advisor independently selects and maintains a portfolio of common stocks and other investments for the Fund.
Each advisor employs active investment management methods, which means that securities are bought and sold according to the advisors evaluations of companies and their financial prospects, the prices of the securities, and the stock market and the economy in general. Each advisor will sell a security when, in the view of the advisor, it is no longer as attractive as an alternative investment or if the advisor deems it to be in the best interest of the Fund. Different advisors may reach different conclusions on the same security.
Although each advisor uses a different process to select securities for its portion of the Funds assets, the overall investment strategy of the Fund is designed to provide returns that are broadly representative of the energy sector. To achieve this, the Fund invests in the common stocks of companies engaged in the following energy-related areas: the exploration, production, transmission, refining, storing, marketing, control, and measurement of energy or energy fuels; the making and servicing of component products for such activities; energy research or experimentation; and operations
12
related to energy conservation and pollution control. These areas may involve newer sources of energy, such as geothermal, nuclear, and solar power, as well as more traditional sources of energy, such as oil, natural gas, and coal. As new sources of energy are developed and current methods of exploiting and developing energy are advanced, companies in these new areas will also be considered for the Fund. A security will generally be considered to be in the energy industry if at least 50% of the issuers assets, revenues, or net income is related to, or derived from, one or more of the energy-related areas listed above.
Wellington Management Company LLP (Wellington Management) uses a bottom up approach, in which stocks are chosen based on the advisors fundamental analysis and its assessment of valuation. Although oil and gas price expectations are considered, company-specific factors such as the quality of the companies assets, internal reinvestment opportunities, investment plans to capitalize on those opportunities, and quality of management are key inputs in the decision-making process. The advisor also considers the supply and demand outlook across the various subindustries of the energy sector in an effort to identify the most attractive parts of the energy market in which to invest. When assessing valuation, the advisor evaluates multiple metrics, including earnings, cash flows, and asset values. A security will be sold when the advisor believes that an alternative investment provides more attractive risk/return characteristics or when the advisor otherwise determines that a sale is appropriate.
The Vanguard Group, Inc. (Vanguard) constructs a diversified portfolio of energy-related stocks based on its assessment of the relative return potential of the securities. The advisor selects securities that it believes offer an appropriate balance between strong growth prospects and reasonable valuations relative to their industry peers. Vanguard manages the portfolio through the use of a quantitative process to evaluate all of the securities in the benchmark while seeking to maintain a risk profile similar to that of the FTSE All World Oil & Gas Index. This process was developed by a team of Vanguard researchers, and it is continually evolving. All potential enhancements to the process go through rigorous peer vetting and validation before being implemented. A team of portfolio managers utilizes the resulting process to determine which securities to buy and sell in the portfolio.
The Fund is subject to manager risk, which is the chance that poor security selection will cause the Fund to underperform relevant benchmarks or other funds with a similar investment objective.
The Fund is subject to asset concentration risk, which is the chance that, because the Fund tends to invest a high percentage of assets in its ten largest holdings, the Funds performance may be hurt disproportionately by the poor performance of relatively few stocks.
13
Other Investment Policies and Risks
In addition to investing in the common stocks of companies principally engaged in activities in the energy industry, the Fund may make other kinds of investments to achieve its objective.
The Fund may invest, to a limited extent, in derivatives. Generally speaking, a derivative is a financial contract whose value is based on the value of a financial asset (such as a stock, a bond, or a currency), a physical asset (such as gold, oil, or wheat), a market index (such as the S&P 500 Index), or a reference rate (such as LIBOR). Investments in derivatives may subject the Fund to risks different from, and possibly greater than, those of investments directly in the underlying securities or assets. The Fund will not use derivatives for speculation or for the purpose of leveraging (magnifying) investment returns.
The Fund may enter into foreign currency exchange forward contracts, which are a type of derivative. A foreign currency exchange forward contract is an agreement to buy or sell a currency at a specific price on a specific date, usually 30, 60, or 90 days in the future. In other words, the contract guarantees an exchange rate on a given date. Advisors of funds that invest in foreign securities can use these contracts to guard against unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates. These contracts, however, would not prevent the Funds securities from falling in value as a result of risks other than unfavorable currency exchange movements. Note that the Fund will not enter into such contracts for speculative purposes. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will not commit more than 20% of its assets to foreign currency exchange forward contracts.
| Plain Talk About Derivatives |
| Derivatives can take many forms. Some forms of derivativessuch as exchange- |
| traded futures and options on securities, commodities, or indexeshave been |
| trading on regulated exchanges for decades. These types of derivatives are |
| standardized contracts that can easily be bought and sold and whose market |
| values are determined and published daily. Non-exchange-traded derivatives (such |
| as certain swap agreements and foreign currency exchange forward contracts), |
| on the other hand, tend to be more specialized or complex and may be more |
| difficult to accurately value. |
Vanguard administers a small portion of the Funds assets to facilitate cash flows to and from the Funds advisors. The Fund typically invests these assets in equity futures, which are a type of derivative, and/or shares of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), including ETF Shares issued by Vanguard stock funds. These equity futures and ETFs typically provide returns similar to those of common stocks. The Fund may also
14
purchase futures or ETFs when doing so will reduce the Funds transaction costs or have the potential to add value because the instruments are favorably priced. Vanguard receives no additional revenue from Fund assets invested in ETF Shares of other Vanguard funds. Fund assets invested in ETF Shares are excluded when allocating to the Fund its share of the costs of Vanguard operations.
Cash Management
The Funds daily cash balance may be invested in one or more Vanguard CMT Funds, which are very low-cost money market funds. When investing in a Vanguard CMT Fund, the Fund bears its proportionate share of the expenses of the CMT Fund in which it invests. Vanguard receives no additional revenue from Fund assets invested in a Vanguard CMT Fund.
Temporary Investment Measures
The Fund may temporarily depart from its normal investment policies and strategies when an advisor believes that doing so is in the Funds best interest, so long as the alternative is consistent with the Funds investment objective. For instance, the Fund may invest beyond its normal limits in derivatives or exchange-traded funds that are consistent with the Funds objective when those instruments are more favorably priced or provide needed liquidity, as might be the case if the Fund is transitioning assets from one advisor to another or receives large cash flows that it cannot prudently invest immediately.
In addition, the Fund may take temporary defensive positions that are inconsistent with its normal investment policies and strategiesfor instance, by allocating substantial assets to cash equivalent investments or other less volatile instrumentsin response to adverse or unusual market, economic, political, or other conditions. In doing so, the Fund may succeed in avoiding losses but may otherwise fail to achieve its investment objective.
Frequent Trading or Market-Timing
Background. Some investors try to profit from strategies involving frequent trading of mutual fund shares, such as market-timing. For funds holding foreign securities, investors may try to take advantage of an anticipated difference between the price of the funds shares and price movements in overseas markets, a practice also known as time-zone arbitrage. Investors also may try to engage in frequent trading of funds holding investments such as small-cap stocks and high-yield bonds. As money is shifted into and out of a fund by a shareholder engaging in frequent trading, the fund incurs costs for buying and selling securities, resulting in increased brokerage and administrative costs. These costs are borne by all fund shareholders, including the
15
long-term investors who do not generate the costs. In addition, frequent trading may interfere with an advisors ability to efficiently manage the fund.
Policies to address frequent trading. The Vanguard funds (other than money market funds and short-term bond funds, but including Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund) do not knowingly accommodate frequent trading. The board of trustees of each Vanguard fund (other than money market funds and short-term bond funds, but including Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund) has adopted policies and procedures reasonably designed to detect and discourage frequent trading and, in some cases, to compensate the fund for the costs associated with it. These policies and procedures do not apply to Vanguard ETF® Shares because frequent trading in ETF Shares generally does not disrupt portfolio management or otherwise harm fund shareholders. Although there is no assurance that Vanguard will be able to detect or prevent frequent trading or market-timing in all circumstances, the following policies have been adopted to address these issues:
Each Vanguard fund reserves the right to reject any purchase requestincluding exchanges from other Vanguard fundswithout notice and regardless of size. For example, a purchase request could be rejected because the investor has a history of frequent trading or if Vanguard determines that such purchase may negatively affect a funds operation or performance.
Each Vanguard fund (other than money market funds and short-term bond funds, but including Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund) generally prohibits, except as otherwise noted in the Investing With Vanguard section, an investors purchases or exchanges into a fund account for 30 calendar days after the investor has redeemed or exchanged out of that fund account.
Certain Vanguard funds charge shareholders purchase and/or redemption fees on transactions.
See the Investing With Vanguard section of this prospectus for further details on Vanguards transaction policies.
Each Vanguard fund (other than retail and government money market funds), in determining its net asset value, will use fair-value pricing when appropriate, as described in the Share Price section. Fair-value pricing may reduce or eliminate the profitability of certain frequent-trading strategies.
Do not invest with Vanguard if you are a market-timer.
16
Turnover Rate
Although the Fund generally seeks to invest for the long term, it may sell securities regardless of how long they have been held. The Financial Highlights section of this prospectus shows historical turnover rates for the Fund. A turnover rate of 100%, for example, would mean that the Fund had sold and replaced securities valued at 100% of its net assets within a one-year period.
| Plain Talk About Turnover Rate |
| Before investing in a mutual fund, you should review its turnover rate. This gives |
| an indication of how transaction costs, which are not included in the funds |
| expense ratio, could affect the funds future returns. In general, the greater the |
| volume of buying and selling by the fund, the greater the impact that brokerage |
| commissions and other transaction costs will have on its return. Also, funds with |
| high turnover rates may be more likely to generate capital gains, including short- |
| term capital gains, that must be distributed to shareholders and will be taxable to |
| shareholders investing through a taxable account. |
The Fund and Vanguard
The Fund is a member of The Vanguard Group, a family of more than 190 mutual funds holding assets of approximately $3.7 trillion. All of the funds that are members of The Vanguard Group (other than funds of funds) share in the expenses associated with administrative services and business operations, such as personnel, office space, and equipment.
Vanguard Marketing Corporation provides marketing services to the funds. Although shareholders do not pay sales commissions or 12b-1 distribution fees, each fund (other than a fund of funds) or each share class of a fund (in the case of a fund with multiple share classes) pays its allocated share of the Vanguard funds marketing costs.
| Plain Talk About Vanguards Unique Corporate Structure |
| The Vanguard Group is truly a mutual mutual fund company. It is owned jointly by |
| the funds it oversees and thus indirectly by the shareholders in those funds. |
| Most other mutual funds are operated by management companies that may be |
| owned by one person, by a private group of individuals, or by public investors |
| who own the management companys stock. The management fees charged by |
| these companies include a profit component over and above the companies cost |
| of providing services. By contrast, Vanguard provides services to its member |
| funds on an at-cost basis, with no profit component, which helps to keep the |
| funds expenses low. |
17
Investment Advisors
The Fund uses a multimanager approach. Each advisor independently manages its assigned portion of the Funds assets, subject to the supervision and oversight of Vanguard and the Funds board of trustees. The board of trustees designates the proportion of Fund assets to be managed by each advisor and may change these proportions at any time.
Wellington Management Company LLP, 280 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210, a Delaware limited liability partnership, is an investment counseling firm that provides investment services to investment companies, employee benefit plans, endowments, foundations, and other institutions. Wellington Management and its predecessor organizations have provided investment advisory services for over 80 years. Wellington Management is owned by the partners of Wellington Management Group LLP, a Massachusetts limited liability partnership. As of January 31, 2017, Wellington Management and its investment advisory affiliates had investment management authority with respect to approximately $979 billion in assets.
The Vanguard Group, Inc., P.O. Box 2600, Valley Forge, PA 19482, which began operations in 1975, serves as advisor to the Fund through its Quantitative Equity Group. As of January 31, 2017, Vanguard served as advisor for approximately $3.2 trillion in assets.
The Fund pays Wellington Management a base fee plus or minus a performance adjustment. The base fee, which is paid quarterly, is a percentage of average daily net assets managed by the advisor during the most recent fiscal quarter. The base fee has breakpoints, which means that the percentage declines as assets go up. The performance adjustment, also paid quarterly, is based on the cumulative total return of the advisors portion of the Fund relative to that of the MSCI ACWI Energy Index over the preceding 36-month period. When the performance adjustment is positive, the Funds expenses increase; when it is negative, expenses decrease. Vanguard provides investment advisory services to the Fund on an at-cost basis, subject to the supervision and oversight of the trustees and officers of the Fund.
For the fiscal year ended January 31, 2017, the aggregate advisory fees and expenses represented an effective annual rate of 0.14% of the Funds average net assets before a performance-based increase of 0.03%.
Under the terms of an SEC exemption, the Funds board of trustees may, without prior approval from shareholders, change the terms of an advisory agreement or hire a new investment advisoreither as a replacement for an existing advisor or as an additional advisor. Any significant change in the Funds advisory arrangements will be communicated to shareholders in writing. As the Funds sponsor and overall manager, Vanguard may provide additional investment advisory services to the Fund, on an at-cost basis, at any time. Vanguard may also recommend to the board of trustees that
18
an advisor be hired, terminated, or replaced or that the terms of an existing advisory agreement be revised.
For a discussion of why the board of trustees approved the Funds investment advisory arrangements, see the most recent semiannual report to shareholders covering the fiscal period ended July 31.
The managers primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund are:
Gregory J. LeBlanc, CFA, Senior Managing Director and Global Industry Analyst of Wellington Management. He has worked in investment management since 1995, has been involved in managing investment portfolios since 2000, and has managed a portion of the Fund since 2015. Education: B.A., Bates College.
James P. Stetler, Principal of Vanguard. He has been with Vanguard since 1982, has worked in investment management since 1996, has managed investment portfolios since 2003, and has co-managed a portion of the Fund since 2012. Education: B.S., Susquehanna University; M.B.A., Saint Josephs University.
Binbin Guo, Ph.D., Principal of Vanguard and head of Equity Research and Portfolio Strategies of Vanguards Quantitative Equity Group. He oversees the quantitative research team and develops portfolio strategies for equity and alternative asset classes. He has been with Vanguard since 2007 and has co-managed a portion of the Fund since 2016. Education: B.S. and M.S., Tsinghua University, China; Ph.D. and M.Phil., Yale University.
The Statement of Additional Information provides information about each portfolio managers compensation, other accounts under management, and ownership of shares of the Fund.
Dividends, Capital Gains, and Taxes
Fund Distributions
The Fund distributes to shareholders virtually all of its net income (interest and dividends, less expenses) as well as any net short-term or long-term capital gains realized from the sale of its holdings. Income and capital gains distributions, if any, generally occur annually in December. In addition, the Fund may occasionally make a supplemental distribution at some other time during the year.
You can receive distributions of income or capital gains in cash, or you can have them automatically reinvested in more shares of the Fund. However, if you are investing through an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, your distributions will be automatically reinvested in additional Fund shares.
19
| Plain Talk About Distributions |
| As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a funds income from interest |
| and dividends as well as capital gains from the funds sale of investments. |
| Income consists of both the dividends that the fund earns from any stock |
| holdings and the interest it receives from any money market and bond |
| investments. Capital gains are realized whenever the fund sells securities for |
| higher prices than it paid for them. These capital gains are either short-term or |
| long-term, depending on whether the fund held the securities for one year or less |
| or for more than one year. |
Basic Tax Points
Investors in taxable accounts should be aware of the following basic federal income tax points:
Distributions are taxable to you whether or not you reinvest these amounts in additional Fund shares.
Distributions declared in Decemberif paid to you by the end of Januaryare taxable as if received in December.
Any dividend distribution or short-term capital gains distribution that you receive is taxable to you as ordinary income. If you are an individual and meet certain holding-period requirements with respect to your Fund shares, you may be eligible for reduced tax rates on qualified dividend income, if any, distributed by the Fund.
Any distribution of net long-term capital gains is taxable to you as long-term capital gains, no matter how long you have owned shares in the Fund.
Capital gains distributions may vary considerably from year to year as a result of the Funds normal investment activities and cash flows.
A sale or exchange of Fund shares is a taxable event. This means that you may have a capital gain to report as income, or a capital loss to report as a deduction, when you complete your tax return.
Any conversion between classes of shares of the same fund is a nontaxable event. By contrast, an exchange between classes of shares of different funds is a taxable event.
Vanguard (or your intermediary) will send you a statement each year showing the tax status of all of your distributions.
Individuals, trusts, and estates whose income exceeds certain threshold amounts are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on net investment income. Net investment income takes into account distributions paid by the Fund and capital gains from any sale or exchange of Fund shares.
20
Dividend distributions and capital gains distributions that you receive, as well as your gains or losses from any sale or exchange of Fund shares, may be subject to state and local income taxes.
The Fund may be subject to foreign taxes or foreign tax withholding on dividends, interest, and some capital gains that it receives on foreign securities. You may qualify for an offsetting credit or deduction under U.S. tax laws for any amount designated as your portion of the Funds foreign tax obligations, provided that you meet certain requirements. See your tax advisor or IRS publications for more information.
This prospectus provides general tax information only. If you are investing through a tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA or an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, special tax rules apply. Please consult your tax advisor for detailed information about any tax consequences for you.
| Plain Talk About Buying a Dividend |
| Unless you are a tax-exempt investor or investing through a tax-advantaged |
| account (such as an IRA or an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan), |
| you should consider avoiding a purchase of fund shares shortly before the fund |
| makes a distribution, because doing so can cost you money in taxes. This is |
| known as buying a dividend. For example: On December 15, you invest $5,000, |
| buying 250 shares for $20 each. If the fund pays a distribution of $1 per share on |
| December 16, its share price will drop to $19 (not counting market change). You |
| still have only $5,000 (250 shares x $19 = $4,750 in share value, plus 250 shares |
| x $1 = $250 in distributions), but you owe tax on the $250 distribution you |
| receivedeven if you reinvest it in more shares. To avoid buying a dividend, check |
| a funds distribution schedule before you invest. |
General Information
Backup withholding. By law, Vanguard must withhold 28% of any taxable distributions or redemptions from your account if you do not:
Provide your correct taxpayer identification number.
Certify that the taxpayer identification number is correct.
Confirm that you are not subject to backup withholding.
Similarly, Vanguard (or your intermediary) must withhold taxes from your account if the IRS instructs us to do so.
21
Foreign investors. Vanguard funds offered for sale in the United States (Vanguard U.S. funds), including the Fund offered in this prospectus, are not widely available outside the United States. Non-U.S. investors should be aware that U.S. withholding and estate taxes and certain U.S. tax reporting requirements may apply to any investments in Vanguard U.S. funds. Foreign investors should visit the Non-U.S. Investors page on our website at vanguard.com for information on Vanguards non-U.S. products.
Invalid addresses. If a dividend distribution or capital gains distribution check mailed to your address of record is returned as undeliverable, Vanguard will automatically reinvest the distribution and all future distributions until you provide us with a valid mailing address. Reinvestments will receive the net asset value calculated on the date of the reinvestment.
Share Price
Share price, also known as net asset value (NAV), is calculated each business day as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), generally 4 p.m., Eastern time. Each share class has its own NAV, which is computed by dividing the total assets, minus liabilities, allocated to the share class by the number of Fund shares outstanding for that class. On U.S. holidays or other days when the NYSE is closed, the NAV is not calculated, and the Fund does not sell or redeem shares. However, on those days the value of the Funds assets may be affected to the extent that the Fund holds securities that change in value on those days (such as foreign securities that trade on foreign markets that are open).
Stocks held by a Vanguard fund are valued at their market value when reliable market quotations are readily available from the principal exchange or market on which they are traded. Such securities are generally valued at their official closing price, the last reported sales price, or if there were no sales that day, the mean between the closing bid and asking prices. When a fund determines that market quotations either are not readily available or do not accurately reflect the value of a security, the security is priced at its fair value (the amount that the owner might reasonably expect to receive upon the current sale of the security).
The values of any foreign securities held by a fund are converted into U.S. dollars using an exchange rate obtained from an independent third party as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE. The values of any mutual fund shares, including institutional money market fund shares, held by a fund are based on the NAVs of the shares. The values of any ETF shares or closed-end fund shares held by a fund are based on the market value of the shares.
22
A fund also will use fair-value pricing if the value of a security it holds has been materially affected by events occurring before the funds pricing time but after the close of the principal exchange or market on which the security is traded. This most commonly occurs with foreign securities, which may trade on foreign exchanges that close many hours before the funds pricing time. Intervening events might be company-specific (e.g., earnings report, merger announcement) or country-specific or regional/global (e.g., natural disaster, economic or political news, act of terrorism, interest rate change). Intervening events include price movements in U.S. markets that exceed a specified threshold or that are otherwise deemed to affect the value of foreign securities.
Fair-value pricing may be used for domestic securitiesfor example, if (1) trading in a security is halted and does not resume before the funds pricing time or a security does not trade in the course of a day and (2) the fund holds enough of the security that its price could affect the NAV.
Fair-value prices are determined by Vanguard according to procedures adopted by the board of trustees. When fair-value pricing is employed, the prices of securities used by a fund to calculate the NAV may differ from quoted or published prices for the same securities.
Vanguard fund share prices are published daily on our website at vanguard.com/prices.
23
Financial Highlights
The following financial highlights tables are intended to help you understand the Funds financial performance for the periods shown, and certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in each table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost each period on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all distributions). This information has been obtained from the financial statements audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose reportalong with the Funds financial statementsis included in the Funds most recent annual report to shareholders. You may obtain a free copy of the latest annual or semiannual report by visiting vanguard.com or by contacting Vanguard by telephone or mail.
| Plain Talk About How to Read the Financial Highlights Tables |
| This explanation uses the Funds Investor Shares as an example. The Investor |
| Shares began fiscal year 2017 with a net asset value (share price) of $40.43 per |
| share. During the year, each Investor Share earned $0.982 from investment |
| income (interest and dividends) and $12.275 from investments that had |
| appreciated in value or that were sold for higher prices than the Fund paid for |
| them. |
| Shareholders received $0.987 per share in the form of dividend distributions. A |
| portion of each years distributions may come from the prior years income or |
| capital gains. |
| The share price at the end of the year was $52.70, reflecting earnings of $13.257 |
| per share and distributions of $0.987 per share. This was an increase of $12.27 |
| per share (from $40.43 at the beginning of the year to $52.70 at the end of the |
| year). For a shareholder who reinvested the distributions in the purchase of more |
| shares, the total return was 32.73% for the year. |
| As of January 31, 2017, the Investor Shares had approximately $3.5 billion in net |
| assets. For the year, the expense ratio was 0.41% ($4.10 per $1,000 of net |
| assets), and the net investment income amounted to 1.97% of average net |
| assets. The Fund sold and replaced securities valued at 29% of its net assets. |
24
| Energy Fund Investor Shares | |||||
| Year Ended January 31, | |||||
| For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period | $40.43 | $51.53 | $63.85 | $62.66 | $62.60 |
| Investment Operations | |||||
| Net Investment Income | .982 | 1.096 | 1.276 | 1.291 | 1.336 |
| Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) | |||||
| on Investments | 12.275 | (11.118) | (9.436) | 2.413 | 1.098 |
| Total from Investment Operations | 13.257 | (10.022) | (8.160) | 3.704 | 2.434 |
| Distributions | |||||
| Dividends from Net Investment Income | (.987) | (1.078) | (1.206) | (1.277) | (1.340) |
| Distributions from Realized Capital Gains | — | — | (2.954) | (1.237) | (1.034) |
| Total Distributions | (.987) | (1.078) | (4.160) | (2.514) | (2.374) |
| Net Asset Value, End of Period | $52.70 | $40.43 | $51.53 | $63.85 | $62.66 |
| Total Return1 | 32.73% | –19.53% | –13.16% | 5.88% | 4.07% |
| Ratios/Supplemental Data | |||||
| Net Assets, End of Period (Millions) | $3,452 | $2,693 | $3,334 | $4,138 | $5,340 |
| Ratio of Total Expenses to Average Net Assets2 | 0.41% | 0.37% | 0.37% | 0.38% | 0.31% |
| Ratio of Net Investment Income to | |||||
| Average Net Assets | 1.97% | 2.20% | 1.84% | 1.97% | 2.15% |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate | 29% | 23% | 31% | 17% | 18% |
| 1 Total returns do not include transaction or account service fees that may have applied in the periods shown. | |||||
| 2 Includes performance-based investment advisory fee increases (decreases) of 0.03%, 0.03%, 0.03%, 0.04%, and (0.02%). | |||||
25
| Energy Fund Admiral Shares | |||||
| Year Ended January 31, | |||||
| For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period | $75.85 | $96.69 | $119.83 | $117.63 | $117.52 |
| Investment Operations | |||||
| Net Investment Income | 1.918 | 2.113 | 2.479 | 2.530 | 2.586 |
| Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) | |||||
| on Investments | 23.035 | (20.872) | (17.726) | 4.491 | 2.060 |
| Total from Investment Operations | 24.953 | (18.759) | (15.247) | 7.021 | 4.646 |
| Distributions | |||||
| Dividends from Net Investment Income | (1.923) | (2.081) | (2.351) | (2.500) | (2.595) |
| Distributions from Realized Capital Gains | — | — | (5.542) | (2.321) | (1.941) |
| Total Distributions | (1.923) | (2.081) | (7.893) | (4.821) | (4.536) |
| Net Asset Value, End of Period | $98.88 | $75.85 | $96.69 | $119.83 | $117.63 |
| Total Return1 | 32.83% | –19.48% | –13.11% | 5.94% | 4.14% |
| Ratios/Supplemental Data | |||||
| Net Assets, End of Period (Millions) | $7,231 | $5,428 | $6,569 | $7,540 | $6,778 |
| Ratio of Total Expenses to Average Net Assets2 | 0.33% | 0.31% | 0.31% | 0.32% | 0.26% |
| Ratio of Net Investment Income to | |||||
| Average Net Assets | 2.05% | 2.26% | 1.90% | 2.03% | 2.20% |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate | 29% | 23% | 31% | 17% | 18% |
| 1 Total returns do not include transaction or account service fees that may have applied in the periods shown. | |||||
| 2 Includes performance-based investment advisory fee increases (decreases) of 0.03%, 0.03%, 0.03%, 0.04%, and (0.02%). | |||||
26
Investing With Vanguard
This section of the prospectus explains the basics of doing business with Vanguard. Vanguard fund shares can be held directly with Vanguard or indirectly through an intermediary, such as a bank, a broker, or an investment advisor. If you hold Vanguard fund shares directly with Vanguard, you should carefully read each topic within this section that pertains to your relationship with Vanguard. If you hold Vanguard fund shares indirectly through an intermediary (including shares held through a Vanguard brokerage account), please see Investing With Vanguard Through Other Firms, and also refer to your account agreement with the intermediary for information about transacting in that account. If you hold Vanguard fund shares through an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, please see Employer-Sponsored Plans. Vanguard reserves the right to change the following policies without notice. Please call or check online for current information. See Contacting Vanguard.
For Vanguard fund shares held directly with Vanguard, each fund you hold in an account is a separate fund account. For example, if you hold three funds in a nonretirement account titled in your own name, two funds in a nonretirement account titled jointly with your spouse, and one fund in an individual retirement account, you have six fund accountsand this is true even if you hold the same fund in multiple accounts. Note that each reference to you in this prospectus applies to any one or more registered account owners or persons authorized to transact on your account.
Purchasing Shares
Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to increase or decrease the minimum amount required to open, convert shares to, or maintain a fund account or to add to an existing fund account.
Investment minimums may differ for certain categories of investors.
Account Minimums for Investor Shares To open and maintain an account. $3,000.
To add to an existing account. Generally $1.
Account Minimums for Admiral Shares
To open and maintain an account. $50,000. If you request Admiral Shares when you open a new account but the investment amount does not meet the account minimum for Admiral Shares, your investment will be placed in Investor Shares of the Fund. Institutional, financial intermediary, and Vanguard retail managed clients should contact Vanguard for information on special eligibility rules that may apply to them.
To add to an existing account. Generally $1.
27
How to Initiate a Purchase Request
Be sure to check Exchanging Shares, Frequent-Trading Limitations, and Other Rules You Should Know before placing your purchase request.
Online. You may open certain types of accounts, request a purchase of shares, and request an exchange through our website or our mobile application if you are registered for online access.
By telephone. You may call Vanguard to begin the account registration process or request that the account-opening forms be sent to you. You may also call Vanguard to request a purchase of shares in your account or to request an exchange. See
Contacting Vanguard.
By mail. You may send Vanguard your account registration form and check to open a new fund account. To add to an existing fund account, you may send your check with an Invest-by-Mail form (from a transaction confirmation or your account statement), with a deposit slip (available online), or with a written request. You may also send a written request to Vanguard to make an exchange. For a list of Vanguard addresses, see Contacting Vanguard.
How to Pay for a Purchase
By electronic bank transfer. You may purchase shares of a Vanguard fund through an electronic transfer of money from a bank account. To establish the electronic bank transfer service on an account, you must designate the bank account online, complete a special form, or fill out the appropriate section of your account registration form. After the service is set up on your account, you can purchase shares by electronic bank transfer on a regular schedule (Automatic Investment Plan) or upon request. Your purchase request can be initiated online (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail.
By wire. Wiring instructions vary for different types of purchases. Please call Vanguard for instructions and policies on purchasing shares by wire. See Contacting Vanguard.
By check. You may make initial or additional purchases to your fund account by sending a check or by utilizing our mobile application if you are registered for online access. Also see How to Initiate a Purchase Request. Make your check payable to Vanguard and include the appropriate fund number (e.g., Vanguardxx). For a list of Fund numbers (for share classes in this prospectus), see Additional Information.
By exchange. You may purchase shares of a Vanguard fund using the proceeds from the simultaneous redemption of shares of another Vanguard fund. You may initiate an exchange online (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail. See
Exchanging Shares.
28
Trade Date
The trade date for any purchase request received in good order will depend on the day and time Vanguard receives your request, the manner in which you are paying, and the type of fund you are purchasing. Your purchase will be executed using the net asset value (NAV) as calculated on the trade date. NAVs are calculated only on days that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open for trading (a business day).
For purchases by check into all funds other than money market funds and for purchases by exchange, wire, or electronic bank transfer (not using an Automatic Investment Plan) into all funds: If the purchase request is received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the trade date for the purchase will be the same day. If the purchase request is received on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the trade date for the purchase will be the next business day.
For purchases by check into money market funds: If the purchase request is received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the trade date for the purchase will be the next business day. If the purchase request is received on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the trade date for the purchase will be the second business day following the day Vanguard receives the purchase request. Because money market instruments must be purchased with federal funds and it takes a money market mutual fund one business day to convert check proceeds into federal funds, the trade date for the purchase will be one business day later than for other funds.
For purchases by electronic bank transfer using an Automatic Investment Plan: Your trade date generally will be the date you selected for withdrawal of funds from your designated bank account. Your bank account generally will be debited on the business day after your trade date. If the date you selected for withdrawal of funds from your bank account falls on a weekend, holiday, or other nonbusiness day, your trade date generally will be the previous business day. For retirement accounts, if the date you selected for withdrawal of funds from your designated bank account falls on the last business day of the year, your trade date will be the first business day of the following year. Please note that if you select the first of the month for automated withdrawals from your designated bank account, trades designated for January 1 will receive the next business days trade date.
If your purchase request is not accurate and complete, it may be rejected. See Other Rules You Should KnowGood Order.
For further information about purchase transactions, consult our website at vanguard.com or see Contacting Vanguard.
29
Other Purchase Rules You Should Know
Admiral Shares. Admiral Shares generally are not available for SIMPLE IRAs, Vanguard Individual 401(k) Plans, and Vanguard retail-serviced Individual 403(b)(7) Custodial Accounts.
Check purchases. All purchase checks must be written in U.S. dollars and must be drawn on a U.S. bank. Vanguard does not accept cash, travelers checks, or money orders. In addition, Vanguard may refuse starter checks and checks that are not made payable to Vanguard.
New accounts. We are required by law to obtain from you certain personal information that we will use to verify your identity. If you do not provide the information, we may not be able to open your account. If we are unable to verify your identity, Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to close your account or take such other steps as we deem reasonable. Certain types of accounts may require additional documentation.
Refused or rejected purchase requests. Vanguard reserves the right to stop selling fund shares or to reject any purchase request at any time and without notice, including, but not limited to, purchases requested by exchange from another Vanguard fund. This also includes the right to reject any purchase request because the investor has a history of frequent trading or because the purchase may negatively affect a funds operation or performance.
Large purchases. Call Vanguard before attempting to invest a large dollar amount.
No cancellations. Vanguard will not accept your request to cancel any purchase request once processing has begun. Please be careful when placing a purchase request.
Converting Shares
When a conversion occurs, you receive shares of one class in place of shares of another class of the same fund. At the time of conversion, the dollar value of the new shares you receive equals the dollar value of the old shares that were converted. In other words, the conversion has no effect on the value of your investment in the fund at the time of the conversion. However, the number of shares you own after the conversion may be greater than or less than the number of shares you owned before the conversion, depending on the NAVs of the two share classes.
Vanguard will not accept your request to cancel any self-directed conversion request once processing has begun. Please be careful when placing a conversion request.
A conversion between share classes of the same fund is a nontaxable event.
30
Trade Date
The trade date for any conversion request received in good order will depend on the day and time Vanguard receives your request. Your conversion will be executed using the NAVs of the different share classes on the trade date. NAVs are calculated only on days that the NYSE is open for trading (a business day).
For a conversion request received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the trade date will be the same day. For a conversion request received on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the trade date will be the next business day. See Other Rules You Should Know.
Conversions From Investor Shares to Admiral Shares
Self-directed conversions. If your account balance in the Fund is at least $50,000, you may ask Vanguard to convert your Investor Shares to Admiral Shares. You may request a conversion through our website (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail. Institutional, financial intermediary, and Vanguard retail managed clients should contact Vanguard for information on special eligibility rules that may apply to them. See Contacting Vanguard.
Automatic conversions. Vanguard conducts periodic reviews of account balances and may, if your account balance in the Fund exceeds $50,000, automatically convert your Investor Shares to Admiral Shares. You will be notified before an automatic conversion occurs and will have an opportunity to instruct Vanguard not to effect the conversion. Institutional, financial intermediary, and Vanguard retail managed clients should contact Vanguard for information on special eligibility rules that may apply to them.
Mandatory Conversions to Investor Shares
If an account no longer meets the balance requirements for Admiral Shares, Vanguard may automatically convert the shares in the account to Investor Shares. A decline in the account balance because of market movement may result in such a conversion. Vanguard will notify the investor in writing before any mandatory conversion occurs.
Redeeming Shares
How to Initiate a Redemption Request
Be sure to check Exchanging Shares, Frequent-Trading Limitations, and Other Rules You Should Know before placing your redemption request.
Online. You may request a redemption of shares or request an exchange through our website or our mobile application if you are registered for online access.
31
By telephone. You may call Vanguard to request a redemption of shares or an exchange. See Contacting Vanguard.
By mail. You may send a written request to Vanguard to redeem from a fund account or to make an exchange. See Contacting Vanguard.
How to Receive Redemption Proceeds
By electronic bank transfer. You may have the proceeds of a fund redemption sent directly to a designated bank account. To establish the electronic bank transfer service on an account, you must designate a bank account online, complete a special form, or fill out the appropriate section of your account registration form. After the service is set up on your account, you can redeem shares by electronic bank transfer on a regular schedule (Automatic Withdrawal Plan) or upon request. Your redemption request can be initiated online (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail.
By wire. To receive your proceeds by wire, you may instruct Vanguard to wire your redemption proceeds ($100 minimum) to a previously designated bank account. To establish the wire redemption service, you generally must designate a bank account online, complete a special form, or fill out the appropriate section of your account registration form.
By exchange. You may have the proceeds of a Vanguard fund redemption invested directly in shares of another Vanguard fund. You may initiate an exchange online (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail. See Exchanging Shares.
By check. If you have not chosen another redemption method, Vanguard will mail you a redemption check, generally payable to all registered account owners, normally within two business days of your trade date, and generally to the address of record.
Trade Date
The trade date for any redemption request received in good order will depend on the day and time Vanguard receives your request and the manner in which you are redeeming. Your redemption will be executed using the NAV as calculated on the trade date. NAVs are calculated only on days that the NYSE is open for trading (a business day).
For redemptions by check, exchange, or wire: If the redemption request is received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the trade date will be the same day. If the redemption request is received on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the trade date will be the next business day.
32
Note on timing of wire redemptions from money market funds: For telephone requests received by Vanguard on a business day before 10:45 a.m., Eastern time (2 p.m., Eastern time, for Vanguard Prime Money Market Fund; 12:30 p.m., Eastern time, for Vanguard Federal Money Market Fund), the redemption proceeds generally will leave Vanguard by the close of business the same day. For telephone requests received by Vanguard on a business day after those cut-off times, or on a nonbusiness day, and for all requests other than by telephone, the redemption proceeds generally will leave Vanguard by the close of business on the next business day.
Note on timing of wire redemptions from all other funds: For requests received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the redemption proceeds generally will leave Vanguard by the close of business on the next business day. For requests received by Vanguard on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the redemption proceeds generally will leave Vanguard by the close of business on the second business day after Vanguard receives the request.
For redemptions by electronic bank transfer using an Automatic Withdrawal Plan: Your trade date generally will be the date you selected for withdrawal of funds (redemption of shares) from your Vanguard account. Proceeds of redeemed shares generally will be credited to your designated bank account two business days after your trade date. If the date you selected for withdrawal of funds from your Vanguard account falls on a weekend, holiday, or other nonbusiness day, your trade date generally will be the previous business day. For retirement accounts, if the date you selected for withdrawal of funds from your Vanguard account falls on the last day of the year and if that date is a holiday, your trade date will be the first business day of the following year. Please note that if you designate the first of the month for automated withdrawals, trades designated for January 1 will receive the next business days trade date.
For redemptions by electronic bank transfer not using an Automatic Withdrawal Plan: If the redemption request is received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the trade date will be the same day. If the redemption request is received on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the trade date will be the next business day.
If your redemption request is not accurate and complete, it may be rejected. If we are unable to send your redemption proceeds by wire or electronic bank transfer because the receiving institution rejects the transfer, Vanguard will make additional efforts to complete your transaction. If Vanguard is still unable to complete the transaction, we may send the proceeds of the redemption to you by check, generally payable to all registered account owners, or use your proceeds to purchase new shares of the fund
33
from which you sold shares for the purpose of the wire or electronic bank transfer transaction. See Other Rules You Should KnowGood Order.
For further information about redemption transactions, consult our website at vanguard.com or see Contacting Vanguard.
Other Redemption Rules You Should Know
Documentation for certain accounts. Special documentation may be required to redeem from certain types of accounts, such as trust, corporate, nonprofit, or retirement accounts. Please call us before attempting to redeem from these types of accounts.
Potentially disruptive redemptions. Vanguard reserves the right to pay all or part of a redemption in kindthat is, in the form of securitiesif we reasonably believe that a cash redemption would negatively affect the funds operation or performance or that the shareholder may be engaged in market-timing or frequent trading. Under these circumstances, Vanguard also reserves the right to delay payment of the redemption proceeds for up to seven calendar days. By calling us before you attempt to redeem a large dollar amount, you may avoid in-kind or delayed payment of your redemption. Please see Frequent-Trading Limitations for information about Vanguards policies to limit frequent trading.
Recently purchased shares. Although you can redeem shares at any time, proceeds may not be made available to you until the fund collects payment for your purchase. This may take up to seven calendar days for shares purchased by check or by electronic bank transfer. If you have written a check on a fund with checkwriting privileges, that check may be rejected if your fund account does not have a sufficient available balance.
Share certificates. Share certificates are no longer issued for Vanguard funds. Shares currently held in certificates cannot be redeemed, exchanged, converted, or transferred (reregistered) until you return the certificates (unsigned) to Vanguard by registered mail. For the correct address, see Contacting Vanguard.
Address change. If you change your address online or by telephone, there may be up to a 14-day restriction on your ability to request check redemptions online and by telephone. You can request a redemption in writing at any time. Confirmations of address changes are sent to both the old and new addresses.
Payment to a different person or address. At your request, we can make your redemption check payable, or wire your redemption proceeds, to a different person or send it to a different address. However, this generally requires the written consent of all registered account owners and may require additional documentation, such as a signature guarantee or a notarized signature. You may obtain a signature guarantee
34
from some commercial or savings banks, credit unions, trust companies, or member firms of a U.S. stock exchange.
No cancellations. Vanguard will not accept your request to cancel any redemption request once processing has begun. Please be careful when placing a redemption request.
Emergency circumstances. Vanguard funds can postpone payment of redemption proceeds for up to seven calendar days. In addition, Vanguard funds can suspend redemptions and/or postpone payments of redemption proceeds beyond seven calendar days at times when the NYSE is closed or during emergency circumstances, as determined by the SEC.
Exchanging Shares
An exchange occurs when you use the proceeds from the redemption of shares of one Vanguard fund to simultaneously purchase shares of a different Vanguard fund. You can make exchange requests online (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail. See Purchasing Shares and Redeeming Shares.
If the NYSE is open for regular trading (generally until 4 p.m., Eastern time, on a business day) at the time an exchange request is received in good order, the trade date generally will be the same day. See Other Rules You Should KnowGood Order for additional information on all transaction requests.
Vanguard will not accept your request to cancel any exchange request once processing has begun. Please be careful when placing an exchange request.
Call Vanguard before attempting to exchange a large dollar amount. By calling us before you attempt to exchange a large dollar amount, you may avoid delayed or rejected transactions.
Please note that Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to revise or terminate the exchange privilege, limit the amount of any exchange, or reject an exchange, at any time, for any reason. See Frequent-Trading Limitations for additional restrictions on exchanges.
Frequent-Trading Limitations
Because excessive transactions can disrupt management of a fund and increase the funds costs for all shareholders, the board of trustees of each Vanguard fund places certain limits on frequent trading in the funds. Each Vanguard fund (other than money market funds and short-term bond funds, but including Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund) limits an investors purchases or exchanges into a fund account for 30 calendar days after the investor has redeemed or exchanged out of that fund account. ETF Shares are not subject to these frequent-trading limits.
35
For Vanguard Retirement Investment Program pooled plans, the limitations apply to exchanges made online or by telephone.
These frequent-trading limitations do not apply to the following:
Purchases of shares with reinvested dividend or capital gains distributions.
Transactions through Vanguards Automatic Investment Plan, Automatic Exchange Service, Direct Deposit Service, Automatic Withdrawal Plan, Required Minimum Distribution Service, and Vanguard Small Business Online®.
Discretionary transactions through Vanguard Asset Management Services, Vanguard Personal Advisor Services®, and Vanguard Institutional Advisory Services®.
Redemptions of shares to pay fund or account fees.
Redemptions of shares to remove excess shareholder contributions to certain types of retirement accounts (including, but not limited to, IRAs, certain Individual 403(b)(7) Custodial Accounts, and Vanguard Individual 401(k) Plans).
Transaction requests submitted by mail to Vanguard from shareholders who hold their accounts directly with Vanguard or through a Vanguard brokerage account. (Transaction requests submitted by fax, if otherwise permitted, are subject to the limitations.)
Transfers and reregistrations of shares within the same fund.
Purchases of shares by asset transfer or direct rollover.
Conversions of shares from one share class to another in the same fund.
Checkwriting redemptions.
Section 529 college savings plans.
Certain approved institutional portfolios and asset allocation programs, as well as trades made by funds or trusts managed by Vanguard or its affiliates that invest in other Vanguard funds. (Please note that shareholders of Vanguards funds of funds are subject to the limitations.)
For participants in employer-sponsored defined contribution plans,* the frequent-trading limitations do not apply to:
Purchases of shares with participant payroll or employer contributions or loan repayments.
Purchases of shares with reinvested dividend or capital gains distributions.
Distributions, loans, and in-service withdrawals from a plan.
Redemptions of shares as part of a plan termination or at the direction of the plan.
Transactions executed through the Vanguard Managed Account Program.
Redemptions of shares to pay fund or account fees.
Share or asset transfers or rollovers.
36
Reregistrations of shares.
Conversions of shares from one share class to another in the same fund.
Exchange requests submitted by written request to Vanguard. (Exchange requests submitted by fax, if otherwise permitted, are subject to the limitations.)
* The following Vanguard fund accounts are subject to the frequent-trading limitations: SEP-IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, certain Individual 403(b)(7) Custodial Accounts, and Vanguard Individual 401(k) Plans.
Accounts Held by Institutions (Other Than Defined Contribution Plans)
Vanguard will systematically monitor for frequent trading in institutional clients accounts. If we detect suspicious trading activity, we will investigate and take appropriate action, which may include applying to a clients accounts the 30-day policy previously described, prohibiting a clients purchases of fund shares, and/or revoking the clients exchange privilege.
Accounts Held by Intermediaries
When intermediaries establish accounts in Vanguard funds for the benefit of their clients, we cannot always monitor the trading activity of the individual clients. However, we review trading activity at the intermediary (omnibus) level, and if we detect suspicious activity, we will investigate and take appropriate action. If necessary, Vanguard may prohibit additional purchases of fund shares by an intermediary, including for the benefit of certain of the intermediarys clients. Intermediaries also may monitor their clients trading activities with respect to Vanguard funds.
For those Vanguard funds that charge purchase and/or redemption fees, intermediaries will be asked to assess these fees on client accounts and remit these fees to the funds. The application of purchase and redemption fees and frequent-trading limitations may vary among intermediaries. There are no assurances that Vanguard will successfully identify all intermediaries or that intermediaries will properly assess purchase and redemption fees or administer frequent-trading limitations. If you invest with Vanguard through an intermediary, please read that firms materials carefully to learn of any other rules or fees that may apply.
37
Other Rules You Should Know
Prospectus and Shareholder Report Mailings
When two or more shareholders have the same last name and address, just one summary prospectus (or prospectus) and/or shareholder report may be sent in an attempt to eliminate the unnecessary expense of duplicate mailings. You may request individual prospectuses and reports by contacting our Client Services Department in writing, by telephone, or online. See Contacting Vanguard.
Vanguard.com
Registration. If you are a registered user of vanguard.com, you can review your account holdings; buy, sell, or exchange shares of most Vanguard funds; and perform most other transactions through our website. You must register for this service online.
Electronic delivery. Vanguard can deliver your account statements, transaction confirmations, prospectuses, certain tax forms, and shareholder reports electronically. If you are a registered user of vanguard.com, you can consent to the electronic delivery of these documents by logging on and changing your mailing preferences under Account Maintenance. You can revoke your electronic consent at any time through our website, and we will begin to send paper copies of these documents within 30 days of receiving your revocation.
Telephone Transactions
Automatic. When we set up your account, we will automatically enable you to do business with us by telephone, unless you instruct us otherwise in writing.
Tele-Account®. To obtain fund and account information through Vanguards automated telephone service, you must first establish a Personal Identification Number (PIN) by calling Tele-Account at 800-662-6273.
Proof of a callers authority. We reserve the right to refuse a telephone request if the caller is unable to provide the requested information or if we reasonably believe that the caller is not an individual authorized to act on the account. Before we allow a caller to act on an account, we may request the following information:
Authorization to act on the account (as the account owner or by legal documentation or other means).
Account registration and address.
Fund name and account number, if applicable.
Other information relating to the caller, the account owner, or the account.
38
Good Order
We reserve the right to reject any transaction instructions that are not in good order. Good order generally means that your instructions:
Are provided by the person(s) authorized in accordance with Vanguards policies and procedures to access the account and request transactions.
Include the fund name and account number.
Include the amount of the transaction (stated in dollars, shares, or percentage).
Written instructions also must generally include:
An original signature and date from the authorized person(s).
Signature guarantees or notarized signatures, if required for the type of transaction.
(Call Vanguard for specific requirements.)
Any supporting documentation that may be required.
Written instructions are acceptable when a Vanguard form is not applicable. The requirements vary among types of accounts and transactions. For more information, consult our website at vanguard.com or see Contacting Vanguard.
Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to revise the requirements for good order.
Future Trade-Date Requests
Vanguard does not accept requests to hold a purchase, conversion, redemption, or exchange transaction for a future date. All such requests will receive trade dates as previously described in Purchasing Shares, Converting Shares, Redeeming Shares, and
Exchanging Shares. Vanguard reserves the right to return future-dated purchase checks.
Accounts With More Than One Owner
If an account has more than one owner or authorized person, Vanguard generally will accept instructions from any one owner or authorized person.
Responsibility for Fraud
Vanguard will not be responsible for any account losses because of fraud if we reasonably believe that the person transacting business on an account is authorized to do so. Please take precautions to protect yourself from fraud. Keep your account information private, and immediately review any account statements or other information that we provide to you. It is important that you contact Vanguard immediately about any transactions or changes to your account that you believe to be unauthorized.
39
Uncashed Checks
Please cash your distribution or redemption checks promptly. Vanguard will not pay interest on uncashed checks. Vanguard may be required to transfer assets related to uncashed checks to a state under the states abandoned property law.
Dormant Accounts
If your account has no activity in it for a period of time, Vanguard may be required to transfer it to a state under the states abandoned property law.
Unusual Circumstances
If you experience difficulty contacting Vanguard online or by telephone, you can send us your transaction request by regular or express mail. See Contacting Vanguard for addresses.
Investing With Vanguard Through Other Firms
You may purchase or sell shares of most Vanguard funds through a financial intermediary, such as a bank, a broker, or an investment advisor. Please consult your financial intermediary to determine which, if any, shares are available through that firm and to learn about other rules that may apply. Your financial intermediary can provide you with account information and any required tax forms.
Please see Frequent-Trading LimitationsAccounts Held by Intermediaries for information about the assessment of any purchase or redemption fees and the monitoring of frequent trading for accounts held by intermediaries.
Account Service Fee
Vanguard charges a $20 account service fee on fund accounts that have a balance below $10,000 for any reason, including market fluctuation. The account service fee applies to both retirement and nonretirement fund accounts and will be assessed on fund accounts in all Vanguard funds, regardless of the account minimum. The fee, which will be collected by redeeming fund shares in the amount of $20, will be deducted from a fund account only once per calendar year.
If you register on vanguard.com and elect to receive electronic delivery of statements, reports, and other materials for all of your fund accounts, the account service fee for balances below $10,000 will not be charged, so long as that election remains in effect.
The account service fee also does not apply to the following:
Money market sweep accounts owned in connection with a Vanguard Brokerage Services® account.
Accounts held through intermediaries.
Accounts held by institutional clients.
40
Accounts held by Voyager, Voyager Select, Flagship, and Flagship Select clients.
Eligibility is based on total household assets held at Vanguard, with a minimum of $50,000 to qualify for Vanguard Voyager Services®, $500,000 for Vanguard Voyager Select Services®, $1 million for Vanguard Flagship Services®, and $5 million for Vanguard Flagship Select Services. Vanguard determines eligibility by aggregating assets of all qualifying accounts held by the investor and immediate family members who reside at the same address. Aggregate assets include investments in Vanguard mutual funds, Vanguard ETFs®, certain annuities through Vanguard, the Vanguard 529 Plan, and certain small-business accounts. Assets in employer-sponsored retirement plans for which Vanguard provides recordkeeping services may be included in determining eligibility if the investor also has a personal account holding Vanguard mutual funds. Note that assets held in a Vanguard Brokerage Services account (other than Vanguard funds, including Vanguard ETFs) are not included when determining a households eligibility.
Participant accounts in employer-sponsored defined contribution plans.* Please consult your enrollment materials for the rules that apply to your account.
Section 529 college savings plans.
* The following Vanguard fund accounts have alternative fee structures: SIMPLE IRAs, certain Individual 403(b)(7) Custodial Accounts, Vanguard Retirement Investment Program pooled plans, and Vanguard Individual 401(k) Plans.
Low-Balance Accounts
The Fund reserves the right to liquidate a fund account whose balance falls below the account minimum for any reason, including market fluctuation. This liquidation policy applies to nonretirement fund accounts and accounts that are held through intermediaries. Any such liquidation will be preceded by written notice to the investor.
Right to Change Policies
In addition to the rights expressly stated elsewhere in this prospectus, Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to (1) alter, add, or discontinue any conditions of purchase (including eligibility requirements), redemption, exchange, conversion, service, or privilege at any time; (2) accept initial purchases by telephone; (3) freeze any account and/or suspend account services if Vanguard has received reasonable notice of a dispute regarding the assets in an account, including notice of a dispute between the registered or beneficial account owners, or if Vanguard reasonably believes a fraudulent transaction may occur or has occurred; (4) temporarily freeze any account and/or suspend account services upon initial notification to Vanguard of the death of the shareholder until Vanguard receives required documentation in good order; (5) alter, impose, discontinue, or waive any purchase fee, redemption fee, account service fee, or other fees charged to a shareholder or a group of shareholders; and (6) redeem an
41
account or suspend account privileges, without the owners permission to do so, in cases of threatening conduct or activity Vanguard believes to be suspicious, fraudulent, or illegal. Changes may affect any or all investors. These actions will be taken when, at the sole discretion of Vanguard management, Vanguard reasonably believes they are in the best interest of a fund.
Share Classes
Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to change the eligibility requirements of its share classes, including the types of clients who are eligible to purchase each share class.
Fund and Account Updates
Confirmation Statements
We will send (or provide through our website, whichever you prefer) a confirmation of your trade date and the amount of your transaction when you buy, sell, exchange, or convert shares. However, we will not send confirmations reflecting only checkwriting redemptions or the reinvestment of dividend or capital gains distributions. For any month in which you had a checkwriting redemption, a Checkwriting Activity Statement will be sent to you itemizing the checkwriting redemptions for that month. Promptly review each confirmation statement that we provide to you. It is important that you contact Vanguard immediately with any questions you may have about any transaction reflected on a confirmation statement, or Vanguard will consider the transaction properly processed.
Portfolio Summaries
We will send (or provide through our website, whichever you prefer) quarterly portfolio summaries to help you keep track of your accounts throughout the year. If you prefer, you may request to receive monthly portfolio summaries. Each summary shows the market value of your account at the close of the statement period, as well as all distributions, purchases, redemptions, exchanges, transfers, and conversions for the current calendar quarter (or month). Promptly review each summary that we provide to you. It is important that you contact Vanguard immediately with any questions you may have about any transaction reflected on the summary, or Vanguard will consider the transaction properly processed.
42
Tax Information Statements
For most accounts, Vanguard (or your intermediary) is required to provide annual tax forms to assist you in preparing your income tax returns. These forms are generally available for each calendar year early in the following year. Registered users of vanguard.com can also view certain forms through our website. Vanguard (or your intermediary) may also provide you with additional tax-related documentation. For more information, consult our website at vanguard.com or see Contacting Vanguard.
Annual and Semiannual Reports
We will send (or provide through our website, whichever you prefer) reports about Vanguard Energy Fund twice a year, in March and September. These reports include overviews of the financial markets and provide the following specific Fund information:
Performance assessments and comparisons with industry benchmarks.
Reports from the advisors.
Financial statements with listings of Fund holdings.
Portfolio Holdings
Please consult the Funds Statement of Additional Information or our website for a description of the policies and procedures that govern disclosure of the Funds portfolio holdings.
Employer-Sponsored Plans
Your plan administrator or your employee benefits office can provide you with detailed information on how to participate in your plan and how to elect the Fund as an investment option.
If you have any questions about the Fund or Vanguard, including those about the Funds investment objective, strategies, or risks, contact Vanguard Participant Services toll-free at 800-523-1188 or visit our website at vanguard.com.
If you have questions about your account, contact your plan administrator or the organization that provides recordkeeping services for your plan.
Be sure to carefully read each topic that pertains to your transactions with Vanguard.
Vanguard reserves the right to change its policies without notice to shareholders.
43
Transactions
Processing times for your transaction requests may differ among recordkeepers or among transaction and funding types. Your plan’s recordkeeper (which may also be Vanguard) will determine the necessary processing time frames for your transaction requests prior to submission to the Fund. Consult your recordkeeper or plan administrator for more information.
If Vanguard is serving as your plan recordkeeper and if your transaction involves one or more investments with an early cut-off time for processing or another trading restriction, your entire transaction will be subject to the restriction when the trade date for your transaction is determined.
| Contacting Vanguard | |
| Web | |
| Vanguard.com | For the most complete source of Vanguard news |
| For fund, account, and service information | |
| For most account transactions | |
| For literature requests | |
| 24 hours a day, 7 days a week | |
| Phone | |
| Vanguard Tele-Account® 800-662-6273 | For automated fund and account information |
| Toll-free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week | |
| Investor Information 800-662-7447 | For fund and service information |
| (Text telephone for people with hearing | For literature requests |
| impairment at 800-749-7273) | |
| Client Services 800-662-2739 | For account information |
| (Text telephone for people with hearing | For most account transactions |
| impairment at 800-749-7273) | |
| Participant Services 800-523-1188 | For information and services for participants in employer- |
| (Text telephone for people with hearing | sponsored plans |
| impairment at 800-749-7273) | |
| Institutional Division | For information and services for large institutional investors |
| 888-809-8102 | |
| Financial Advisor and Intermediary | For information and services for financial intermediaries |
| Sales Support 800-997-2798 | including financial advisors, broker-dealers, trust institutions, |
| and insurance companies | |
| Financial Advisory and Intermediary | For account information and trading support for financial |
| Trading Support 800-669-0498 | intermediaries including financial advisors, broker-dealers, |
| trust institutions, and insurance companies | |
44
Vanguard Addresses
Please be sure to use the correct address. Use of an incorrect address could delay the processing of your transaction.
| Regular Mail (Individuals) | The Vanguard Group | |||
| P.O. Box 1110 | ||||
| Valley Forge, PA 19482-1110 | ||||
| Regular Mail (Institutions, Intermediaries, | The Vanguard Group | |||
| and Employer-Sponsored Plan Participants) | P.O. Box 2900 | |||
| Valley Forge, PA 19482-2900 | ||||
| Registered, Express, or Overnight Mail | The Vanguard Group | |||
| 455 Devon Park Drive | ||||
| Wayne, PA 19087-1815 | ||||
| Additional Information | ||||
| Inception | Newspaper | Vanguard | CUSIP | |
| Date | Abbreviation | Fund Number | Number | |
| Energy Fund | ||||
| Investor Shares | 5/23/1984 | Energy | 51 | 921908109 |
| Admiral Shares | 11/12/2001 | EnergyAdml | 551 | 921908802 |
CFA® is a registered trademark owned by CFA Institute.
45
Glossary of Investment Terms
Capital Gains Distribution. Payment to mutual fund shareholders of gains realized on securities that a fund has sold at a profit, minus any realized losses.
Cash Equivalent Investments. Cash deposits, short-term bank deposits, and money market instruments that include U.S. Treasury bills and notes, bank certificates of deposit (CDs), repurchase agreements, commercial paper, and bankers acceptances.
Common Stock. A security representing ownership rights in a corporation.
Dividend Distribution. Payment to mutual fund shareholders of income from interest or dividends generated by a funds investments.
Expense Ratio. A funds total annual operating expenses expressed as a percentage of the funds average net assets. The expense ratio includes management and administrative expenses, but it does not include the transaction costs of buying and selling portfolio securities.
Inception Date. The date on which the assets of a fund (or one of its share classes) are first invested in accordance with the funds investment objective. For funds with a subscription period, the inception date is the day after that period ends. Investment performance is generally measured from the inception date.
Median Market Capitalization. An indicator of the size of companies in which a fund invests; the midpoint of market capitalization (market price x shares outstanding) of a funds stocks, weighted by the proportion of the funds assets invested in each stock. Stocks representing half of the funds assets have market capitalizations above the median, and the rest are below it.
MSCI ACWI Energy Index. An index that measures the energy-related equities market performance of developed and emerging markets.
Mutual Fund. An investment company that pools the money of many people and invests it in a variety of securities in an effort to achieve a specific objective over time.
New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). A stock exchange based in New York City that is open for regular trading on business days, Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Eastern time. Net asset values (NAVs) are calculated each business day as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE. In the rare event the NYSE experiences unanticipated trade disruptions and is unavailable at the close of the trading day, NAVs will be calculated as of the close of regular trading on the Nasdaq (or another alternate exchange if the Nasdaq is unavailable), generally 4 p.m., Eastern time.
Quantitative Process. An assessment of specific measurable factors, such as cost of capital; value of assets; and projections of sales, costs, earnings, and profits. The use of a quantitative process provides a systematic approach to investment decisions and portfolios.
46
Securities. Stocks, bonds, money market instruments, and other investments.
Spliced Energy Index. An index that reflects performance of the S&P Energy Sector Index through May 31, 2010, and the MSCI ACWI Energy Index thereafter.
Standard & Poors Energy Sector Index. An index that tracks the stocks of the energy-related companies within the S&P 500 Index.
Total Return. A percentage change, over a specified time period, in a mutual funds net asset value, assuming the reinvestment of all distributions of dividends and capital gains.
Volatility. The fluctuations in value of a mutual fund or other security. The greater a funds volatility, the wider the fluctuations in its returns.
Yield. Income (interest or dividends) earned by an investment, expressed as a percentage of the investments price.
47
This page intentionally left blank.
This page intentionally left blank.
![]() | |
| P.O. Box 2600 | |
| Valley Forge, PA 19482-2600 | |
| Connect with Vanguard® > vanguard.com | |
| For More Information | If you are a participant in an employer-sponsored plan: |
| If you would like more information about Vanguard | The Vanguard Group |
| Energy Fund, the following documents are available | Participant Services |
| free upon request: | P.O. Box 2900 |
| Valley Forge, PA 19482-2900 | |
| Annual/Semiannual Reports to Shareholders | Telephone: 800-523-1188 |
| Additional information about the Fund’s investments is | Text telephone for people with hearing impairment: |
| available in the Fund’s annual and semiannual reports | 800-749-7273 |
| to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a | |
| discussion of the market conditions and investment | If you are a current Vanguard shareholder and would |
| strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s | like information about your account, account |
| performance during its last fiscal year. | transactions, and/or account statements, please call: |
| Statement of Additional Information (SAI) | Client Services Department |
| Telephone: 800-662-2739 | |
| The SAI provides more detailed information about the | Text telephone for people with hearing impairment: |
| Fund and is incorporated by reference into (and thus | 800-749-7273 |
| legally a part of) this prospectus. | |
| Information Provided by the Securities and | |
| To receive a free copy of the latest annual or semiannual | Exchange Commission (SEC) |
| report or the SAI, or to request additional information | You can review and copy information about the Fund |
| about the Fund or other Vanguard funds, please visit | (including the SAI) at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in |
| vanguard.com or contact us as follows: | Washington, DC. To find out more about this public |
| service, call the SEC at 202-551-8090. Reports and other | |
| If you are an individual investor: | information about the Fund are also available in the |
| The Vanguard Group | EDGAR database on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, |
| Investor Information Department | or you can receive copies of this information, for a fee, by |
| P.O. Box 2600 | electronic request at the following email address: |
| Valley Forge, PA 19482-2600 | [email protected], or by writing the Public Reference |
| Telephone: 800-662-7447 | Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, |
| Text telephone for people with hearing impairment: | Washington, DC 20549-1520. |
| 800-749-7273 | |
| Fund’s Investment Company Act file number: 811-03916 | |
| © 2017 The Vanguard Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | |
| Vanguard Marketing Corporation, Distributor. | |
| P 051 052017 | |
| Vanguard Precious Metals and Mining Fund |
| Prospectus |
| May 25, 2017 |
| Investor Shares |
| Vanguard Precious Metals and Mining Fund Investor Shares (VGPMX) |
| This prospectus contains financial data for the Fund through the fiscal year ended January 31, 2017. |
| The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or |
| passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. |
| Contents | |||
| Fund Summary | 1 | Investing With Vanguard | 23 |
| More on the Fund | 6 | Purchasing Shares | 23 |
| The Fund and Vanguard | 15 | Redeeming Shares | 26 |
| Investment Advisor | 16 | Exchanging Shares | 29 |
| Dividends, Capital Gains, and Taxes | 17 | Frequent-Trading Limitations | 30 |
| Share Price | 19 | Other Rules You Should Know | 32 |
| Financial Highlights | 21 | Fund and Account Updates | 36 |
| Employer-Sponsored Plans | 38 | ||
| Contacting Vanguard | 39 | ||
| Additional Information | 40 | ||
| Glossary of Investment Terms | 41 | ||
Fund Summary
Investment Objective
The Fund seeks to provide long-term capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.
| Shareholder Fees | |
| (Fees paid directly from your investment) | |
| Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases | None |
| Purchase Fee | None |
| Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends | None |
| Redemption Fee | None |
| Account Service Fee (for certain fund account balances below $10,000) | $20/year |
| Annual Fund Operating Expenses | |
| (Expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| Management Fees | 0.40% |
| 12b-1 Distribution Fee | None |
| Other Expenses | 0.03% |
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.43% |
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. It illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over various periods if you were to invest $10,000 in the Fund’s shares. This example assumes that the Fund provides a return of 5% each year and that total annual fund operating expenses remain as stated in the preceding table. You would incur these hypothetical expenses whether or not you redeem your investment at the end of the given period. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
| 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years |
| $44 | $138 | $241 | $542 |
1
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or turns over its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in more taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the previous expense example, reduce the Funds performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Funds portfolio turnover rate was 29% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in the stocks of foreign and U.S. companies principally engaged in the exploration, mining, development, fabrication, processing, marketing, or distribution of (or other activities related to) metals or minerals. The majority of these companies will be principally engaged in activities related to gold, silver, platinum, diamonds, or other precious and rare metals or minerals. The remaining companies will be principally engaged in activities related to nickel, copper, zinc, or other base and common metals or minerals. Up to 100% of the Funds assets may be invested in foreign securities. The Fund may also invest up to 20% of its assets directly in gold, silver, or other precious metal bullion and coins.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund could lose money over short or even long periods. You should expect the Funds share price and total return to fluctuate within a wide range. The Fund is subject to the following risks, which could affect the Funds performance:
Nondiversification risk, which is the chance that the Funds performance may be hurt disproportionately by the poor performance of relatively few stocks or even a single stock. The Fund is considered nondiversified, which means that it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of particular issuers as compared with other mutual funds. Because the Fund tends to invest a high percentage of assets in its ten largest holdings, nondiversification risk is very high for the Fund.
Industry concentration risk, which is the chance that there will be particular problems affecting an entire industry. Any fund that concentrates in a particular industry will generally be more volatile than a fund that invests more broadly. Because the Fund normally invests at least 80% of its assets in the metals or minerals industries, the Funds performance largely dependsfor better or for worseon the overall condition of those industries. The metals or minerals industries could be affected by sharp price volatility caused by global economic, financial, and political factors. Resource availability, government regulation, and economic cycles could also adversely affect those industries.
2
Stock market risk, which is the chance that stock prices overall will decline. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. The Funds investments in foreign stocks can be riskier than U.S. stock investments. Foreign stocks tend to be more volatile and less liquid than U.S. stocks. The prices of foreign stocks and the prices of U.S. stocks may move in opposite directions.
Investment style risk, which is the chance that returns from small- and mid-capitalization stocks will trail returns from global stock markets. Historically, small- and mid-cap stocks have been more volatile in price than the large-cap stocks that dominate the global markets, and they often perform quite differently. Small and mid-size companies tend to have greater stock volatility because, among other things, these companies are more sensitive to changing economic conditions.
Manager risk, which is the chance that poor security selection will cause the Fund to underperform relevant benchmarks or other funds with a similar investment objective.
Country/regional risk, which is the chance that world eventssuch as political upheaval, financial troubles, or natural disasterswill adversely affect the value of securities issued by companies in foreign countries or regions.
Currency risk, which is the chance that the value of a foreign investment, measured in U.S. dollars, will decrease because of unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates.
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Annual Total Returns
The following bar chart and table are intended to help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the performance of the Fund has varied from one calendar year to another over the periods shown. The table shows how the average annual total returns of the Fund compare with those of relevant market indexes, which have investment characteristics similar to those of the Fund. Keep in mind that the Funds past performance (before and after taxes) does not indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available on our website at vanguard.com/performance or by calling Vanguard toll-free at 800-662-7447.
3
Annual Total Returns — Vanguard Precious Metals and Mining Fund Investor Shares1
1 The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on March 31, 2017, was 10.56%.
During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a calendar quarter was 34.84% (quarter ended June 30, 2016), and the lowest return for a quarter was –42.56% (quarter ended September 30, 2008).
| Average Annual Total Returns for Periods Ended December 31, 2016 | |||
| 1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | |
| Vanguard Precious Metals and Mining Fund Investor Shares | |||
| Return Before Taxes | 50.64% | –11.87% | –4.91% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions | 50.03 | –12.25 | –5.88 |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | 29.18 | –8.34 | –2.73 |
| Comparative Indexes | |||
| (reflect no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) | |||
| Standard & Poor's 500 Index | 11.96% | 14.66% | 6.95% |
| S&P Global Custom Metals and Mining Index | 62.37 | –9.01 | –1.34 |
Actual after-tax returns depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown in the preceding table. When after-tax returns are calculated, it is assumed that the shareholder was in the highest individual federal marginal income tax bracket at the time of each distribution of income or capital gains or upon redemption. State and local income taxes are not reflected in the calculations. Please note that after-tax returns are not relevant for a shareholder who holds fund shares in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan. Also, figures captioned Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may be higher than other figures for the same period if a capital loss occurs upon redemption and results in an assumed tax deduction for the shareholder.
4
Investment Advisor
M&G Investment Management Limited (M&G)
Portfolio Manager
Jamie J. Horvat, Portfolio Manager at M&G. He has managed the Fund since 2014.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may purchase or redeem shares online through our website (vanguard.com), by mail (The Vanguard Group, P.O. Box 1110, Valley Forge, PA 19482-1110), or by telephone (800-662-2739). The minimum investment amount required to open and maintain a Fund account for Investor Shares is $3,000. The minimum investment amount required to add to an existing Fund account is generally $1. Institutional, financial intermediary, and Vanguard retail managed clients should contact Vanguard for information on special eligibility rules that may apply to them regarding Investor Shares. If you are investing through an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, your plan administrator or your benefits office can provide you with detailed information on how to participate in your plan.
Tax Information
The Funds distributions may be taxable as ordinary income or capital gain. If you are investing through a tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA or an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, special tax rules apply.
Payments to Financial Intermediaries
The Fund and its investment advisor do not pay financial intermediaries for sales of Fund shares.
5
More on the Fund
This prospectus describes the principal risks you would face as a Fund shareholder. It is important to keep in mind one of the main axioms of investing: generally, the higher the risk of losing money, the higher the potential reward. The reverse, also, is generally true: the lower the risk, the lower the potential reward. As you consider an investment in any mutual fund, you should take into account your personal tolerance
for fluctuations in the securities markets. Look for this
symbol throughout the prospectus. It is used to mark detailed information about the more significant risks that you would confront as a Fund shareholder. To highlight terms and concepts important to mutual fund investors, we have provided Plain Talk® explanations along the way. Reading the prospectus will help you decide whether the Fund is the right investment for you. We suggest that you keep this prospectus for future reference.
| Plain Talk About Fund Expenses |
| All mutual funds have operating expenses. These expenses, which are deducted |
| from a fund’s gross income, are expressed as a percentage of the net assets of |
| the fund. Assuming that operating expenses remain as stated in the Fees and |
| Expenses section, Vanguard Precious Metals and Mining Fund’s expense ratio |
| would be 0.43%, or $4.30 per $1,000 of average net assets. The average |
| expense ratio for precious metals equity funds in 2016 was 1.46%, or $14.60 per |
| $1,000 of average net assets (derived from data provided by Lipper, a Thomson |
| Reuters Company, which reports on the mutual fund industry). |
| Plain Talk About Costs of Investing |
| Costs are an important consideration in choosing a mutual fund. That is because |
| you, as a shareholder, pay a proportionate share of the costs of operating a fund, |
| plus any transaction costs incurred when the fund buys or sells securities. These |
| costs can erode a substantial portion of the gross income or the capital |
| appreciation a fund achieves. Even seemingly small differences in expenses can, |
| over time, have a dramatic effect on a fund‘s performance. |
The following sections explain the principal investment strategies and policies that the Fund uses in pursuit of its objective. The Fund‘s board of trustees, which oversees the Fund‘s management, may change investment strategies or policies in the interest of shareholders without a shareholder vote, unless those strategies or policies are designated as fundamental. The Fund‘s policy of investing at least 80% of its assets in the metals or minerals industries may only be changed upon 60 days‘ notice to shareholders.
6
Market Exposure
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in the stocks of foreign and U.S. companies principally engaged in the exploration, mining, development, fabrication, processing, marketing, or distribution of (or other activities related to) metals or minerals. The majority of these companies will be principally engaged in activities related to gold, silver, platinum, diamonds, or other precious and rare metals or minerals. The remaining companies will be principally engaged in activities related to nickel, copper, zinc, or other base and common metals or minerals. Up to 100% of the Funds assets may be invested in foreign securities. The Fund may also invest up to 20% of its assets directly in gold, silver, or other precious metal bullion and coins.
The Fund is subject to the risk of sharp price volatility of metals or minerals and of shares of companies principally engaged in activities related to metals or minerals. This risk applies whether the particular metals or minerals are precious and rare (such as gold and diamonds) or base and common (such as nickel and zinc). Investments related to metals or minerals may fluctuate in price significantly over short periods because of a variety of global economic, financial, and political factors. These factors include economic cycles; changes in inflation or expectations about inflation in various countries; interest rates; currency fluctuations; metal sales by governments, central banks, or international agencies; investment speculation; resource availability; commodity prices; fluctuations in industrial and commercial supply and demand; government regulation of the metals and minerals industries; and government prohibitions or restrictions on the private ownership of certain precious and rare metals and minerals.
The Fund is subject to industry concentration risk, which is the chance that there will be particular problems affecting an entire industry. Any fund that concentrates in a particular industry will generally be more volatile than a fund that invests more broadly. Because the Fund normally invests at least 80% of its assets in the metals or minerals industries, the Funds performance largely dependsfor better or for worseon the overall condition of those industries.
The Fund is subject to nondiversification risk, which is the chance that the Funds performance may be hurt disproportionately by the poor performance of relatively few stocks or even a single stock. The Fund is considered nondiversified, which means that it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of particular issuers as compared with other mutual funds. Because the Fund tends to invest a high percentage of assets in its ten largest holdings, nondiversification risk is very high for the Fund.
7
| Plain Talk About Fund Diversification |
| In general, the more diversified a fund’s stock or bond holdings, the less likely |
| that a specific security’s poor performance will hurt the fund. One measure of a |
| fund’s diversification is the percentage of its assets represented by its ten largest |
| holdings. As of January 31, 2017, the Fund invested 41.6% of its net assets in its |
| ten largest holdings. |
Typically, most of the stocks held by the Fund are small- and mid-capitalization stocks.
Stocks of publicly traded companies and funds that invest in stocks are often classified according to market value, or market capitalization. These classifications typically include small-cap, mid-cap, and large-cap. It is important to understand that market capitalization ranges change over time. Also, interpretations of size vary, and there are no “official” definitions of small-, mid-, and large-cap, even among Vanguard fund advisors. The asset-weighted median market capitalization of the Fund’s stock holdings as of January 31, 2017, was $2.9 billion.
The Fund is subject to investment style risk, which is the chance that returns from small- and mid-capitalization stocks will trail returns from global stock markets. Historically, small- and mid-cap stocks have been more volatile in price than the large-cap stocks that dominate the global markets, and they often perform quite differently. Small and mid-size companies tend to have greater stock volatility because, among other things, these companies are more sensitive to changing economic conditions.
U.S. Stocks
To illustrate the volatility of stock prices, the following table shows the best, worst, and average annual total returns for the U.S. stock market over various periods as measured by the S&P 500 Index, a widely used barometer of U.S. stock market activity. Total returns consist of dividend income plus change in market price. Note that the returns shown do not include the costs of buying and selling stocks or other expenses that a real-world investment portfolio would incur.
| U.S. Stock Market Returns | ||||
| (1926–2016) | ||||
| 1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | 20 Years | |
| Best | 54.2% | 28.6% | 19.9% | 17.8% |
| Worst | –43.1 | –12.4 | –1.4 | 3.1 |
| Average | 11.9 | 10.1 | 10.3 | 11.0 |
8
The table covers all of the rolling 1-, 5-, 10-, and 20-year periods from 1926 through 2016. You can see, for example, that although the average annual return on common stocks for all of the 5-year periods was 10.1%, average annual returns for individual 5-year periods ranged from –12.4% (from 1928 through 1932) to 28.6% (from 1995 through 1999). These average annual returns reflect past performance of common stocks; you should not regard them as an indication of future performance of either the stock market as a whole or the Fund in particular.
Keep in mind that the S&P 500 Index tracks mainly large-cap stocks. Historically, industry-specific mid- and small-cap stocks such as those held by the Fund have been more volatile than—and at times have performed quite differently from—the large-cap stocks found in the S&P 500 Index. This volatility is the result of several factors, including special industry risks and less certain growth and dividend prospects for smaller companies.
The Fund is subject to stock market risk, which is the chance that stock prices overall will decline. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. The Fund‘s investments in foreign stocks can be riskier than U.S. stock investments. Foreign stocks tend to be more volatile and less liquid than U.S. stocks. The prices of foreign stocks and the prices of U.S. stocks may move in opposite directions.
Foreign Stocks
The Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in foreign securities.
To illustrate the volatility of foreign stock prices, the following table shows the best, worst, and average annual total returns for foreign stock markets over various periods as measured by the MSCI EAFE Index, a widely used barometer of foreign stock market activity. Total returns consist of dividend income plus change in market price. Note that the returns shown do not include the costs of buying and selling stocks or other expenses that a real-world investment portfolio would incur.
| Foreign Stock Market Returns | ||||
| (1970–2016) | ||||
| 1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | 20 Years | |
| Best | 69.4% | 36.1% | 22.0% | 15.5% |
| Worst | –43.4 | –4.7 | 0.7 | 3.1 |
| Average | 10.8 | 9.4 | 9.7 | 9.9 |
9
The table covers all of the rolling 1-, 5-, 10-, and 20-year periods from 1970 through 2016. These average annual returns reflect past performance of foreign stocks; you should not regard them as an indication of future performance of either foreign markets as a whole or the Fund in particular.
Note that the MSCI EAFE Index does not take into account returns for emerging markets, which can be substantially more volatile and substantially less liquid than the more developed markets included in the Index. In addition, because the MSCI EAFE Index tracks the European and Pacific developed markets collectively, the returns in the preceding table do not reflect the variability of returns for these markets individually. To illustrate this variability, the following table shows returns for different foreign marketsas well as for the U.S. market for comparisonfrom 2007 through 2016, as measured by their respective indexes.
| Returns for Various Stock Markets1 | ||||
| European | Pacific | Emerging | U.S. | |
| Market2 | Market2 | Markets2 | Market | |
| 2007 | 13.86% | 5.30% | 39.39% | 5.49% |
| 2008 | 46.42 | 36.42 | 53.33 | 37.00 |
| 2009 | 35.83 | 24.18 | 78.51 | 26.46 |
| 2010 | 3.88 | 15.92 | 18.88 | 15.06 |
| 2011 | 11.06 | 13.74 | 18.42 | 2.11 |
| 2012 | 19.12 | 14.42 | 18.22 | 16.00 |
| 2013 | 25.23 | 18.27 | 2.60 | 32.39 |
| 2014 | 6.18 | 2.70 | 2.19 | 13.69 |
| 2015 | 2.84 | 2.96 | 14.92 | 1.38 |
| 2016 | 0.40 | 4.18 | 11.19 | 11.96 |
1 European market returns are measured by the MSCI Europe Index, Pacific market returns are measured by the MSCI Pacific Index, emerging markets returns are measured by the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, and U.S. market returns are measured by the S&P 500 Index.
2 MSCI Index returns reflect the reinvestment of cash dividends after deduction of withholding tax by applying the maximum rate of the companys country of incorporation applicable to institutional investors.
Keep in mind that these returns reflect past performance of the various indexes; you should not consider them as an indication of future performance of the indexes or of the Fund in particular.
10
The Fund is subject to country/regional risk and currency risk. Country/regional risk is the chance that world eventssuch as political upheaval, financial troubles, or natural disasterswill adversely affect the value of securities issued by companies in foreign countries or regions. Currency risk is the chance that the value of a foreign investment, measured in U.S. dollars, will decrease because of unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates.
To the extent that the Fund invests in stocks of companies listed for trading in emerging markets or companies with operations located in emerging markets, the Fund is subject to emerging markets risk. Emerging markets risk is the chance that the stocks of companies located in emerging markets will be substantially more volatile, and substantially less liquid, than the stocks of companies located in more developed foreign markets because, among other factors, emerging markets can have greater custodial and operational risks; less developed legal, tax, regulatory, and accounting systems; and greater political, social, and economic instability than developed markets.
| Plain Talk About International Investing |
| U.S. investors who invest abroad will encounter risks not typically associated |
| with U.S. companies because foreign stock and bond markets operate differently |
| from the U.S. markets. For instance, foreign companies and governments are not |
| subject to the same accounting, auditing, legal, tax, and financial-reporting |
| standards and practices as U.S. companies and the U.S. government, and their |
| stocks and bonds may not be as liquid as those of similar U.S. entities. In |
| addition, foreign stock exchanges, brokers, companies, bond markets, and |
| dealers may be subject to less government supervision and regulation than their |
| counterparts in the United States. These factors, among others, could negatively |
| affect the returns U.S. investors receive from foreign investments. |
Security Selection
The investment strategy of the Fund is designed to provide returns that are broadly representative of the precious metals and mining sector. To achieve this, the Fund focuses on stocks of foreign and domestic companies principally engaged in the exploration, mining, development, fabrication, processing, marketing, or distribution of (or other activities related to) gold, silver, platinum, diamonds, or other precious and rare metals or minerals. The Fund also will invest in stocks of foreign and domestic companies principally engaged in activities related to nickel, copper, zinc, or other base and common metals or minerals. Up to 20% of the Funds assets may be invested directly in gold, silver, and other precious metal bullion and coins. Bullion and coins for the Fund will only be bought from and sold to banks (both U.S. and foreign)
11
and dealers who are membersor affiliated with membersof a regulated U.S. commodities exchange. Gold, silver, or other precious metal bullion will not be purchased in any form that is not readily marketable. Coins will not be bought for their monetary value and will not be considered for the Fund if they cannot be bought and sold in an active market. Any bullion or coins bought by the Fund will be delivered to and stored with a qualified custodian bank. Keep in mind that bullion and coins do not generate incomethey offer only the potential for capital appreciation or depreciation and may subject the Fund to higher custody and transaction costs than those normally associated with the ownership of stocks.
In selecting stocks for the Fund, M&G Investment Management Limited (M&G), advisor to the Fund, emphasizes quality companies with attractive reserve positions and sound operations. The advisor considers, among other things, the ability of a company to mine or, in a cost-effective way, to find and establish new reserves and to increase production relative to competitors. The advisor also seeks to maintain geographic diversity in the Fund.
The advisor determines that a security is generally appropriate for the Fund if at least 50% of the issuers assets, revenues, or net income is related to, or derived from, the metals or minerals industries. A security will be sold when the advisor believes that an alternative investment provides more attractive risk/return characteristics or that a sale is otherwise appropriate.
The Fund is subject to manager risk, which is the chance that poor security selection will cause the Fund to underperform relevant benchmarks or other funds with a similar investment objective.
Other Investment Policies and Risks
The Fund may invest, to a limited extent, in warrants and foreign currency exchange forward contracts, which are types of derivatives. Generally speaking, a derivative is a financial contract whose value is based on the value of a financial asset (such as a stock, a bond, or a currency), a physical asset (such as gold, oil, or wheat), a market index (such as the S&P 500 Index), or a reference rate (such as LIBOR). Investments in derivatives may subject the Fund to risks different from, and possibly greater than, those of investments directly in the underlying securities or assets. The Fund will not use derivatives for speculation or for the purpose of leveraging (magnifying) investment returns. In addition, the Funds obligation under futures contracts will not exceed 20% of its total assets.
The Fund may enter into foreign currency exchange forward contracts, which are a type of derivative. A foreign currency exchange forward contract is an agreement to buy or sell a currency at a specific price on a specific date, usually 30, 60, or 90 days in the future. In other words, the contract guarantees an exchange rate on a given date.
12
Advisors of funds that invest in foreign securities can use these contracts to guard against unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates. These contracts, however, would not prevent the Funds securities from falling in value as a result of risks other than unfavorable currency exchange movements. Note that the Fund will not enter into such contracts for speculative purposes. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will not commit more than 20% of its assets to foreign currency exchange forward contracts.
| Plain Talk About Derivatives |
| Derivatives can take many forms. Some forms of derivativessuch as exchange- |
| traded futures and options on securities, commodities, or indexeshave been |
| trading on regulated exchanges for decades. These types of derivatives are |
| standardized contracts that can easily be bought and sold and whose market |
| values are determined and published daily. Non-exchange-traded derivatives (such |
| as certain swap agreements and foreign currency exchange forward contracts), |
| on the other hand, tend to be more specialized or complex and may be more |
| difficult to accurately value. |
Cash Management
The Funds daily cash balance may be invested in one or more Vanguard CMT Funds, which are very low-cost money market funds. When investing in a Vanguard CMT Fund, the Fund bears its proportionate share of the expenses of the CMT Fund in which it invests. Vanguard receives no additional revenue from Fund assets invested in a Vanguard CMT Fund.
Temporary Investment Measures
The Fund may temporarily depart from its normal investment policies and strategies when the advisor believes that doing so is in the Funds best interest, so long as the alternative is consistent with the Funds investment objective. For instance, the Fund may invest beyond its normal limits in derivatives or exchange-traded funds that are consistent with the Funds objective when those instruments are more favorably priced or provide needed liquidity, as might be the case if the Fund is transitioning assets from one advisor to another or receives large cash flows that it cannot prudently invest immediately.
In addition, the Fund may take temporary defensive positions that are inconsistent with its normal investment policies and strategiesfor instance, by allocating substantial assets to cash equivalent investments or other less volatile instrumentsin response to adverse or unusual market, economic, political, or other conditions. In doing so, the Fund may succeed in avoiding losses but may otherwise fail to achieve its investment objective.
13
Frequent Trading or Market-Timing
Background. Some investors try to profit from strategies involving frequent trading of mutual fund shares, such as market-timing. For funds holding foreign securities, investors may try to take advantage of an anticipated difference between the price of the funds shares and price movements in overseas markets, a practice also known as time-zone arbitrage. Investors also may try to engage in frequent trading of funds holding investments such as small-cap stocks and high-yield bonds. As money is shifted into and out of a fund by a shareholder engaging in frequent trading, the fund incurs costs for buying and selling securities, resulting in increased brokerage and administrative costs. These costs are borne by all fund shareholders, including the long-term investors who do not generate the costs. In addition, frequent trading may interfere with an advisors ability to efficiently manage the fund.
Policies to address frequent trading. The Vanguard funds (other than money market funds and short-term bond funds, but including Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund) do not knowingly accommodate frequent trading. The board of trustees of each Vanguard fund (other than money market funds and short-term bond funds, but including Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund) has adopted policies and procedures reasonably designed to detect and discourage frequent trading and, in some cases, to compensate the fund for the costs associated with it. These policies and procedures do not apply to Vanguard ETF® Shares because frequent trading in ETF Shares generally does not disrupt portfolio management or otherwise harm fund shareholders. Although there is no assurance that Vanguard will be able to detect or prevent frequent trading or market-timing in all circumstances, the following policies have been adopted to address these issues:
Each Vanguard fund reserves the right to reject any purchase requestincluding exchanges from other Vanguard fundswithout notice and regardless of size. For example, a purchase request could be rejected because the investor has a history of frequent trading or if Vanguard determines that such purchase may negatively affect a funds operation or performance.
Each Vanguard fund (other than money market funds and short-term bond funds, but including Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund) generally prohibits, except as otherwise noted in the Investing With Vanguard section, an investors purchases or exchanges into a fund account for 30 calendar days after the investor has redeemed or exchanged out of that fund account.
Certain Vanguard funds charge shareholders purchase and/or redemption fees on transactions.
See the Investing With Vanguard section of this prospectus for further details on Vanguards transaction policies.
14
Each Vanguard fund (other than retail and government money market funds), in determining its net asset value, will use fair-value pricing when appropriate, as described in the Share Price section. Fair-value pricing may reduce or eliminate the profitability of certain frequent-trading strategies.
Do not invest with Vanguard if you are a market-timer.
Turnover Rate
Although the Fund generally seeks to invest for the long term, it may sell securities regardless of how long they have been held. The Financial Highlights section of this prospectus shows historical turnover rates for the Fund. A turnover rate of 100%, for example, would mean that the Fund had sold and replaced securities valued at 100% of its net assets within a one-year period. During the fiscal year ended January 31, 2017, the Fund experienced higher portfolio turnover as a result of increased market volatility.
| Plain Talk About Turnover Rate |
| Before investing in a mutual fund, you should review its turnover rate. This gives |
| an indication of how transaction costs, which are not included in the funds |
| expense ratio, could affect the funds future returns. In general, the greater the |
| volume of buying and selling by the fund, the greater the impact that brokerage |
| commissions and other transaction costs will have on its return. Also, funds with |
| high turnover rates may be more likely to generate capital gains, including short- |
| term capital gains, that must be distributed to shareholders and will be taxable to |
| shareholders investing through a taxable account. |
The Fund and Vanguard
The Fund is a member of The Vanguard Group, a family of more than 190 mutual funds holding assets of approximately $3.7 trillion. All of the funds that are members of The Vanguard Group (other than funds of funds) share in the expenses associated with administrative services and business operations, such as personnel, office space, and equipment.
Vanguard Marketing Corporation provides marketing services to the funds. Although shareholders do not pay sales commissions or 12b-1 distribution fees, each fund (other than a fund of funds) or each share class of a fund (in the case of a fund with multiple share classes) pays its allocated share of the Vanguard funds marketing costs.
15
| Plain Talk About Vanguards Unique Corporate Structure |
| The Vanguard Group is truly a mutual mutual fund company. It is owned jointly by |
| the funds it oversees and thus indirectly by the shareholders in those funds. |
| Most other mutual funds are operated by management companies that may be |
| owned by one person, by a private group of individuals, or by public investors |
| who own the management companys stock. The management fees charged by |
| these companies include a profit component over and above the companies cost |
| of providing services. By contrast, Vanguard provides services to its member |
| funds on an at-cost basis, with no profit component, which helps to keep the |
| funds expenses low. |
Investment Advisor
M&G Investment Management Limited, Laurence Pountney Hill, London, EC4R 0HH, England, is an advisory firm and wholly owned subsidiary of the Prudential plc. M&G is a company incorporated in the United Kingdom, based in London, England, and is not affiliated in any manner with Prudential Financial, Inc., a company whose principal place of business is in the United States. M&G, a separate business unit within the Prudential group, launched Great Britains first unit trust (mutual fund) in 1931. As of January 31, 2017, M&G managed approximately $327 billion in assets.
The Fund pays the advisor a base fee plus or minus a performance adjustment. The base fee, which is paid quarterly, is a percentage of average daily net assets under management during the most recent fiscal quarter. The base fee has breakpoints, which means that the percentage declines as assets go up. The performance adjustment, also paid quarterly, is based on the cumulative total return of the Fund relative to that of the S&P Global Custom Metals and Mining Index over the preceding 36-month period. When the performance adjustment is positive, the Funds expenses increase; when it is negative, expenses decrease.
For the fiscal year ended January 31, 2017, the advisory fee represented an effective annual rate of 0.14% of the Funds average net assets before a performance-based increase of 0.06%.
Under the terms of an SEC exemption, the Funds board of trustees may, without prior approval from shareholders, change the terms of an advisory agreement or hire a new investment advisoreither as a replacement for an existing advisor or as an additional advisor. Any significant change in the Funds advisory arrangements will be communicated to shareholders in writing. In addition, as the Funds sponsor and overall manager, The Vanguard Group, Inc. (Vanguard) may provide investment advisory services to the Fund, on an at-cost basis, at any time. Vanguard may also
16
recommend to the board of trustees that an advisor be hired, terminated, or replaced or that the terms of an existing advisory agreement be revised.
For a discussion of why the board of trustees approved the Funds investment advisory agreement, see the most recent semiannual report to shareholders covering the fiscal period ended July 31.
The manager primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund is:
Jamie J. Horvat, Portfolio Manager at M&G. He has worked in investment management since 1999, has managed investment portfolios since 2001, has been with M&G since 2013, and has managed the Fund since 2014. Education: Diploma in Engineering Technology, Mohawk College, Canada; Honours Bachelor of Commerce, McMaster University, Canada.
The Statement of Additional Information provides information about the portfolio managers compensation, other accounts under management, and ownership of shares of the Fund.
Dividends, Capital Gains, and Taxes
Fund Distributions
The Fund distributes to shareholders virtually all of its net income (interest and dividends, less expenses) as well as any net short-term or long-term capital gains realized from the sale of its holdings. Income and capital gains distributions, if any, generally occur annually in December. In addition, the Fund may occasionally make a supplemental distribution at some other time during the year.
You can receive distributions of income or capital gains in cash, or you can have them automatically reinvested in more shares of the Fund. However, if you are investing through an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, your distributions will be automatically reinvested in additional Fund shares.
| Plain Talk About Distributions |
| As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a funds income from interest |
| and dividends as well as capital gains from the funds sale of investments. |
| Income consists of both the dividends that the fund earns from any stock |
| holdings and the interest it receives from any money market and bond |
| investments. Capital gains are realized whenever the fund sells securities for |
| higher prices than it paid for them. These capital gains are either short-term or |
| long-term, depending on whether the fund held the securities for one year or less |
| or for more than one year. |
17
Basic Tax Points
Investors in taxable accounts should be aware of the following basic federal income tax points:
Distributions are taxable to you whether or not you reinvest these amounts in additional Fund shares.
Distributions declared in Decemberif paid to you by the end of Januaryare taxable as if received in December.
Any dividend distribution or short-term capital gains distribution that you receive is taxable to you as ordinary income. If you are an individual and meet certain holding-period requirements with respect to your Fund shares, you may be eligible for reduced tax rates on qualified dividend income, if any, distributed by the Fund.
Any distribution of net long-term capital gains is taxable to you as long-term capital gains, no matter how long you have owned shares in the Fund.
Capital gains distributions may vary considerably from year to year as a result of the Funds normal investment activities and cash flows.
A sale or exchange of Fund shares is a taxable event. This means that you may have a capital gain to report as income, or a capital loss to report as a deduction, when you
complete your tax return.
Vanguard (or your intermediary) will send you a statement each year showing the tax status of all of your distributions.
Individuals, trusts, and estates whose income exceeds certain threshold amounts are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on net investment income. Net investment income takes into account distributions paid by the Fund and capital gains from any sale or exchange of Fund shares.
Dividend distributions and capital gains distributions that you receive, as well as your gains or losses from any sale or exchange of Fund shares, may be subject to state and local income taxes.
The Fund may be subject to foreign taxes or foreign tax withholding on dividends, interest, and some capital gains that it receives on foreign securities. You may qualify for an offsetting credit or deduction under U.S. tax laws for any amount designated as your portion of the Funds foreign tax obligations, provided that you meet certain requirements. See your tax advisor or IRS publications for more information.
This prospectus provides general tax information only. If you are investing through a tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA or an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, special tax rules apply. Please consult your tax advisor for detailed information about any tax consequences for you.
18
| Plain Talk About Buying a Dividend |
| Unless you are a tax-exempt investor or investing through a tax-advantaged |
| account (such as an IRA or an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan), |
| you should consider avoiding a purchase of fund shares shortly before the fund |
| makes a distribution, because doing so can cost you money in taxes. This is |
| known as buying a dividend. For example: On December 15, you invest $5,000, |
| buying 250 shares for $20 each. If the fund pays a distribution of $1 per share on |
| December 16, its share price will drop to $19 (not counting market change). You |
| still have only $5,000 (250 shares x $19 = $4,750 in share value, plus 250 shares |
| x $1 = $250 in distributions), but you owe tax on the $250 distribution you |
| receivedeven if you reinvest it in more shares. To avoid buying a dividend, check |
| a funds distribution schedule before you invest. |
General Information
Backup withholding. By law, Vanguard must withhold 28% of any taxable distributions or redemptions from your account if you do not:
Provide your correct taxpayer identification number.
Certify that the taxpayer identification number is correct.
Confirm that you are not subject to backup withholding.
Similarly, Vanguard (or your intermediary) must withhold taxes from your account if the IRS instructs us to do so.
Foreign investors. Vanguard funds offered for sale in the United States (Vanguard U.S. funds), including the Fund offered in this prospectus, are not widely available outside the United States. Non-U.S. investors should be aware that U.S. withholding and estate taxes and certain U.S. tax reporting requirements may apply to any investments in Vanguard U.S. funds. Foreign investors should visit the Non-U.S. Investors page on our website at vanguard.com for information on Vanguards non-U.S. products.
Invalid addresses. If a dividend distribution or capital gains distribution check mailed to your address of record is returned as undeliverable, Vanguard will automatically reinvest the distribution and all future distributions until you provide us with a valid mailing address. Reinvestments will receive the net asset value calculated on the date of the reinvestment.
Share Price
Share price, also known as net asset value (NAV), is calculated each business day as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), generally 4 p.m., Eastern time. The NAV per share is computed by dividing the total assets, minus
19
liabilities, of the Fund by the number of Fund shares outstanding. On U.S. holidays or other days when the NYSE is closed, the NAV is not calculated, and the Fund does not sell or redeem shares. However, on those days the value of the Funds assets may be affected to the extent that the Fund holds securities that change in value on those days (such as foreign securities that trade on foreign markets that are open).
Stocks held by a Vanguard fund are valued at their market value when reliable market quotations are readily available from the principal exchange or market on which they are traded. Such securities are generally valued at their official closing price, the last reported sales price, or if there were no sales that day, the mean between the closing bid and asking prices. When a fund determines that market quotations either are not readily available or do not accurately reflect the value of a security, the security is priced at its fair value (the amount that the owner might reasonably expect to receive upon the current sale of the security).
The values of any foreign securities held by a fund are converted into U.S. dollars using an exchange rate obtained from an independent third party as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE. The values of any mutual fund shares, including institutional money market fund shares, held by a fund are based on the NAVs of the shares. The values of any ETF shares or closed-end fund shares held by a fund are based on the market value of the shares.
A fund also will use fair-value pricing if the value of a security it holds has been materially affected by events occurring before the funds pricing time but after the close of the principal exchange or market on which the security is traded. This most commonly occurs with foreign securities, which may trade on foreign exchanges that close many hours before the funds pricing time. Intervening events might be company-specific (e.g., earnings report, merger announcement) or country-specific or regional/global (e.g., natural disaster, economic or political news, act of terrorism, interest rate change). Intervening events include price movements in U.S. markets that exceed a specified threshold or that are otherwise deemed to affect the value of foreign securities.
Fair-value pricing may be used for domestic securitiesfor example, if (1) trading in a security is halted and does not resume before the funds pricing time or a security does not trade in the course of a day and (2) the fund holds enough of the security that its price could affect the NAV.
Fair-value prices are determined by Vanguard according to procedures adopted by the board of trustees. When fair-value pricing is employed, the prices of securities used by a fund to calculate the NAV may differ from quoted or published prices for the same securities.
Vanguard fund share prices are published daily on our website at vanguard.com/prices.
20
Financial Highlights
The following financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Funds financial performance for the periods shown, and certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost each period on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all distributions). This information has been obtained from the financial statements audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose reportalong with the Funds financial statementsis included in the Funds most recent annual report to shareholders. You may obtain a free copy of the latest annual or semiannual report by visiting vanguard.com or by contacting Vanguard by telephone or mail.
| Plain Talk About How to Read the Financial Highlights Table |
| The Fund began fiscal year 2017 with a net asset value (share price) of $6.22 per |
| share. During the year, the Fund earned $0.066 per share from investment |
| income (interest and dividends) and $4.615 per share from investments that had |
| appreciated in value or that were sold for higher prices than the Fund paid |
| for them. |
| Shareholders received $0.161 per share in the form of dividend distributions. |
| There was no return of capital. A portion of each years distributions may come |
| from the prior years income or capital gains. |
| The share price at the end of the year was $10.74, reflecting earnings of $4.681 |
| per share and distributions of $0.161 per share. This was an increase of $4.52 per |
| share (from $6.22 at the beginning of the year to $10.74 at the end of the year). |
| For a shareholder who reinvested the distributions in the purchase of more |
| shares, the total return was 75.99% for the year. |
| As of January 31, 2017, the Fund had approximately $2.6 billion in net assets. For |
| the year, its expense ratio was 0.43% ($4.30 per $1,000 of net assets), and its |
| net investment income amounted to 0.65% of its average net assets. The Fund |
| sold and replaced securities valued at 29% of its net assets. |
21
| Precious Metals and Mining Fund | |||||
| Year Ended January 31, | |||||
| For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period | $6.22 | $9.59 | $10.38 | $15.46 | $22.14 |
| Investment Operations | |||||
| Net Investment Income | .0661,2 | .1751,3 | .130 | .2431 | .292 |
| Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) | |||||
| on Investments | 4.615 | (3.397) | (.920) | (5.315) | (5.962) |
| Total from Investment Operations | 4.681 | (3.222) | (.790) | (5.072) | (5.670) |
| Distributions | |||||
| Dividends from Net Investment Income | (.161) | (.148) | | (.007) | (.710) |
| Distributions from Realized Capital Gains | | | | | (.300) |
| Return of Capital | | | | (.001) | |
| Total Distributions | (.161) | (.148) | | (.008) | (1.010) |
| Net Asset Value, End of Period | $10.74 | $6.22 | $9.59 | $10.38 | $15.46 |
| Total Return4 | 75.99% | 34.07% | 7.61% | 32.82% | 26.13% |
| Ratios/Supplemental Data | |||||
| Net Assets, End of Period (Millions) | $2,612 | $1,465 | $2,087 | $2,302 | $3,112 |
| Ratio of Total Expenses to | |||||
| Average Net Assets5 | 0.43% | 0.35% | 0.29% | 0.25% | 0.26% |
| Ratio of Net Investment Income to | |||||
| Average Net Assets | 0.65%2 | 2.22%3 | 1.33% | 2.10% | 1.62% |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate | 29% | 8% | 62% | 34% | 30% |
1 Calculated based on average shares outstanding.
2 Net investment income per share and the ratio of net investment income to average net assets include $0.012 and 0.12%, respectively, resulting from a special dividend from Lucara Diamond Corp. in September 2016.
3 Net investment income per share and the ratio of net investment income to average net assets include $0.037 and 0.47%, respectively, resulting from a spin-off from BHP Billiton plc in May 2015.
4 Total returns do not include account service fees that may have applied in the periods shown.
5 Includes performance-based investment advisory fee increases (decreases) of 0.06%, (0.02%), (0.08%), (0.09%), and (0.07%).
22
Investing With Vanguard
This section of the prospectus explains the basics of doing business with Vanguard. Vanguard fund shares can be held directly with Vanguard or indirectly through an intermediary, such as a bank, a broker, or an investment advisor. If you hold Vanguard fund shares directly with Vanguard, you should carefully read each topic within this section that pertains to your relationship with Vanguard. If you hold Vanguard fund shares indirectly through an intermediary (including shares held through a Vanguard brokerage account), please see Investing With Vanguard Through Other Firms, and also refer to your account agreement with the intermediary for information about transacting in that account. If you hold Vanguard fund shares through an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, please see Employer-Sponsored Plans. Vanguard reserves the right to change the following policies without notice. Please call or check online for current information. See Contacting Vanguard.
For Vanguard fund shares held directly with Vanguard, each fund you hold in an account is a separate fund account. For example, if you hold three funds in a nonretirement account titled in your own name, two funds in a nonretirement account titled jointly with your spouse, and one fund in an individual retirement account, you have six fund accountsand this is true even if you hold the same fund in multiple accounts. Note that each reference to you in this prospectus applies to any one or more registered account owners or persons authorized to transact on your account.
Purchasing Shares
Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to increase or decrease the minimum amount required to open or maintain a fund account or to add to an existing fund account.
Investment minimums may differ for certain categories of investors.
Account Minimums
To open and maintain an account. $3,000. Institutional, financial intermediary, and Vanguard retail managed clients should contact Vanguard for information on special eligibility rules that may apply to them regarding Investor Shares.
To add to an existing account. Generally $1.
How to Initiate a Purchase Request
Be sure to check Exchanging Shares, Frequent-Trading Limitations, and Other Rules You Should Know before placing your purchase request.
Online. You may open certain types of accounts, request a purchase of shares, and request an exchange through our website or our mobile application if you are registered for online access.
23
By telephone. You may call Vanguard to begin the account registration process or request that the account-opening forms be sent to you. You may also call Vanguard to request a purchase of shares in your account or to request an exchange. See
Contacting Vanguard.
By mail. You may send Vanguard your account registration form and check to open a new fund account. To add to an existing fund account, you may send your check with an Invest-by-Mail form (from a transaction confirmation or your account statement), with a deposit slip (available online), or with a written request. You may also send a written request to Vanguard to make an exchange. For a list of Vanguard addresses, see Contacting Vanguard.
How to Pay for a Purchase
By electronic bank transfer. You may purchase shares of a Vanguard fund through an electronic transfer of money from a bank account. To establish the electronic bank transfer service on an account, you must designate the bank account online, complete a special form, or fill out the appropriate section of your account registration form. After the service is set up on your account, you can purchase shares by electronic bank transfer on a regular schedule (Automatic Investment Plan) or upon request. Your purchase request can be initiated online (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail.
By wire. Wiring instructions vary for different types of purchases. Please call Vanguard for instructions and policies on purchasing shares by wire. See Contacting Vanguard.
By check. You may make initial or additional purchases to your fund account by sending a check or by utilizing our mobile application if you are registered for online access. Also see How to Initiate a Purchase Request. Make your check payable to Vanguard and include the appropriate fund number (Vanguard53).
By exchange. You may purchase shares of a Vanguard fund using the proceeds from the simultaneous redemption of shares of another Vanguard fund. You may initiate an exchange online (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail. See
Exchanging Shares.
Trade Date
The trade date for any purchase request received in good order will depend on the day and time Vanguard receives your request, the manner in which you are paying, and the type of fund you are purchasing. Your purchase will be executed using the net asset value (NAV) as calculated on the trade date. NAVs are calculated only on days that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open for trading (a business day).
For purchases by check into all funds other than money market funds and for purchases by exchange, wire, or electronic bank transfer (not using an Automatic
24
Investment Plan) into all funds: If the purchase request is received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the trade date for the purchase will be the same day. If the purchase request is received on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the trade date for the purchase will be the next business day.
For purchases by check into money market funds: If the purchase request is received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the trade date for the purchase will be the next business day. If the purchase request is received on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the trade date for the purchase will be the second business day following the day Vanguard receives the purchase request. Because money market instruments must be purchased with federal funds and it takes a money market mutual fund one business day to convert check proceeds into federal funds, the trade date for the purchase will be one business day later than for other funds.
For purchases by electronic bank transfer using an Automatic Investment Plan: Your trade date generally will be the date you selected for withdrawal of funds from your designated bank account. Your bank account generally will be debited on the business day after your trade date. If the date you selected for withdrawal of funds from your bank account falls on a weekend, holiday, or other nonbusiness day, your trade date generally will be the previous business day. For retirement accounts, if the date you selected for withdrawal of funds from your designated bank account falls on the last business day of the year, your trade date will be the first business day of the following year. Please note that if you select the first of the month for automated withdrawals from your designated bank account, trades designated for January 1 will receive the next business days trade date.
If your purchase request is not accurate and complete, it may be rejected. See Other Rules You Should KnowGood Order.
For further information about purchase transactions, consult our website at vanguard.com or see Contacting Vanguard.
Other Purchase Rules You Should Know
Check purchases. All purchase checks must be written in U.S. dollars and must be drawn on a U.S. bank. Vanguard does not accept cash, travelers checks, or money orders. In addition, Vanguard may refuse starter checks and checks that are not made payable to Vanguard.
New accounts. We are required by law to obtain from you certain personal information that we will use to verify your identity. If you do not provide the information, we may not be able to open your account. If we are unable to verify your identity, Vanguard
25
reserves the right, without notice, to close your account or take such other steps as we deem reasonable. Certain types of accounts may require additional documentation.
Refused or rejected purchase requests. Vanguard reserves the right to stop selling fund shares or to reject any purchase request at any time and without notice, including, but not limited to, purchases requested by exchange from another Vanguard fund. This also includes the right to reject any purchase request because the investor has a history of frequent trading or because the purchase may negatively affect a funds operation or performance.
Large purchases. Call Vanguard before attempting to invest a large dollar amount.
No cancellations. Vanguard will not accept your request to cancel any purchase request once processing has begun. Please be careful when placing a purchase request.
Redeeming Shares
How to Initiate a Redemption Request
Be sure to check Exchanging Shares, Frequent-Trading Limitations, and Other Rules You Should Know before placing your redemption request.
Online. You may request a redemption of shares or request an exchange through our website or our mobile application if you are registered for online access.
By telephone. You may call Vanguard to request a redemption of shares or an exchange. See Contacting Vanguard.
By mail. You may send a written request to Vanguard to redeem from a fund account or to make an exchange. See Contacting Vanguard.
How to Receive Redemption Proceeds
By electronic bank transfer. You may have the proceeds of a fund redemption sent directly to a designated bank account. To establish the electronic bank transfer service on an account, you must designate a bank account online, complete a special form, or fill out the appropriate section of your account registration form. After the service is set up on your account, you can redeem shares by electronic bank transfer on a regular schedule (Automatic Withdrawal Plan) or upon request. Your redemption request can be initiated online (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail.
26
By wire. To receive your proceeds by wire, you may instruct Vanguard to wire your redemption proceeds ($100 minimum) to a previously designated bank account. To establish the wire redemption service, you generally must designate a bank account online, complete a special form, or fill out the appropriate section of your account registration form.
By exchange. You may have the proceeds of a Vanguard fund redemption invested directly in shares of another Vanguard fund. You may initiate an exchange online (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail. See Exchanging Shares.
By check. If you have not chosen another redemption method, Vanguard will mail you a redemption check, generally payable to all registered account owners, normally within two business days of your trade date, and generally to the address of record.
Trade Date
The trade date for any redemption request received in good order will depend on the day and time Vanguard receives your request and the manner in which you are redeeming. Your redemption will be executed using the NAV as calculated on the trade date. NAVs are calculated only on days that the NYSE is open for trading (a business day).
For redemptions by check, exchange, or wire: If the redemption request is received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the trade date will be the same day. If the redemption request is received on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the trade date will be the next business day.
Note on timing of wire redemptions from money market funds: For telephone requests received by Vanguard on a business day before 10:45 a.m., Eastern time (2 p.m., Eastern time, for Vanguard Prime Money Market Fund; 12:30 p.m., Eastern time, for Vanguard Federal Money Market Fund), the redemption proceeds generally will leave Vanguard by the close of business the same day. For telephone requests received by Vanguard on a business day after those cut-off times, or on a nonbusiness day, and for all requests other than by telephone, the redemption proceeds generally will leave Vanguard by the close of business on the next business day.
Note on timing of wire redemptions from all other funds: For requests received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the redemption proceeds generally will leave Vanguard by the close of business on the next business day. For requests received by Vanguard on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the redemption proceeds generally will leave Vanguard by the close of business on the second business day after Vanguard receives the request.
27
For redemptions by electronic bank transfer using an Automatic Withdrawal Plan: Your trade date generally will be the date you selected for withdrawal of funds (redemption of shares) from your Vanguard account. Proceeds of redeemed shares generally will be credited to your designated bank account two business days after your trade date. If the date you selected for withdrawal of funds from your Vanguard account falls on a weekend, holiday, or other nonbusiness day, your trade date generally will be the previous business day. For retirement accounts, if the date you selected for withdrawal of funds from your Vanguard account falls on the last day of the year and if that date is a holiday, your trade date will be the first business day of the following year. Please note that if you designate the first of the month for automated withdrawals, trades designated for January 1 will receive the next business days trade date.
For redemptions by electronic bank transfer not using an Automatic Withdrawal Plan: If the redemption request is received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the trade date will be the same day. If the redemption request is received on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the trade date will be the next business day.
If your redemption request is not accurate and complete, it may be rejected. If we are unable to send your redemption proceeds by wire or electronic bank transfer because the receiving institution rejects the transfer, Vanguard will make additional efforts to complete your transaction. If Vanguard is still unable to complete the transaction, we may send the proceeds of the redemption to you by check, generally payable to all registered account owners, or use your proceeds to purchase new shares of the fund from which you sold shares for the purpose of the wire or electronic bank transfer transaction. See Other Rules You Should KnowGood Order.
For further information about redemption transactions, consult our website at vanguard.com or see Contacting Vanguard.
Other Redemption Rules You Should Know
Documentation for certain accounts. Special documentation may be required to redeem from certain types of accounts, such as trust, corporate, nonprofit, or retirement accounts. Please call us before attempting to redeem from these types of accounts.
Potentially disruptive redemptions. Vanguard reserves the right to pay all or part of a redemption in kindthat is, in the form of securitiesif we reasonably believe that a cash redemption would negatively affect the funds operation or performance or that the shareholder may be engaged in market-timing or frequent trading. Under these circumstances, Vanguard also reserves the right to delay payment of the redemption
28
proceeds for up to seven calendar days. By calling us before you attempt to redeem a large dollar amount, you may avoid in-kind or delayed payment of your redemption. Please see Frequent-Trading Limitations for information about Vanguards policies to limit frequent trading.
Recently purchased shares. Although you can redeem shares at any time, proceeds may not be made available to you until the fund collects payment for your purchase. This may take up to seven calendar days for shares purchased by check or by electronic bank transfer. If you have written a check on a fund with checkwriting privileges, that check may be rejected if your fund account does not have a sufficient available balance.
Share certificates. Share certificates are no longer issued for Vanguard funds. Shares currently held in certificates cannot be redeemed, exchanged, or transferred (reregistered) until you return the certificates (unsigned) to Vanguard by registered mail. For the correct address, see Contacting Vanguard.
Address change. If you change your address online or by telephone, there may be up to a 14-day restriction on your ability to request check redemptions online and by telephone. You can request a redemption in writing at any time. Confirmations of address changes are sent to both the old and new addresses.
Payment to a different person or address. At your request, we can make your redemption check payable, or wire your redemption proceeds, to a different person or send it to a different address. However, this generally requires the written consent of all registered account owners and may require additional documentation, such as a signature guarantee or a notarized signature. You may obtain a signature guarantee from some commercial or savings banks, credit unions, trust companies, or member firms of a U.S. stock exchange.
No cancellations. Vanguard will not accept your request to cancel any redemption request once processing has begun. Please be careful when placing a redemption request.
Emergency circumstances. Vanguard funds can postpone payment of redemption proceeds for up to seven calendar days. In addition, Vanguard funds can suspend redemptions and/or postpone payments of redemption proceeds beyond seven calendar days at times when the NYSE is closed or during emergency circumstances, as determined by the SEC.
Exchanging Shares
An exchange occurs when you use the proceeds from the redemption of shares of one Vanguard fund to simultaneously purchase shares of a different Vanguard fund. You can make exchange requests online (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail. See Purchasing Shares and Redeeming Shares.
29
If the NYSE is open for regular trading (generally until 4 p.m., Eastern time, on a business day) at the time an exchange request is received in good order, the trade date generally will be the same day. See Other Rules You Should KnowGood Order for additional information on all transaction requests.
Vanguard will not accept your request to cancel any exchange request once processing has begun. Please be careful when placing an exchange request.
Call Vanguard before attempting to exchange a large dollar amount. By calling us before you attempt to exchange a large dollar amount, you may avoid delayed or rejected transactions.
Please note that Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to revise or terminate the exchange privilege, limit the amount of any exchange, or reject an exchange, at any time, for any reason. See Frequent-Trading Limitations for additional restrictions on exchanges.
Frequent-Trading Limitations
Because excessive transactions can disrupt management of a fund and increase the funds costs for all shareholders, the board of trustees of each Vanguard fund places certain limits on frequent trading in the funds. Each Vanguard fund (other than money market funds and short-term bond funds, but including Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund) limits an investors purchases or exchanges into a fund account for 30 calendar days after the investor has redeemed or exchanged out of that fund account. ETF Shares are not subject to these frequent-trading limits.
For Vanguard Retirement Investment Program pooled plans, the limitations apply to exchanges made online or by telephone.
These frequent-trading limitations do not apply to the following:
Purchases of shares with reinvested dividend or capital gains distributions.
Transactions through Vanguards Automatic Investment Plan, Automatic Exchange
Service, Direct Deposit Service, Automatic Withdrawal Plan, Required Minimum Distribution Service, and Vanguard Small Business Online®.
Discretionary transactions through Vanguard Asset Management Services, Vanguard Personal Advisor Services®, and Vanguard Institutional Advisory Services®.
Redemptions of shares to pay fund or account fees.
Redemptions of shares to remove excess shareholder contributions to certain
types of retirement accounts (including, but not limited to, IRAs, certain Individual 403(b)(7) Custodial Accounts, and Vanguard Individual 401(k) Plans).
Transaction requests submitted by mail to Vanguard from shareholders who hold their accounts directly with Vanguard or through a Vanguard brokerage account.
30
(Transaction requests submitted by fax, if otherwise permitted, are subject to the limitations.)
Transfers and reregistrations of shares within the same fund.
Purchases of shares by asset transfer or direct rollover.
Conversions of shares from one share class to another in the same fund.
Checkwriting redemptions.
Section 529 college savings plans.
Certain approved institutional portfolios and asset allocation programs, as well as
trades made by funds or trusts managed by Vanguard or its affiliates that invest in other Vanguard funds. (Please note that shareholders of Vanguards funds of funds are subject to the limitations.)
For participants in employer-sponsored defined contribution plans,* the frequent-trading limitations do not apply to:
Purchases of shares with participant payroll or employer contributions or loan repayments.
Purchases of shares with reinvested dividend or capital gains distributions.
Distributions, loans, and in-service withdrawals from a plan.
Redemptions of shares as part of a plan termination or at the direction of the plan.
Transactions executed through the Vanguard Managed Account Program.
Redemptions of shares to pay fund or account fees.
Share or asset transfers or rollovers.
Reregistrations of shares.
Conversions of shares from one share class to another in the same fund.
Exchange requests submitted by written request to Vanguard. (Exchange requests
submitted by fax, if otherwise permitted, are subject to the limitations.)
* The following Vanguard fund accounts are subject to the frequent-trading limitations: SEP-IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, certain Individual 403(b)(7) Custodial Accounts, and Vanguard Individual 401(k) Plans.
Accounts Held by Institutions (Other Than Defined Contribution Plans)
Vanguard will systematically monitor for frequent trading in institutional clients accounts. If we detect suspicious trading activity, we will investigate and take appropriate action, which may include applying to a clients accounts the 30-day policy previously described, prohibiting a clients purchases of fund shares, and/or revoking the clients exchange privilege.
31
Accounts Held by Intermediaries
When intermediaries establish accounts in Vanguard funds for the benefit of their clients, we cannot always monitor the trading activity of the individual clients. However, we review trading activity at the intermediary (omnibus) level, and if we detect suspicious activity, we will investigate and take appropriate action. If necessary, Vanguard may prohibit additional purchases of fund shares by an intermediary, including for the benefit of certain of the intermediarys clients. Intermediaries also may monitor their clients trading activities with respect to Vanguard funds.
For those Vanguard funds that charge purchase and/or redemption fees, intermediaries will be asked to assess these fees on client accounts and remit these fees to the funds. The application of purchase and redemption fees and frequent-trading limitations may vary among intermediaries. There are no assurances that Vanguard will successfully identify all intermediaries or that intermediaries will properly assess purchase and redemption fees or administer frequent-trading limitations. If you invest with Vanguard through an intermediary, please read that firms materials carefully to learn of any other rules or fees that may apply.
Other Rules You Should Know
Prospectus and Shareholder Report Mailings
When two or more shareholders have the same last name and address, just one summary prospectus (or prospectus) and/or shareholder report may be sent in an attempt to eliminate the unnecessary expense of duplicate mailings. You may request individual prospectuses and reports by contacting our Client Services Department in writing, by telephone, or online. See Contacting Vanguard.
Vanguard.com
Registration. If you are a registered user of vanguard.com, you can review your account holdings; buy, sell, or exchange shares of most Vanguard funds; and perform most other transactions through our website. You must register for this service online.
Electronic delivery. Vanguard can deliver your account statements, transaction confirmations, prospectuses, certain tax forms, and shareholder reports electronically. If you are a registered user of vanguard.com, you can consent to the electronic delivery of these documents by logging on and changing your mailing preferences under Account Maintenance. You can revoke your electronic consent at any time through our website, and we will begin to send paper copies of these documents within 30 days of receiving your revocation.
32
Telephone Transactions
Automatic. When we set up your account, we will automatically enable you to do business with us by telephone, unless you instruct us otherwise in writing.
Tele-Account®. To obtain fund and account information through Vanguards automated telephone service, you must first establish a Personal Identification Number (PIN) by calling Tele-Account at 800-662-6273.
Proof of a callers authority. We reserve the right to refuse a telephone request if the caller is unable to provide the requested information or if we reasonably believe that the caller is not an individual authorized to act on the account. Before we allow caller to act on an account, we may request the following information:
Authorization to act on the account (as the account owner or by legal documentation or other means).
Account registration and address.
Fund name and account number, if applicable.
Other information relating to the caller, the account owner, or the account.
Good Order
We reserve the right to reject any transaction instructions that are not in good order. Good order generally means that your instructions:
Are provided by the person(s) authorized in accordance with Vanguards policies and procedures to access the account and request transactions.
Include the fund name and account number.
Include the amount of the transaction (stated in dollars, shares, or percentage).
Written instructions also must generally include:
An original signature and date from the authorized person(s).
Signature guarantees or notarized signatures, if required for the type of transaction.
(Call Vanguard for specific requirements.)
Any supporting documentation that may be required.
Written instructions are acceptable when a Vanguard form is not applicable. The requirements vary among types of accounts and transactions. For more information, consult our website at vanguard.com or see Contacting Vanguard.
Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to revise the requirements for good order.
Future Trade-Date Requests
Vanguard does not accept requests to hold a purchase, redemption, or exchange transaction for a future date. All such requests will receive trade dates as previously
33
described in Purchasing Shares, Redeeming Shares, and Exchanging Shares.
Vanguard reserves the right to return future-dated purchase checks.
Accounts With More Than One Owner
If an account has more than one owner or authorized person, Vanguard generally will accept instructions from any one owner or authorized person.
Responsibility for Fraud
Vanguard will not be responsible for any account losses because of fraud if we reasonably believe that the person transacting business on an account is authorized to do so. Please take precautions to protect yourself from fraud. Keep your account information private, and immediately review any account statements or other information that we provide to you. It is important that you contact Vanguard immediately about any transactions or changes to your account that you believe to be unauthorized.
Uncashed Checks
Please cash your distribution or redemption checks promptly. Vanguard will not pay interest on uncashed checks. Vanguard may be required to transfer assets related to uncashed checks to a state under the states abandoned property law.
Dormant Accounts
If your account has no activity in it for a period of time, Vanguard may be required to transfer it to a state under the states abandoned property law.
Unusual Circumstances
If you experience difficulty contacting Vanguard online or by telephone, you can send us your transaction request by regular or express mail. See Contacting Vanguard for addresses.
Investing With Vanguard Through Other Firms
You may purchase or sell shares of most Vanguard funds through a financial intermediary, such as a bank, a broker, or an investment advisor. Please consult your financial intermediary to determine which, if any, shares are available through that firm and to learn about other rules that may apply. Your financial intermediary can provide you with account information and any required tax forms.
Please see Frequent-Trading LimitationsAccounts Held by Intermediaries for information about the assessment of any purchase or redemption fees and the monitoring of frequent trading for accounts held by intermediaries.
34
Account Service Fee
Vanguard charges a $20 account service fee on fund accounts that have a balance below $10,000 for any reason, including market fluctuation. The account service fee applies to both retirement and nonretirement fund accounts and will be assessed on fund accounts in all Vanguard funds, regardless of the account minimum. The fee, which will be collected by redeeming fund shares in the amount of $20, will be deducted from a fund account only once per calendar year.
If you register on vanguard.com and elect to receive electronic delivery of statements, reports, and other materials for all of your fund accounts, the account service fee for balances below $10,000 will not be charged, so long as that election remains in effect.
The account service fee also does not apply to the following:
Money market sweep accounts owned in connection with a Vanguard Brokerage Services® account.
Accounts held through intermediaries.
Accounts held by institutional clients.
Accounts held by Voyager, Voyager Select, Flagship, and Flagship Select clients.
Eligibility is based on total household assets held at Vanguard, with a minimum of $50,000 to qualify for Vanguard Voyager Services®, $500,000 for Vanguard Voyager Select Services®, $1 million for Vanguard Flagship Services®, and $5 million for Vanguard Flagship Select Services. Vanguard determines eligibility by aggregating assets of all qualifying accounts held by the investor and immediate family members who reside at the same address. Aggregate assets include investments in Vanguard mutual funds, Vanguard ETFs®, certain annuities through Vanguard, the Vanguard 529 Plan, and certain small-business accounts. Assets in employer-sponsored retirement plans for which Vanguard provides recordkeeping services may be included in determining eligibility if the investor also has a personal account holding Vanguard mutual funds. Note that assets held in a Vanguard Brokerage Services account (other than Vanguard funds, including Vanguard ETFs) are not included when determining a households eligibility.
Participant accounts in employer-sponsored defined contribution plans.* Please consult your enrollment materials for the rules that apply to your account.
Section 529 college savings plans.
* The following Vanguard fund accounts have alternative fee structures: SIMPLE IRAs,
certain Individual 403(b)(7) Custodial Accounts, Vanguard Retirement Investment Program pooled plans, and Vanguard Individual 401(k) Plans.
35
Low-Balance Accounts
The Fund reserves the right to liquidate a fund account whose balance falls below the account minimum for any reason, including market fluctuation. This liquidation policy applies to nonretirement fund accounts and accounts that are held through intermediaries. Any such liquidation will be preceded by written notice to the investor.
Right to Change Policies
In addition to the rights expressly stated elsewhere in this prospectus, Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to (1) alter, add, or discontinue any conditions of purchase (including eligibility requirements), redemption, exchange, service, or privilege at any time; (2) accept initial purchases by telephone; (3) freeze any account and/or suspend account services if Vanguard has received reasonable notice of a dispute regarding the assets in an account, including notice of a dispute between the registered or beneficial account owners, or if Vanguard reasonably believes a fraudulent transaction may occur or has occurred; (4) temporarily freeze any account and/or suspend account services upon initial notification to Vanguard of the death of the shareholder until Vanguard receives required documentation in good order; (5) alter, impose, discontinue, or waive any purchase fee, redemption fee, account service fee, or other fees charged to a shareholder or a group of shareholders; and (6) redeem an account or suspend account privileges, without the owners permission to do so, in cases of threatening conduct or activity Vanguard believes to be suspicious, fraudulent, or illegal. Changes may affect any or all investors. These actions will be taken when, at the sole discretion of Vanguard management, Vanguard reasonably believes they are in the best interest of a fund.
Fund and Account Updates
Confirmation Statements
We will send (or provide through our website, whichever you prefer) a confirmation of your trade date and the amount of your transaction when you buy, sell, or exchange shares. However, we will not send confirmations reflecting only checkwriting redemptions or the reinvestment of dividend or capital gains distributions. For any month in which you had a checkwriting redemption, a Checkwriting Activity Statement will be sent to you itemizing the checkwriting redemptions for that month. Promptly review each confirmation statement that we provide to you. It is important that you contact Vanguard immediately with any questions you may have about any transaction reflected on a confirmation statement, or Vanguard will consider the transaction properly processed.
36
Portfolio Summaries
We will send (or provide through our website, whichever you prefer) quarterly portfolio summaries to help you keep track of your accounts throughout the year. If you prefer, you may request to receive monthly portfolio summaries. Each summary shows the market value of your account at the close of the statement period, as well as all distributions, purchases, redemptions, exchanges, and transfers for the current calendar quarter (or month). Promptly review each summary that we provide to you. It is important that you contact Vanguard immediately with any questions you may have about any transaction reflected on the summary, or Vanguard will consider the transaction properly processed.
Tax Information Statements
For most accounts, Vanguard (or your intermediary) is required to provide annual tax forms to assist you in preparing your income tax returns. These forms are generally available for each calendar year early in the following year. Registered users of vanguard.com can also view certain forms through our website. Vanguard (or your intermediary) may also provide you with additional tax-related documentation. For more information, consult our website at vanguard.com or see Contacting Vanguard.
Annual and Semiannual Reports
We will send (or provide through our website, whichever you prefer) reports about Vanguard Precious Metals and Mining Fund twice a year, in March and September. These reports include overviews of the financial markets and provide the following specific Fund information:
Performance assessments and comparisons with industry benchmarks.
Reports from the advisor.
Financial statements with listings of Fund holdings.
Portfolio Holdings
Please consult the Funds Statement of Additional Information or our website for a description of the policies and procedures that govern disclosure of the Funds portfolio holdings.
37
Employer-Sponsored Plans
Your plan administrator or your employee benefits office can provide you with detailed information on how to participate in your plan and how to elect the Fund as an investment option.
If you have any questions about the Fund or Vanguard, including those about the Funds investment objective, strategies, or risks, contact Vanguard Participant Services toll-free at 800-523-1188 or visit our website at vanguard.com.
If you have questions about your account, contact your plan administrator or the organization that provides recordkeeping services for your plan.
Be sure to carefully read each topic that pertains to your transactions with Vanguard.
Vanguard reserves the right to change its policies without notice to shareholders.
Transactions
Processing times for your transaction requests may differ among recordkeepers or among transaction and funding types. Your plans recordkeeper (which may also be Vanguard) will determine the necessary processing time frames for your transaction requests prior to submission to the Fund. Consult your recordkeeper or plan administrator for more information.
If Vanguard is serving as your plan recordkeeper and if your transaction involves one or more investments with an early cut-off time for processing or another trading restriction, your entire transaction will be subject to the restriction when the trade date for your transaction is determined.
38
| Contacting Vanguard | |
| Web | |
| Vanguard.com | For the most complete source of Vanguard news |
| For fund, account, and service information | |
| For most account transactions | |
| For literature requests | |
| 24 hours a day, 7 days a week | |
| Phone | |
| Vanguard Tele-Account® 800-662-6273 | For automated fund and account information |
| Toll-free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week | |
| Investor Information 800-662-7447 | For fund and service information |
| (Text telephone for people with hearing | For literature requests |
| impairment at 800-749-7273) | |
| Client Services 800-662-2739 | For account information |
| (Text telephone for people with hearing | For most account transactions |
| impairment at 800-749-7273) | |
| Participant Services 800-523-1188 | For information and services for participants in employer- |
| (Text telephone for people with hearing | sponsored plans |
| impairment at 800-749-7273) | |
| Institutional Division | For information and services for large institutional investors |
| 888-809-8102 | |
| Financial Advisor and Intermediary | For information and services for financial intermediaries |
| Sales Support 800-997-2798 | including financial advisors, broker-dealers, trust institutions, |
| and insurance companies | |
| Financial Advisory and Intermediary | For account information and trading support for financial |
| Trading Support 800-669-0498 | intermediaries including financial advisors, broker-dealers, |
| trust institutions, and insurance companies | |
39
Vanguard Addresses
Please be sure to use the correct address. Use of an incorrect address could delay the processing of your transaction.
| Regular Mail (Individuals) | The Vanguard Group | ||||
| P.O. Box 1110 | |||||
| Valley Forge, PA 19482-1110 | |||||
| Regular Mail (Institutions, Intermediaries, and | The Vanguard Group | ||||
| Employer-Sponsored Plan Participants) | P.O. Box 2900 | ||||
| Valley Forge, PA 19482-2900 | |||||
| Registered, Express, or Overnight Mail | The Vanguard Group | ||||
| 455 Devon Park Drive | |||||
| Wayne, PA 19087-1815 | |||||
| Additional Information | |||||
| Inception | Newspaper | Vanguard | CUSIP | ||
| Date | Abbreviation | Fund Number | Number | ||
| Precious Metals and Mining Fund | 5/23/1984 | PrecMtls | 53 | 921908208 | |
40
Glossary of Investment Terms
Capital Gains Distribution. Payment to mutual fund shareholders of gains realized on securities that a fund has sold at a profit, minus any realized losses.
Cash Equivalent Investments. Cash deposits, short-term bank deposits, and money market instruments that include U.S. Treasury bills and notes, bank certificates of deposit (CDs), repurchase agreements, commercial paper, and bankers acceptances.
Common Stock. A security representing ownership rights in a corporation.
Dividend Distribution. Payment to mutual fund shareholders of income from interest or dividends generated by a funds investments.
Expense Ratio. A funds total annual operating expenses expressed as a percentage of the funds average net assets. The expense ratio includes management and administrative expenses, but it does not include the transaction costs of buying and selling portfolio securities.
Inception Date. The date on which the assets of a fund (or one of its share classes) are first invested in accordance with the funds investment objective. For funds with a subscription period, the inception date is the day after that period ends. Investment performance is generally measured from the inception date.
Median Market Capitalization. An indicator of the size of companies in which a fund invests; the midpoint of market capitalization (market price x shares outstanding) of a funds stocks, weighted by the proportion of the funds assets invested in each stock. Stocks representing half of the funds assets have market capitalizations above the median, and the rest are below it.
Mutual Fund. An investment company that pools the money of many people and invests it in a variety of securities in an effort to achieve a specific objective over time.
New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). A stock exchange based in New York City that is open for regular trading on business days, Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Eastern time. Net asset values (NAVs) are calculated each business day as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE. In the rare event the NYSE experiences unanticipated trade disruptions and is unavailable at the close of the trading day, NAVs will be calculated as of the close of regular trading on the Nasdaq (or another alternate exchange if the Nasdaq is unavailable), generally 4 p.m., Eastern time.
Return of Capital. A return of all or part of your original investment in a fund. In general, return of capital reduces your cost basis in a funds shares and is not taxable to you until your cost basis has been reduced to zero.
S&P Global Custom Metals and Mining Index. An index that measures the performance of companies around the world that are engaged in activities related to precious and non-precious metals and minerals.
41
Securities. Stocks, bonds, money market instruments, and other investments.
Standard & Poors 500 Index. An index that is a widely recognized benchmark of U.S. stock market performance that is dominated by the stocks of large U.S. companies.
Total Return. A percentage change, over a specified time period, in a mutual funds net asset value, assuming the reinvestment of all distributions of dividends and capital gains.
Volatility. The fluctuations in value of a mutual fund or other security. The greater a funds volatility, the wider the fluctuations in its returns.
Yield. Income (interest or dividends) earned by an investment, expressed as a percentage of the investments price.
42
This page intentionally left blank.
This page intentionally left blank.
This page intentionally left blank.
P.O. Box 2600
Valley Forge, PA 19482-2600
Connect with Vanguard® > vanguard.com
For More Information
If you would like more information about Vanguard Precious Metals and Mining Fund, the following documents are available free upon request:
Annual/Semiannual Reports to Shareholders
Additional information about the Funds investments is available in the Funds annual and semiannual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Funds performance during its last fiscal year.
Statement of Additional Information (SAI)
The SAI provides more detailed information about the Fund and is incorporated by reference into (and thus legally a part of) this prospectus.
To receive a free copy of the latest annual or semiannual report or the SAI, or to request additional information about the Fund or other Vanguard funds, please visit vanguard.com or contact us as follows:
If you are an individual investor:
The Vanguard Group
Investor Information Department P.O. Box 2600 Valley Forge, PA 19482-2600 Telephone: 800-662-7447
Text telephone for people with hearing impairment: 800-749-7273
If you are a participant in an employer-sponsored plan:
The Vanguard Group Participant Services P.O. Box 2900 Valley Forge, PA 19482-2900 Telephone: 800-523-1188
Text telephone for people with hearing impairment: 800-749-7273
If you are a current Vanguard shareholder and would like information about your account, account transactions, and/or account statements, please call:
Client Services Department
Telephone: 800-662-2739: Text telephone for people with hearing impairment: 800-749-7273
Information Provided by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
You can review and copy information about the Fund (including the SAI) at the SECs Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. To find out more about this public service, call the SEC at 202-551-8090. Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR database on the SECs website at www.sec.gov, or you can receive copies of this information, for a fee, by electronic request at the following email address: [email protected], or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 20549-1520.
Funds Investment Company Act file number: 811-03916
© 2017 The Vanguard Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Vanguard Marketing Corporation, Distributor.
P 053 052017
| Vanguard Health Care Fund |
| Prospectus |
| May 25, 2017 |
| Investor Shares & Admiral Shares |
| Vanguard Health Care Fund Investor Shares (VGHCX) |
| Vanguard Health Care Fund Admiral Shares (VGHAX) |
| This prospectus contains financial data for the Fund through the fiscal year ended January 31, 2017. |
| The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or |
| passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. |
| Contents | |||
| Fund Summary | 1 | Investing With Vanguard | 24 |
| More on the Fund | 7 | Purchasing Shares | 24 |
| The Fund and Vanguard | 15 | Converting Shares | 27 |
| Investment Advisor | 16 | Redeeming Shares | 28 |
| Dividends, Capital Gains, and Taxes | 17 | Exchanging Shares | 32 |
| Share Price | 19 | Frequent-Trading Limitations | 33 |
| Financial Highlights | 21 | Other Rules You Should Know | 35 |
| Fund and Account Updates | 39 | ||
| Employer-Sponsored Plans | 40 | ||
| Contacting Vanguard | 41 | ||
| Additional Information | 42 | ||
| Glossary of Investment Terms | 43 | ||
Fund Summary
Investment Objective
The Fund seeks to provide long-term capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold Investor Shares or Admiral Shares of the Fund.
| Shareholder Fees | ||
| (Fees paid directly from your investment) | ||
| Investor Shares | Admiral Shares | |
| Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases | None | None |
| Purchase Fee | None | None |
| Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends | None | None |
| Redemption Fee | None | None |
| Account Service Fee (for certain fund account balances below | $20/year | $20/year |
| $10,000) | ||
| Annual Fund Operating Expenses | ||
| (Expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | ||
| Investor Shares | Admiral Shares | |
| Management Fees | 0.35% | 0.31% |
| 12b-1 Distribution Fee | None | None |
| Other Expenses | 0.02% | 0.01% |
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.37% | 0.32% |
1
Examples
The following examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund’s Investor Shares or Admiral Shares with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. They illustrate the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over various periods if you were to invest $10,000 in the Fund’s shares. These examples assume that the shares provide a return of 5% each year and that total annual fund operating expenses remain as stated in the preceding table. You would incur these hypothetical expenses whether or not you redeem your investment at the end of the given period. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
| 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years | |
| Investor Shares | $38 | $119 | $208 | $468 |
| Admiral Shares | $33 | $103 | $180 | $406 |
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in more taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the previous expense examples, reduce the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 12% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in the stocks of companies principally engaged in the development, production, or distribution of products and services related to the health care industry. These companies include, among others, pharmaceutical firms, medical supply companies, and businesses that operate hospitals and other health care facilities. The Fund may also consider companies engaged in medical, diagnostic, biochemical, and other research and development activities. The Fund’s advisor strives for a balanced representation of the health care field, searching for the best values in the various subsectors of the industry. The Fund may invest up to 50% of its assets in foreign stocks.
2
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund could lose money over short or even long periods. You should expect the Fund’s share price and total return to fluctuate within a wide range. The Fund is subject to the following risks, which could affect the Fund’s performance:
• Industry concentration risk, which is the chance that there will be particular problems affecting an entire industry. Any fund that concentrates in a particular industry will generally be more volatile than a fund that invests more broadly. Because the Fund normally invests at least 80% of its assets in the stocks of companies related to the health care industry, the Fund’s performance largely depends—for better or for worse—on the overall condition of this industry. The health care industry could be adversely affected by various political, regulatory, supply-and-demand, and other economic factors.
• Stock market risk, which is the chance that stock prices overall will decline. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. The Fund’s investments in foreign stocks can be riskier than U.S. stock investments. Foreign stocks tend to be more volatile and less liquid than U.S. stocks. The prices of foreign stocks and the prices of U.S. stocks may move in opposite directions.
• Asset concentration risk, which is the chance that, because the Fund tends to invest a high percentage of assets in its ten largest holdings, the Fund’s performance may be hurt disproportionately by the poor performance of relatively few stocks.
• Manager risk, which is the chance that poor security selection will cause the Fund to underperform relevant benchmarks or other funds with a similar investment objective.
• Country risk, which is the chance that world events—such as political upheaval, financial troubles, or natural disasters—will adversely affect the value of securities issued by companies in foreign countries.
-
Currency risk, which is the chance that the value of a foreign investment, measured in
-
dollars, will decrease because of unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates.
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
3
Annual Total Returns
The following bar chart and table are intended to help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the performance of the Fund‘s Investor Shares has varied from one calendar year to another over the periods shown. The table shows how the average annual total returns of the share classes presented compare with those of a relevant market index and other comparative benchmarks, which have investment characteristics similar to those of the Fund. MSCI ACWI Health Care Index returns are adjusted for withholding taxes. Returns for the Global Health/Biotechnology Funds Average are derived from data provided by Lipper, a Thomson Reuters Company. Keep in mind that the Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) does not indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available on our website at vanguard.com/performance or by calling Vanguard toll-free at 800-662-7447.
Annual Total Returns — Vanguard Health Care Fund Investor Shares1
1 The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on March 31, 2017, was 10.58%.
During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a calendar quarter was 14.43% (quarter ended March 31, 2013), and the lowest return for a quarter was –10.04% (quarter ended March 31, 2008).
4
| Average Annual Total Returns for Periods Ended December 31, 2016 | |||
| 1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | |
| Vanguard Health Care Fund Investor Shares | |||
| Return Before Taxes | –8.99% | 16.78% | 10.22% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions | –10.72 | 14.55 | 8.64 |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | –3.67 | 13.41 | 8.21 |
| Vanguard Health Care Fund Admiral Shares | |||
| Return Before Taxes | –8.94% | 16.84% | 10.29% |
| Comparative Benchmarks | |||
| MSCI ACWI Health Care Index | |||
| (reflects no deduction for fees or expenses) | –6.83% | 13.35% | 7.46% |
| Spliced Health Care Index | |||
| (reflects no deduction for fees or expenses) | –6.83 | 13.35 | 7.84 |
| Global Health/Biotechnology Funds Average | |||
| (reflects no deduction for taxes) | –11.26 | 16.14 | 8.61 |
Actual after-tax returns depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown in the preceding table. When after-tax returns are calculated, it is assumed that the shareholder was in the highest individual federal marginal income tax bracket at the time of each distribution of income or capital gains or upon redemption. State and local income taxes are not reflected in the calculations. Please note that after-tax returns are shown only for the Investor Shares and may differ for each share class. After-tax returns are not relevant for a shareholder who holds fund shares in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan. Also, figures captioned Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may be higher than other figures for the same period if a capital loss occurs upon redemption and results in an assumed tax deduction for the shareholder.
5
Investment Advisor
Wellington Management Company LLP (Wellington Management)
Portfolio Manager
Jean M. Hynes, CFA, Senior Managing Director and Global Industry Analyst of Wellington Management. She has managed the Fund since 2008.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may purchase or redeem shares online through our website (vanguard.com), by mail (The Vanguard Group, P.O. Box 1110, Valley Forge, PA 19482-1110), or by telephone (800-662-2739). The minimum investment amount required to open and maintain a Fund account for Investor Shares or Admiral Shares is $3,000 or $50,000, respectively. The minimum investment amount required to add to an existing Fund account is generally $1. Institutional, financial intermediary, and Vanguard retail managed clients should contact Vanguard for information on special eligibility rules that may apply to them regarding Admiral Shares. If you are investing through an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, your plan administrator or your benefits office can provide you with detailed information on how to participate in your plan.
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions may be taxable as ordinary income or capital gain. If you are investing through a tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA or an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, special tax rules apply.
Payments to Financial Intermediaries
The Fund and its investment advisor do not pay financial intermediaries for sales of Fund shares.
6
More on the Fund
This prospectus describes the principal risks you would face as a Fund shareholder. It is important to keep in mind one of the main axioms of investing: generally, the higher the risk of losing money, the higher the potential reward. The reverse, also, is generally true: the lower the risk, the lower the potential reward. As you consider an investment in any mutual fund, you should take into account your personal tolerance
for fluctuations in the securities markets. Look for this
symbol throughout the
prospectus. It is used to mark detailed information about the more significant risks that you would confront as a Fund shareholder. To highlight terms and concepts important to mutual fund investors, we have provided Plain Talk® explanations along the way. Reading the prospectus will help you decide whether the Fund is the right investment for you. We suggest that you keep this prospectus for future reference.
Share Class Overview
The Fund offers two separate classes of shares: Investor Shares and Admiral Shares.
Both share classes offered by the Fund have the same investment objective, strategies, and policies. However, different share classes have different expenses; as a result, their investment performances will differ.
| Plain Talk About Fund Expenses |
| All mutual funds have operating expenses. These expenses, which are deducted |
| from a fund’s gross income, are expressed as a percentage of the net assets of |
| the fund. Assuming that operating expenses remain as stated in the Fees and |
| Expenses section, Vanguard Health Care Fund’s expense ratios would be as |
| follows: for Investor Shares, 0.37%, or $3.70 per $1,000 of average net assets; |
| for Admiral Shares, 0.32%, or $3.20 per $1,000 of average net assets. The |
| average expense ratio for global health/biotechnology funds in 2016 was 1.31%, |
| or $13.10 per $1,000 of average net assets (derived from data provided by Lipper, |
| a Thomson Reuters Company, which reports on the mutual fund industry). |
| Plain Talk About Costs of Investing |
| Costs are an important consideration in choosing a mutual fund. That is because |
| you, as a shareholder, pay a proportionate share of the costs of operating a fund, |
| plus any transaction costs incurred when the fund buys or sells securities. These |
| costs can erode a substantial portion of the gross income or the capital |
| appreciation a fund achieves. Even seemingly small differences in expenses can, |
| over time, have a dramatic effect on a fund‘s performance. |
7
The following sections explain the principal investment strategies and policies that the Fund uses in pursuit of its objective. The Fund‘s board of trustees, which oversees the Fund‘s management, may change investment strategies or policies in the interest of shareholders without a shareholder vote, unless those strategies or policies are designated as fundamental. The Fund‘s policy of investing at least 80% of its assets in the stocks of companies related to the health care industry may only be changed upon 60 days‘ notice to shareholders.
Market Exposure
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in the stocks of companies principally engaged in the development, production, or distribution of products and services related to the health care industry. These companies include, among others, pharmaceutical firms, medical supply and equipment firms, and companies that operate hospitals and other health care facilities or that provide medical support services. The Fund may also consider companies engaged in medical, diagnostic, biochemical, and other research and development activities.
The Fund is subject to industry concentration risk, which is the chance that there will be particular problems affecting an entire industry. Any fund that concentrates in a particular industry will generally be more volatile than a fund that invests more broadly. Because the Fund normally invests at least 80% of its assets in the stocks of companies related to the health care industry, the Fund’s performance largely depends—for better or for worse—on the overall condition of this industry. The health care industry could be adversely affected by various political, regulatory, supply-and-demand, and other economic factors.
The Fund faces the risk that economic prospects of health care companies may fluctuate dramatically because of changes in the regulatory and competitive environments. A significant portion of health care services are funded or subsidized by the government, which means that changes in government policies—at the sovereign, U.S. federal, or state level—may affect the demand for health care products and services. Other risks include the possibility that regulatory approvals (which often entail lengthy application and testing procedures) will not be granted for new drugs and medical products, the chance of lawsuits against health care companies related to product liability issues, and the rapid speed at which many health care products and services become obsolete or subject to patent expirations.
8
The Fund is subject to stock market risk, which is the chance that stock prices overall will decline. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. The Fund‘s investments in foreign stocks can be riskier than U.S. stock investments. Foreign stocks tend to be more volatile and less liquid than U.S. stocks. The prices of foreign stocks and the prices of U.S. stocks may move in opposite directions.
Most of the stocks held by the Fund are mid- and large-capitalization stocks, because such stocks are among those represented in the health care industry.
Stocks of publicly traded companies and funds that invest in stocks are often classified according to market value, or market capitalization. These classifications typically include small-cap, mid-cap, and large-cap. It is important to understand that market capitalization ranges change over time. Also, interpretations of size vary, and there are no “official” definitions of small-, mid-, and large-cap, even among Vanguard fund advisors. The asset-weighted median market capitalization of the Fund’s stock holdings as of January 31, 2017, was $40.5 billion.
There is the chance that returns from the types of stocks in which the Fund invests will trail returns from the overall stock market. As a group, mid- and large-cap stocks tend to go through cycles of doing better—or worse—than the stock market in general. These periods have, in the past, lasted for as long as several years.
U.S. Stocks
To illustrate the volatility of stock prices, the following table shows the best, worst, and average annual total returns for the U.S. stock market over various periods as measured by the S&P 500 Index, a widely used barometer of U.S. stock market activity. Total returns consist of dividend income plus change in market price. Note that the returns shown do not include the costs of buying and selling stocks or other expenses that a real-world investment portfolio would incur.
| U.S. Stock Market Returns | ||||
| (1926–2016) | ||||
| 1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | 20 Years | |
| Best | 54.2% | 28.6% | 19.9% | 17.8% |
| Worst | –43.1 | –12.4 | –1.4 | 3.1 |
| Average | 11.9 | 10.1 | 10.3 | 11.0 |
The table covers all of the rolling 1-, 5-, 10-, and 20-year periods from 1926 through 2016. You can see, for example, that although the average annual return on common stocks for all of the 5-year periods was 10.1%, average annual returns for individual 5-year periods ranged from –12.4% (from 1928 through 1932) to 28.6% (from 1995
9
through 1999). These average annual returns reflect past performance of common stocks; you should not regard them as an indication of future performance of either the stock market as a whole or the Fund in particular.
Keep in mind that the S&P 500 Index tracks mainly large-cap stocks. Historically, industry-specific mid- and large-cap stocks, such as those held by the Fund, have been more volatile than—and at times have performed quite differently from—the large-cap stocks found in the S&P 500 Index. This volatility is due to several factors, including special industry risks and less certain growth and dividend prospects for smaller companies.
Foreign Stocks
Up to 50% of the Fund’s assets may be invested in foreign securities. The ability to invest internationally expands the investment opportunities available to the Fund.
| Plain Talk About International Investing |
| U.S. investors who invest abroad will encounter risks not typically associated |
| with U.S. companies because foreign stock and bond markets operate differently |
| from the U.S. markets. For instance, foreign companies and governments are not |
| subject to the same accounting, auditing, legal, tax, and financial-reporting |
| standards and practices as U.S. companies and the U.S. government, and their |
| stocks and bonds may not be as liquid as those of similar U.S. entities. In |
| addition, foreign stock exchanges, brokers, companies, bond markets, and |
| dealers may be subject to less government supervision and regulation than their |
| counterparts in the United States. These factors, among others, could negatively |
| affect the returns U.S. investors receive from foreign investments. |
To illustrate the volatility of foreign stock prices, the following table shows the best, worst, and average annual total returns for foreign stock markets over various periods as measured by the MSCI EAFE Index, a widely used barometer of foreign stock market activity. Total returns consist of dividend income plus change in market price. Note that the returns shown do not include the costs of buying and selling stocks or other expenses that a real-world investment portfolio would incur.
10
| Foreign Stock Market Returns | ||||
| (1970–2016) | ||||
| 1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | 20 Years | |
| Best | 69.4% | 36.1% | 22.0% | 15.5% |
| Worst | –43.4 | –4.7 | 0.7 | 3.1 |
| Average | 10.8 | 9.4 | 9.7 | 9.9 |
The table covers all of the rolling 1-, 5-, 10-, and 20-year periods from 1970 through 2016. These average annual returns reflect past performance of foreign stocks; you should not regard them as an indication of future performance of either foreign markets as a whole or the Fund in particular.
The Fund is subject to country risk and currency risk. Country risk is the chance that world events—such as political upheaval, financial troubles, or natural disasters—will adversely affect the value of securities issued by companies in foreign countries. Currency risk is the chance that the value of a foreign investment, measured in U.S. dollars, will decrease because of unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates.
Security Selection
The investment strategy of the Fund is designed to provide returns that are broadly representative of the health care industry. The Fund’s advisor strives for a balanced representation of the health care field, searching for the best values in the various subsectors of the industry.
In selecting stocks, Wellington Management Company LLP (Wellington Management), advisor to the Fund, uses a bottom-up approach in which stocks are chosen based on the advisor’s estimate of fundamental investment value. The advisor looks for high-quality balance sheets, able management, and new product potential that may lead to above-average growth in revenues and earnings. The advisor determines that a security is generally appropriate for the Fund if at least 50% of the issuer’s assets, revenues, or net income is related to, or derived from, the health care industry. Also, a security will be sold when the advisor has determined that it has reached its expected level of price appreciation, its fundamental attractiveness has deteriorated, or an alternative investment provides more attractive risk/return characteristics.
The Fund is subject to manager risk, which is the chance that poor security selection will cause the Fund to underperform relevant benchmarks or other funds with a similar investment objective.
11
The Fund is subject to asset concentration risk, which is the chance that, because the Fund tends to invest a high percentage of assets in its ten largest holdings, the Fund‘s performance may be hurt disproportionately by the poor performance of relatively few stocks.
Other Investment Policies and Risks
The Fund may invest, to a limited extent, in derivatives. Generally speaking, a derivative is a financial contract whose value is based on the value of a financial asset (such as a stock, a bond, or a currency), a physical asset (such as gold, oil, or wheat), a market index (such as the S&P 500 Index), or a reference rate (such as LIBOR). Investments in derivatives may subject the Fund to risks different from, and possibly greater than, those of investments directly in the underlying securities or assets. The Fund will not use derivatives for speculation or for the purpose of leveraging (magnifying) investment returns.
The Fund may enter into foreign currency exchange forward contracts, which are a type of derivative. A foreign currency exchange forward contract is an agreement to buy or sell a currency at a specific price on a specific date, usually 30, 60, or 90 days in the future. In other words, the contract guarantees an exchange rate on a given date. Advisors of funds that invest in foreign securities can use these contracts to guard against unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates. These contracts, however, would not prevent the Fund’s securities from falling in value as a result of risks other than unfavorable currency exchange movements. Note that the Fund will not enter into such contracts for speculative purposes. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will not commit more than 20% of its assets to foreign currency exchange forward contracts.
| Plain Talk About Derivatives |
| Derivatives can take many forms. Some forms of derivatives—such as exchange- |
| traded futures and options on securities, commodities, or indexes—have been |
| trading on regulated exchanges for decades. These types of derivatives are |
| standardized contracts that can easily be bought and sold and whose market |
| values are determined and published daily. Non-exchange-traded derivatives (such |
| as certain swap agreements and foreign currency exchange forward contracts), |
| on the other hand, tend to be more specialized or complex and may be more |
| difficult to accurately value. |
12
Cash Management
The Funds daily cash balance may be invested in one or more Vanguard CMT Funds, which are very low-cost money market funds. When investing in a Vanguard CMT Fund, the Fund bears its proportionate share of the expenses of the CMT Fund in which it invests. Vanguard receives no additional revenue from Fund assets invested in a Vanguard CMT Fund.
Temporary Investment Measures
The Fund may temporarily depart from its normal investment policies and strategies when the advisor believes that doing so is in the Funds best interest, so long as the alternative is consistent with the Funds investment objective. For instance, the Fund may invest beyond its normal limits in derivatives or exchange-traded funds that are consistent with the Funds objective when those instruments are more favorably priced or provide needed liquidity, as might be the case if the Fund is transitioning assets from one advisor to another or receives large cash flows that it cannot prudently invest immediately.
In addition, the Fund may take temporary defensive positions that are inconsistent with its normal investment policies and strategiesfor instance, by allocating substantial assets to cash equivalent investments or other less volatile instrumentsin response to adverse or unusual market, economic, political, or other conditions. In doing so, the Fund may succeed in avoiding losses but may otherwise fail to achieve its investment objective.
Frequent Trading or Market-Timing
Background. Some investors try to profit from strategies involving frequent trading of mutual fund shares, such as market-timing. For funds holding foreign securities, investors may try to take advantage of an anticipated difference between the price of the funds shares and price movements in overseas markets, a practice also known as time-zone arbitrage. Investors also may try to engage in frequent trading of funds holding investments such as small-cap stocks and high-yield bonds. As money is shifted into and out of a fund by a shareholder engaging in frequent trading, the fund incurs costs for buying and selling securities, resulting in increased brokerage and administrative costs. These costs are borne by all fund shareholders, including the long-term investors who do not generate the costs. In addition, frequent trading may interfere with an advisors ability to efficiently manage the fund.
Policies to address frequent trading. The Vanguard funds (other than money market funds and short-term bond funds, but including Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund) do not knowingly accommodate frequent trading. The board of trustees of each Vanguard fund (other than money market funds and short-term bond funds, but including Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities
13
Index Fund) has adopted policies and procedures reasonably designed to detect and discourage frequent trading and, in some cases, to compensate the fund for the costs associated with it. These policies and procedures do not apply to Vanguard ETF® Shares because frequent trading in ETF Shares generally does not disrupt portfolio management or otherwise harm fund shareholders. Although there is no assurance that Vanguard will be able to detect or prevent frequent trading or market-timing in all circumstances, the following policies have been adopted to address these issues:
Each Vanguard fund reserves the right to reject any purchase requestincluding exchanges from other Vanguard fundswithout notice and regardless of size. For example, a purchase request could be rejected because the investor has a history of frequent trading or if Vanguard determines that such purchase may negatively affect a funds operation or performance.
Each Vanguard fund (other than money market funds and short-term bond funds, but including Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund) generally prohibits, except as otherwise noted in the Investing With Vanguard section, an investors purchases or exchanges into a fund account for 30 calendar days after the investor has redeemed or exchanged out of that fund account.
Certain Vanguard funds charge shareholders purchase and/or redemption fees on transactions.
See the Investing With Vanguard section of this prospectus for further details on Vanguards transaction policies.
Each Vanguard fund (other than retail and government money market funds), in determining its net asset value, will use fair-value pricing when appropriate, as described in the Share Price section. Fair-value pricing may reduce or eliminate the profitability of certain frequent-trading strategies.
Do not invest with Vanguard if you are a market-timer.
Turnover Rate
Although the Fund generally seeks to invest for the long term, it may sell securities regardless of how long they have been held. The Financial Highlights section of this prospectus shows historical turnover rates for the Fund. A turnover rate of 100%, for example, would mean that the Fund had sold and replaced securities valued at 100% of its net assets within a one-year period.
14
| Plain Talk About Turnover Rate |
| Before investing in a mutual fund, you should review its turnover rate. This gives |
| an indication of how transaction costs, which are not included in the funds |
| expense ratio, could affect the funds future returns. In general, the greater the |
| volume of buying and selling by the fund, the greater the impact that brokerage |
| commissions and other transaction costs will have on its return. Also, funds with |
| high turnover rates may be more likely to generate capital gains, including short- |
| term capital gains, that must be distributed to shareholders and will be taxable to |
| shareholders investing through a taxable account. |
The Fund and Vanguard
The Fund is a member of The Vanguard Group, a family of more than 190 mutual funds holding assets of approximately $3.7 trillion. All of the funds that are members of The Vanguard Group (other than funds of funds) share in the expenses associated with administrative services and business operations, such as personnel, office space, and equipment.
Vanguard Marketing Corporation provides marketing services to the funds. Although shareholders do not pay sales commissions or 12b-1 distribution fees, each fund (other than a fund of funds) or each share class of a fund (in the case of a fund with multiple share classes) pays its allocated share of the Vanguard funds marketing costs.
| Plain Talk About Vanguards Unique Corporate Structure |
| The Vanguard Group is truly a mutual mutual fund company. It is owned jointly by |
| the funds it oversees and thus indirectly by the shareholders in those funds. |
| Most other mutual funds are operated by management companies that may be |
| owned by one person, by a private group of individuals, or by public investors |
| who own the management companys stock. The management fees charged by |
| these companies include a profit component over and above the companies cost |
| of providing services. By contrast, Vanguard provides services to its member |
| funds on an at-cost basis, with no profit component, which helps to keep the |
| funds expenses low. |
15
Investment Advisor
Wellington Management Company LLP, 280 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210, a Delaware limited liability partnership, is an investment counseling firm that provides investment services to investment companies, employee benefit plans, endowments, foundations, and other institutions. Wellington Management and its predecessor organizations have provided investment advisory services for over 80 years. Wellington Management is owned by the partners of Wellington Management Group LLP, a Massachusetts limited liability company. As of January 31, 2017, Wellington Management and its investment advisory affiliates had investment management authority with respect to approximately $979 billion in assets. The firm manages the Fund subject to the supervision and oversight of the trustees and officers of the Fund.
The Fund pays the advisor a base fee plus or minus a performance adjustment. The base fee, which is paid quarterly, is a percentage of average daily net assets under management during the most recent fiscal quarter. The base fee has breakpoints, which means that the percentage declines as assets go up. The performance adjustment, also paid quarterly, is based on the cumulative total return of the Fund relative to that of the MSCI ACWI Health Care Index over the preceding 36-month period. When the performance adjustment is positive, the Funds expenses increase; when it is negative, the expenses decrease.
For the fiscal year ended January 31, 2017, the advisory fee represented an effective annual rate of 0.14% of the Funds average net assets before a performance-based increase of 0.04%.
Under the terms of an SEC exemption, the Funds board of trustees may, without prior approval from shareholders, change the terms of an advisory agreement or hire a new investment advisoreither as a replacement for an existing advisor or as an additional advisor. Any significant change in the Funds advisory arrangements will be communicated to shareholders in writing. In addition, as the Funds sponsor and overall manager, The Vanguard Group, Inc. (Vanguard), may provide investment advisory services to the Fund, on an at-cost basis, at any time. Vanguard may also recommend to the board of trustees that an advisor be hired, terminated, or replaced or that the terms of an existing advisory agreement be revised.
For a discussion of why the board of trustees approved the Funds investment advisory agreement, see the most recent semiannual report to shareholders covering the fiscal period ended July 31.
The manager primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund is:
Jean M. Hynes, CFA, Senior Managing Director and Global Industry Analyst of Wellington Management. She has worked in investment management with Wellington Management since 1991, has performed securities analysis for the Fund
16
since 1995, has managed investment portfolios since 1997, and has managed the Fund since 2008. Education: B.A., Wellesley College.
The Statement of Additional Information provides information about the portfolio managers compensation, other accounts under management, and ownership of shares of the Fund.
Dividends, Capital Gains, and Taxes
Fund Distributions
The Fund distributes to shareholders virtually all of its net income (interest and dividends, less expenses) as well as any net short-term or long-term capital gains realized from the sale of its holdings. Income and capital gains distributions, if any, generally occur annually in December. In addition, the Fund may occasionally make a supplemental distribution at some other time during the year.
You can receive distributions of income or capital gains in cash, or you can have them automatically reinvested in more shares of the Fund. However, if you are investing through an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, your distributions will be automatically reinvested in additional Fund shares.
| Plain Talk About Distributions |
| As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a funds income from interest |
| and dividends as well as capital gains from the funds sale of investments. |
| Income consists of both the dividends that the fund earns from any stock |
| holdings and the interest it receives from any money market and bond |
| investments. Capital gains are realized whenever the fund sells securities for |
| higher prices than it paid for them. These capital gains are either short-term or |
| long-term, depending on whether the fund held the securities for one year or less |
| or for more than one year. |
Basic Tax Points
Investors in taxable accounts should be aware of the following basic federal income tax points:
Distributions are taxable to you whether or not you reinvest these amounts in additional Fund shares.
Distributions declared in Decemberif paid to you by the end of Januaryare taxable as if received in December.
17
Any dividend distribution or short-term capital gains distribution that you receive is taxable to you as ordinary income. If you are an individual and meet certain holding-period requirements with respect to your Fund shares, you may be eligible for reduced tax rates on qualified dividend income, if any, distributed by the Fund.
Any distribution of net long-term capital gains is taxable to you as long-term capital gains, no matter how long you have owned shares in the Fund.
Capital gains distributions may vary considerably from year to year as a result of the Funds normal investment activities and cash flows.
-
A sale or exchange of Fund shares is a taxable event. This means that you may have
-
capital gain to report as income, or a capital loss to report as a deduction, when you
complete your tax return.
Any conversion between classes of shares of the same fund is a nontaxable event. By contrast, an exchange between classes of shares of different funds is a taxable event.
Vanguard (or your intermediary) will send you a statement each year showing the tax status of all of your distributions.
Individuals, trusts, and estates whose income exceeds certain threshold amounts are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on net investment income. Net investment income takes into account distributions paid by the Fund and capital gains from any sale or exchange of Fund shares.
Dividend distributions and capital gains distributions that you receive, as well as your gains or losses from any sale or exchange of Fund shares, may be subject to state and local income taxes.
The Fund may be subject to foreign taxes or foreign tax withholding on dividends, interest, and some capital gains that it receives on foreign securities. You may qualify for an offsetting credit or deduction under U.S. tax laws for any amount designated as your portion of the Funds foreign tax obligations, provided that you meet certain requirements. See your tax advisor or IRS publications for more information.
This prospectus provides general tax information only. If you are investing through a tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA or an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, special tax rules apply. Please consult your tax advisor for detailed information about any tax consequences for you.
18
| Plain Talk About Buying a Dividend |
| Unless you are a tax-exempt investor or investing through a tax-advantaged |
| account (such as an IRA or an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan), |
| you should consider avoiding a purchase of fund shares shortly before the fund |
| makes a distribution, because doing so can cost you money in taxes. This is |
| known as buying a dividend. For example: On December 15, you invest $5,000, |
| buying 250 shares for $20 each. If the fund pays a distribution of $1 per share on |
| December 16, its share price will drop to $19 (not counting market change). You |
| still have only $5,000 (250 shares x $19 = $4,750 in share value, plus 250 shares |
| x $1 = $250 in distributions), but you owe tax on the $250 distribution you |
| receivedeven if you reinvest it in more shares. To avoid buying a dividend, check |
| a funds distribution schedule before you invest. |
General Information
Backup withholding. By law, Vanguard must withhold 28% of any taxable distributions or redemptions from your account if you do not:
-
Provide your correct taxpayer identification number.
-
Certify that the taxpayer identification number is correct.
-
Confirm that you are not subject to backup withholding.
Similarly, Vanguard (or your intermediary) must withhold taxes from your account if the IRS instructs us to do so.
Foreign investors. Vanguard funds offered for sale in the United States (Vanguard U.S. funds), including the Fund offered in this prospectus, are not widely available outside the United States. Non-U.S. investors should be aware that U.S. withholding and estate taxes and certain U.S. tax reporting requirements may apply to any investments in Vanguard U.S. funds. Foreign investors should visit the Non-U.S. Investors page on our website at vanguard.com for information on Vanguards non-U.S. products.
Invalid addresses. If a dividend distribution or capital gains distribution check mailed to your address of record is returned as undeliverable, Vanguard will automatically reinvest the distribution and all future distributions until you provide us with a valid mailing address. Reinvestments will receive the net asset value calculated on the date of the reinvestment.
Share Price
Share price, also known as net asset value (NAV), is calculated each business day as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), generally 4 p.m., Eastern time. Each share class has its own NAV, which is computed by dividing
19
the total assets, minus liabilities, allocated to the share class by the number of Fund shares outstanding for that class. On U.S. holidays or other days when the NYSE is closed, the NAV is not calculated, and the Fund does not sell or redeem shares. However, on those days the value of the Funds assets may be affected to the extent that the Fund holds securities that change in value on those days (such as foreign securities that trade on foreign markets that are open).
Stocks held by a Vanguard fund are valued at their market value when reliable market quotations are readily available from the principal exchange or market on which they are traded. Such securities are generally valued at their official closing price, the last reported sales price, or if there were no sales that day, the mean between the closing bid and asking prices. When a fund determines that market quotations either are not readily available or do not accurately reflect the value of a security, the security is priced at its fair value (the amount that the owner might reasonably expect to receive upon the current sale of the security).
The values of any foreign securities held by a fund are converted into U.S. dollars using an exchange rate obtained from an independent third party as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE. The values of any mutual fund shares, including institutional money market fund shares, held by a fund are based on the NAVs of the shares. The values of any ETF shares or closed-end fund shares held by a fund are based on the market value of the shares.
A fund also will use fair-value pricing if the value of a security it holds has been materially affected by events occurring before the funds pricing time but after the close of the principal exchange or market on which the security is traded. This most commonly occurs with foreign securities, which may trade on foreign exchanges that close many hours before the funds pricing time. Intervening events might be company-specific (e.g., earnings report, merger announcement) or country-specific or regional/global (e.g., natural disaster, economic or political news, act of terrorism, interest rate change). Intervening events include price movements in U.S. markets that exceed a specified threshold or that are otherwise deemed to affect the value of foreign securities.
Fair-value pricing may be used for domestic securitiesfor example, if (1) trading in a security is halted and does not resume before the funds pricing time or a security does not trade in the course of a day and (2) the fund holds enough of the security that its price could affect the NAV.
Fair-value prices are determined by Vanguard according to procedures adopted by the board of trustees. When fair-value pricing is employed, the prices of securities used by a fund to calculate the NAV may differ from quoted or published prices for the same securities.
Vanguard fund share prices are published daily on our website at vanguard.com/prices.
20
Financial Highlights
The following financial highlights tables are intended to help you understand the Funds financial performance for the periods shown, and certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in each table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost each period on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all distributions). This information has been obtained from the financial statements audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose reportalong with the Funds financial statementsis included in the Funds most recent annual report to shareholders. You may obtain a free copy of the latest annual or semiannual report by visiting vanguard.com or by contacting Vanguard by telephone or mail.
| Plain Talk About How to Read the Financial Highlights Tables |
| This explanation uses the Funds Investor Shares as an example. The Investor |
| Shares began fiscal year 2017 with a net asset value (share price) of $200.67 per |
| share. During the year, each Investor Share earned $2.039 from investment |
| income (interest and dividends) and $2.951 from investments that had |
| appreciated in value or that were sold for higher prices than the Fund paid for |
| them. |
| Shareholders received $15.78 per share in the form of dividend and capital gains |
| distributions. A portion of each years distributions may come from the prior |
| years income or capital gains. |
| The share price at the end of the year was $189.98, reflecting earnings of $4.99 |
| per share and distributions of $15.78 per share. This was a decrease of $10.79 |
| per share (from $200.67 at the beginning of the year to $189.88 at the end of the |
| year). For a shareholder who reinvested the distributions in the purchase of more |
| shares, the total return was 2.71% for the year. |
| As of January 31, 2017, the Investor Shares had approximately $9.6 billion in net |
| assets. For the year, the expense ratio was 0.37% ($3.70 per $1,000 of net |
| assets), and the net investment income amounted to 0.98% of average net |
| assets. The Fund sold and replaced securities valued at 12% of its net assets. |
21
| Health Care Fund Investor Shares | |||||
| Year Ended January 31, | |||||
| For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period | $200.67 | $216.14 | $191.63 | $152.58 | $131.96 |
| Investment Operations | |||||
| Net Investment Income | 2.039 | 1.934 | 2.941 | 2.350 | 2.777 |
| Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) | |||||
| on Investments | 2.951 | .566 | 49.127 | 53.058 | 22.791 |
| Total from Investment Operations | 4.990 | 2.500 | 52.068 | 55.408 | 25.568 |
| Distributions | |||||
| Dividends from Net Investment Income | (1.854) | (2.611) | (2.115) | (2.357) | (2.757) |
| Distributions from Realized Capital Gains | (13.926) | (15.359) | (25.443) | (14.001) | (2.191) |
| Total Distributions | (15.780) | (17.970) | (27.558) | (16.358) | (4.948) |
| Net Asset Value, End of Period | $189.88 | $200.67 | $216.14 | $191.63 | $152.58 |
| Total Return1 | 2.71% | 0.49% | 28.15% | 37.66% | 19.59% |
| Ratios/Supplemental Data | |||||
| Net Assets, End of Period (Millions) | $9,636 | $10,916 | $11,660 | $9,905 | $8,681 |
| Ratio of Total Expenses to | |||||
| Average Net Assets2 | 0.37% | 0.36% | 0.34% | 0.35% | 0.35% |
| Ratio of Net Investment Income to | |||||
| Average Net Assets | 0.98% | 0.84% | 1.44% | 1.33% | 1.94% |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate | 12% | 18% | 20% | 21% | 8% |
1 Total returns do not include transaction or account service fees that may have applied in the periods shown.
2 Includes performance-based investment advisory fee increases (decreases) of 0.04% for fiscal 2017 and 0.02% for fiscal 2016.
Performance-based investment advisory fees did not apply before fiscal 2016.
22
| Health Care Fund Admiral Shares | |||||
| Year Ended January 31, | |||||
| For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period | $84.64 | $91.17 | $80.84 | $64.37 | $55.68 |
| Investment Operations | |||||
| Net Investment Income | .908 | .868 | 1.290 | 1.040 | 1.211 |
| Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) | |||||
| on Investments | 1.244 | .236 | 20.715 | 22.378 | 9.605 |
| Total from Investment Operations | 2.152 | 1.104 | 22.005 | 23.418 | 10.816 |
| Distributions | |||||
| Dividends from Net Investment Income | (.828) | (1.155) | (.942) | (1.042) | (1.201) |
| Distributions from Realized Capital Gains | (5.874) | (6.479) | (10.733) | (5.906) | (.925) |
| Total Distributions | (6.702) | (7.634) | (11.675) | (6.948) | (2.126) |
| Net Asset Value, End of Period | $80.09 | $84.64 | $91.17 | $80.84 | $64.37 |
| Total Return1 | 2.76% | 0.54% | 28.20% | 37.74% | 19.65% |
| Ratios/Supplemental Data | |||||
| Net Assets, End of Period (Millions) | $33,715 $36,606 $34,371 | $24,821 | $16,002 | ||
| Ratio of Total Expenses to | |||||
| Average Net Assets2 | 0.32% | 0.31% | 0.29% | 0.30% | 0.30% |
| Ratio of Net Investment Income to | |||||
| Average Net Assets | 1.03% | 0.89% | 1.49% | 1.38% | 1.99% |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate | 12% | 18% | 20% | 21% | 8% |
1 Total returns do not include transaction or account service fees that may have applied in the periods shown.
2 Includes performance-based investment advisory fee increases (decreases) of 0.04% for fiscal 2017 and 0.02% for fiscal 2016.
Performance-based investment advisory fees did not apply before fiscal 2016.
23
Investing With Vanguard
This section of the prospectus explains the basics of doing business with Vanguard. Vanguard fund shares can be held directly with Vanguard or indirectly through an intermediary, such as a bank, a broker, or an investment advisor. If you hold Vanguard fund shares directly with Vanguard, you should carefully read each topic within this section that pertains to your relationship with Vanguard. If you hold Vanguard fund shares indirectly through an intermediary (including shares held through a Vanguard brokerage account), please see Investing With Vanguard Through Other Firms, and also refer to your account agreement with the intermediary for information about transacting in that account. If you hold Vanguard fund shares through an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, please see Employer-Sponsored Plans. Vanguard reserves the right to change the following policies without notice. Please call or check online for current information. See Contacting Vanguard.
For Vanguard fund shares held directly with Vanguard, each fund you hold in an account is a separate fund account. For example, if you hold three funds in a nonretirement account titled in your own name, two funds in a nonretirement account titled jointly with your spouse, and one fund in an individual retirement account, you have six fund accountsand this is true even if you hold the same fund in multiple accounts. Note that each reference to you in this prospectus applies to any one or more registered account owners or persons authorized to transact on your account.
Purchasing Shares
Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to increase or decrease the minimum amount required to open, convert shares to, or maintain a fund account or to add to an existing fund account.
Investment minimums may differ for certain categories of investors.
Account Minimums for Investor Shares To open and maintain an account. $3,000.
To add to an existing account. Generally $1.
Account Minimums for Admiral Shares
To open and maintain an account. $50,000. If you request Admiral Shares when you open a new account but the investment amount does not meet the account minimum for Admiral Shares, your investment will be placed in Investor Shares of the Fund. Institutional, financial intermediary, and Vanguard retail managed clients should contact Vanguard for information on special eligibility rules that may apply to them.
To add to an existing account. Generally $1.
24
How to Initiate a Purchase Request
Be sure to check Exchanging Shares, Frequent-Trading Limitations, and Other Rules You Should Know before placing your purchase request.
Online. You may open certain types of accounts, request a purchase of shares, and request an exchange through our website or our mobile application if you are registered for online access.
By telephone. You may call Vanguard to begin the account registration process or request that the account-opening forms be sent to you. You may also call Vanguard to request a purchase of shares in your account or to request an exchange. See
Contacting Vanguard.
By mail. You may send Vanguard your account registration form and check to open a new fund account. To add to an existing fund account, you may send your check with an Invest-by-Mail form (from a transaction confirmation or your account statement), with a deposit slip (available online), or with a written request. You may also send a written request to Vanguard to make an exchange. For a list of Vanguard addresses, see Contacting Vanguard.
How to Pay for a Purchase
By electronic bank transfer. You may purchase shares of a Vanguard fund through an electronic transfer of money from a bank account. To establish the electronic bank transfer service on an account, you must designate the bank account online, complete a special form, or fill out the appropriate section of your account registration form. After the service is set up on your account, you can purchase shares by electronic bank transfer on a regular schedule (Automatic Investment Plan) or upon request. Your purchase request can be initiated online (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail.
By wire. Wiring instructions vary for different types of purchases. Please call Vanguard for instructions and policies on purchasing shares by wire. See Contacting Vanguard.
By check. You may make initial or additional purchases to your fund account by sending a check or by utilizing our mobile application if you are registered for online access. Also see How to Initiate a Purchase Request. Make your check payable to Vanguard and include the appropriate fund number (e.g., Vanguardxx). For a list of Fund numbers (for share classes in this prospectus), see Additional Information.
By exchange. You may purchase shares of a Vanguard fund using the proceeds from the simultaneous redemption of shares of another Vanguard fund. You may initiate an exchange online (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail. See
Exchanging Shares.
25
Trade Date
The trade date for any purchase request received in good order will depend on the day and time Vanguard receives your request, the manner in which you are paying, and the type of fund you are purchasing. Your purchase will be executed using the net asset value (NAV) as calculated on the trade date. NAVs are calculated only on days that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open for trading (a business day).
For purchases by check into all funds other than money market funds and for purchases by exchange, wire, or electronic bank transfer (not using an Automatic Investment Plan) into all funds: If the purchase request is received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the trade date for the purchase will be the same day. If the purchase request is received on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the trade date for the purchase will be the next business day.
For purchases by check into money market funds: If the purchase request is received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the trade date for the purchase will be the next business day. If the purchase request is received on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the trade date for the purchase will be the second business day following the day Vanguard receives the purchase request. Because money market instruments must be purchased with federal funds and it takes a money market mutual fund one business day to convert check proceeds into federal funds, the trade date for the purchase will be one business day later than for other funds.
For purchases by electronic bank transfer using an Automatic Investment Plan: Your trade date generally will be the date you selected for withdrawal of funds from your designated bank account. Your bank account generally will be debited on the business day after your trade date. If the date you selected for withdrawal of funds from your bank account falls on a weekend, holiday, or other nonbusiness day, your trade date generally will be the previous business day. For retirement accounts, if the date you selected for withdrawal of funds from your designated bank account falls on the last business day of the year, your trade date will be the first business day of the following year. Please note that if you select the first of the month for automated withdrawals from your designated bank account, trades designated for January 1 will receive the next business days trade date.
If your purchase request is not accurate and complete, it may be rejected. See Other Rules You Should KnowGood Order.
For further information about purchase transactions, consult our website at vanguard.com or see Contacting Vanguard.
26
Other Purchase Rules You Should Know
Admiral Shares. Admiral Shares generally are not available for SIMPLE IRAs, Vanguard Individual 401(k) Plans, and Vanguard retail-serviced Individual 403(b)(7) Custodial Accounts.
Check purchases. All purchase checks must be written in U.S. dollars and must be drawn on a U.S. bank. Vanguard does not accept cash, travelers checks, or money orders. In addition, Vanguard may refuse starter checks and checks that are not made payable to Vanguard.
New accounts. We are required by law to obtain from you certain personal information that we will use to verify your identity. If you do not provide the information, we may not be able to open your account. If we are unable to verify your identity, Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to close your account or take such other steps as we deem reasonable. Certain types of accounts may require additional documentation.
Refused or rejected purchase requests. Vanguard reserves the right to stop selling fund shares or to reject any purchase request at any time and without notice, including, but not limited to, purchases requested by exchange from another Vanguard fund. This also includes the right to reject any purchase request because the investor has a history of frequent trading or because the purchase may negatively affect a funds operation or performance.
Large purchases. Call Vanguard before attempting to invest a large dollar amount.
No cancellations. Vanguard will not accept your request to cancel any purchase request once processing has begun. Please be careful when placing a purchase request.
Converting Shares
When a conversion occurs, you receive shares of one class in place of shares of another class of the same fund. At the time of conversion, the dollar value of the new shares you receive equals the dollar value of the old shares that were converted. In other words, the conversion has no effect on the value of your investment in the fund at the time of the conversion. However, the number of shares you own after the conversion may be greater than or less than the number of shares you owned before the conversion, depending on the NAVs of the two share classes.
Vanguard will not accept your request to cancel any self-directed conversion request once processing has begun. Please be careful when placing a conversion request.
A conversion between share classes of the same fund is a nontaxable event.
27
Trade Date
The trade date for any conversion request received in good order will depend on the day and time Vanguard receives your request. Your conversion will be executed using the NAVs of the different share classes on the trade date. NAVs are calculated only on days that the NYSE is open for trading (a business day).
For a conversion request received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the trade date will be the same day. For a conversion request received on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the trade date will be the next business day. See Other Rules You Should Know.
Conversions From Investor Shares to Admiral Shares
Self-directed conversions. If your account balance in the Fund is at least $50,000, you may ask Vanguard to convert your Investor Shares to Admiral Shares. You may request a conversion through our website (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail. Institutional, financial intermediary, and Vanguard retail managed clients should contact Vanguard for information on special eligibility rules that may apply to them. See Contacting Vanguard.
Automatic conversions. Vanguard conducts periodic reviews of account balances and may, if your account balance in the Fund exceeds $50,000, automatically convert your Investor Shares to Admiral Shares. You will be notified before an automatic conversion occurs and will have an opportunity to instruct Vanguard not to effect the conversion. Institutional, financial intermediary, and Vanguard retail managed clients should contact Vanguard for information on special eligibility rules that may apply to them.
Mandatory Conversions to Investor Shares
If an account no longer meets the balance requirements for Admiral Shares, Vanguard may automatically convert the shares in the account to Investor Shares. A decline in the account balance because of market movement may result in such a conversion. Vanguard will notify the investor in writing before any mandatory conversion occurs.
Redeeming Shares
How to Initiate a Redemption Request
Be sure to check Exchanging Shares, Frequent-Trading Limitations, and Other Rules You Should Know before placing your redemption request.
Online. You may request a redemption of shares or request an exchange through our website or our mobile application if you are registered for online access.
28
By telephone. You may call Vanguard to request a redemption of shares or an exchange. See Contacting Vanguard.
By mail. You may send a written request to Vanguard to redeem from a fund account or to make an exchange. See Contacting Vanguard.
How to Receive Redemption Proceeds
By electronic bank transfer. You may have the proceeds of a fund redemption sent directly to a designated bank account. To establish the electronic bank transfer service on an account, you must designate a bank account online, complete a special form, or fill out the appropriate section of your account registration form. After the service is set up on your account, you can redeem shares by electronic bank transfer on a regular schedule (Automatic Withdrawal Plan) or upon request. Your redemption request can be initiated online (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail.
By wire. To receive your proceeds by wire, you may instruct Vanguard to wire your redemption proceeds ($100 minimum) to a previously designated bank account. To establish the wire redemption service, you generally must designate a bank account online, complete a special form, or fill out the appropriate section of your account registration form.
By exchange. You may have the proceeds of a Vanguard fund redemption invested directly in shares of another Vanguard fund. You may initiate an exchange online (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail. See Exchanging Shares.
By check. If you have not chosen another redemption method, Vanguard will mail you a redemption check, generally payable to all registered account owners, normally within two business days of your trade date, and generally to the address of record.
Trade Date
The trade date for any redemption request received in good order will depend on the day and time Vanguard receives your request and the manner in which you are redeeming. Your redemption will be executed using the NAV as calculated on the trade date. NAVs are calculated only on days that the NYSE is open for trading (a business day).
29
For redemptions by check, exchange, or wire: If the redemption request is received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the trade date will be the same day. If the redemption request is received on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the trade date will be the next business day.
Note on timing of wire redemptions from money market funds: For telephone requests received by Vanguard on a business day before 10:45 a.m., Eastern time (2 p.m., Eastern time, for Vanguard Prime Money Market Fund; 12:30 p.m., Eastern time, for Vanguard Federal Money Market Fund), the redemption proceeds generally will leave Vanguard by the close of business the same day. For telephone requests received by Vanguard on a business day after those cut-off times, or on a nonbusiness day, and for all requests other than by telephone, the redemption proceeds generally will leave Vanguard by the close of business on the next business day.
Note on timing of wire redemptions from all other funds: For requests received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the redemption proceeds generally will leave Vanguard by the close of business on the next business day. For requests received by Vanguard on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the redemption proceeds generally will leave Vanguard by the close of business on the second business day after Vanguard receives the request.
For redemptions by electronic bank transfer using an Automatic Withdrawal Plan: Your trade date generally will be the date you selected for withdrawal of funds (redemption of shares) from your Vanguard account. Proceeds of redeemed shares generally will be credited to your designated bank account two business days after your trade date. If the date you selected for withdrawal of funds from your Vanguard account falls on a weekend, holiday, or other nonbusiness day, your trade date generally will be the previous business day. For retirement accounts, if the date you selected for withdrawal of funds from your Vanguard account falls on the last day of the year and if that date is a holiday, your trade date will be the first business day of the following year. Please note that if you designate the first of the month for automated withdrawals, trades designated for January 1 will receive the next business days trade date.
For redemptions by electronic bank transfer not using an Automatic Withdrawal Plan: If the redemption request is received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the trade date will be the same day. If the redemption request is received on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the trade date will be the next business day.
30
If your redemption request is not accurate and complete, it may be rejected. If we are unable to send your redemption proceeds by wire or electronic bank transfer because the receiving institution rejects the transfer, Vanguard will make additional efforts to complete your transaction. If Vanguard is still unable to complete the transaction, we may send the proceeds of the redemption to you by check, generally payable to all registered account owners, or use your proceeds to purchase new shares of the fund from which you sold shares for the purpose of the wire or electronic bank transfer transaction. See Other Rules You Should KnowGood Order.
For further information about redemption transactions, consult our website at vanguard.com or see Contacting Vanguard.
Other Redemption Rules You Should Know
Documentation for certain accounts. Special documentation may be required to redeem from certain types of accounts, such as trust, corporate, nonprofit, or retirement accounts. Please call us before attempting to redeem from these types of accounts.
Potentially disruptive redemptions. Vanguard reserves the right to pay all or part of a redemption in kindthat is, in the form of securitiesif we reasonably believe that a cash redemption would negatively affect the funds operation or performance or that the shareholder may be engaged in market-timing or frequent trading. Under these circumstances, Vanguard also reserves the right to delay payment of the redemption proceeds for up to seven calendar days. By calling us before you attempt to redeem a large dollar amount, you may avoid in-kind or delayed payment of your redemption. Please see Frequent-Trading Limitations for information about Vanguards policies to limit frequent trading.
Recently purchased shares. Although you can redeem shares at any time, proceeds may not be made available to you until the fund collects payment for your purchase. This may take up to seven calendar days for shares purchased by check or by electronic bank transfer. If you have written a check on a fund with checkwriting privileges, that check may be rejected if your fund account does not have a sufficient available balance.
Share certificates. Share certificates are no longer issued for Vanguard funds. Shares currently held in certificates cannot be redeemed, exchanged, converted, or transferred (reregistered) until you return the certificates (unsigned) to Vanguard by registered mail. For the correct address, see Contacting Vanguard.
Address change. If you change your address online or by telephone, there may be up to a 14-day restriction on your ability to request check redemptions online and by telephone. You can request a redemption in writing at any time. Confirmations of address changes are sent to both the old and new addresses.
31
Payment to a different person or address. At your request, we can make your redemption check payable, or wire your redemption proceeds, to a different person or send it to a different address. However, this generally requires the written consent of all registered account owners and may require additional documentation, such as a signature guarantee or a notarized signature. You may obtain a signature guarantee from some commercial or savings banks, credit unions, trust companies, or member firms of a U.S. stock exchange.
No cancellations. Vanguard will not accept your request to cancel any redemption request once processing has begun. Please be careful when placing a redemption request.
Emergency circumstances. Vanguard funds can postpone payment of redemption proceeds for up to seven calendar days. In addition, Vanguard funds can suspend redemptions and/or postpone payments of redemption proceeds beyond seven calendar days at times when the NYSE is closed or during emergency circumstances, as determined by the SEC.
Exchanging Shares
An exchange occurs when you use the proceeds from the redemption of shares of one Vanguard fund to simultaneously purchase shares of a different Vanguard fund. You can make exchange requests online (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail. See Purchasing Shares and Redeeming Shares.
If the NYSE is open for regular trading (generally until 4 p.m., Eastern time, on a business day) at the time an exchange request is received in good order, the trade date generally will be the same day. See Other Rules You Should KnowGood Order for additional information on all transaction requests.
Vanguard will not accept your request to cancel any exchange request once processing has begun. Please be careful when placing an exchange request.
Call Vanguard before attempting to exchange a large dollar amount. By calling us before you attempt to exchange a large dollar amount, you may avoid delayed or rejected transactions.
Please note that Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to revise or terminate the exchange privilege, limit the amount of any exchange, or reject an exchange, at any time, for any reason. See Frequent-Trading Limitations for additional restrictions on exchanges.
32
Frequent-Trading Limitations
Because excessive transactions can disrupt management of a fund and increase the funds costs for all shareholders, the board of trustees of each Vanguard fund places certain limits on frequent trading in the funds. Each Vanguard fund (other than money market funds and short-term bond funds, but including Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund) limits an investors purchases or exchanges into a fund account for 30 calendar days after the investor has redeemed or exchanged out of that fund account. ETF Shares are not subject to these frequent-trading limits.
For Vanguard Retirement Investment Program pooled plans, the limitations apply to exchanges made online or by telephone.
These frequent-trading limitations do not apply to the following:
-
Purchases of shares with reinvested dividend or capital gains distributions.
-
Transactions through Vanguards Automatic Investment Plan, Automatic Exchange
Service, Direct Deposit Service, Automatic Withdrawal Plan, Required Minimum Distribution Service, and Vanguard Small Business Online®.
Discretionary transactions through Vanguard Asset Management Services, Vanguard Personal Advisor Services®, and Vanguard Institutional Advisory Services®.
-
Redemptions of shares to pay fund or account fees.
-
Redemptions of shares to remove excess shareholder contributions to certain
types of retirement accounts (including, but not limited to, IRAs, certain Individual 403(b)(7) Custodial Accounts, and Vanguard Individual 401(k) Plans).
Transaction requests submitted by mail to Vanguard from shareholders who hold their accounts directly with Vanguard or through a Vanguard brokerage account. (Transaction requests submitted by fax, if otherwise permitted, are subject to the limitations.)
-
Transfers and reregistrations of shares within the same fund.
-
Purchases of shares by asset transfer or direct rollover.
-
Conversions of shares from one share class to another in the same fund.
-
Checkwriting redemptions.
-
Section 529 college savings plans.
-
Certain approved institutional portfolios and asset allocation programs, as well as
trades made by funds or trusts managed by Vanguard or its affiliates that invest in other Vanguard funds. (Please note that shareholders of Vanguards funds of funds are subject to the limitations.)
33
For participants in employer-sponsored defined contribution plans,* the frequent-trading limitations do not apply to:
Purchases of shares with participant payroll or employer contributions or loan repayments.
-
Purchases of shares with reinvested dividend or capital gains distributions.
-
Distributions, loans, and in-service withdrawals from a plan.
-
Redemptions of shares as part of a plan termination or at the direction of the plan.
-
Transactions executed through the Vanguard Managed Account Program.
-
Redemptions of shares to pay fund or account fees.
-
Share or asset transfers or rollovers.
-
Reregistrations of shares.
-
Conversions of shares from one share class to another in the same fund.
-
Exchange requests submitted by written request to Vanguard. (Exchange requests
submitted by fax, if otherwise permitted, are subject to the limitations.)
* The following Vanguard fund accounts are subject to the frequent-trading limitations: SEP-IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, certain Individual 403(b)(7) Custodial Accounts, and Vanguard Individual 401(k) Plans.
Accounts Held by Institutions (Other Than Defined Contribution Plans)
Vanguard will systematically monitor for frequent trading in institutional clients accounts. If we detect suspicious trading activity, we will investigate and take appropriate action, which may include applying to a clients accounts the 30-day policy previously described, prohibiting a clients purchases of fund shares, and/or revoking the clients exchange privilege.
Accounts Held by Intermediaries
When intermediaries establish accounts in Vanguard funds for the benefit of their clients, we cannot always monitor the trading activity of the individual clients. However, we review trading activity at the intermediary (omnibus) level, and if we detect suspicious activity, we will investigate and take appropriate action. If necessary, Vanguard may prohibit additional purchases of fund shares by an intermediary, including for the benefit of certain of the intermediarys clients. Intermediaries also may monitor their clients trading activities with respect to Vanguard funds.
For those Vanguard funds that charge purchase and/or redemption fees, intermediaries will be asked to assess these fees on client accounts and remit these fees to the funds. The application of purchase and redemption fees and frequent-trading limitations may vary among intermediaries. There are no assurances that
34
Vanguard will successfully identify all intermediaries or that intermediaries will properly assess purchase and redemption fees or administer frequent-trading limitations. If you invest with Vanguard through an intermediary, please read that firms materials carefully to learn of any other rules or fees that may apply.
Other Rules You Should Know
Prospectus and Shareholder Report Mailings
When two or more shareholders have the same last name and address, just one summary prospectus (or prospectus) and/or shareholder report may be sent in an attempt to eliminate the unnecessary expense of duplicate mailings. You may request individual prospectuses and reports by contacting our Client Services Department in writing, by telephone, or online. See Contacting Vanguard.
Vanguard.com
Registration. If you are a registered user of vanguard.com, you can review your account holdings; buy, sell, or exchange shares of most Vanguard funds; and perform most other transactions through our website. You must register for this service online.
Electronic delivery. Vanguard can deliver your account statements, transaction confirmations, prospectuses, certain tax forms, and shareholder reports electronically. If you are a registered user of vanguard.com, you can consent to the electronic delivery of these documents by logging on and changing your mailing preferences under Account Maintenance. You can revoke your electronic consent at any time through our website, and we will begin to send paper copies of these documents within 30 days of receiving your revocation.
Telephone Transactions
Automatic. When we set up your account, we will automatically enable you to do business with us by telephone, unless you instruct us otherwise in writing.
Tele-Account®. To obtain fund and account information through Vanguards automated telephone service, you must first establish a Personal Identification Number (PIN) by calling Tele-Account at 800-662-6273.
Proof of a callers authority. We reserve the right to refuse a telephone request if the caller is unable to provide the requested information or if we reasonably believe that the caller is not an individual authorized to act on the account. Before we allow a caller to act on an account, we may request the following information:
Authorization to act on the account (as the account owner or by legal documentation or other means).
-
Account registration and address.
35
-
Fund name and account number, if applicable.
-
Other information relating to the caller, the account owner, or the account.
Good Order
We reserve the right to reject any transaction instructions that are not in good order. Good order generally means that your instructions:
Are provided by the person(s) authorized in accordance with Vanguards policies and procedures to access the account and request transactions.
-
Include the fund name and account number.
-
Include the amount of the transaction (stated in dollars, shares, or percentage).
Written instructions also must generally include:
-
An original signature and date from the authorized person(s).
-
Signature guarantees or notarized signatures, if required for the type of transaction.
(Call Vanguard for specific requirements.)
Any supporting documentation that may be required.
Written instructions are acceptable when a Vanguard form is not applicable. The requirements vary among types of accounts and transactions. For more information, consult our website at vanguard.com or see Contacting Vanguard.
Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to revise the requirements for good order.
Future Trade-Date Requests
Vanguard does not accept requests to hold a purchase, conversion, redemption, or exchange transaction for a future date. All such requests will receive trade dates as previously described in Purchasing Shares, Converting Shares, Redeeming Shares, and
Exchanging Shares. Vanguard reserves the right to return future-dated purchase checks.
Accounts With More Than One Owner
If an account has more than one owner or authorized person, Vanguard generally will accept instructions from any one owner or authorized person.
Responsibility for Fraud
Vanguard will not be responsible for any account losses because of fraud if we reasonably believe that the person transacting business on an account is authorized to do so. Please take precautions to protect yourself from fraud. Keep your account information private, and immediately review any account statements or other information that we provide to you. It is important that you contact Vanguard immediately about any transactions or changes to your account that you believe to be unauthorized.
36
Uncashed Checks
Please cash your distribution or redemption checks promptly. Vanguard will not pay interest on uncashed checks. Vanguard may be required to transfer assets related to uncashed checks to a state under the states abandoned property law.
Dormant Accounts
If your account has no activity in it for a period of time, Vanguard may be required to transfer it to a state under the states abandoned property law.
Unusual Circumstances
If you experience difficulty contacting Vanguard online or by telephone, you can send us your transaction request by regular or express mail. See Contacting Vanguard for addresses.
Investing With Vanguard Through Other Firms
You may purchase or sell shares of most Vanguard funds through a financial intermediary, such as a bank, a broker, or an investment advisor. Please consult your financial intermediary to determine which, if any, shares are available through that firm and to learn about other rules that may apply. Your financial intermediary can provide you with account information and any required tax forms.
Please see Frequent-Trading LimitationsAccounts Held by Intermediaries for information about the assessment of any purchase or redemption fees and the monitoring of frequent trading for accounts held by intermediaries.
Account Service Fee
Vanguard charges a $20 account service fee on fund accounts that have a balance below $10,000 for any reason, including market fluctuation. The account service fee applies to both retirement and nonretirement fund accounts and will be assessed on fund accounts in all Vanguard funds, regardless of the account minimum. The fee, which will be collected by redeeming fund shares in the amount of $20, will be deducted from a fund account only once per calendar year.
If you register on vanguard.com and elect to receive electronic delivery of statements, reports, and other materials for all of your fund accounts, the account service fee for balances below $10,000 will not be charged, so long as that election remains in effect.
The account service fee also does not apply to the following:
Money market sweep accounts owned in connection with a Vanguard Brokerage Services® account.
-
Accounts held through intermediaries.
-
Accounts held by institutional clients.
37
Accounts held by Voyager, Voyager Select, Flagship, and Flagship Select clients.
Eligibility is based on total household assets held at Vanguard, with a minimum of $50,000 to qualify for Vanguard Voyager Services®, $500,000 for Vanguard Voyager Select Services®, $1 million for Vanguard Flagship Services®, and $5 million for Vanguard Flagship Select Services. Vanguard determines eligibility by aggregating assets of all qualifying accounts held by the investor and immediate family members who reside at the same address. Aggregate assets include investments in Vanguard mutual funds, Vanguard ETFs®, certain annuities through Vanguard, the Vanguard 529 Plan, and certain small-business accounts. Assets in employer-sponsored retirement plans for which Vanguard provides recordkeeping services may be included in determining eligibility if the investor also has a personal account holding Vanguard mutual funds. Note that assets held in a Vanguard Brokerage Services account (other than Vanguard funds, including Vanguard ETFs) are not included when determining a households eligibility.
Participant accounts in employer-sponsored defined contribution plans.* Please consult your enrollment materials for the rules that apply to your account.
-
Section 529 college savings plans.
-
The following Vanguard fund accounts have alternative fee structures: SIMPLE IRAs,
certain Individual 403(b)(7) Custodial Accounts, Vanguard Retirement Investment Program pooled plans, and Vanguard Individual 401(k) Plans.
Low-Balance Accounts
The Fund reserves the right to liquidate a fund account whose balance falls below the account minimum for any reason, including market fluctuation. This liquidation policy applies to nonretirement fund accounts and accounts that are held through intermediaries. Any such liquidation will be preceded by written notice to the investor.
Right to Change Policies
In addition to the rights expressly stated elsewhere in this prospectus, Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to (1) alter, add, or discontinue any conditions of purchase (including eligibility requirements), redemption, exchange, conversion, service, or privilege at any time; (2) accept initial purchases by telephone; (3) freeze any account and/or suspend account services if Vanguard has received reasonable notice of a dispute regarding the assets in an account, including notice of a dispute between the registered or beneficial account owners, or if Vanguard reasonably believes a fraudulent transaction may occur or has occurred; (4) temporarily freeze any account and/or suspend account services upon initial notification to Vanguard of the death of the shareholder until Vanguard receives required documentation in good order; (5) alter, impose, discontinue, or waive any purchase fee, redemption fee, account service fee, or other fees charged to a shareholder or a group of
38
shareholders; and (6) redeem an account or suspend account privileges, without the owners permission to do so, in cases of threatening conduct or activity Vanguard believes to be suspicious, fraudulent, or illegal. Changes may affect any or all investors. These actions will be taken when, at the sole discretion of Vanguard management, Vanguard reasonably believes they are in the best interest of a fund.
Share Classes
Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to change the eligibility requirements of its share classes, including the types of clients who are eligible to purchase each share class.
Fund and Account Updates
Confirmation Statements
We will send (or provide through our website, whichever you prefer) a confirmation of your trade date and the amount of your transaction when you buy, sell, exchange, or convert shares. However, we will not send confirmations reflecting only checkwriting redemptions or the reinvestment of dividend or capital gains distributions. For any month in which you had a checkwriting redemption, a Checkwriting Activity Statement will be sent to you itemizing the checkwriting redemptions for that month. Promptly review each confirmation statement that we provide to you. It is important that you contact Vanguard immediately with any questions you may have about any transaction reflected on a confirmation statement, or Vanguard will consider the transaction properly processed.
Portfolio Summaries
We will send (or provide through our website, whichever you prefer) quarterly portfolio summaries to help you keep track of your accounts throughout the year. If you prefer, you may request to receive monthly portfolio summaries. Each summary shows the market value of your account at the close of the statement period, as well as all distributions, purchases, redemptions, exchanges, transfers, and conversions for the current calendar quarter (or month). Promptly review each summary that we provide to you. It is important that you contact Vanguard immediately with any questions you may have about any transaction reflected on the summary, or Vanguard will consider the transaction properly processed.
39
Tax Information Statements
For most accounts, Vanguard (or your intermediary) is required to provide annual tax forms to assist you in preparing your income tax returns. These forms are generally available for each calendar year early in the following year. Registered users of vanguard.com can also view certain forms through our website. Vanguard (or your intermediary) may also provide you with additional tax-related documentation. For more information, consult our website at vanguard.com or see Contacting Vanguard.
Annual and Semiannual Reports
We will send (or provide through our website, whichever you prefer) reports about Vanguard Health Care Fund twice a year, in March and September. These reports include overviews of the financial markets and provide the following specific Fund information:
-
Performance assessments and comparisons with industry benchmarks.
-
Reports from the advisor.
-
Financial statements with listings of Fund holdings.
Portfolio Holdings
Please consult the Funds Statement of Additional Information or our website for a description of the policies and procedures that govern disclosure of the Funds portfolio holdings.
Employer-Sponsored Plans
Your plan administrator or your employee benefits office can provide you with detailed information on how to participate in your plan and how to elect the Fund as an investment option.
If you have any questions about the Fund or Vanguard, including those about the Funds investment objective, strategies, or risks, contact Vanguard Participant Services toll-free at 800-523-1188 or visit our website at vanguard.com.
If you have questions about your account, contact your plan administrator or the organization that provides recordkeeping services for your plan.
Be sure to carefully read each topic that pertains to your transactions with Vanguard.
Vanguard reserves the right to change its policies without notice to shareholders.
40
Transactions
Processing times for your transaction requests may differ among recordkeepers or among transaction and funding types. Your plans recordkeeper (which may also be Vanguard) will determine the necessary processing time frames for your transaction requests prior to submission to the Fund. Consult your recordkeeper or plan administrator for more information.
If Vanguard is serving as your plan recordkeeper and if your transaction involves one or more investments with an early cut-off time for processing or another trading restriction, your entire transaction will be subject to the restriction when the trade date for your transaction is determined.
| Contacting Vanguard | |
| Web | |
| Vanguard.com | For the most complete source of Vanguard news |
| For fund, account, and service information | |
| For most account transactions | |
| For literature requests | |
| 24 hours a day, 7 days a week | |
| Phone | |
| Vanguard Tele-Account® 800-662-6273 | For automated fund and account information |
| Toll-free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week | |
| Investor Information 800-662-7447 | For fund and service information |
| (Text telephone for people with hearing | For literature requests |
| impairment at 800-749-7273) | |
| Client Services 800-662-2739 | For account information |
| (Text telephone for people with hearing | For most account transactions |
| impairment at 800-749-7273) | |
| Participant Services 800-523-1188 | For information and services for participants in employer- |
| (Text telephone for people with hearing | sponsored plans |
| impairment at 800-749-7273) | |
| Institutional Division | For information and services for large institutional investors |
| 888-809-8102 | |
| Financial Advisor and Intermediary | For information and services for financial intermediaries |
| Sales Support 800-997-2798 | including financial advisors, broker-dealers, trust institutions, |
| and insurance companies | |
| Financial Advisory and Intermediary | For account information and trading support for financial |
| Trading Support 800-669-0498 | intermediaries including financial advisors, broker-dealers, |
| trust institutions, and insurance companies | |
41
Vanguard Addresses
Please be sure to use the correct address. Use of an incorrect address could delay the processing of your transaction.
| Regular Mail (Individuals) | The Vanguard Group | |||
| P.O. Box 1110 | ||||
| Valley Forge, PA 19482-1110 | ||||
| Regular Mail (Institutions, Intermediaries, and | The Vanguard Group | |||
| Employer-Sponsored Plan Participants) | P.O. Box 2900 | |||
| Valley Forge, PA 19482-2900 | ||||
| Registered, Express, or Overnight Mail | The Vanguard Group | |||
| 455 Devon Park Drive | ||||
| Wayne, PA 19087-1815 | ||||
| Additional Information | ||||
| Inception | Newspaper | Vanguard | CUSIP | |
| Date | Abbreviation | Fund Number | Number | |
| Health Care Fund | ||||
| Investor Shares | 5/23/1984 | HlthCare | 52 | 921908307 |
| Admiral Shares | 11/12/2001 | HlthCareAdml | 552 | 921908885 |
CFA® is a registered trademark owned by CFA Institute.
42
Glossary of Investment Terms
Capital Gains Distribution. Payment to mutual fund shareholders of gains realized on securities that a fund has sold at a profit, minus any realized losses.
Cash Equivalent Investments. Cash deposits, short-term bank deposits, and money market instruments that include U.S. Treasury bills and notes, bank certificates of deposit (CDs), repurchase agreements, commercial paper, and bankers acceptances.
Common Stock. A security representing ownership rights in a corporation.
Dividend Distribution. Payment to mutual fund shareholders of income from interest or dividends generated by a funds investments.
Expense Ratio. A funds total annual operating expenses expressed as a percentage of the funds average net assets. The expense ratio includes management and administrative expenses, but it does not include the transaction costs of buying and selling portfolio securities.
Inception Date. The date on which the assets of a fund (or one of its share classes) are first invested in accordance with the funds investment objective. For funds with a subscription period, the inception date is the day after that period ends. Investment performance is generally measured from the inception date.
Median Market Capitalization. An indicator of the size of companies in which a fund invests; the midpoint of market capitalization (market price x shares outstanding) of a funds stocks, weighted by the proportion of the funds assets invested in each stock. Stocks representing half of the funds assets have market capitalizations above the median, and the rest are below it.
MSCI ACWI Health Care Index. An index that measures the health care-related equities market performance of developed and emerging markets.
Mutual Fund. An investment company that pools the money of many people and invests it in a variety of securities in an effort to achieve a specific objective over time.
New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). A stock exchange based in New York City that is open for regular trading on business days, Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Eastern time. Net asset values (NAVs) are calculated each business day as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE. In the rare event the NYSE experiences unanticipated trade disruptions and is unavailable at the close of the trading day, NAVs will be calculated as of the close of regular trading on the Nasdaq (or another alternate exchange if the Nasdaq is unavailable), generally 4 p.m., Eastern time.
43
Securities. Stocks, bonds, money market instruments, and other investments.
Spliced Health Care Index. An index that reflects performance of the S&P Health Care Index through May 31, 2010, and the MSCI ACWI Health Care Index thereafter.
Total Return. A percentage change, over a specified time period, in a mutual funds net asset value, assuming the reinvestment of all distributions of dividends and capital gains.
Volatility. The fluctuations in value of a mutual fund or other security. The greater a funds volatility, the wider the fluctuations in its returns.
44
This page intentionally left blank.
P.O. Box 2600
Valley Forge, PA 19482-2600
Connect with Vanguard® > vanguard.com
For More Information
If you would like more information about Vanguard Health Care Fund, the following documents are available free upon request:
Annual/Semiannual Reports to Shareholders
Additional information about the Funds investments available in the Funds annual and semiannual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Funds performance during its last fiscal year.
Statement of Additional Information (SAI)
The SAI provides more detailed information about the Fund and is incorporated by reference into (and thus legally a part of) this prospectus.
To receive a free copy of the latest annual or semiannual report or the SAI, or to request additional information about the Fund or other Vanguard funds, please visit vanguard.com or contact us as follows:
If you are an individual investor:
The Vanguard Group
Investor Information Department P.O. Box 2600 Valley Forge, PA 19482-2600 Telephone: 800-662-7447
Text telephone for people with hearing impairment: 800-749-7273
If you are a participant in an employer-sponsored plan:
The Vanguard Group Participant Services P.O. Box 2900 Valley Forge, PA 19482-2900 Telephone: 800-523-1188
Text telephone for people with hearing impairment: 800-749-7273
If you are a current Vanguard shareholder and would like information about your account, account transactions, and/or account statements, please call:
Client Services Department Telephone: 800-662-2739
Text telephone for people with hearing impairment: 800-749-7273
Information Provided by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
You can review and copy information about the Fund (including the SAI) at the SECs Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. To find out more about this public service, call the SEC at 202-551-8090. Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR database on the SECs website at www.sec.gov, or you can receive copies of this information, for a fee, by electronic request at the following email address: [email protected], or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 20549-1520.
Funds Investment Company Act file number: 811-03916
© 2017 The Vanguard Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Vanguard Marketing Corporation, Distributor.
P 052 052017
| Vanguard Health Care Fund |
| Prospectus |
| May 25, 2017 |
| Investor Shares |
| Vanguard Health Care Fund Investor Shares (VGHCX) |
| This prospectus contains financial data for the Fund through the fiscal year ended January 31, 2017. |
| The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or |
| passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. |
| Contents | |||
| Fund Summary | 1 | Financial Highlights | 17 |
| More on the Fund | 6 | General Information | 19 |
| The Fund and Vanguard | 13 | Glossary of Investment Terms | 21 |
| Investment Advisor | 14 | ||
| Taxes | 15 | ||
| Share Price | 15 | ||
Fund Summary
Investment Objective
The Fund seeks to provide long-term capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold Investor Shares of the Fund.
| Shareholder Fees | |
| (Fees paid directly from your investment) | |
| Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases | None |
| Purchase Fee | None |
| Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends | None |
| Redemption Fee | None |
| Annual Fund Operating Expenses | |
| (Expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| Management Fees | 0.35% |
| 12b-1 Distribution Fee | None |
| Other Expenses | 0.02% |
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.37% |
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund’s Investor Shares with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. It illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over various periods if you were to invest $10,000 in the Fund’s shares. This example assumes that the shares provide a return of 5% each year and that total annual fund operating expenses remain as stated in the preceding table. You would incur these hypothetical expenses whether or not you redeem your investment at the end of the given period. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
| 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years |
| $38 | $119 | $208 | $468 |
This example does not include fees associated with the income annuity program through which you invest. Detailed information about the annuity program fees is
1
presented in the “Fee Table” section of the accompanying prospectus of the insurance company for the annuity program through which Fund shares are offered.
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in more taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the previous expense example, reduce the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 12% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in the stocks of companies principally engaged in the development, production, or distribution of products and services related to the health care industry. These companies include, among others, pharmaceutical firms, medical supply companies, and businesses that operate hospitals and other health care facilities. The Fund may also consider companies engaged in medical, diagnostic, biochemical, and other research and development activities. The Fund’s advisor strives for a balanced representation of the health care field, searching for the best values in the various subsectors of the industry. The Fund may invest up to 50% of its assets in foreign stocks.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund could lose money over short or even long periods. You should expect the Fund’s share price and total return to fluctuate within a wide range. The Fund is subject to the following risks, which could affect the Fund’s performance:
• Industry concentration risk, which is the chance that there will be particular problems affecting an entire industry. Any fund that concentrates in a particular industry will generally be more volatile than a fund that invests more broadly. Because the Fund normally invests at least 80% of its assets in the stocks of companies related to the health care industry, the Fund’s performance largely depends—for better or for worse—on the overall condition of this industry. The health care industry could be adversely affected by various political, regulatory, supply-and-demand, and other economic factors.
2
• Stock market risk, which is the chance that stock prices overall will decline. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. The Fund’s investments in foreign stocks can be riskier than U.S. stock investments. Foreign stocks tend to be more volatile and less liquid than U.S. stocks. The prices of foreign stocks and the prices of U.S. stocks may move in opposite directions.
• Asset concentration risk, which is the chance that, because the Fund tends to invest a high percentage of assets in its ten largest holdings, the Fund’s performance may be hurt disproportionately by the poor performance of relatively few stocks.
• Manager risk, which is the chance that poor security selection will cause the Fund to underperform relevant benchmarks or other funds with a similar investment objective.
• Country risk, which is the chance that world events—such as political upheaval, financial troubles, or natural disasters—will adversely affect the value of securities issued by companies in foreign countries.
-
Currency risk, which is the chance that the value of a foreign investment, measured in
-
dollars, will decrease because of unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates.
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Annual Total Returns
The following bar chart and table are intended to help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the performance of the Fund‘s Investor Shares has varied from one calendar year to another over the periods shown. The table shows how the average annual total returns of the Investor Shares compare with those of a relevant market index and other comparative benchmarks, which have investment characteristics similar to those of the Fund. MSCI ACWI Health Care Index returns are adjusted for withholding taxes. Returns for the Global Health/Biotechnology Funds Average are derived from data provided by Lipper, a Thomson Reuters Company. The bar chart and table do not reflect additional fees and expenses that are deducted by the income annuity program through which you invest. If such fees and expenses were included in the calculation of the Fund’s returns, the returns would be lower. Keep in mind that the Fund’s past performance does not indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available on our website at vanguard.com/performance or by calling Vanguard toll-free at 800-662-7447.
3
Annual Total Returns — Vanguard Health Care Fund Investor Shares1
1 The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on March 31, 2017, was 10.58%.
During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a calendar quarter was 14.43% (quarter ended March 31, 2013), and the lowest return for a quarter was –10.04% (quarter ended March 31, 2008).
| Average Annual Total Returns for Periods Ended December 31, 2016 | |||
| 1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | |
| Vanguard Health Care Fund Investor Shares | –8.99% | 16.78% | 10.22% |
| Comparative Benchmarks | |||
| MSCI ACWI Health Care Index | |||
| (reflects no deduction for fees or expenses) | –6.83% | 13.35% | 7.46% |
| Spliced Health Care Index | |||
| (reflects no deduction for fees or expenses) | –6.83 | 13.35 | 7.84 |
| Global Health/Biotechnology Funds Average | –11.26 | 16.14 | 8.61 |
4
Investment Advisor
Wellington Management Company LLP (Wellington Management)
Portfolio Manager
Jean M. Hynes, CFA, Senior Managing Director and Global Industry Analyst of Wellington Management. She has managed the Fund since 2008.
Tax Information
The tax consequences of your investment in the Fund depend on the provisions of the income annuity program through which you invest. For more information on taxes, please refer to the accompanying prospectus of the insurance company that offers your annuity program.
Payments to Financial Intermediaries
The Fund and its investment advisor do not pay financial intermediaries for sales of Fund shares.
5
More on the Fund
This prospectus describes the principal risks you would face as an investor in this Fund. It is important to keep in mind one of the main axioms of investing: generally, the higher the risk of losing money, the higher the potential reward. The reverse, also, is generally true: the lower the risk, the lower the potential reward. As you consider an investment in any mutual fund, you should take into account your personal tolerance for fluctuations in the securities markets. Look for this symbol throughout the prospectus. It is used to mark detailed information about the more significant risks that you would confront as a Fund investor. To highlight terms and concepts important to mutual fund investors, we have provided Plain Talk® explanations along the way. Reading the prospectus will help you decide whether the Fund is the right investment for you. We suggest that you keep this prospectus for future reference.
This prospectus offers the Fund’s Investor Shares and is intended for investors who would like to open an income annuity (also referred to as an immediate annuity) account through a contract offered by an insurance company. Another version—for investors who would like to open a personal investment account—can be obtained by visiting our website at vanguard.com or by calling Vanguard at 800-662-7447.
A Note About Investing in the Fund
The Fund is a mutual fund used as an investment option for income annuity programs offered by insurance companies and for personal investment accounts. When investing through an insurance company, you cannot purchase shares of the Fund directly, but only through a contract offered by the insurance company.
The Fund‘s income annuity accounts’ performance will differ from the performance of personal investment accounts because of administrative and insurance costs associated with the income annuity programs.
| Plain Talk About Costs of Investing |
| Costs are an important consideration in choosing a mutual fund. That is because |
| you, as a contract owner, pay a proportionate share of the costs of operating a |
| fund, plus any transaction costs incurred when the fund buys or sells securities. |
| These costs can erode a substantial portion of the gross income or the capital |
| appreciation a fund achieves. Even seemingly small differences in expenses can, |
| over time, have a dramatic effect on a fund‘s performance. |
The following sections explain the principal investment strategies and policies that the Fund uses in pursuit of its objective. The Fund‘s board of trustees, which oversees the Fund‘s management, may change investment strategies or policies in the interest of shareholders without a shareholder vote, unless those strategies or policies are designated as fundamental. The Fund‘s policy of investing at least 80% of its assets in
6
the stocks of companies related to the health care industry may only be changed upon 60 days‘ notice to shareholders.
Market Exposure
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in the stocks of companies principally engaged in the development, production, or distribution of products and services related to the health care industry. These companies include, among others, pharmaceutical firms, medical supply and equipment firms, and companies that operate hospitals and other health care facilities or that provide medical support services. The Fund may also consider companies engaged in medical, diagnostic, biochemical, and other research and development activities.
The Fund is subject to industry concentration risk, which is the chance that there will be particular problems affecting an entire industry. Any fund that concentrates in a particular industry will generally be more volatile than a fund that invests more broadly. Because the Fund normally invests at least 80% of its assets in the stocks of companies related to the health care industry, the Fund’s performance largely depends—for better or for worse—on the overall condition of this industry. The health care industry could be adversely affected by various political, regulatory, supply-and-demand, and other economic factors.
The Fund faces the risk that economic prospects of health care companies may fluctuate dramatically because of changes in the regulatory and competitive environments. A significant portion of health care services are funded or subsidized by the government, which means that changes in government policies—at the sovereign, U.S. federal, or state level—may affect the demand for health care products and services. Other risks include the possibility that regulatory approvals (which often entail lengthy application and testing procedures) will not be granted for new drugs and medical products, the chance of lawsuits against health care companies related to product liability issues, and the rapid speed at which many health care products and services become obsolete or subject to patent expirations.
The Fund is subject to stock market risk, which is the chance that stock prices overall will decline. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. The Fund‘s investments in foreign stocks can be riskier than U.S. stock investments. Foreign stocks tend to be more volatile and less liquid than U.S. stocks. The prices of foreign stocks and the prices of U.S. stocks may move in opposite directions.
Most of the stocks held by the Fund are mid- and large-capitalization stocks, because such stocks are among those represented in the health care industry.
7
Stocks of publicly traded companies and funds that invest in stocks are often classified according to market value, or market capitalization. These classifications typically include small-cap, mid-cap, and large-cap. It is important to understand that market capitalization ranges change over time. Also, interpretations of size vary, and there are no “official” definitions of small-, mid-, and large-cap, even among Vanguard fund advisors. The asset-weighted median market capitalization of the Fund’s stock holdings as of January 31, 2017, was $40.5 billion.
There is the chance that returns from the types of stocks in which the Fund invests will trail returns from the overall stock market. As a group, mid- and large-cap stocks tend to go through cycles of doing better—or worse—than the stock market in general. These periods have, in the past, lasted for as long as several years.
U.S. Stocks
To illustrate the volatility of stock prices, the following table shows the best, worst, and average annual total returns for the U.S. stock market over various periods as measured by the S&P 500 Index, a widely used barometer of U.S. stock market activity. Total returns consist of dividend income plus change in market price. Note that the returns shown do not include the costs of buying and selling stocks or other expenses that a real-world investment portfolio would incur.
| U.S. Stock Market Returns | ||||
| (1926–2016) | ||||
| 1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | 20 Years | |
| Best | 54.2% | 28.6% | 19.9% | 17.8% |
| Worst | –43.1 | –12.4 | –1.4 | 3.1 |
| Average | 11.9 | 10.1 | 10.3 | 11.0 |
The table covers all of the rolling 1-, 5-, 10-, and 20-year periods from 1926 through 2016. You can see, for example, that although the average annual return on common stocks for all of the 5-year periods was 10.1%, average annual returns for individual 5-year periods ranged from –12.4% (from 1928 through 1932) to 28.6% (from 1995 through 1999). These average annual returns reflect past performance of common stocks; you should not regard them as an indication of future performance of either the stock market as a whole or the Fund in particular.
Keep in mind that the S&P 500 Index tracks mainly large-cap stocks. Historically, industry-specific mid- and large-cap stocks, such as those held by the Fund, have been more volatile than—and at times have performed quite differently from—the large-cap stocks found in the S&P 500 Index. This volatility is due to several factors,
8
including special industry risks and less certain growth and dividend prospects for smaller companies.
Foreign Stocks
Up to 50% of the Fund’s assets may be invested in foreign securities. The ability to invest internationally expands the investment opportunities available to the Fund.
| Plain Talk About International Investing |
| U.S. investors who invest abroad will encounter risks not typically associated |
| with U.S. companies because foreign stock and bond markets operate differently |
| from the U.S. markets. For instance, foreign companies and governments are not |
| subject to the same accounting, auditing, legal, tax, and financial-reporting |
| standards and practices as U.S. companies and the U.S. government, and their |
| stocks and bonds may not be as liquid as those of similar U.S. entities. In |
| addition, foreign stock exchanges, brokers, companies, bond markets, and |
| dealers may be subject to less government supervision and regulation than their |
| counterparts in the United States. These factors, among others, could negatively |
| affect the returns U.S. investors receive from foreign investments. |
To illustrate the volatility of foreign stock prices, the following table shows the best, worst, and average annual total returns for foreign stock markets over various periods as measured by the MSCI EAFE Index, a widely used barometer of foreign stock market activity. Total returns consist of dividend income plus change in market price. Note that the returns shown do not include the costs of buying and selling stocks or other expenses that a real-world investment portfolio would incur.
| Foreign Stock Market Returns | ||||
| (1970–2016) | ||||
| 1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | 20 Years | |
| Best | 69.4% | 36.1% | 22.0% | 15.5% |
| Worst | –43.4 | –4.7 | 0.7 | 3.1 |
| Average | 10.8 | 9.4 | 9.7 | 9.9 |
The table covers all of the rolling 1-, 5-, 10-, and 20-year periods from 1970 through 2016. These average annual returns reflect past performance of foreign stocks; you should not regard them as an indication of future performance of either foreign markets as a whole or the Fund in particular.
9
The Fund is subject to country risk and currency risk. Country risk is the chance that world events—such as political upheaval, financial troubles, or natural disasters—will adversely affect the value of securities issued by companies in foreign countries. Currency risk is the chance that the value of a foreign investment, measured in U.S. dollars, will decrease because of unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates.
Security Selection
The investment strategy of the Fund is designed to provide returns that are broadly representative of the health care industry. The Fund’s advisor strives for a balanced representation of the health care field, searching for the best values in the various subsectors of the industry.
In selecting stocks, Wellington Management Company LLP (Wellington Management), advisor to the Fund, uses a bottom-up approach in which stocks are chosen based on the advisor’s estimate of fundamental investment value. The advisor looks for high-quality balance sheets, able management, and new product potential that may lead to above-average growth in revenues and earnings. The advisor determines that a security is generally appropriate for the Fund if at least 50% of the issuer’s assets, revenues, or net income is related to, or derived from, the health care industry. Also, a security will be sold when the advisor has determined that it has reached its expected level of price appreciation, its fundamental attractiveness has deteriorated, or an alternative investment provides more attractive risk/return characteristics.
The Fund is subject to manager risk, which is the chance that poor security selection will cause the Fund to underperform relevant benchmarks or other funds with a similar investment objective.
The Fund is subject to asset concentration risk, which is the chance that, because the Fund tends to invest a high percentage of assets in its ten largest holdings, the Fund‘s performance may be hurt disproportionately by the poor performance of relatively few stocks.
Other Investment Policies and Risks
The Fund may invest, to a limited extent, in derivatives. Generally speaking, a derivative is a financial contract whose value is based on the value of a financial asset (such as a stock, a bond, or a currency), a physical asset (such as gold, oil, or wheat), a market index (such as the S&P 500 Index), or a reference rate (such as LIBOR). Investments in derivatives may subject the Fund to risks different from, and possibly greater than, those of investments directly in the underlying securities or assets. The Fund will not use derivatives for speculation or for the purpose of leveraging (magnifying) investment returns.
10
The Fund may enter into foreign currency exchange forward contracts, which are a type of derivative. A foreign currency exchange forward contract is an agreement to buy or sell a currency at a specific price on a specific date, usually 30, 60, or 90 days in the future. In other words, the contract guarantees an exchange rate on a given date. Advisors of funds that invest in foreign securities can use these contracts to guard against unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates. These contracts, however, would not prevent the Fund’s securities from falling in value as a result of risks other than unfavorable currency exchange movements. Note that the Fund will not enter into such contracts for speculative purposes. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will not commit more than 20% of its assets to foreign currency exchange forward contracts.
| Plain Talk About Derivatives |
| Derivatives can take many forms. Some forms of derivatives—such as exchange- |
| traded futures and options on securities, commodities, or indexes—have been |
| trading on regulated exchanges for decades. These types of derivatives are |
| standardized contracts that can easily be bought and sold and whose market |
| values are determined and published daily. Non-exchange-traded derivatives (such |
| as certain swap agreements and foreign currency exchange forward contracts), |
| on the other hand, tend to be more specialized or complex and may be more |
| difficult to accurately value. |
Cash Management
The Fund‘s daily cash balance may be invested in one or more Vanguard CMT Funds, which are very low-cost money market funds. When investing in a Vanguard CMT Fund, the Fund bears its proportionate share of the expenses of the CMT Fund in which it invests. Vanguard receives no additional revenue from Fund assets invested in a Vanguard CMT Fund.
Temporary Investment Measures
The Fund may temporarily depart from its normal investment policies and strategies when the advisor believes that doing so is in the Fund‘s best interest, so long as the alternative is consistent with the Fund‘s investment objective. For instance, the Fund may invest beyond its normal limits in derivatives or exchange-traded funds that are consistent with the Fund‘s objective when those instruments are more favorably priced or provide needed liquidity, as might be the case if the Fund is transitioning assets from one advisor to another or receives large cash flows that it cannot prudently invest immediately.
11
In addition, the Fund may take temporary defensive positions that are inconsistent with its normal investment policies and strategies—for instance, by allocating substantial assets to cash equivalent investments or other less volatile instruments—in response to adverse or unusual market, economic, political, or other conditions. In doing so, the Fund may succeed in avoiding losses but may otherwise fail to achieve its investment objective.
Frequent Trading or Market-Timing
Background. Some investors try to profit from strategies involving frequent trading of mutual fund shares, such as market-timing. For funds holding foreign securities, investors may try to take advantage of an anticipated difference between the price of the fund’s shares and price movements in overseas markets, a practice also known as time-zone arbitrage. Investors also may try to engage in frequent trading of funds holding investments such as small-cap stocks and high-yield bonds. As money is shifted into and out of a fund by a shareholder engaging in frequent trading, the fund incurs costs for buying and selling securities, resulting in increased brokerage and administrative costs. These costs are borne by all fund shareholders, including the long-term investors who do not generate the costs. In addition, frequent trading may interfere with an advisor’s ability to efficiently manage the fund.
Policies to address frequent trading. The Vanguard funds (other than money market funds and short-term bond funds, but including Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund) do not knowingly accommodate frequent trading. The board of trustees of each Vanguard fund (other than money market funds and short-term bond funds, but including Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund) has adopted policies and procedures reasonably designed to detect and discourage frequent trading and, in some cases, to compensate the fund for the costs associated with it. These policies and procedures do not apply to Vanguard ETF® Shares because frequent trading in ETF Shares generally does not disrupt portfolio management or otherwise harm fund shareholders. Although there is no assurance that Vanguard will be able to detect or prevent frequent trading or market-timing in all circumstances, the following policies have been adopted to address these issues:
• Each Vanguard fund reserves the right to reject any purchase request—including exchanges from other Vanguard funds—without notice and regardless of size. For example, a purchase request could be rejected because the investor has a history of frequent trading or if Vanguard determines that such purchase may negatively affect a fund’s operation or performance.
12
• Each Vanguard fund (other than money market funds and short-term bond funds, but including Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund) generally prohibits a contract owner or annuitant from exchanging into a fund contract for 30 calendar days after the contract owner or annuitant has exchanged out of that fund contract.
• Certain Vanguard funds charge shareholders purchase and/or redemption fees on transactions.
Each Vanguard fund (other than retail and government money market funds), in determining its net asset value, will use fair-value pricing when appropriate, as described in the Share Price section. Fair-value pricing may reduce or eliminate the profitability of certain frequent-trading strategies.
Do not invest with Vanguard if you are a market-timer.
Turnover Rate
Although the Fund generally seeks to invest for the long term, it may sell securities regardless of how long they have been held. The Financial Highlights section of this prospectus shows historical turnover rates for the Fund. A turnover rate of 100%, for example, would mean that the Fund had sold and replaced securities valued at 100% of its net assets within a one-year period.
| Plain Talk About Turnover Rate |
| Before investing in a mutual fund, you should review its turnover rate. This gives |
| an indication of how transaction costs, which are not included in the fund’s |
| expense ratio, could affect the fund’s future returns. In general, the greater the |
| volume of buying and selling by the fund, the greater the impact that brokerage |
| commissions and other transaction costs will have on its return. Also, funds with |
| high turnover rates may be more likely to generate capital gains, including short- |
| term capital gains, that must be distributed to shareholders and will be taxable to |
| shareholders investing through a taxable account. |
The Fund and Vanguard
The Fund is a member of The Vanguard Group, a family of more than 190 mutual funds holding assets of approximately $3.7 trillion. All of the funds that are members of The Vanguard Group (other than funds of funds) share in the expenses associated with administrative services and business operations, such as personnel, office space, and equipment.
Vanguard Marketing Corporation provides marketing services to the funds. Although shareholders do not pay sales commissions or 12b-1 distribution fees, each fund (other
13
than a fund of funds) or each share class of a fund (in the case of a fund with multiple share classes) pays its allocated share of the Vanguard funds’ marketing costs.
| Plain Talk About Vanguard’s Unique Corporate Structure |
| The Vanguard Group is truly a mutual mutual fund company. It is owned jointly by |
| the funds it oversees and thus indirectly by the shareholders in those funds. |
| Most other mutual funds are operated by management companies that may be |
| owned by one person, by a private group of individuals, or by public investors |
| who own the management company’s stock. The management fees charged by |
| these companies include a profit component over and above the companies’ cost |
| of providing services. By contrast, Vanguard provides services to its member |
| funds on an at-cost basis, with no profit component, which helps to keep the |
| funds’ expenses low. |
Investment Advisor
Wellington Management Company LLP, 280 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210, a Delaware limited liability partnership, is an investment counseling firm that provides investment services to investment companies, employee benefit plans, endowments, foundations, and other institutions. Wellington Management and its predecessor organizations have provided investment advisory services for over 80 years. Wellington Management is owned by the partners of Wellington Management Group LLP, a Massachusetts limited liability company. As of January 31, 2017, Wellington Management and its investment advisory affiliates had investment management authority with respect to approximately $979 billion in assets. The firm manages the Fund subject to the supervision and oversight of the trustees and officers of the Fund.
The Fund pays the advisor a base fee plus or minus a performance adjustment. The base fee, which is paid quarterly, is a percentage of average daily net assets under management during the most recent fiscal quarter. The base fee has breakpoints, which means that the percentage declines as assets go up. The performance adjustment, also paid quarterly, is based on the cumulative total return of the Fund relative to that of the MSCI ACWI Health Care Index over the preceding 36-month period. When the performance adjustment is positive, the Fund’s expenses increase; when it is negative, the expenses decrease.
For the fiscal year ended January 31, 2017, the advisory fee represented an effective annual rate of 0.14% of the Fund’s average net assets before a performance-based increase of 0.04%.
Under the terms of an SEC exemption, the Fund’s board of trustees may, without prior approval from shareholders, change the terms of an advisory agreement or hire a new
14
investment advisor—either as a replacement for an existing advisor or as an additional advisor. Any significant change in the Fund’s advisory arrangements will be communicated to shareholders in writing. In addition, as the Fund’s sponsor and overall manager, The Vanguard Group, Inc. (Vanguard), may provide investment advisory services to the Fund, on an at-cost basis, at any time. Vanguard may also recommend to the board of trustees that an advisor be hired, terminated, or replaced or that the terms of an existing advisory agreement be revised.
For a discussion of why the board of trustees approved the Fund’s investment advisory agreement, see the most recent semiannual report to shareholders covering the fiscal period ended July 31.
The manager primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund is:
Jean M. Hynes, CFA, Senior Managing Director and Global Industry Analyst of Wellington Management. She has worked in investment management with Wellington Management since 1991, has performed securities analysis for the Fund since 1995, has managed investment portfolios since 1997, and has managed the Fund since 2008. Education: B.A., Wellesley College.
The Statement of Additional Information provides information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts under management, and ownership of shares of the Fund.
Taxes
The tax consequences of your investment in the Fund depend on the provisions of the income annuity program through which you invest. For more information on taxes, please refer to the accompanying prospectus of the insurance company that offers your annuity program.
Share Price
Share price, also known as net asset value (NAV), is calculated each business day as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), generally 4 p.m., Eastern time. Each share class has its own NAV, which is computed by dividing the total assets, minus liabilities, allocated to the share class by the number of Fund shares outstanding for that class. On U.S. holidays or other days when the NYSE is closed, the NAV is not calculated, and the Fund does not sell or redeem shares. However, on those days the value of the Fund’s assets may be affected to the extent that the Fund holds securities that change in value on those days (such as foreign securities that trade on foreign markets that are open).
15
Stocks held by a Vanguard fund are valued at their market value when reliable market quotations are readily available from the principal exchange or market on which they are traded. Such securities are generally valued at their official closing price, the last reported sales price, or if there were no sales that day, the mean between the closing bid and asking prices. When a fund determines that market quotations either are not readily available or do not accurately reflect the value of a security, the security is priced at its fair value (the amount that the owner might reasonably expect to receive upon the current sale of the security).
The values of any foreign securities held by a fund are converted into U.S. dollars using an exchange rate obtained from an independent third party as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE. The values of any mutual fund shares, including institutional money market fund shares, held by a fund are based on the NAVs of the shares. The values of any ETF shares or closed-end fund shares held by a fund are based on the market value of the shares.
A fund also will use fair-value pricing if the value of a security it holds has been materially affected by events occurring before the fund’s pricing time but after the close of the principal exchange or market on which the security is traded. This most commonly occurs with foreign securities, which may trade on foreign exchanges that close many hours before the fund’s pricing time. Intervening events might be company-specific (e.g., earnings report, merger announcement) or country-specific or regional/global (e.g., natural disaster, economic or political news, act of terrorism, interest rate change). Intervening events include price movements in U.S. markets that exceed a specified threshold or that are otherwise deemed to affect the value of foreign securities.
Fair-value pricing may be used for domestic securities—for example, if (1) trading in a security is halted and does not resume before the fund’s pricing time or a security does not trade in the course of a day and (2) the fund holds enough of the security that its price could affect the NAV.
Fair-value prices are determined by Vanguard according to procedures adopted by the board of trustees. When fair-value pricing is employed, the prices of securities used by a fund to calculate the NAV may differ from quoted or published prices for the same securities.
The Fund’s NAV is used to determine the annuity’s unit value for the income annuity program through which you invest. For more information on unit values, please refer to the accompanying prospectus of the insurance company that offers your annuity program.
16
Financial Highlights
The following financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Investor Shares‘ financial performance for the periods shown, and certain information reflects financial results for a single Investor Share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost each period on an investment in the Investor Shares (assuming reinvestment of all distributions). This information has been obtained from the financial statements audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report—along with the Fund’s financial statements—is included in the Fund’s most recent annual report to shareholders. You may obtain a free copy of the latest annual or semiannual report by visiting vanguard.com or by contacting Vanguard by telephone or mail.
Yields and total returns presented for the Fund are net of the Fund’s operating expenses, but they do not take into account charges and expenses attributable to the income annuity program through which you invest. The expenses of the annuity program reduce the returns and yields you ultimately receive, so you should bear those expenses in mind when evaluating the performance of the Fund and when comparing the yields and returns of the Fund with those of other mutual funds.
| Plain Talk About How to Read the Financial Highlights Table |
| This explanation uses the Fund’s Investor Shares as an example. The Investor |
| Shares began fiscal year 2017 with a net asset value (share price) of $200.67 per |
| share. During the year, each Investor Share earned $2.039 from investment |
| income (interest and dividends) and $2.951 from investments that had |
| appreciated in value or that were sold for higher prices than the Fund paid for |
| them. |
| Shareholders received $15.78 per share in the form of dividend and capital gains |
| distributions. A portion of each year’s distributions may come from the prior year’s |
| income or capital gains. |
| The share price at the end of the year was $189.88, reflecting earnings of $4.99 |
| per share and distributions of $15.78 per share. This was a decrease of $10.79 |
| per share (from $200.67 at the beginning of the year to $189.88 at the end of the |
| year). For a shareholder who reinvested the distributions in the purchase of more |
| shares, the total return was 2.71% for the year. |
| As of January 31, 2017, the Investor Shares had approximately $9.6 billion in net |
| assets. For the year, the expense ratio was 0.37% ($3.70 per $1,000 of net |
| assets), and the net investment income amounted to 0.98% of average net |
| assets. The Fund sold and replaced securities valued at 12% of its net assets. |
17
| Health Care Fund Investor Shares | |||||
| Year Ended January 31, | |||||
| For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period | $200.67 | $216.14 | $191.63 | $152.58 | $131.96 |
| Investment Operations | |||||
| Net Investment Income | 2.039 | 1.934 | 2.941 | 2.350 | 2.777 |
| Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) | |||||
| on Investments | 2.951 | .566 | 49.127 | 53.058 | 22.791 |
| Total from Investment Operations | 4.990 | 2.500 | 52.068 | 55.408 | 25.568 |
| Distributions | |||||
| Dividends from Net Investment Income | (1.854) | (2.611) | (2.115) | (2.357) | (2.757) |
| Distributions from Realized Capital Gains | (13.926) | (15.359) | (25.443) | (14.001) | (2.191) |
| Total Distributions | (15.780) | (17.970) | (27.558) | (16.358) | (4.948) |
| Net Asset Value, End of Period | $189.88 | $200.67 | $216.14 | $191.63 | $152.58 |
| Total Return1 | 2.71% | 0.49% | 28.15% | 37.66% | 19.59% |
| Ratios/Supplemental Data | |||||
| Net Assets, End of Period (Millions) | $9,636 | $10,916 | $11,660 | $9,905 | $8,681 |
| Ratio of Total Expenses to | |||||
| Average Net Assets2 | 0.37% | 0.36% | 0.34% | 0.35% | 0.35% |
| Ratio of Net Investment Income to | |||||
| Average Net Assets | 0.98% | 0.84% | 1.44% | 1.33% | 1.94% |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate | 12% | 18% | 20% | 21% | 8% |
1 Total returns do not include transaction fees that may have applied in the periods shown.
2 Includes performance-based investment advisory fee increases (decreases) of 0.04% for fiscal 2017 and 0.02% for fiscal 2016.
Performance-based investment advisory fees did not apply before fiscal 2016.
18
General Information
The Fund offers its shares to insurance companies that offer income annuity programs. Because of differences in tax treatment or other considerations, the interests of various contract owners participating in the Fund might at some time be in conflict. The Fund‘s board of trustees will monitor for any material conflicts and determine what action, if any, should be taken.
If the board of trustees determines that continued offering of shares would be detrimental to the best interests of the Fund’s shareholders, the Fund may suspend the offering of shares for a period of time. If the board of trustees determines that a specific purchase acceptance would be detrimental to the best interests of the Fund’s shareholders, the Fund may reject such a purchase request.
If you wish to redeem money from the Fund, please refer to the instructions provided in the accompanying prospectus of the insurance company that offers your annuity program. Shares of the Fund may be redeemed on any business day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open for trading. The redemption price of shares will be the next-determined NAV per share. Redemption proceeds will be wired to the administrator for distribution to the contract owner generally on the business day following receipt of the redemption request, but no later than seven business days. Contract owners will receive a check from the administrator for the redemption amount.
The Fund can postpone payment of redemption proceeds beyond seven calendar days or suspend the redemption right at times when the NYSE is closed or during any emergency circumstances, as determined by the SEC.
The exchange privilege (your ability to purchase shares of a fund using the proceeds from the simultaneous redemption of shares of another fund) may be available to you through your program. Although we make every effort to maintain the exchange privilege, Vanguard reserves the right to revise or terminate this privilege, limit the amount of an exchange, or reject any exchange, at any time, without notice.
If the board of trustees determines that it would be detrimental to the best interests of the Fund’s remaining shareholders to make payment in cash, the Fund may pay redemption proceeds in whole or in part by a distribution in kind of readily marketable securities.
For certain categories of investors, the Fund has authorized one or more brokers to accept on its behalf purchase and redemption orders. The brokers are authorized to designate other intermediaries to accept purchase and redemption orders on the Fund’s behalf. The Fund will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when an authorized broker, or a broker’s authorized designee, accepts the order in accordance with the Fund’s instructions. In most instances, for these categories of investors, a contract owner’s properly transmitted order will be priced at the Fund‘s next-determined NAV after the order is accepted by the authorized broker or the
19
broker’s designee. The contract owner should review the authorized broker’s policies relating to trading in the Vanguard funds.
When insurance companies establish omnibus accounts in the Fund for the benefit of their clients, we cannot monitor the trading activity of the individual clients. However, we review trading activity at the omnibus account level, and we look for activity that may indicate potential frequent trading or market-timing. If we detect suspicious activity, we will seek the assistance of the insurance company to investigate and take appropriate action. If necessary, Vanguard may prohibit additional purchases of Fund shares by an insurance company, including for the benefit of certain of the insurance company’s clients. Also, insurance companies may apply frequent-trading policies that differ from one another.
Please read the insurance company contract and program materials carefully to learn of any rules or fees that may apply. See the accompanying prospectus for the annuity or insurance program through which Fund shares are offered for further details on transaction policies.
Please consult the Fund‘s Statement of Additional Information or our website for a description of the policies and procedures that govern disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings.
CFA® is a registered trademark owned by CFA Institute.
20
Glossary of Investment Terms
Capital Gains Distribution. Payment to mutual fund shareholders of gains realized on securities that a fund has sold at a profit, minus any realized losses.
Cash Equivalent Investments. Cash deposits, short-term bank deposits, and money market instruments that include U.S. Treasury bills and notes, bank certificates of deposit (CDs), repurchase agreements, commercial paper, and banker’s acceptances.
Common Stock. A security representing ownership rights in a corporation.
Dividend Distribution. Payment to mutual fund shareholders of income from interest or dividends generated by a fund’s investments.
Expense Ratio. A fund’s total annual operating expenses expressed as a percentage of the fund’s average net assets. The expense ratio includes management and administrative expenses, but it does not include the transaction costs of buying and selling portfolio securities.
Inception Date. The date on which the assets of a fund (or one of its share classes) are first invested in accordance with the fund’s investment objective. For funds with a subscription period, the inception date is the day after that period ends. Investment performance is generally measured from the inception date.
Median Market Capitalization. An indicator of the size of companies in which a fund invests; the midpoint of market capitalization (market price x shares outstanding) of a fund’s stocks, weighted by the proportion of the fund’s assets invested in each stock. Stocks representing half of the fund’s assets have market capitalizations above the median, and the rest are below it.
MSCI ACWI Health Care Index. An index that measures the health care-related equities market performance of developed and emerging markets.
Mutual Fund. An investment company that pools the money of many people and invests it in a variety of securities in an effort to achieve a specific objective over time.
New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). A stock exchange based in New York City that is open for regular trading on business days, Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Eastern time. Net asset values (NAVs) are calculated each business day as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE. In the rare event the NYSE experiences unanticipated trade disruptions and is unavailable at the close of the trading day, NAVs will be calculated as of the close of regular trading on the Nasdaq (or another alternate exchange if the Nasdaq is unavailable), generally 4 p.m., Eastern time.
21
Securities. Stocks, bonds, money market instruments, and other investments.
Spliced Health Care Index. An index that reflects performance of the S&P Health Care Index through May 31, 2010, and the MSCI ACWI Health Care Index thereafter.
Total Return. A percentage change, over a specified time period, in a mutual fund’s net asset value, assuming the reinvestment of all distributions of dividends and capital gains.
Volatility. The fluctuations in value of a mutual fund or other security. The greater a fund’s volatility, the wider the fluctuations in its returns.
Yield. Income (interest or dividends) earned by an investment, expressed as a percentage of the investment’s price.
22
This page intentionally left blank.
This page intentionally left blank.
This page intentionally left blank.
P.O. Box 2600
Valley Forge, PA 19482-2600
Connect with Vanguard® > vanguard.com
For More Information
If you would like more information about Vanguard Health Care Fund, the following documents are available free upon request:
Annual/Semiannual Reports to Shareholders
Additional information about the Funds investments is available in the Funds annual and semiannual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Funds performance during its last fiscal year.
Statement of Additional Information (SAI)
The SAI provides more detailed information about the Fund and is incorporated by reference into (and thus legally a part of) this prospectus.
To receive a free copy of the latest annual or semiannual report or the SAI, or to request additional information about the Fund or other Vanguard funds, please visit vanguard.com or contact us as follows:
Vanguard Annuity and Insurance Services P.O. Box 2600 Valley Forge, PA 19482-2600 Telephone: 800-522-5555
Information Provided by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
You can review and copy information about the Fund (including the SAI) at the SECs Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. To find out more about this public service, call the SEC at 202-551-8090. Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR database on the SECs website at www.sec.gov, or you can receive copies of this information, for a fee, by electronic request at the following email address: [email protected], or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 20549-1520.
Funds Investment Company Act file number: 811-03916
© 2017 The Vanguard Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Vanguard Marketing Corporation, Distributor.
P 052A 052017
| Vanguard REIT Index Fund | |
| Prospectus | |
| May 25, 2017 | |
| Investor Shares & Admiral Shares | |
| Vanguard REIT Index Fund Investor Shares | (VGSIX) |
| Vanguard REIT Index Fund Admiral Shares | (VGSLX) |
| This prospectus contains financial data for the Fund through the fiscal year ended January 31, 2017. |
| The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or |
| passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. |
| Contents | |||
| Fund Summary | 1 | Investing With Vanguard | 26 |
| Investing in Index Funds | 6 | Purchasing Shares | 26 |
| More on the Fund | 7 | Converting Shares | 29 |
| The Fund and Vanguard | 16 | Redeeming Shares | 31 |
| Investment Advisor | 17 | Exchanging Shares | 35 |
| Dividends, Capital Gains, and Taxes | 18 | Frequent-Trading Limitations | 35 |
| Share Price | 21 | Other Rules You Should Know | 37 |
| Financial Highlights | 23 | Fund and Account Updates | 42 |
| Employer-Sponsored Plans | 43 | ||
| Contacting Vanguard | 44 | ||
| Additional Information | 45 | ||
| Glossary of Investment Terms | 47 | ||
Fund Summary
Investment Objective
The Fund seeks to provide a high level of income and moderate long-term capital appreciation by tracking the performance of a benchmark index that measures the performance of publicly traded equity REITs.
Fees and Expenses
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold Investor Shares or Admiral Shares of the Fund.
| Shareholder Fees | ||
| (Fees paid directly from your investment) | ||
| Investor Shares | Admiral Shares | |
| Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases | None | None |
| Purchase Fee | None | None |
| Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends | None | None |
| Redemption Fee | None | None |
| Account Service Fee (for certain fund account balances below | $20/year | $20/year |
| $10,000) | ||
| Annual Fund Operating Expenses | ||
| (Expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | ||
| Investor Shares | Admiral Shares | |
| Management Fees | 0.23% | 0.11% |
| 12b-1 Distribution Fee | None | None |
| Other Expenses | 0.03% | 0.01% |
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.26% | 0.12% |
1
Examples
The following examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Funds Investor Shares or Admiral Shares with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. They illustrate the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over various periods if you were to invest $10,000 in the Funds shares. These examples assume that the shares provide a return of 5% each year and that total annual fund operating expenses remain as stated in the preceding table. You would incur these hypothetical expenses whether or not you redeem your investment at the end of the given period. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
| 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years | |
| Investor Shares | $27 | $84 | $146 | $331 |
| Admiral Shares | $12 | $39 | $68 | $154 |
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or turns over its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in more taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the previous expense examples, reduce the Funds performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Funds portfolio turnover rate was 7% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund employs an indexing investment approach designed to track the performance of the MSCI US REIT Index. The Index is composed of stocks of publicly traded equity real estate investment trusts (known as REITs). The Fund attempts to replicate the Index by investing all, or substantially all, of its assets in the stocks that make up the Index, holding each stock in approximately the same proportion as its weighting in the Index.
2
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund could lose money over short or even long periods. You should expect the Funds share price and total return to fluctuate within a wide range. The Fund is subject to the following risks, which could affect the Funds performance:
Industry concentration risk, which is the chance that the stocks of REITs will decline because of adverse developments affecting the real estate industry and real property values. Because the Fund concentrates its assets in REIT stocks, industry concentration risk is high.
Stock market risk, which is the chance that stock prices overall will decline. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. The Funds target index may, at times, become focused in stocks of a limited number of companies, which could cause the Fund to underperform the overall stock market.
Interest rate risk, which is the chance that REIT stock prices overall will decline and that the cost of borrowing for REITs will increase because of rising interest rates. Interest rate risk is high for the Fund.
Investment style risk, which is the chance that the returns from REIT stockswhich typically are small- or mid-capitalization stockswill trail returns from the overall stock market. Historically, REIT stocks have performed quite differently from the overall market.
Asset concentration risk, which is the chance that, because the Funds target index (and therefore the Fund) tends to be heavily weighted in its ten largest holdings, the Funds performance may be hurt disproportionately by the poor performance of relatively few stocks.
Derivatives risk. The Fund may invest in derivatives, which may involve risks different from, and possibly greater than, those of investments directly in the underlying securities or assets.
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
3
Annual Total Returns
The following bar chart and table are intended to help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the performance of the Fund‘s Investor Shares has varied from one calendar year to another over the periods shown. The table shows how the average annual total returns of the share classes presented compare with those of the Fund‘s target index and a comparative index, which have investment characteristics similar to those of the Fund. Keep in mind that the Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) does not indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available on our website at vanguard.com/performance or by calling Vanguard toll-free at 800-662-7447.
During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a calendar quarter was 34.54% (quarter ended September 30, 2009), and the lowest return for a quarter was –38.16% (quarter ended December 31, 2008).
| Average Annual Total Returns for Periods Ended December 31, 2016 | |||
| 1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | |
| Vanguard REIT Index Fund Investor Shares | |||
| Return Before Taxes | 8.34% | 11.62% | 5.09% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions | 6.88 | 10.39 | 3.89 |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | 4.83 | 8.64 | 3.41 |
| Vanguard REIT Index Fund Admiral Shares | |||
| Return Before Taxes | 8.50% | 11.78% | 5.23% |
| Comparative Indexes | |||
| (reflect no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) | |||
| MSCI US REIT Index | 8.60% | 11.86% | 4.96% |
| REIT Spliced Index | 8.60 | 11.86 | 5.20 |
4
Actual after-tax returns depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown in the preceding table. When after-tax returns are calculated, it is assumed that the shareholder was in the highest individual federal marginal income tax bracket at the time of each distribution of income or capital gains or upon redemption. State and local income taxes are not reflected in the calculations. Please note that after-tax returns are shown only for the Investor Shares and may differ for each share class. After-tax returns are not relevant for a shareholder who holds fund shares in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan. Also, figures captioned Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may be higher than other figures for the same period if a capital loss occurs upon redemption and results in an assumed tax deduction for the shareholder.
Investment Advisor
The Vanguard Group, Inc. (Vanguard)
Portfolio Managers
Walter Nejman, Portfolio Manager at Vanguard. He has co-managed the Fund since 2016.
Gerard C. OReilly, Principal of Vanguard. He has managed the Fund since its inception in 1996 (co-managed since 2016).
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may purchase or redeem shares online through our website (vanguard.com), by mail (The Vanguard Group, P.O. Box 1110, Valley Forge, PA 19482-1110), or by telephone (800-662-2739). The minimum investment amount required to open and maintain a Fund account for Investor Shares or Admiral Shares is $3,000 or $10,000, respectively The minimum investment amount required to add to an existing Fund account is generally $1. Institutional, financial intermediary, and Vanguard retail managed clients should contact Vanguard for information on special eligibility rules that may apply to them regarding Admiral Shares. If you are investing through an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, your plan administrator or your benefits office can provide you with detailed information on how to participate in your plan.
Tax Information
The Funds distributions may be taxable as ordinary income or capital gain. If you are investing through a tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA or an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, special tax rules apply.
Payments to Financial Intermediaries
The Fund and its investment advisor do not pay financial intermediaries for sales of Fund shares.
5
Investing in Index Funds
What Is Indexing?
Indexing is an investment strategy for tracking the performance of a specified market benchmark, or index. An index is a group of securities whose overall performance is used as a standard to measure the investment performance of a particular market. There are many types of indexes. Some represent entire marketssuch as the U.S. stock market or the U.S. bond market. Other indexes cover market segmentssuch as small-capitalization stocks or short-term bonds. The index sponsor determines the securities to include in the index, the weighting of each security in the index, and the appropriate time to make changes to the composition of the index. One cannot invest directly in an index.
An index fund holds all, or a representative sample, of the securities that make up its target index. Index funds attempt to mirror the performance of the target index, for better or worse. However, an index fund generally does not perform exactly like its target index. For example, like all mutual funds, index funds have operating expenses and transaction costs. Market indexes do not, and therefore they will usually have a slight performance advantage over funds that track them.
Index funds typically have the following characteristics:
Variety of investments. Most Vanguard index funds generally invest in the securities of a variety of companies and industries.
Relative performance consistency. Because they seek to track market benchmarks, index funds usually do not perform dramatically better or worse than their benchmarks.
Low cost. Index funds are inexpensive to run compared with actively managed funds.
They have low or no research costs and typically keep trading activityand thus brokerage commissions and other transaction coststo a minimum compared with actively managed funds.
6
More on the Fund
This prospectus describes the principal risks you would face as a Fund shareholder. It is important to keep in mind one of the main axioms of investing: generally, the higher the risk of losing money, the higher the potential reward. The reverse, also, is generally true: the lower the risk, the lower the potential reward. As you consider an investment in any mutual fund, you should take into account your personal tolerance
for fluctuations in the securities markets. Look for this
symbol throughout the
prospectus. It is used to mark detailed information about the more significant risks that you would confront as a Fund shareholder. To highlight terms and concepts important to mutual fund investors, we have provided Plain Talk® explanations along the way. Reading the prospectus will help you decide whether the Fund is the right investment for you. We suggest that you keep this prospectus for future reference.
Share Class Overview
This prospectus offers the Funds Investor Shares and Admiral Shares. Another prospectus offers the Funds Institutional Shares, which are generally for investors who invest a minimum of $5 million. In addition, the Fund issues ETF Shares (an exchange-traded class of shares), which are also offered through a separate prospectus.
All share classes offered by the Fund have the same investment objective, strategies, and policies. However, different share classes have different expenses; as a result, their investment performances will differ.
| Plain Talk About Fund Expenses |
| All mutual funds have operating expenses. These expenses, which are deducted |
| from a funds gross income, are expressed as a percentage of the net assets of |
| the fund. Assuming that operating expenses remain as stated in the Fees and |
| Expenses section, Vanguard REIT Index Funds expense ratios would be as |
| follows: for Investor Shares, 0.26%, or $2.60 per $1,000 of average net assets; |
| for Admiral Shares, 0.12%, or $1.20 per $1,000 of average net assets. The |
| average expense ratio for real estate funds in 2016 was 1.28%, or $12.80 per |
| $1,000 of average net assets (derived from data provided by Lipper, a Thomson |
| Reuters Company, which reports on the mutual fund industry). |
7
| Plain Talk About Costs of Investing |
| Costs are an important consideration in choosing a mutual fund. That is because |
| you, as a shareholder, pay a proportionate share of the costs of operating a fund, |
| plus any transaction costs incurred when the fund buys or sells securities. These |
| costs can erode a substantial portion of the gross income or the capital |
| appreciation a fund achieves. Even seemingly small differences in expenses can, |
| over time, have a dramatic effect on a funds performance. |
The following sections explain the principal investment strategies and policies that the Fund uses in pursuit of its objective. The Funds board of trustees, which oversees the Funds management, may change investment strategies or policies in the interest of shareholders without a shareholder vote, unless those strategies or policies are designated as fundamental. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its assets in the stocks that make up its target index. This policy may be changed only upon 60 days notice to shareholders.
Market Exposure
The Fund invests in stocks of publicly traded equity real estate investment trusts.
| Plain Talk About REITs |
| Rather than directly owning propertieswhich can be costly and difficult to |
| convert into cash when neededsome investors buy shares in a company that |
| owns and manages real estate. Such a company is known as a real estate |
| investment trust, or REIT. Unlike corporations, REITs do not have to pay income |
| taxes if they meet certain Internal Revenue Code requirements. To qualify, a REIT |
| must distribute at least 90% of its taxable income to its shareholders and receive |
| at least 75% of that income from rents, mortgages, and sales of property. REITs |
| offer investors greater liquidity and diversification than direct ownership of a |
| handful of properties. REITs also offer the potential for higher income than an |
| investment in common stocks would provide. As with any investment in real |
| estate, however, a REITs performance depends on specific factors, such as the |
| companys ability to find tenants for its properties, to renew leases, and to |
| finance property purchases and renovations. That said, returns from REITs may |
| not correspond to returns from direct property ownership. |
8
The Fund is subject to investment style risk, which is the chance that returns from REIT stockswhich typically are small- or mid-capitalization stockswill trail returns from the overall stock market. Historically, REIT stocks have performed quite differently from the overall market.
Stocks of publicly traded companies and funds that invest in stocks are often classified according to market value, or market capitalization. These classifications typically include small-cap, mid-cap, and large-cap. It is important to understand that market capitalization ranges change over time. Also, interpretations of size vary, and there are no official definitions of small-, mid-, and large-cap, even among Vanguard fund advisors. REITs in the MSCI US REIT Index tend to be small- and mid-cap stocks. The asset-weighted median market capitalization of the Funds stock holdings as of January 31, 2017, was $10 billion.
Small- and mid-cap stocks tend to have greater volatility than large-cap stocks because, among other things, smaller companies often have fewer customers, financial resources, and products than larger firms. Such characteristics can make small and mid-size companies more sensitive to changing economic conditions. REIT stocks tend to have a significant amount of dividend income, which can reduce the impact of this volatility. However, the Fund is subject to additional risk because of the concentration in the real estate sector. This focus on a single sector may result in more risk than that for a more diversified, multisector portfolio.
| Plain Talk About Types of REITs |
| An equity REIT generally owns properties directly. Equity REITs typically generate |
| income from rental and lease payments, and they offer the potential for growth |
| from property appreciation as well as occasional capital gains from the sale of |
| property. A mortgage REIT makes loans to commercial real estate developers. |
| Mortgage REITs earn interest income and are subject to credit risk (i.e., the |
| chance that a developer will fail to repay a loan). A hybrid REIT holds both |
| properties and mortgages. The Fund invests in equity REITs only, and not other |
| types of REITs. |
The Fund is subject to stock market risk, which is the chance that stock prices overall will decline. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. The Funds target index may, at times, become focused in stocks of a limited number of companies, which could cause the Fund to underperform the overall stock market.
9
To illustrate the volatility of stock prices, the following table shows the best, worst, and average annual total returns for the U.S. stock market over various periods as measured by the S&P 500 Index, a widely used barometer of U.S. stock market activity. Total returns consist of dividend income plus change in market price. Note that the returns shown do not include the costs of buying and selling stocks or other expenses that a real-world investment portfolio would incur.
| U.S. Stock Market Returns | ||||
| (1926–2016) | ||||
| 1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | 20 Years | |
| Best | 54.2% | 28.6% | 19.9% | 17.8% |
| Worst | –43.1 | –12.4 | –1.4 | 3.1 |
| Average | 11.9 | 10.1 | 10.3 | 11.0 |
The table covers all of the rolling 1-, 5-, 10-, and 20-year periods from 1926 through 2016. You can see, for example, that although the average annual return on common stocks for all of the 5-year periods was 10.1%, average annual returns for individual 5-year periods ranged from –12.4% (from 1928 through 1932) to 28.6% (from 1995 through 1999). These average annual returns reflect past performance of common stocks; you should not regard them as an indication of future performance of either the stock market as a whole or the Fund in particular.
The Fund is subject to interest rate risk, which is the chance that REIT stock prices overall will decline and that the cost of borrowing for REITs will increase because of rising interest rates. Interest rate risk is high for the Fund.
In general, during periods of high interest rates, REITs may lose some of their appeal for investors who may be able to obtain higher yields from other income-producing investments, such as long-term bonds. Higher interest rates also mean that financing for property purchases and improvements is more costly and difficult to obtain.
The Fund is subject to industry concentration risk, which is the chance that the stocks of REITs will decline because of adverse developments affecting the real estate industry and real property values. Because the Fund concentrates its assets in REIT stocks, industry concentration risk is high.
10
Because of its emphasis on REIT stocks, the Funds performance may at times be linked to the ups and downs of the real estate market. In general, real estate values can be affected by a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, supply and demand for properties, the economic health of the nation as well as different regions, and the strength of specific industries that rent properties. Ultimately, an individual REITs performance depends on the types and locations of the properties it owns and on how well the REIT manages its properties. For instance, rental income could decline because of extended vacancies, increased competition from nearby properties, tenants failure to pay rent, regulatory limitations on rents, fluctuations in rental income, variations in market rental rates, or incompetent management. Property values could decrease because of overbuilding in the area, environmental liabilities, uninsured damages caused by natural disasters, a general decline in the neighborhood, losses because of casualty or condemnation, increases in property taxes, or changes in zoning laws. Loss of IRS status as a qualified REIT may also affect an individual REITs performance. In addition, many real estate issuers, including REITs, utilize leverage (and some may be highly leveraged), which increases investment risk and could adversely affect the issuers operations and market value in periods of rising interest rates.
Security Selection
The Fund attempts to track the investment performance of a benchmark index that measures the performance of publicly traded equity REITs.
The Fund attempts to hold each stock contained in the MSCI US REIT Index in roughly the same proportion as represented in the Index itself. For example, if 5% of the MSCI US REIT Index were made up of the stock of a specific REIT, the Fund would invest approximately the same percentage of its assets in that stock.
The MSCI US REIT Index is made up of the stocks of publicly traded equity REITs that meet certain criteria. For example, to be included initially in the Index, a REIT must meet a minimum market capitalization threshold and have enough shares and trading volume to be considered liquid. In line with the Index, the Fund invests in equity REITs only.
The Fund is subject to asset concentration risk, which is the chance that, because the Funds target index (and therefore the Fund) tends to be heavily weighted in its ten largest holdings, the Funds performance may be hurt disproportionately by the poor performance of relatively few stocks.
11
As of January 31, 2017, 155 equity REITs were included in the Index. The Index is rebalanced quarterly, except when a merger, acquisition, or similar corporate action dictates same-day rebalancing. On a quarterly basis, current stocks are tested for continued compliance with the guidelines of the Index. A REIT may be removed from the Index because of a decline in market capitalization, because it becomes illiquid, or because of other changes in its status.
Stocks in the MSCI US REIT Index represent a broadly diversified range of property types. The makeup of the Fund, as of January 31, 2017, was:
| Fund Allocation by | |
| REIT Type | Percentage of Fund |
| Retail | 22.4% |
| Residential | 15.5 |
| Specialized | 16.4 |
| Office | 13.7 |
| Health Care | 11.9 |
| Diversified | 7.8 |
| Hotel & Resort | 6.3 |
| Industrial | 6.0 |
Other Investment Policies and Risks
The Fund reserves the right to substitute a different index for the index it currently tracks if the current index is discontinued, if the Fund‘s agreement with the sponsor of its target index is terminated, or for any other reason determined in good faith by the Fund’s board of trustees. In any such instance, the substitute index would represent the same market segment as the current index.
The Fund is subject to REIT ownership limitation risk, which is the chance that the Fund may be unable to purchase (or otherwise obtain economic exposure to) the desired amounts of certain REITs included in its target index.
The Fund has significant ownership positions in many REITs included in its target index. For tax and other reasons, a REIT imposes limits on how much of its securities any one investor may own. If an ownership limit is reached, the Fund may seek to obtain an ownership waiver from the REIT to exceed the limit. If the Fund is unable to obtain a waiver, it may seek to obtain economic exposure to the REIT through alternative means, such as through a total return swap, which may be more costly than owning REIT shares directly. If the Fund is unable to obtain either an ownership waiver or economic exposure to the REIT through alternative means, the Fund may experience increased tracking error. In addition, to maintain its qualification as a
12
regulated investment company, the Fund may be unable to own the desired amount of certain REITs, which may increase tracking error. Additional measures could be taken in the future in response to REIT ownership limits, including changing the Fund’s investment strategy, limiting additional purchases into the Fund, or any other appropriate action.
The Fund may invest in foreign securities to the extent necessary to carry out its investment strategy of holding all, or substantially all, of the stocks that make up the index it tracks.
In addition to investing in common stocks of REITs, the Fund may make other kinds of investments to achieve its objective.
The Fund may invest in derivatives. In general, investments in derivatives may involve risks different from, and possibly greater than, those of investments directly in the underlying securities or assets.
Generally speaking, a derivative is a financial contract whose value is based on the value of a financial asset (such as a stock, a bond, or a currency), a physical asset (such as gold, oil, or wheat), a market index (such as the S&P 500 Index), or a reference rate (such as LIBOR). The Fund may invest in derivatives only if the expected risks and rewards of the derivatives are consistent with the investment objective, policies, strategies, and risks of the Fund as disclosed in this prospectus. In particular, derivatives will be used only when they may help the advisor to accomplish one or more of the following:
• Invest in eligible asset classes with greater efficiency and lower cost than is possible through direct investment.
• Obtain economic exposure to a stock, a basket of stocks, or an index when deemed desirable.
• Add value when these instruments are attractively priced.
The market for many derivatives is, or suddenly can become, illiquid, which may result in significant, rapid, and unpredictable changes in the prices for derivatives. The Fund‘s use of a derivative subjects it to the risk of nonperformance by the counterparty, potentially resulting in delayed or partial payment or even nonpayment of amounts due under the derivative contract. The Fund attempts to mitigate this risk by requiring the posting of collateral by its counterparty.
The Fund‘s derivative investments may include total return swaps or other derivatives.
13
| Plain Talk About Derivatives |
| Derivatives can take many forms. Some forms of derivatives—such as exchange- |
| traded futures and options on securities, commodities, or indexes—have been |
| trading on regulated exchanges for decades. These types of derivatives are |
| standardized contracts that can easily be bought and sold and whose market |
| values are determined and published daily. Non-exchange-traded derivatives (such |
| as certain swap agreements), on the other hand, tend to be more specialized or |
| complex and may be more difficult to accurately value. |
Cash Management
The Fund‘s daily cash balance may be invested in one or more Vanguard CMT Funds, which are very low-cost money market funds. When investing in a Vanguard CMT Fund, the Fund bears its proportionate share of the expenses of the CMT Fund in which it invests. Vanguard receives no additional revenue from Fund assets invested in a Vanguard CMT Fund.
Temporary Investment Measures
The Fund may temporarily depart from its normal investment policies and strategies when the advisor believes that doing so is in the Fund‘s best interest, so long as the alternative is consistent with the Fund‘s investment objective. For instance, the Fund may invest beyond its normal limits in derivatives or exchange-traded funds that are consistent with the Fund‘s objective when those instruments are more favorably priced or provide needed liquidity, as might be the case when the Fund receives large cash flows that it cannot prudently invest immediately.
Frequent Trading or Market-Timing
Background. Some investors try to profit from strategies involving frequent trading of mutual fund shares, such as market-timing. For funds holding foreign securities, investors may try to take advantage of an anticipated difference between the price of the fund’s shares and price movements in overseas markets, a practice also known as time-zone arbitrage. Investors also may try to engage in frequent trading of funds holding investments such as small-cap stocks and high-yield bonds. As money is shifted into and out of a fund by a shareholder engaging in frequent trading, the fund incurs costs for buying and selling securities, resulting in increased brokerage and administrative costs. These costs are borne by all fund shareholders, including the long-term investors who do not generate the costs. In addition, frequent trading may interfere with an advisor’s ability to efficiently manage the fund.
14
Policies to address frequent trading. The Vanguard funds (other than money market funds and short-term bond funds, but including Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund) do not knowingly accommodate frequent trading. The board of trustees of each Vanguard fund (other than money market funds and short-term bond funds, but including Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund) has adopted policies and procedures reasonably designed to detect and discourage frequent trading and, in some cases, to compensate the fund for the costs associated with it. These policies and procedures do not apply to Vanguard ETF® Shares because frequent trading in ETF Shares generally does not disrupt portfolio management or otherwise harm fund shareholders. Although there is no assurance that Vanguard will be able to detect or prevent frequent trading or market-timing in all circumstances, the following policies have been adopted to address these issues:
• Each Vanguard fund reserves the right to reject any purchase request—including exchanges from other Vanguard funds—without notice and regardless of size. For example, a purchase request could be rejected because the investor has a history of frequent trading or if Vanguard determines that such purchase may negatively affect a fund’s operation or performance.
• Each Vanguard fund (other than money market funds and short-term bond funds, but including Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund) generally prohibits, except as otherwise noted in the Investing With Vanguard section, an investor’s purchases or exchanges into a fund account for 30 calendar days after the investor has redeemed or exchanged out of that fund account.
• Certain Vanguard funds charge shareholders purchase and/or redemption fees on transactions.
See the Investing With Vanguard section of this prospectus for further details on Vanguard’s transaction policies.
Each Vanguard fund (other than retail and government money market funds), in determining its net asset value, will use fair-value pricing when appropriate, as described in the Share Price section. Fair-value pricing may reduce or eliminate the profitability of certain frequent-trading strategies.
Do not invest with Vanguard if you are a market-timer.
15
Turnover Rate
Although the Fund generally seeks to invest for the long term, it may sell securities regardless of how long they have been held. Generally, an index fund sells securities in response to redemption requests from shareholders of conventional (not exchange-traded) shares or to changes in the composition of its target index. The Financial Highlights section of this prospectus shows historical turnover rates for the Fund. A turnover rate of 100%, for example, would mean that the Fund had sold and replaced securities valued at 100% of its net assets within a one-year period.
| Plain Talk About Turnover Rate |
| Before investing in a mutual fund, you should review its turnover rate. This gives |
| an indication of how transaction costs, which are not included in the fund’s |
| expense ratio, could affect the fund’s future returns. In general, the greater the |
| volume of buying and selling by the fund, the greater the impact that brokerage |
| commissions and other transaction costs will have on its return. Also, funds with |
| high turnover rates may be more likely to generate capital gains, including short- |
| term capital gains, that must be distributed to shareholders and will be taxable to |
| shareholders investing through a taxable account. |
The Fund and Vanguard
The Fund is a member of The Vanguard Group, a family of more than 190 mutual funds holding assets of approximately $3.7 trillion. All of the funds that are members of The Vanguard Group (other than funds of funds) share in the expenses associated with administrative services and business operations, such as personnel, office space, and equipment.
Vanguard Marketing Corporation provides marketing services to the funds. Although shareholders do not pay sales commissions or 12b-1 distribution fees, each fund (other than a fund of funds) or each share class of a fund (in the case of a fund with multiple share classes) pays its allocated share of the Vanguard funds’ marketing costs.
16
| Plain Talk About Vanguard’s Unique Corporate Structure |
| The Vanguard Group is truly a mutual mutual fund company. It is owned jointly by |
| the funds it oversees and thus indirectly by the shareholders in those funds. |
| Most other mutual funds are operated by management companies that may be |
| owned by one person, by a private group of individuals, or by public investors |
| who own the management company’s stock. The management fees charged by |
| these companies include a profit component over and above the companies’ cost |
| of providing services. By contrast, Vanguard provides services to its member |
| funds on an at-cost basis, with no profit component, which helps to keep the |
| funds’ expenses low. |
Investment Advisor
The Vanguard Group, Inc. (Vanguard), P.O. Box 2600, Valley Forge, PA 19482, which began operations in 1975, serves as advisor to the Fund through its Equity Index Group. As of January 31, 2017, Vanguard served as advisor for approximately $3.2 trillion in assets. Vanguard provides investment advisory services to the Fund on an at-cost basis, subject to the supervision and oversight of the trustees and officers of the Fund.
For the fiscal year ended January 31, 2017, the advisory expenses represented an effective annual rate of 0.01% of the Fund’s average net assets.
For a discussion of why the board of trustees approved the Fund’s investment advisory arrangement, see the most recent semiannual report to shareholders covering the fiscal period ended July 31.
The managers primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund are:
Walter Nejman, Portfolio Manager at Vanguard. He has been with Vanguard since 2005, has worked in investment management since 2008, and has co-managed the Fund since 2016. Education: B.A., Arcadia University; M.B.A., Villanova University.
Gerard C. O’Reilly, Principal of Vanguard. He has been with Vanguard since 1992, has managed investment portfolios since 1994, and has managed the Fund since its inception in 1996 (co-managed since 2016). Education: B.S., Villanova University.
The Statement of Additional Information provides information about each portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts under management, and ownership of shares of the Fund.
17
Dividends, Capital Gains, and Taxes
Fund Distributions
Each March, June, September, and December, the Fund pays out to shareholders virtually all of the distributions it receives from its REIT investments, less expenses. Distributions may include income, return of capital, and capital gains. The Fund may also realize capital gains on the sale of its REIT investments. Distributions of these gains, if any, are included in the December distribution. In addition, the Fund may occasionally make a supplemental distribution at some other time during the year.
You can receive distributions of income or capital gains in cash, or you can have them automatically reinvested in more shares of the Fund. However, if you are investing through an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, your distributions will be automatically reinvested in additional Fund shares.
| Plain Talk About Distributions |
| As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a fund’s income from interest |
| and dividends as well as capital gains from the fund’s sale of investments. |
| Income consists of both the dividends that the fund earns from any stock |
| holdings and the interest it receives from any money market and bond |
| investments. Capital gains are realized whenever the fund sells securities for |
| higher prices than it paid for them. |
| Plain Talk About Return of Capital |
| The Internal Revenue Code requires a REIT to distribute at least 90% of its |
| taxable income to investors. In many cases, however, because of “noncash” |
| expenses such as property depreciation, an equity REIT’s cash flow will exceed |
| its taxable income. The REIT may distribute this excess cash to investors. Such a |
| distribution is classified as a return of capital. |
18
Basic Tax Points
Vanguard (or your intermediary) expects to send you a statement each February showing the tax status of all of your distributions. (Other Vanguard funds mail their tax statements in January; the Fund mails its statements later because REITs do not provide information on the taxability of their distributions until after the calendar year-end.) In addition, investors in taxable accounts should be aware of the following basic federal income tax points:
• Distributions (other than any return of capital) are taxable to you whether or not you reinvest these amounts in additional Fund shares.
• Distributions declared in December—if paid to you by the end of January—are taxable as if received in December.
• Any dividend distribution or short-term capital gains distribution that you receive is taxable to you as ordinary income. If you are an individual and meet certain holding-period requirements with respect to your Fund shares, you may be eligible for reduced tax rates on “qualified dividend income,” if any, distributed by the Fund.
• Any distribution of net long-term capital gains is taxable to you as long-term capital gains, no matter how long you have owned shares in the Fund.
• Capital gains distributions may vary considerably from year to year as a result of the Fund‘s normal investment activities and cash flows.
• A sale or exchange of Fund shares is a taxable event. This means that you may have a capital gain to report as income, or a capital loss to report as a deduction, when you complete your tax return.
• Dividend distributions attributable to the Fund’s REIT investments are not eligible for the corporate dividends-received deduction.
• Your cost basis in the Fund will be decreased by the amount of any return of capital that you receive. This, in turn, will affect the amount of any capital gain or loss that you realize when selling or exchanging your Fund shares.
• Return-of-capital distributions generally are not taxable to you until your cost basis has been reduced to zero. If your cost basis is at zero, return-of-capital distributions will be treated as capital gains.
• Any conversion between classes of shares of the same fund is a nontaxable event. By contrast, an exchange between classes of shares of different funds is a taxable event.
Individuals, trusts, and estates whose income exceeds certain threshold amounts are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on “net investment income.” Net investment income takes into account distributions paid by the Fund and capital gains from any sale or exchange of Fund shares.
19
Dividend distributions and capital gains distributions that you receive, as well as your gains or losses from any sale or exchange of Fund shares, may be subject to state and local income taxes.
This prospectus provides general tax information only. If you are investing through a tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA or an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, special tax rules apply. Please consult your tax advisor for detailed information about any tax consequences for you.
| Plain Talk About Buying a Dividend |
| Unless you are a tax-exempt investor or investing through a tax-advantaged |
| account (such as an IRA or an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan), |
| you should consider avoiding a purchase of fund shares shortly before the fund |
| makes a distribution, because doing so can cost you money in taxes. This is |
| known as “buying a dividend.” For example: On December 15, you invest $5,000, |
| buying 250 shares for $20 each. If the fund pays a distribution of $1 per share on |
| December 16, its share price will drop to $19 (not counting market change). You |
| still have only $5,000 (250 shares x $19 = $4,750 in share value, plus 250 shares |
| x $1 = $250 in distributions), but you owe tax on the $250 distribution you |
| received—even if you reinvest it in more shares. To avoid buying a dividend, check |
| a fund’s distribution schedule before you invest. |
General Information
Backup withholding. By law, Vanguard must withhold 28% of any taxable distributions or redemptions from your account if you do not:
-
Provide your correct taxpayer identification number.
-
Certify that the taxpayer identification number is correct.
-
Confirm that you are not subject to backup withholding.
Similarly, Vanguard (or your intermediary) must withhold taxes from your account if the IRS instructs us to do so.
Foreign investors. Vanguard funds offered for sale in the United States (Vanguard U.S. funds), including the Fund offered in this prospectus, are not widely available outside the United States. Non-U.S. investors should be aware that U.S. withholding and estate taxes and certain U.S. tax reporting requirements may apply to any investments in Vanguard U.S. funds. Foreign investors should visit the Non-U.S. Investors page on our website at vanguard.com for information on Vanguard’s non-U.S. products.
20
Invalid addresses. If a dividend distribution or capital gains distribution check mailed to your address of record is returned as undeliverable, Vanguard will automatically reinvest the distribution and all future distributions until you provide us with a valid mailing address. Reinvestments will receive the net asset value calculated on the date of the reinvestment.
Share Price
Share price, also known as net asset value (NAV), is calculated each business day as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), generally 4 p.m., Eastern time. Each share class has its own NAV, which is computed by dividing the total assets, minus liabilities, allocated to the share class by the number of Fund shares outstanding for that class. On U.S. holidays or other days when the NYSE is closed, the NAV is not calculated, and the Fund does not sell or redeem shares. However, on those days the value of the Fund’s assets may be affected to the extent that the Fund holds securities that change in value on those days (such as foreign securities that trade on foreign markets that are open).
Stocks held by a Vanguard fund are valued at their market value when reliable market quotations are readily available from the principal exchange or market on which they are traded. Such securities are generally valued at their official closing price, the last reported sales price, or if there were no sales that day, the mean between the closing bid and asking prices. When a fund determines that market quotations either are not readily available or do not accurately reflect the value of a security, the security is priced at its fair value (the amount that the owner might reasonably expect to receive upon the current sale of the security).
The values of any foreign securities held by a fund are converted into U.S. dollars using an exchange rate obtained from an independent third party as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE. The values of any mutual fund shares, including institutional money market fund shares, held by a fund are based on the NAVs of the shares. The values of any ETF shares or closed-end fund shares held by a fund are based on the market value of the shares.
21
A fund also will use fair-value pricing if the value of a security it holds has been materially affected by events occurring before the fund’s pricing time but after the close of the principal exchange or market on which the security is traded. This most commonly occurs with foreign securities, which may trade on foreign exchanges that close many hours before the fund’s pricing time. Intervening events might be company-specific (e.g., earnings report, merger announcement) or country-specific or regional/global (e.g., natural disaster, economic or political news, act of terrorism, interest rate change). Intervening events include price movements in U.S. markets that exceed a specified threshold or that are otherwise deemed to affect the value of foreign securities.
Fair-value pricing may be used for domestic securities—for example, if (1) trading in a security is halted and does not resume before the fund’s pricing time or a security does not trade in the course of a day and (2) the fund holds enough of the security that its price could affect the NAV.
Fair-value prices are determined by Vanguard according to procedures adopted by the board of trustees. When fair-value pricing is employed, the prices of securities used by a fund to calculate the NAV may differ from quoted or published prices for the same securities.
Vanguard fund share prices are published daily on our website at vanguard.com/prices.
22
Financial Highlights
The following financial highlights tables are intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the periods shown, and certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in each table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost each period on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all distributions). This information has been obtained from the financial statements audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report—along with the Fund’s financial statements—is included in the Fund‘s most recent annual report to shareholders. You may obtain a free copy of the latest annual or semiannual report by visiting vanguard.com or by contacting Vanguard by telephone or mail.
| Plain Talk About How to Read the Financial Highlights Tables |
| This explanation uses the Fund’s Investor Shares as an example. The Investor |
| Shares began fiscal year 2017 with a net asset value (share price) of $25.59 per |
| share. During the year, each Investor Share earned $0.746 from investment |
| income (interest and dividends), and $2.324 from investments that had |
| appreciated in value or that were sold for higher prices than the Fund paid for |
| them. |
| Shareholders received $0.939 per share in the form of dividend and capital gains |
| distributions. Return of capital was $0.341 per share. A portion of each year’s |
| distributions may come from the prior year’s income or capital gains. |
| The share price at the end of the year was $27.38, reflecting earnings of $3.07 per |
| share and distributions of $1.28 per share. This was an increase of $1.79 per |
| share (from $25.59 at the beginning of the year to $27.38 at the end of the year). |
| For a shareholder who reinvested the distributions in the purchase of more |
| shares, the total return was 12.07% for the year. |
| As of January 31, 2017, the Investor Shares had approximately $2.6 billion in net |
| assets. For the year, the expense ratio was 0.26% ($2.60 per $1,000 of net |
| assets), and the net investment income amounted to 2.60% of average net |
| assets. The Fund sold and replaced securities valued at 7% of its net assets. |
23
| REIT Index Fund Investor Shares | |||||
| Year Ended January 31, | |||||
| For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period | $25.59 | $28.73 | $22.37 | $22.66 | $20.50 |
| Investment Operations | |||||
| Net Investment Income | .746 | .711 | .645 | .579 | .514 |
| Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) | |||||
| on Investments | 2.324 | (2.851) | 6.650 | .025 | 2.393 |
| Total from Investment Operations | 3.070 | (2.140) | 7.295 | .604 | 2.907 |
| Distributions | |||||
| Dividends from Net Investment Income | (.752) | (.695) | (.624) | (.626) | (.514) |
| Distributions from Realized Capital Gains | (.187) | — | — | — | — |
| Return of Capital | (.341) | (.305) | (.311) | (.268) | (.233) |
| Total Distributions | (1.280) | (1.000) | (.935) | (.894) | (.747) |
| Net Asset Value, End of Period | $27.38 | $25.59 | $28.73 | $22.37 | $22.66 |
| Total Return1 | 12.07% | –7.44% | 33.29% | 2.78% | 14.45% |
| Ratios/Supplemental Data | |||||
| Net Assets, End of Period (Millions) | $2,603 | $2,621 | $3,231 | $2,482 | $2,817 |
| Ratio of Total Expenses to | |||||
| Average Net Assets | 0.26% | 0.26% | 0.26% | 0.24% | 0.24% |
| Ratio of Net Investment Income to | |||||
| Average Net Assets | 2.60% | 2.66% | 2.56% | 2.51% | 2.39% |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate2 | 7% | 11% | 8% | 11% | 9% |
1 Total returns do not include transaction or account service fees that may have applied in the periods shown.
2 Excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind purchases or redemptions of the Fund’s capital shares, including ETF Creation Units.
24
| REIT Index Fund Admiral Shares | |||||
| Year Ended January 31, | |||||
| For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period | $109.19 | $122.58 | $95.46 | $96.70 | $87.47 |
| Investment Operations | |||||
| Net Investment Income | 3.306 | 3.142 | 2.852 | 2.569 | 2.285 |
| Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) | |||||
| on Investments | 9.966 | (12.105) | 28.403 | .148 | 10.263 |
| Total from Investment Operations | 13.272 | (8.963) | 31.255 | 2.717 | 12.548 |
| Distributions | |||||
| Dividends from Net Investment Income | (3.333) | (3.076) | (2.758) | (2.772) | (2.283) |
| Distributions from Realized Capital Gains | (.798) | — | — | — | — |
| Return of Capital | (1.501) | (1.351) | (1.377) | (1.185) | (1.035) |
| Total Distributions | (5.632) | (4.427) | (4.135) | (3.957) | (3.318) |
| Net Asset Value, End of Period | $116.83 | $109.19 | $122.58 | $95.46 | $96.70 |
| Total Return1 | 12.23% | –7.30% | 33.46% | 2.94% | 14.63% |
| Ratios/Supplemental Data | |||||
| Net Assets, End of Period (Millions) | $18,337 | $15,029 | $15,725 | $7,987 | $7,399 |
| Ratio of Total Expenses to | |||||
| Average Net Assets | 0.12% | 0.12% | 0.12% | 0.10% | 0.10% |
| Ratio of Net Investment Income to | |||||
| Average Net Assets | 2.74% | 2.80% | 2.70% | 2.65% | 2.53% |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate2 | 7% | 11% | 8% | 11% | 9% |
1 Total returns do not include transaction or account service fees that may have applied in the periods shown.
2 Excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind purchases or redemptions of the Fund’s capital shares, including ETF Creation Units.
25
Investing With Vanguard
This section of the prospectus explains the basics of doing business with Vanguard. Vanguard fund shares can be held directly with Vanguard or indirectly through an intermediary, such as a bank, a broker, or an investment advisor. If you hold Vanguard fund shares directly with Vanguard, you should carefully read each topic within this section that pertains to your relationship with Vanguard. If you hold Vanguard fund shares indirectly through an intermediary (including shares held through a Vanguard brokerage account), please see Investing With Vanguard Through Other Firms, and also refer to your account agreement with the intermediary for information about transacting in that account. If you hold Vanguard fund shares through an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, please see Employer-Sponsored Plans. Vanguard reserves the right to change the following policies without notice. Please call or check online for current information. See Contacting Vanguard.
For Vanguard fund shares held directly with Vanguard, each fund you hold in an account is a separate “fund account.” For example, if you hold three funds in a nonretirement account titled in your own name, two funds in a nonretirement account titled jointly with your spouse, and one fund in an individual retirement account, you have six fund accounts—and this is true even if you hold the same fund in multiple accounts. Note that each reference to “you” in this prospectus applies to any one or more registered account owners or persons authorized to transact on your account.
Purchasing Shares
Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to increase or decrease the minimum amount required to open, convert shares to, or maintain a fund account or to add to an existing fund account.
Investment minimums may differ for certain categories of investors.
Account Minimums for Investor Shares To open and maintain an account. $3,000.
To add to an existing account. Generally $1.
Account Minimums for Admiral Shares
To open and maintain an account. $10,000. If you request Admiral Shares when you open a new account but the investment amount does not meet the account minimum for Admiral Shares, your investment will be placed in Investor Shares of the Fund. Institutional, financial intermediary, and Vanguard retail managed clients should contact Vanguard for information on special eligibility rules that may apply to them.
To add to an existing account. Generally $1.
26
How to Initiate a Purchase Request
Be sure to check Exchanging Shares, Frequent-Trading Limitations, and Other Rules You Should Know before placing your purchase request.
Online. You may open certain types of accounts, request a purchase of shares, and request an exchange through our website or our mobile application if you are registered for online access.
By telephone. You may call Vanguard to begin the account registration process or request that the account-opening forms be sent to you. You may also call Vanguard to request a purchase of shares in your account or to request an exchange. See
Contacting Vanguard.
By mail. You may send Vanguard your account registration form and check to open a new fund account. To add to an existing fund account, you may send your check with an Invest-by-Mail form (from a transaction confirmation or your account statement), with a deposit slip (available online), or with a written request. You may also send a written request to Vanguard to make an exchange. For a list of Vanguard addresses, see Contacting Vanguard.
How to Pay for a Purchase
By electronic bank transfer. You may purchase shares of a Vanguard fund through an electronic transfer of money from a bank account. To establish the electronic bank transfer service on an account, you must designate the bank account online, complete a special form, or fill out the appropriate section of your account registration form. After the service is set up on your account, you can purchase shares by electronic bank transfer on a regular schedule (Automatic Investment Plan) or upon request. Your purchase request can be initiated online (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail.
By wire. Wiring instructions vary for different types of purchases. Please call Vanguard for instructions and policies on purchasing shares by wire. See Contacting Vanguard.
By check. You may make initial or additional purchases to your fund account by sending a check or by utilizing our mobile application if you are registered for online access. Also see How to Initiate a Purchase Request. Make your check payable to Vanguard and include the appropriate fund number (e.g., Vanguard—xx). For a list of Fund numbers (for share classes in this prospectus), see Additional Information.
27
By exchange. You may purchase shares of a Vanguard fund using the proceeds from the simultaneous redemption of shares of another Vanguard fund. You may initiate an exchange online (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail. See
Exchanging Shares.
Trade Date
The trade date for any purchase request received in good order will depend on the day and time Vanguard receives your request, the manner in which you are paying, and the type of fund you are purchasing. Your purchase will be executed using the net asset value (NAV) as calculated on the trade date. NAVs are calculated only on days that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open for trading (a business day).
For purchases by check into all funds other than money market funds and for purchases by exchange, wire, or electronic bank transfer (not using an Automatic Investment Plan) into all funds: If the purchase request is received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the trade date for the purchase will be the same day. If the purchase request is received on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the trade date for the purchase will be the next business day.
For purchases by check into money market funds: If the purchase request is received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the trade date for the purchase will be the next business day. If the purchase request is received on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the trade date for the purchase will be the second business day following the day Vanguard receives the purchase request. Because money market instruments must be purchased with federal funds and it takes a money market mutual fund one business day to convert check proceeds into federal funds, the trade date for the purchase will be one business day later than for other funds.
For purchases by electronic bank transfer using an Automatic Investment Plan: Your trade date generally will be the date you selected for withdrawal of funds from your designated bank account. Your bank account generally will be debited on the business day after your trade date. If the date you selected for withdrawal of funds from your bank account falls on a weekend, holiday, or other nonbusiness day, your trade date generally will be the previous business day. For retirement accounts, if the date you selected for withdrawal of funds from your designated bank account falls on the last business day of the year, your trade date will be the first business day of the following year. Please note that if you select the first of the month for automated withdrawals from your designated bank account, trades designated for January 1 will receive the next business day’s trade date.
28
If your purchase request is not accurate and complete, it may be rejected. See Other Rules You Should Know—Good Order.
For further information about purchase transactions, consult our website at vanguard.com or see Contacting Vanguard.
Other Purchase Rules You Should Know
Admiral Shares. Admiral Shares generally are not available for SIMPLE IRAs, Vanguard Individual 401(k) Plans, and Vanguard retail-serviced Individual 403(b)(7) Custodial Accounts.
Check purchases. All purchase checks must be written in U.S. dollars and must be drawn on a U.S. bank. Vanguard does not accept cash, traveler’s checks, or money orders. In addition, Vanguard may refuse “starter checks” and checks that are not made payable to Vanguard.
New accounts. We are required by law to obtain from you certain personal information that we will use to verify your identity. If you do not provide the information, we may not be able to open your account. If we are unable to verify your identity, Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to close your account or take such other steps as we deem reasonable. Certain types of accounts may require additional documentation.
Refused or rejected purchase requests. Vanguard reserves the right to stop selling fund shares or to reject any purchase request at any time and without notice, including, but not limited to, purchases requested by exchange from another Vanguard fund. This also includes the right to reject any purchase request because the investor has a history of frequent trading or because the purchase may negatively affect a fund’s operation or performance.
Large purchases. Call Vanguard before attempting to invest a large dollar amount.
No cancellations. Vanguard will not accept your request to cancel any purchase request once processing has begun. Please be careful when placing a purchase request.
Converting Shares
When a conversion occurs, you receive shares of one class in place of shares of another class of the same fund. At the time of conversion, the dollar value of the “new” shares you receive equals the dollar value of the “old” shares that were converted. In other words, the conversion has no effect on the value of your investment in the fund at the time of the conversion. However, the number of shares you own after the conversion may be greater than or less than the number of shares you owned before the conversion, depending on the NAVs of the two share classes.
29
Vanguard will not accept your request to cancel any self-directed conversion request once processing has begun. Please be careful when placing a conversion request.
A conversion between share classes of the same fund is a nontaxable event.
Trade Date
The trade date for any conversion request received in good order will depend on the day and time Vanguard receives your request. Your conversion will be executed using the NAVs of the different share classes on the trade date. NAVs are calculated only on days that the NYSE is open for trading (a business day).
For a conversion request (other than a request to convert to ETF Shares) received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the trade date will be the same day. For a conversion request received on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the trade date will be the next business day. See Other Rules You Should Know.
Conversions From Investor Shares to Admiral Shares
Self-directed conversions. If your account balance in the Fund is at least $10,000, you may ask Vanguard to convert your Investor Shares to Admiral Shares. You may request a conversion through our website (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail. Institutional, financial intermediary, and Vanguard retail managed clients should contact Vanguard for information on special eligibility rules that may apply to them. See Contacting Vanguard.
Automatic conversions. Vanguard conducts periodic reviews of account balances and may, if your account balance in the Fund exceeds $10,000, automatically convert your Investor Shares to Admiral Shares. You will be notified before an automatic conversion occurs and will have an opportunity to instruct Vanguard not to effect the conversion. Institutional, financial intermediary, and Vanguard retail managed clients should contact Vanguard for information on special eligibility rules that may apply to them.
Conversions to Institutional Shares
You are eligible for a self-directed conversion from another share class to Institutional Shares of the Fund, provided that your account meets all Institutional Shares’ eligibility requirements. You may request a conversion through our website (if you are registered for online access), or you may contact Vanguard by telephone or by mail to request this transaction. Accounts that qualify for Institutional Shares will not be automatically converted.
30
Conversions to ETF Shares
Owners of conventional shares (i.e., not exchange-traded shares) issued by the Fund may convert those shares to ETF Shares of equivalent value of the same fund. Please note that investors who own conventional shares through a 401(k) plan or other employer-sponsored retirement or benefit plan generally may not convert those shares to ETF Shares and should check with their plan sponsor or recordkeeper. ETF Shares, whether acquired through a conversion or purchased on the secondary market, cannot be converted to conventional shares by a shareholder. Also, ETF Shares of one fund cannot be exchanged for ETF Shares of another fund.
ETF Shares must be held in a brokerage account. Thus, before converting conventional shares to ETF Shares, you must have an existing, or open a new, brokerage account. This account may be with Vanguard Brokerage Services® (Vanguard Brokerage) or with any other brokerage firm.
Vanguard Brokerage does not impose a fee on conversions from conventional shares to Vanguard ETF Shares. However, other brokerage firms may charge a fee to process a conversion. Vanguard reserves the right, in the future, to impose a transaction fee on conversions or to limit or terminate the conversion privilege. For additional information on converting conventional shares to ETF Shares, please contact Vanguard to obtain a prospectus for ETF Shares. See Contacting Vanguard.
Mandatory Conversions to Another Share Class
If an account no longer meets the balance requirements for a share class, Vanguard may automatically convert the shares in the account to another share class, as appropriate. A decline in the account balance because of market movement may result in such a conversion. Vanguard will notify the investor in writing before any mandatory conversion occurs.
Redeeming Shares
How to Initiate a Redemption Request
Be sure to check Exchanging Shares, Frequent-Trading Limitations, and Other Rules You Should Know before placing your redemption request.
Online. You may request a redemption of shares or request an exchange through our website or our mobile application if you are registered for online access.
By telephone. You may call Vanguard to request a redemption of shares or an exchange. See Contacting Vanguard.
By mail. You may send a written request to Vanguard to redeem from a fund account or to make an exchange. See Contacting Vanguard.
31
How to Receive Redemption Proceeds
By electronic bank transfer. You may have the proceeds of a fund redemption sent directly to a designated bank account. To establish the electronic bank transfer service on an account, you must designate a bank account online, complete a special form, or fill out the appropriate section of your account registration form. After the service is set up on your account, you can redeem shares by electronic bank transfer on a regular schedule (Automatic Withdrawal Plan) or upon request. Your redemption request can be initiated online (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail.
By wire. To receive your proceeds by wire, you may instruct Vanguard to wire your redemption proceeds ($100 minimum) to a previously designated bank account. To establish the wire redemption service, you generally must designate a bank account online, complete a special form, or fill out the appropriate section of your account registration form.
By exchange. You may have the proceeds of a Vanguard fund redemption invested directly in shares of another Vanguard fund. You may initiate an exchange online (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail. See Exchanging Shares.
By check. If you have not chosen another redemption method, Vanguard will mail you a redemption check, generally payable to all registered account owners, normally within two business days of your trade date, and generally to the address of record.
Trade Date
The trade date for any redemption request received in good order will depend on the day and time Vanguard receives your request and the manner in which you are redeeming. Your redemption will be executed using the NAV as calculated on the trade date. NAVs are calculated only on days that the NYSE is open for trading (a business day).
For redemptions by check, exchange, or wire: If the redemption request is received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the trade date will be the same day. If the redemption request is received on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the trade date will be the next business day.
• Note on timing of wire redemptions from money market funds: For telephone requests received by Vanguard on a business day before 10:45 a.m., Eastern time (2 p.m., Eastern time, for Vanguard Prime Money Market Fund; 12:30 p.m., Eastern time, for Vanguard Federal Money Market Fund), the redemption proceeds generally will leave Vanguard by the close of business the same day. For telephone requests received by Vanguard on a business day after those cut-off times, or on a nonbusiness day, and for all requests other than by telephone, the redemption
32
proceeds generally will leave Vanguard by the close of business on the next business day.
• Note on timing of wire redemptions from all other funds: For requests received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the redemption proceeds generally will leave Vanguard by the close of business on the next business day. For requests received by Vanguard on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the redemption proceeds generally will leave Vanguard by the close of business on the second business day after Vanguard receives the request.
For redemptions by electronic bank transfer using an Automatic Withdrawal Plan: Your trade date generally will be the date you selected for withdrawal of funds (redemption of shares) from your Vanguard account. Proceeds of redeemed shares generally will be credited to your designated bank account two business days after your trade date. If the date you selected for withdrawal of funds from your Vanguard account falls on a weekend, holiday, or other nonbusiness day, your trade date generally will be the previous business day. For retirement accounts, if the date you selected for withdrawal of funds from your Vanguard account falls on the last day of the year and if that date is a holiday, your trade date will be the first business day of the following year. Please note that if you designate the first of the month for automated withdrawals, trades designated for January 1 will receive the next business day’s trade date.
For redemptions by electronic bank transfer not using an Automatic Withdrawal Plan: If the redemption request is received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the trade date will be the same day. If the redemption request is received on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the trade date will be the next business day.
If your redemption request is not accurate and complete, it may be rejected. If we are unable to send your redemption proceeds by wire or electronic bank transfer because the receiving institution rejects the transfer, Vanguard will make additional efforts to complete your transaction. If Vanguard is still unable to complete the transaction, we may send the proceeds of the redemption to you by check, generally payable to all registered account owners, or use your proceeds to purchase new shares of the fund from which you sold shares for the purpose of the wire or electronic bank transfer transaction. See Other Rules You Should Know—Good Order.
For further information about redemption transactions, consult our website at vanguard.com or see Contacting Vanguard.
33
Other Redemption Rules You Should Know
Documentation for certain accounts. Special documentation may be required to redeem from certain types of accounts, such as trust, corporate, nonprofit, or retirement accounts. Please call us before attempting to redeem from these types of accounts.
Potentially disruptive redemptions. Vanguard reserves the right to pay all or part of a redemption in kind—that is, in the form of securities—if we reasonably believe that a cash redemption would negatively affect the fund’s operation or performance or that the shareholder may be engaged in market-timing or frequent trading. Under these circumstances, Vanguard also reserves the right to delay payment of the redemption proceeds for up to seven calendar days. By calling us before you attempt to redeem a large dollar amount, you may avoid in-kind or delayed payment of your redemption. Please see Frequent-Trading Limitations for information about Vanguard’s policies to limit frequent trading.
Recently purchased shares. Although you can redeem shares at any time, proceeds may not be made available to you until the fund collects payment for your purchase. This may take up to seven calendar days for shares purchased by check or by electronic bank transfer. If you have written a check on a fund with checkwriting privileges, that check may be rejected if your fund account does not have a sufficient available balance.
Address change. If you change your address online or by telephone, there may be up to a 14-day restriction on your ability to request check redemptions online and by telephone. You can request a redemption in writing at any time. Confirmations of address changes are sent to both the old and new addresses.
Payment to a different person or address. At your request, we can make your redemption check payable, or wire your redemption proceeds, to a different person or send it to a different address. However, this generally requires the written consent of all registered account owners and may require additional documentation, such as a signature guarantee or a notarized signature. You may obtain a signature guarantee from some commercial or savings banks, credit unions, trust companies, or member firms of a U.S. stock exchange.
No cancellations. Vanguard will not accept your request to cancel any redemption request once processing has begun. Please be careful when placing a redemption request.
Emergency circumstances. Vanguard funds can postpone payment of redemption proceeds for up to seven calendar days. In addition, Vanguard funds can suspend redemptions and/or postpone payments of redemption proceeds beyond seven calendar days at times when the NYSE is closed or during emergency circumstances, as determined by the SEC.
34
Exchanging Shares
An exchange occurs when you use the proceeds from the redemption of shares of one Vanguard fund to simultaneously purchase shares of a different Vanguard fund. You can make exchange requests online (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail. See Purchasing Shares and Redeeming Shares.
If the NYSE is open for regular trading (generally until 4 p.m., Eastern time, on a business day) at the time an exchange request is received in good order, the trade date generally will be the same day. See Other Rules You Should Know—Good Order for additional information on all transaction requests.
Vanguard will not accept your request to cancel any exchange request once processing has begun. Please be careful when placing an exchange request.
Call Vanguard before attempting to exchange a large dollar amount. By calling us before you attempt to exchange a large dollar amount, you may avoid delayed or rejected transactions.
Please note that Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to revise or terminate the exchange privilege, limit the amount of any exchange, or reject an exchange, at any time, for any reason. See Frequent-Trading Limitations for additional restrictions on exchanges.
Frequent-Trading Limitations
Because excessive transactions can disrupt management of a fund and increase the fund’s costs for all shareholders, the board of trustees of each Vanguard fund places certain limits on frequent trading in the funds. Each Vanguard fund (other than money market funds and short-term bond funds, but including Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund) limits an investor’s purchases or exchanges into a fund account for 30 calendar days after the investor has redeemed or exchanged out of that fund account. ETF Shares are not subject to these frequent-trading limits.
For Vanguard Retirement Investment Program pooled plans, the limitations apply to exchanges made online or by telephone.
These frequent-trading limitations do not apply to the following:
-
Purchases of shares with reinvested dividend or capital gains distributions.
-
Transactions through Vanguard’s Automatic Investment Plan, Automatic Exchange
Service, Direct Deposit Service, Automatic Withdrawal Plan, Required Minimum Distribution Service, and Vanguard Small Business Online®.
• Discretionary transactions through Vanguard Asset Management Services™, Vanguard Personal Advisor Services®, and Vanguard Institutional Advisory Services®.
35
-
Redemptions of shares to pay fund or account fees.
-
Redemptions of shares to remove excess shareholder contributions to certain
types of retirement accounts (including, but not limited to, IRAs, certain Individual 403(b)(7) Custodial Accounts, and Vanguard Individual 401(k) Plans).
• Transaction requests submitted by mail to Vanguard from shareholders who hold their accounts directly with Vanguard or through a Vanguard brokerage account. (Transaction requests submitted by fax, if otherwise permitted, are subject to the limitations.)
-
Transfers and reregistrations of shares within the same fund.
-
Purchases of shares by asset transfer or direct rollover.
-
Conversions of shares from one share class to another in the same fund.
-
Checkwriting redemptions.
-
Section 529 college savings plans.
-
Certain approved institutional portfolios and asset allocation programs, as well as
trades made by funds or trusts managed by Vanguard or its affiliates that invest in other Vanguard funds. (Please note that shareholders of Vanguard’s funds of funds are subject to the limitations.)
For participants in employer-sponsored defined contribution plans,* the frequent-trading limitations do not apply to:
• Purchases of shares with participant payroll or employer contributions or loan repayments.
-
Purchases of shares with reinvested dividend or capital gains distributions.
-
Distributions, loans, and in-service withdrawals from a plan.
-
Redemptions of shares as part of a plan termination or at the direction of the plan.
-
Transactions executed through the Vanguard Managed Account Program.
-
Redemptions of shares to pay fund or account fees.
-
Share or asset transfers or rollovers.
-
Reregistrations of shares.
-
Conversions of shares from one share class to another in the same fund.
-
Exchange requests submitted by written request to Vanguard. (Exchange requests
submitted by fax, if otherwise permitted, are subject to the limitations.)
* The following Vanguard fund accounts are subject to the frequent-trading limitations: SEP-IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, certain Individual 403(b)(7) Custodial Accounts, and Vanguard Individual 401(k) Plans.
36
Accounts Held by Institutions (Other Than Defined Contribution Plans)
Vanguard will systematically monitor for frequent trading in institutional clients’ accounts. If we detect suspicious trading activity, we will investigate and take appropriate action, which may include applying to a client’s accounts the 30-day policy previously described, prohibiting a client’s purchases of fund shares, and/or revoking the client’s exchange privilege.
Accounts Held by Intermediaries
When intermediaries establish accounts in Vanguard funds for the benefit of their clients, we cannot always monitor the trading activity of the individual clients. However, we review trading activity at the intermediary (omnibus) level, and if we detect suspicious activity, we will investigate and take appropriate action. If necessary, Vanguard may prohibit additional purchases of fund shares by an intermediary, including for the benefit of certain of the intermediary’s clients. Intermediaries also may monitor their clients’ trading activities with respect to Vanguard funds.
For those Vanguard funds that charge purchase and/or redemption fees, intermediaries will be asked to assess these fees on client accounts and remit these fees to the funds. The application of purchase and redemption fees and frequent-trading limitations may vary among intermediaries. There are no assurances that Vanguard will successfully identify all intermediaries or that intermediaries will properly assess purchase and redemption fees or administer frequent-trading limitations. If you invest with Vanguard through an intermediary, please read that firm’s materials carefully to learn of any other rules or fees that may apply.
Other Rules You Should Know
Prospectus and Shareholder Report Mailings
When two or more shareholders have the same last name and address, just one summary prospectus (or prospectus) and/or shareholder report may be sent in an attempt to eliminate the unnecessary expense of duplicate mailings. You may request individual prospectuses and reports by contacting our Client Services Department in writing, by telephone, or online. See Contacting Vanguard.
Vanguard.com
Registration. If you are a registered user of vanguard.com, you can review your account holdings; buy, sell, or exchange shares of most Vanguard funds; and perform most other transactions through our website. You must register for this service online.
37
Electronic delivery. Vanguard can deliver your account statements, transaction confirmations, prospectuses, certain tax forms, and shareholder reports electronically. If you are a registered user of vanguard.com, you can consent to the electronic delivery of these documents by logging on and changing your mailing preferences under “Account Maintenance.” You can revoke your electronic consent at any time through our website, and we will begin to send paper copies of these documents within 30 days of receiving your revocation.
Telephone Transactions
Automatic. When we set up your account, we will automatically enable you to do business with us by telephone, unless you instruct us otherwise in writing.
Tele-Account®. To obtain fund and account information through Vanguard’s automated telephone service, you must first establish a Personal Identification Number (PIN) by calling Tele-Account at 800-662-6273.
Proof of a caller’s authority. We reserve the right to refuse a telephone request if the caller is unable to provide the requested information or if we reasonably believe that the caller is not an individual authorized to act on the account. Before we allow a caller to act on an account, we may request the following information:
• Authorization to act on the account (as the account owner or by legal documentation or other means).
-
Account registration and address.
-
Fund name and account number, if applicable.
-
Other information relating to the caller, the account owner, or the account.
Good Order
We reserve the right to reject any transaction instructions that are not in “good order.” Good order generally means that your instructions:
• Are provided by the person(s) authorized in accordance with Vanguard’s policies and procedures to access the account and request transactions.
-
Include the fund name and account number.
-
Include the amount of the transaction (stated in dollars, shares, or percentage).
Written instructions also must generally include:
-
An original signature and date from the authorized person(s).
-
Signature guarantees or notarized signatures, if required for the type of transaction.
(Call Vanguard for specific requirements.)
-
Any supporting documentation that may be required
38
Written instructions are acceptable when a Vanguard form is not applicable. The requirements vary among types of accounts and transactions. For more information, consult our website at vanguard.com or see Contacting Vanguard.
Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to revise the requirements for good order.
Future Trade-Date Requests
Vanguard does not accept requests to hold a purchase, conversion, redemption, or exchange transaction for a future date. All such requests will receive trade dates as previously described in Purchasing Shares, Converting Shares, Redeeming Shares, and
Exchanging Shares. Vanguard reserves the right to return future-dated purchase checks.
Accounts With More Than One Owner
If an account has more than one owner or authorized person, Vanguard generally will accept instructions from any one owner or authorized person.
Responsibility for Fraud
Vanguard will not be responsible for any account losses because of fraud if we reasonably believe that the person transacting business on an account is authorized to do so. Please take precautions to protect yourself from fraud. Keep your account information private, and immediately review any account statements or other information that we provide to you. It is important that you contact Vanguard immediately about any transactions or changes to your account that you believe to be unauthorized.
Uncashed Checks
Please cash your distribution or redemption checks promptly. Vanguard will not pay interest on uncashed checks. Vanguard may be required to transfer assets related to uncashed checks to a state under the state’s abandoned property law.
Dormant Accounts
If your account has no activity in it for a period of time, Vanguard may be required to transfer it to a state under the state’s abandoned property law.
Unusual Circumstances
If you experience difficulty contacting Vanguard online or by telephone, you can send us your transaction request by regular or express mail. See Contacting Vanguard for addresses.
39
Investing With Vanguard Through Other Firms
You may purchase or sell shares of most Vanguard funds through a financial intermediary, such as a bank, a broker, or an investment advisor. Please consult your financial intermediary to determine which, if any, shares are available through that firm and to learn about other rules that may apply. Your financial intermediary can provide you with account information and any required tax forms.
Please see Frequent-Trading Limitations—Accounts Held by Intermediaries for information about the assessment of any purchase or redemption fees and the monitoring of frequent trading for accounts held by intermediaries.
Account Service Fee
Vanguard charges a $20 account service fee on fund accounts that have a balance below $10,000 for any reason, including market fluctuation. The account service fee applies to both retirement and nonretirement fund accounts and will be assessed on fund accounts in all Vanguard funds, regardless of the account minimum. The fee, which will be collected by redeeming fund shares in the amount of $20, will be deducted from a fund account only once per calendar year.
If you register on vanguard.com and elect to receive electronic delivery of statements, reports, and other materials for all of your fund accounts, the account service fee for balances below $10,000 will not be charged, so long as that election remains in effect
The account service fee also does not apply to the following:
• Money market sweep accounts owned in connection with a Vanguard Brokerage ® Services account.
• Accounts held through intermediaries.
• Accounts held by institutional clients.
• Accounts held by Voyager, Voyager Select, Flagship, and Flagship Select clients.
Eligibility is based on total household assets held at Vanguard, with a minimum of $50,000 to qualify for Vanguard Voyager Services®, $500,000 for Vanguard Voyager Select Services®, $1 million for Vanguard Flagship Services®, and $5 million for Vanguard Flagship Select Services™. Vanguard determines eligibility by aggregating assets of all qualifying accounts held by the investor and immediate family members who reside at the same address. Aggregate assets include investments in Vanguard mutual funds, Vanguard ETFs®, certain annuities through Vanguard, the Vanguard 529 Plan, and certain small-business accounts. Assets in employer-sponsored retirement plans for which Vanguard provides recordkeeping services may be included in determining eligibility if the investor also has a personal account holding Vanguard mutual funds. Note that assets held in a Vanguard Brokerage Services account (other than Vanguard funds, including Vanguard ETFs) are not included when determining a household’s eligibility.
40
• Participant accounts in employer-sponsored defined contribution plans.* Please consult your enrollment materials for the rules that apply to your account.
• Section 529 college savings plans.
* The following Vanguard fund accounts have alternative fee structures: SIMPLE IRAs, certain Individual 403(b)(7) Custodial Accounts, Vanguard Retirement Investment Program pooled plans, and Vanguard Individual 401(k) Plans.
Low-Balance Accounts
The Fund reserves the right to liquidate a fund account whose balance falls below the account minimum for any reason, including market fluctuation. This liquidation policy applies to nonretirement fund accounts and accounts that are held through intermediaries. Any such liquidation will be preceded by written notice to the investor.
Right to Change Policies
In addition to the rights expressly stated elsewhere in this prospectus, Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to (1) alter, add, or discontinue any conditions of purchase (including eligibility requirements), redemption, exchange, conversion, service, or privilege at any time; (2) accept initial purchases by telephone; (3) freeze any account and/or suspend account services if Vanguard has received reasonable notice of a dispute regarding the assets in an account, including notice of a dispute between the registered or beneficial account owners, or if Vanguard reasonably believes a fraudulent transaction may occur or has occurred; (4) temporarily freeze any account and/or suspend account services upon initial notification to Vanguard of the death of the shareholder until Vanguard receives required documentation in good order; (5) alter, impose, discontinue, or waive any purchase fee, redemption fee, account service fee, or other fees charged to a shareholder or a group of shareholders; and (6) redeem an account or suspend account privileges, without the owner’s permission to do so, in cases of threatening conduct or activity Vanguard believes to be suspicious, fraudulent, or illegal. Changes may affect any or all investors. These actions will be taken when, at the sole discretion of Vanguard management, Vanguard reasonably believes they are in the best interest of a fund.
Share Classes
Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to change the eligibility requirements of its share classes, including the types of clients who are eligible to purchase each share class.
41
Fund and Account Updates
Confirmation Statements
We will send (or provide through our website, whichever you prefer) a confirmation of your trade date and the amount of your transaction when you buy, sell, exchange, or convert shares. However, we will not send confirmations reflecting only checkwriting redemptions or the reinvestment of dividend or capital gains distributions. For any month in which you had a checkwriting redemption, a Checkwriting Activity Statement will be sent to you itemizing the checkwriting redemptions for that month. Promptly review each confirmation statement that we provide to you. It is important that you contact Vanguard immediately with any questions you may have about any transaction reflected on a confirmation statement, or Vanguard will consider the transaction properly processed.
Portfolio Summaries
We will send (or provide through our website, whichever you prefer) quarterly portfolio summaries to help you keep track of your accounts throughout the year. If you prefer, you may request to receive monthly portfolio summaries. Each summary shows the market value of your account at the close of the statement period, as well as all distributions, purchases, redemptions, exchanges, transfers, and conversions for the current calendar quarter (or month). Promptly review each summary that we provide to you. It is important that you contact Vanguard immediately with any questions you may have about any transaction reflected on the summary, or Vanguard will consider the transaction properly processed.
Tax Information Statements
For most accounts, Vanguard (or your intermediary) is required to provide annual tax forms to assist you in preparing your income tax returns. These forms are generally available for each calendar year early in the following year. Registered users of vanguard.com can also view certain forms through our website. Vanguard (or your intermediary) may also provide you with additional tax-related documentation. For more information, consult our website at vanguard.com or see Contacting Vanguard.
Annual and Semiannual Reports
We will send (or provide through our website, whichever you prefer) reports about Vanguard REIT Index Fund twice a year, in March and September. These reports include overviews of the financial markets and provide the following specific Fund information:
-
Performance assessments and comparisons with industry benchmarks
-
Financial statements with listings of Fund holdings.
42
Portfolio Holdings
Please consult the Fund‘s Statement of Additional Information or our website for a description of the policies and procedures that govern disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings.
Employer-Sponsored Plans
Your plan administrator or your employee benefits office can provide you with detailed information on how to participate in your plan and how to elect the Fund as an investment option.
• If you have any questions about the Fund or Vanguard, including those about the Fund’s investment objective, strategies, or risks, contact Vanguard Participant Services toll-free at 800-523-1188 or visit our website at vanguard.com.
• If you have questions about your account, contact your plan administrator or the organization that provides recordkeeping services for your plan.
• Be sure to carefully read each topic that pertains to your transactions with Vanguard.
Vanguard reserves the right to change its policies without notice to shareholders.
Transactions
Processing times for your transaction requests may differ among recordkeepers or among transaction and funding types. Your plan’s recordkeeper (which may also be Vanguard) will determine the necessary processing time frames for your transaction requests prior to submission to the Fund. Consult your recordkeeper or plan administrator for more information.
If Vanguard is serving as your plan recordkeeper and if your transaction involves one or more investments with an early cut-off time for processing or another trading restriction, your entire transaction will be subject to the restriction when the trade date for your transaction is determined.
43
| Contacting Vanguard | |
| Web | |
| Vanguard.com | For the most complete source of Vanguard news |
| For fund, account, and service information | |
| For most account transactions | |
| For literature requests | |
| 24 hours a day, 7 days a week | |
| Phone | |
| Vanguard Tele-Account® 800-662-6273 | For automated fund and account information |
| Toll-free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week | |
| Investor Information 800-662-7447 | For fund and service information |
| (Text telephone for people with hearing | For literature requests |
| impairment at 800-749-7273) | |
| Client Services 800-662-2739 | For account information |
| (Text telephone for people with hearing | For most account transactions |
| impairment at 800-749-7273) | |
| Participant Services 800-523-1188 | For information and services for participants in employer- |
| (Text telephone for people with hearing | sponsored plans |
| impairment at 800-749-7273) | |
| Institutional Division | For information and services for large institutional investors |
| 888-809-8102 | |
| Financial Advisor and Intermediary | For information and services for financial intermediaries |
| Sales Support 800-997-2798 | including financial advisors, broker-dealers, trust institutions, |
| and insurance companies | |
| Financial Advisory and Intermediary | For account information and trading support for financial |
| Trading Support 800-669-0498 | intermediaries including financial advisors, broker-dealers, |
| trust institutions, and insurance companies | |
44
Vanguard Addresses
Please be sure to use the correct address. Use of an incorrect address could delay the processing of your transaction.
| Regular Mail (Individuals) | The Vanguard Group | |||
| P.O. Box 1110 | ||||
| Valley Forge, PA 19482-1110 | ||||
| Regular Mail (Institutions, Intermediaries, and | The Vanguard Group | |||
| Employer-Sponsored Plan Participants) | P.O. Box 2900 | |||
| Valley Forge, PA 19482-2900 | ||||
| Registered, Express, or Overnight Mail | The Vanguard Group | |||
| 455 Devon Park Drive | ||||
| Wayne, PA 19087-1815 | ||||
| Additional Information | ||||
| Inception | Newspaper | Vanguard | CUSIP | |
| Date | Abbreviation | Fund Number | Number | |
| REIT Index Fund | ||||
| Investor Shares | 5/13/1996 | REIT | 123 | 921908703 |
| Admiral Shares | 11/12/2001 | REITAdml | 5123 | 921908877 |
45
THIS FUND IS NOT SPONSORED, ENDORSED, SOLD OR PROMOTED BY MSCI INC. (“MSCI”), ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES, ANY OF ITS DIRECT OR INDIRECT INFORMATION PROVIDERS OR ANY OTHER THIRD PARTY INVOLVED IN, OR RELATED TO, COMPILING, COMPUTING OR CREATING ANY MSCI INDEX (COLLECTIVELY, THE “MSCI PARTIES”). THE MSCI INDEXES ARE THE EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OF MSCI. MSCI AND THE MSCI INDEX NAMES ARE SERVICE MARK(S) OF MSCI OR ITS AFFILIATES AND HAVE BEEN LICENSED FOR USE FOR CERTAIN PURPOSES BY VANGUARD. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES MAKES ANY REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, TO THE OWNERS OF THIS FUND OR ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC REGARDING THE ADVISABILITY OF INVESTING IN FUNDS GENERALLY OR IN THIS FUND PARTICULARLY OR THE ABILITY OF ANY MSCI INDEX TO TRACK CORRESPONDING STOCK MARKET PERFORMANCE. MSCI OR ITS AFFILIATES ARE THE LICENSORS OF CERTAIN TRADEMARKS, SERVICE MARKS AND TRADE NAMES AND OF THE MSCI INDEXES WHICH ARE DETERMINED, COMPOSED AND CALCULATED BY MSCI WITHOUT REGARD TO THIS FUND OR THE ISSUER OR OWNER OF THIS FUND. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES HAS ANY OBLIGATION TO TAKE THE NEEDS OF THE ISSUERS OR OWNERS OF THIS FUND INTO CONSIDERATION IN DETERMINING, COMPOSING OR CALCULATING THE MSCI INDEXES. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OR HAS PARTICIPATED IN THE DETERMINATION OF THE TIMING OF, PRICES AT, OR QUANTITIES OF THIS FUND TO BE ISSUED OR IN THE DETERMINATION OR CALCULATION OF THE CONSIDERATION INTO WHICH THIS FUND IS REDEEMABLE. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES HAS ANY OBLIGATION OR LIABILITY TO THE OWNERS OF THIS FUND IN CONNECTION WITH THE ADMINISTRATION, MARKETING OR OFFERING OF THIS FUND.
ALTHOUGH MSCI SHALL OBTAIN INFORMATION FOR INCLUSION IN OR FOR USE IN THE CALCULATION OF THE MSCI INDEXES FROM SOURCES WHICH MSCI CONSIDERS RELIABLE, NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES WARRANTS OR GUARANTEES THE ORIGINALITY, ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF ANY MSCI INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES MAKES ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY LICENSEE, LICENSEE’S CUSTOMERS OR COUNTERPARTIES, ISSUERS OF THE FUNDS, OWNERS OF THE FUNDS, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY, FROM THE USE OF ANY MSCI INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN IN CONNECTION WITH THE RIGHTS LICENSED HEREUNDER OR FOR ANY OTHER USE. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES SHALL HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS OR INTERRUPTIONS OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH ANY MSCI INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. FURTHER, NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES MAKES ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, AND THE MSCI PARTIES HEREBY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WITH RESPECT TO ANY MSCI INDEX AND ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL ANY OF THE MSCI PARTIES HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, CONSEQUENTIAL OR ANY OTHER DAMAGES (INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION LOST PROFITS) EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
46
Glossary of Investment Terms
Active Management. An investment approach that seeks to exceed the average returns of a particular financial market or market segment. In selecting securities to buy and sell, active managers may rely on, among other things, research, market forecasts, quantitative models, and their own judgment and experience.
Capital Gains Distribution. Payment to mutual fund shareholders of gains realized on securities that a fund has sold at a profit, minus any realized losses.
Common Stock. A security representing ownership rights in a corporation.
Cost Basis. The adjusted cost of an investment, used to determine a capital gain or loss for tax purposes.
Distributions. Payments to mutual fund shareholders of dividend income, capital gains, and return of capital generated by the fund’s investment activities and distribution policies, after expenses.
Dividend Distribution. Payment to mutual fund shareholders of income from interest or dividends generated by a fund’s investments.
Expense Ratio. A fund’s total annual operating expenses expressed as a percentage of the fund’s average net assets. The expense ratio includes management and administrative expenses, but it does not include the transaction costs of buying and selling portfolio securities.
Inception Date. The date on which the assets of a fund (or one of its share classes) are first invested in accordance with the fund’s investment objective. For funds with a subscription period, the inception date is the day after that period ends. Investment performance is generally measured from the inception date.
Indexing. A low-cost investment strategy in which a mutual fund attempts to track—rather than outperform—a specified market benchmark, or “index.”
Liquidity. The degree of a security’s marketability (i.e., how quickly the security can be sold at a fair price and converted to cash).
Median Market Capitalization. An indicator of the size of companies in which a fund invests; the midpoint of market capitalization (market price x shares outstanding) of a fund’s stocks, weighted by the proportion of the fund’s assets invested in each stock. Stocks representing half of the fund’s assets have market capitalizations above the median, and the rest are below it.
Mutual Fund. An investment company that pools the money of many people and invests it in a variety of securities in an effort to achieve a specific objective over time.
47
New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). A stock exchange based in New York City that is open for regular trading on business days, Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Eastern time. Net asset values (NAVs) are calculated each business day as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE. In the rare event the NYSE experiences unanticipated trade disruptions and is unavailable at the close of the trading day, NAVs will be calculated as of the close of regular trading on the Nasdaq (or another alternate exchange if the Nasdaq is unavailable), generally 4 p.m., Eastern time.
REIT Spliced Index. An index that reflects performance of the MSCI US REIT Index adjusted to include a 2% cash position (Lipper Money Market Average) through April 30, 2009, and the MSCI US REIT Index thereafter.
Return of Capital. A return of all or part of your original investment in a fund. In general, return of capital reduces your cost basis in a fund’s shares and is not taxable to you until your cost basis has been reduced to zero.
Securities. Stocks, bonds, money market instruments, and other investments.
Total Return. A percentage change, over a specified time period, in a mutual fund’s net asset value, assuming the reinvestment of all distributions of dividends and capital gains.
Tracking Error. A measure of the difference between the performance of a fund or portfolio and that of its benchmark index.
Volatility. The fluctuations in value of a mutual fund or other security. The greater a fund’s volatility, the wider the fluctuations in its returns.
Yield. Income (interest or dividends) earned by an investment, expressed as a percentage of the investment’s price.
48
This page intentionally left blank.
P.O. Box 2600
Valley Forge, PA 19482-2600
Connect with Vanguard® > vanguard.com
For More Information
If you would like more information about Vanguard REIT Index Fund, the following documents are available free upon request:
Annual/Semiannual Reports to Shareholders
Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semiannual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.
Statement of Additional Information (SAI)
The SAI provides more detailed information about the Fund and is incorporated by reference into (and thus legally a part of) this prospectus.
To receive a free copy of the latest annual or semiannual report or the SAI, or to request additional information about the Fund or other Vanguard funds, please visit vanguard.com or contact us as follows:
If you are an individual investor:
The Vanguard Group
Investor Information Department P.O. Box 2600 Valley Forge, PA 19482-2600 Telephone: 800-662-7447
Text telephone for people with hearing impairment: 800-749-7273
If you are a participant in an employer-sponsored plan:
The Vanguard Group Participant Services P.O. Box 2900 Valley Forge, PA 19482-2900 Telephone: 800-523-1188
Text telephone for people with hearing impairment: 800-749-7273
If you are a current Vanguard shareholder and would like information about your account, account transactions, and/or account statements, please call:
Client Services Department Telephone: 800-662-2739
Text telephone for people with hearing impairment: 800-749-7273
Information Provided by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
You can review and copy information about the Fund (including the SAI) at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. To find out more about this public service, call the SEC at 202-551-8090. Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR database on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, or you can receive copies of this information, for a fee, by electronic request at the following email address: [email protected], or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 20549-1520.
Fund’s Investment Company Act file number: 811-03916
© 2017 The Vanguard Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Vanguard Marketing Corporation, Distributor.
P 123 052017
| Vanguard REIT Index Fund |
| Prospectus |
| May 25, 2017 |
| Institutional Shares |
| Vanguard REIT Index Fund Institutional Shares (VGSNX) |
| This prospectus contains financial data for the Fund through the fiscal year ended January 31, 2017. |
| The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or |
| passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. |
| Contents | |||
| Fund Summary | 1 | Investing With Vanguard | 24 |
| Investing in Index Funds | 6 | Purchasing Shares | 24 |
| More on the Fund | 7 | Converting Shares | 27 |
| The Fund and Vanguard | 16 | Redeeming Shares | 29 |
| Investment Advisor | 17 | Exchanging Shares | 32 |
| Dividends, Capital Gains, and Taxes | 17 | Frequent-Trading Limitations | 33 |
| Share Price | 20 | Other Rules You Should Know | 35 |
| Financial Highlights | 22 | Fund and Account Updates | 38 |
| Employer-Sponsored Plans | 40 | ||
| Contacting Vanguard | 41 | ||
| Additional Information | 42 | ||
| Glossary of Investment Terms | 44 | ||
Fund Summary
Investment Objective
The Fund seeks to provide a high level of income and moderate long-term capital appreciation by tracking the performance of a benchmark index that measures the performance of publicly traded equity REITs.
Fees and Expenses
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold Institutional Shares of the Fund.
| Shareholder Fees | |
| (Fees paid directly from your investment) | |
| Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases | None |
| Purchase Fee | None |
| Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends | None |
| Redemption Fee | None |
| Annual Fund Operating Expenses | |
| (Expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| Management Fees | 0.10% |
| 12b-1 Distribution Fee | None |
| Other Expenses | 0.00% |
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.10% |
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Funds Institutional Shares with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. It illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over various periods if you were to invest $10,000 in the Funds shares. This example assumes that the shares provide a return of 5% each year and that total annual fund operating expenses remain as stated in the preceding table. You would incur these hypothetical expenses whether or not you redeem your investment at the end of the given period. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
| 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years |
| $10 | $32 | $56 | $128 |
1
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or turns over its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in more taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the previous expense example, reduce the Funds performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Funds portfolio turnover rate was 7% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund employs an indexing investment approach designed to track the performance of the MSCI US REIT Index. The Index is composed of stocks of publicly traded equity real estate investment trusts (known as REITs). The Fund attempts to replicate the Index by investing all, or substantially all, of its assets in the stocks that make up the Index, holding each stock in approximately the same proportion as its weighting in the Index.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund could lose money over short or even long periods. You should expect the Funds share price and total return to fluctuate within a wide range. The Fund is subject to the following risks, which could affect the Funds performance:
Industry concentration risk, which is the chance that the stocks of REITs will decline because of adverse developments affecting the real estate industry and real property values. Because the Fund concentrates its assets in REIT stocks, industry concentration risk is high.
Stock market risk, which is the chance that stock prices overall will decline. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. The Funds target index may, at times, become focused in stocks of a limited number of companies, which could cause the Fund to underperform the overall stock market.
Interest rate risk, which is the chance that REIT stock prices overall will decline and that the cost of borrowing for REITs will increase because of rising interest rates. Interest rate risk is high for the Fund.
Investment style risk, which is the chance that the returns from REIT stockswhich typically are small- or mid-capitalization stockswill trail returns from the overall stock market. Historically, REIT stocks have performed quite differently from the overall market.
Asset concentration risk, which is the chance that, because the Funds target index (and therefore the Fund) tends to be heavily weighted in its ten largest holdings, the Funds performance may be hurt disproportionately by the poor performance of relatively few stocks.
2
• Derivatives risk. The Fund may invest in derivatives, which may involve risks different from, and possibly greater than, those of investments directly in the underlying securities or assets.
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Annual Total Returns
The following bar chart and table are intended to help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the performance of the Fund‘s Institutional Shares has varied from one calendar year to another over the periods shown. The table shows how the average annual total returns of the Institutional Shares compare with those of the Fund‘s target index and a comparative index, which have investment characteristics similar to those of the Fund. Keep in mind that the Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) does not indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available on our website at vanguard.com/performance or by calling Vanguard toll-free at 800-662-7447.
Annual Total Returns — Vanguard REIT Index Fund Institutional Shares1
1 The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on March 31, 2017, was 0.96%.
During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a calendar quarter was 34.56% (quarter ended September 30, 2009), and the lowest return for a quarter was –38.14% (quarter ended December 31, 2008).
3
| Average Annual Total Returns for Periods Ended December 31, 2016 | |||
| 1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | |
| Vanguard REIT Index Fund Institutional Shares | |||
| Return Before Taxes | 8.51% | 11.79% | 5.26% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions | 7.00 | 10.51 | 4.01 |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | 4.92 | 8.76 | 3.52 |
| Comparative Indexes | |||
| (reflect no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) | |||
| MSCI US REIT Index | 8.60% | 11.86% | 4.96% |
| REIT Spliced Index | 8.60 | 11.86 | 5.20 |
Actual after-tax returns depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown in the preceding table. When after-tax returns are calculated, it is assumed that the shareholder was in the highest individual federal marginal income tax bracket at the time of each distribution of income or capital gains or upon redemption. State and local income taxes are not reflected in the calculations. Please note that after-tax returns are not relevant for a shareholder who holds fund shares in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan. Also, figures captioned Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may be higher than other figures for the same period if a capital loss occurs upon redemption and results in an assumed tax deduction for the shareholder.
4
Investment Advisor
The Vanguard Group, Inc. (Vanguard)
Portfolio Managers
Walter Nejman, Portfolio Manager at Vanguard. He has co-managed the Fund since 2016.
Gerard C. O’Reilly, Principal of Vanguard. He has managed the Fund since its inception in 1996 (co-managed since 2016).
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may purchase or redeem shares online through our website (vanguard.com), by mail (The Vanguard Group, P.O. Box 1110, Valley Forge, PA 19482-1110), or by telephone (800-662-2739). The minimum investment amount required to open and maintain a Fund account for Institutional Shares is $5 million. The minimum investment amount required to add to an existing Fund account is generally $1. If you are investing through an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, your plan administrator or your benefits office can provide you with detailed information on how to participate in your plan.
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions may be taxable as ordinary income or capital gain. If you are investing through a tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA or an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, special tax rules apply.
Payments to Financial Intermediaries
The Fund and its investment advisor do not pay financial intermediaries for sales of Fund shares.
5
Investing in Index Funds
What Is Indexing?
Indexing is an investment strategy for tracking the performance of a specified market benchmark, or “index.” An index is a group of securities whose overall performance is used as a standard to measure the investment performance of a particular market. There are many types of indexes. Some represent entire markets—such as the U.S. stock market or the U.S. bond market. Other indexes cover market segments—such as small-capitalization stocks or short-term bonds. The index sponsor determines the securities to include in the index, the weighting of each security in the index, and the appropriate time to make changes to the composition of the index. One cannot invest directly in an index.
An index fund holds all, or a representative sample, of the securities that make up its target index. Index funds attempt to mirror the performance of the target index, for better or worse. However, an index fund generally does not perform exactly like its target index. For example, like all mutual funds, index funds have operating expenses and transaction costs. Market indexes do not, and therefore they will usually have a slight performance advantage over funds that track them.
Index funds typically have the following characteristics:
• Variety of investments. Most Vanguard index funds generally invest in the securities of a variety of companies and industries.
• Relative performance consistency. Because they seek to track market benchmarks, index funds usually do not perform dramatically better or worse than their benchmarks.
• Low cost. Index funds are inexpensive to run compared with actively managed funds.
They have low or no research costs and typically keep trading activity—and thus brokerage commissions and other transaction costs—to a minimum compared with actively managed funds.
6
More on the Fund
This prospectus describes the principal risks you would face as a Fund shareholder. It is important to keep in mind one of the main axioms of investing: generally, the higher the risk of losing money, the higher the potential reward. The reverse, also, is generally true: the lower the risk, the lower the potential reward. As you consider an investment in any mutual fund, you should take into account your personal tolerance for fluctuations in the securities markets. Look for this symbol throughout the prospectus. It is used to mark detailed information about the more significant risks that you would confront as a Fund shareholder. To highlight terms and concepts important to mutual fund investors, we have provided Plain Talk® explanations along the way. Reading the prospectus will help you decide whether the Fund is the right investment for you. We suggest that you keep this prospectus for future reference.
Share Class Overview
This prospectus offers the Fund‘s Institutional Shares, which are generally for investors who invest a minimum of $5 million. A separate prospectus offers the Fund‘s Investor Shares and Admiral™ Shares, which generally have investment minimums of $3,000 and $10,000, respectively. In addition, the Fund issues ETF Shares (an exchange-traded class of shares), which are also offered through a separate prospectus.
All share classes offered by the Fund have the same investment objective, strategies, and policies. However, different share classes have different expenses; as a result, their investment performances will differ.
| Plain Talk About Fund Expenses |
| All mutual funds have operating expenses. These expenses, which are deducted |
| from a fund’s gross income, are expressed as a percentage of the net assets of |
| the fund. Assuming that operating expenses remain as stated in the Fees and |
| Expenses section, Vanguard REIT Index Fund Institutional Shares’ expense ratio |
| would be 0.10%, or $1.00 per $1,000 of average net assets. The average expense |
| ratio for real estate funds in 2016 was 1.28%, or $12.80 per $1,000 of average net |
| assets (derived from data provided by Lipper, a Thomson Reuters Company, |
| which reports on the mutual fund industry). |
7
| Plain Talk About Costs of Investing |
| Costs are an important consideration in choosing a mutual fund. That is because |
| you, as a shareholder, pay a proportionate share of the costs of operating a fund, |
| plus any transaction costs incurred when the fund buys or sells securities. These |
| costs can erode a substantial portion of the gross income or the capital |
| appreciation a fund achieves. Even seemingly small differences in expenses can, |
| over time, have a dramatic effect on a fund‘s performance. |
The following sections explain the principal investment strategies and policies that the Fund uses in pursuit of its objective. The Fund‘s board of trustees, which oversees the Fund’s management, may change investment strategies or policies in the interest of shareholders without a shareholder vote, unless those strategies or policies are designated as fundamental. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its assets in the stocks that make up its target index. This policy may be changed only upon 60 days‘ notice to shareholders.
Market Exposure
The Fund invests in stocks of publicly traded equity real estate investment trusts.
| Plain Talk About REITs |
| Rather than directly owning properties—which can be costly and difficult to |
| convert into cash when needed—some investors buy shares in a company that |
| owns and manages real estate. Such a company is known as a real estate |
| investment trust, or REIT. Unlike corporations, REITs do not have to pay income |
| taxes if they meet certain Internal Revenue Code requirements. To qualify, a REIT |
| must distribute at least 90% of its taxable income to its shareholders and receive |
| at least 75% of that income from rents, mortgages, and sales of property. REITs |
| offer investors greater liquidity and diversification than direct ownership of a |
| handful of properties. REITs also offer the potential for higher income than an |
| investment in common stocks would provide. As with any investment in real |
| estate, however, a REIT’s performance depends on specific factors, such as the |
| company’s ability to find tenants for its properties, to renew leases, and to |
| finance property purchases and renovations. That said, returns from REITs may |
| not correspond to returns from direct property ownership. |
8
The Fund is subject to investment style risk, which is the chance that returns from REIT stocks—which typically are small- or mid-capitalization stocks—will trail returns from the overall stock market. Historically, REIT stocks have performed quite differently from the overall market.
Stocks of publicly traded companies and funds that invest in stocks are often classified according to market value, or market capitalization. These classifications typically include small-cap, mid-cap, and large-cap. It is important to understand that market capitalization ranges change over time. Also, interpretations of size vary, and there are no “official” definitions of small-, mid-, and large-cap, even among Vanguard fund advisors. REITs in the MSCI US REIT Index tend to be small- and mid-cap stocks. The asset-weighted median market capitalization of the Fund’s stock holdings as of January 31, 2017, was $10 billion.
Small- and mid-cap stocks tend to have greater volatility than large-cap stocks because, among other things, smaller companies often have fewer customers, financial resources, and products than larger firms. Such characteristics can make small and mid-size companies more sensitive to changing economic conditions. REIT stocks tend to have a significant amount of dividend income, which can reduce the impact of this volatility. However, the Fund is subject to additional risk because of the concentration in the real estate sector. This focus on a single sector may result in more risk than that for a more diversified, multisector portfolio.
| Plain Talk About Types of REITs |
| An equity REIT generally owns properties directly. Equity REITs typically generate |
| income from rental and lease payments, and they offer the potential for growth |
| from property appreciation as well as occasional capital gains from the sale of |
| property. A mortgage REIT makes loans to commercial real estate developers. |
| Mortgage REITs earn interest income and are subject to credit risk (i.e., the |
| chance that a developer will fail to repay a loan). A hybrid REIT holds both |
| properties and mortgages. The Fund invests in equity REITs only, and not other |
| types of REITs. |
The Fund is subject to stock market risk, which is the chance that stock prices overall will decline. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. The Fund‘s target index may, at times, become focused in stocks of a limited number of companies, which could cause the Fund to underperform the overall stock market.
9
To illustrate the volatility of stock prices, the following table shows the best, worst, and average annual total returns for the U.S. stock market over various periods as measured by the S&P 500 Index, a widely used barometer of U.S. stock market activity. Total returns consist of dividend income plus change in market price. Note that the returns shown do not include the costs of buying and selling stocks or other expenses that a real-world investment portfolio would incur.
| U.S. Stock Market Returns | ||||
| (1926–2016) | ||||
| 1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | 20 Years | |
| Best | 54.2% | 28.6% | 19.9% | 17.8% |
| Worst | –43.1 | –12.4 | –1.4 | 3.1 |
| Average | 11.9 | 10.1 | 10.3 | 11.0 |
The table covers all of the rolling 1-, 5-, 10-, and 20-year periods from 1926 through 2016. You can see, for example, that although the average annual return on common stocks for all of the 5-year periods was 10.1%, average annual returns for individual 5-year periods ranged from –12.4% (from 1928 through 1932) to 28.6% (from 1995 through 1999). These average annual returns reflect past performance of common stocks; you should not regard them as an indication of future performance of either the stock market as a whole or the Fund in particular.
The Fund is subject to interest rate risk, which is the chance that REIT stock prices overall will decline and that the cost of borrowing for REITs will increase because of rising interest rates. Interest rate risk is high for the Fund.
In general, during periods of high interest rates, REITs may lose some of their appeal for investors who may be able to obtain higher yields from other income-producing investments, such as long-term bonds. Higher interest rates also mean that financing for property purchases and improvements is more costly and difficult to obtain.
The Fund is subject to industry concentration risk, which is the chance that the stocks of REITs will decline because of adverse developments affecting the real estate industry and real property values. Because the Fund concentrates its assets in REIT stocks, industry concentration risk is high.
Because of its emphasis on REIT stocks, the Fund’s performance may at times be linked to the ups and downs of the real estate market. In general, real estate values can be affected by a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, supply and demand for properties, the economic health of the nation as well as different regions, and the strength of specific industries that rent properties. Ultimately, an individual REIT’s
10
performance depends on the types and locations of the properties it owns and on how well the REIT manages its properties. For instance, rental income could decline because of extended vacancies, increased competition from nearby properties, tenants’ failure to pay rent, regulatory limitations on rents, fluctuations in rental income, variations in market rental rates, or incompetent management. Property values could decrease because of overbuilding in the area, environmental liabilities, uninsured damages caused by natural disasters, a general decline in the neighborhood, losses because of casualty or condemnation, increases in property taxes, or changes in zoning laws. Loss of IRS status as a qualified REIT may also affect an individual REIT’s performance. In addition, many real estate issuers, including REITs, utilize leverage (and some may be highly leveraged), which increases investment risk and could adversely affect the issuer’s operations and market value in periods of rising interest rates.
Security Selection
The Fund attempts to track the investment performance of a benchmark index that measures the performance of publicly traded equity REITs.
The Fund attempts to hold each stock contained in the MSCI US REIT Index in roughly the same proportion as represented in the Index itself. For example, if 5% of the MSCI US REIT Index were made up of the stock of a specific REIT, the Fund would invest approximately the same percentage of its assets in that stock.
The MSCI US REIT Index is made up of the stocks of publicly traded equity REITs that meet certain criteria. For example, to be included initially in the Index, a REIT must meet a minimum market capitalization threshold and have enough shares and trading volume to be considered liquid. In line with the Index, the Fund invests in equity REITs only.
The Fund is subject to asset concentration risk, which is the chance that, because the Fund’s target index (and therefore the Fund) tends to be heavily weighted in its ten largest holdings, the Fund’s performance may be hurt disproportionately by the poor performance of relatively few stocks.
As of January 31, 2017, 155 equity REITs were included in the Index. The Index is rebalanced quarterly, except when a merger, acquisition, or similar corporate action dictates same-day rebalancing. On a quarterly basis, current stocks are tested for continued compliance with the guidelines of the Index. A REIT may be removed from the Index because of a decline in market capitalization, because it becomes illiquid, or because of other changes in its status.
11
Stocks in the MSCI US REIT Index represent a broadly diversified range of property types. The makeup of the Fund, as of January 31, 2017, was:
| Fund Allocation by | |
| REIT Type | Percentage of Fund |
| Retail | 22.4% |
| Residential | 15.5 |
| Specialized | 16.4 |
| Office | 13.7 |
| Health Care | 11.9 |
| Diversified | 7.8 |
| Hotel & Resort | 6.3 |
| Industrial | 6.0 |
Other Investment Policies and Risks
The Fund reserves the right to substitute a different index for the index it currently tracks if the current index is discontinued, if the Fund‘s agreement with the sponsor of its target index is terminated, or for any other reason determined in good faith by the Fund’s board of trustees. In any such instance, the substitute index would represent the same market segment as the current index.
The Fund is subject to REIT ownership limitation risk, which is the chance that the Fund may be unable to purchase (or otherwise obtain economic exposure to) the desired amounts of certain REITs included in its target index.
The Fund has significant ownership positions in many REITs included in its target index. For tax and other reasons, a REIT imposes limits on how much of its securities any one investor may own. If an ownership limit is reached, the Fund may seek to obtain an ownership waiver from the REIT to exceed the limit. If the Fund is unable to obtain a waiver, it may seek to obtain economic exposure to the REIT through alternative means, such as through a total return swap, which may be more costly than owning REIT shares directly. If the Fund is unable to obtain either an ownership waiver or economic exposure to the REIT through alternative means, the Fund may experience increased tracking error. In addition, to maintain its qualification as a regulated investment company, the Fund may be unable to own the desired amount of certain REITs, which may increase tracking error. Additional measures could be taken in the future in response to REIT ownership limits, including changing the Fund’s investment strategy, limiting additional purchases into the Fund, or any other appropriate action.
12
The Fund may invest in foreign securities to the extent necessary to carry out its investment strategy of holding all, or substantially all, of the stocks that make up the index it tracks.
In addition to investing in common stocks of REITs, the Fund may make other kinds of investments to achieve its objective.
The Fund may invest in derivatives. In general, investments in derivatives may involve risks different from, and possibly greater than, those of investments directly in the underlying securities or assets.
Generally speaking, a derivative is a financial contract whose value is based on the value of a financial asset (such as a stock, a bond, or a currency), a physical asset (such as gold, oil, or wheat), a market index (such as the S&P 500 Index), or a reference rate (such as LIBOR). The Fund may invest in derivatives only if the expected risks and rewards of the derivatives are consistent with the investment objective, policies, strategies, and risks of the Fund as disclosed in this prospectus. In particular, derivatives will be used only when they may help the advisor to accomplish one or more of the following:
• Invest in eligible asset classes with greater efficiency and lower cost than is possible through direct investment.
• Obtain economic exposure to a stock, a basket of stocks, or an index when deemed desirable.
• Add value when these instruments are attractively priced.
The market for many derivatives is, or suddenly can become, illiquid, which may result in significant, rapid, and unpredictable changes in the prices for derivatives. The Fund‘s use of a derivative subjects it to the risk of nonperformance by the counterparty, potentially resulting in delayed or partial payment or even nonpayment of amounts due under the derivative contract. The Fund attempts to mitigate this risk by requiring the posting of collateral by its counterparty. The Fund‘s derivative investments may include total return swaps or other derivatives.
| Plain Talk About Derivatives |
| Derivatives can take many forms. Some forms of derivatives—such as exchange- |
| traded futures and options on securities, commodities, or indexes—have been |
| trading on regulated exchanges for decades. These types of derivatives are |
| standardized contracts that can easily be bought and sold and whose market |
| values are determined and published daily. Non-exchange-traded derivatives (such |
| as certain swap agreements), on the other hand, tend to be more specialized or |
| complex and may be more difficult to accurately value. |
13
Cash Management
The Fund‘s daily cash balance may be invested in one or more Vanguard CMT Funds, which are very low-cost money market funds. When investing in a Vanguard CMT Fund, the Fund bears its proportionate share of the expenses of the CMT Fund in which it invests. Vanguard receives no additional revenue from Fund assets invested in a Vanguard CMT Fund.
Temporary Investment Measures
The Fund may temporarily depart from its normal investment policies and strategies when the advisor believes that doing so is in the Fund‘s best interest, so long as the alternative is consistent with the Fund‘s investment objective. For instance, the Fund may invest beyond its normal limits in derivatives or exchange-traded funds that are consistent with the Fund‘s objective when those instruments are more favorably priced or provide needed liquidity, as might be the case when the Fund receives large cash flows that it cannot prudently invest immediately.
Frequent Trading or Market-Timing
Background. Some investors try to profit from strategies involving frequent trading of mutual fund shares, such as market-timing. For funds holding foreign securities, investors may try to take advantage of an anticipated difference between the price of the fund’s shares and price movements in overseas markets, a practice also known as time-zone arbitrage. Investors also may try to engage in frequent trading of funds holding investments such as small-cap stocks and high-yield bonds. As money is shifted into and out of a fund by a shareholder engaging in frequent trading, the fund incurs costs for buying and selling securities, resulting in increased brokerage and administrative costs. These costs are borne by all fund shareholders, including the long-term investors who do not generate the costs. In addition, frequent trading may interfere with an advisor’s ability to efficiently manage the fund.
Policies to address frequent trading. The Vanguard funds (other than money market funds and short-term bond funds, but including Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund) do not knowingly accommodate frequent trading. The board of trustees of each Vanguard fund (other than money market funds and short-term bond funds, but including Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund) has adopted policies and procedures reasonably designed to detect and discourage frequent trading and, in some cases, to compensate the fund for the costs associated with it. These policies and procedures do not apply to Vanguard ETF® Shares because frequent trading in ETF Shares generally does not disrupt portfolio management or otherwise harm fund shareholders.
14
Although there is no assurance that Vanguard will be able to detect or prevent frequent trading or market-timing in all circumstances, the following policies have been adopted to address these issues:
• Each Vanguard fund reserves the right to reject any purchase request—including exchanges from other Vanguard funds—without notice and regardless of size. For example, a purchase request could be rejected because the investor has a history of frequent trading or if Vanguard determines that such purchase may negatively affect a fund’s operation or performance.
• Each Vanguard fund (other than money market funds and short-term bond funds, but including Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund) generally prohibits, except as otherwise noted in the Investing With Vanguard section, an investor’s purchases or exchanges into a fund account for 30 calendar days after the investor has redeemed or exchanged out of that fund account.
• Certain Vanguard funds charge shareholders purchase and/or redemption fees on transactions.
See the Investing With Vanguard section of this prospectus for further details on Vanguard’s transaction policies.
Each Vanguard fund (other than retail and government money market funds), in determining its net asset value, will use fair-value pricing when appropriate, as described in the Share Price section. Fair-value pricing may reduce or eliminate the profitability of certain frequent-trading strategies.
Do not invest with Vanguard if you are a market-timer.
Turnover Rate
Although the Fund generally seeks to invest for the long term, it may sell securities regardless of how long they have been held. Generally, an index fund sells securities in response to redemption requests from shareholders of conventional (not exchange-traded) shares or to changes in the composition of its target index. The Financial Highlights section of this prospectus shows historical turnover rates for the Fund. A turnover rate of 100%, for example, would mean that the Fund had sold and replaced securities valued at 100% of its net assets within a one-year period.
15
| Plain Talk About Turnover Rate |
| Before investing in a mutual fund, you should review its turnover rate. This gives |
| an indication of how transaction costs, which are not included in the fund’s |
| expense ratio, could affect the fund’s future returns. In general, the greater the |
| volume of buying and selling by the fund, the greater the impact that brokerage |
| commissions and other transaction costs will have on its return. Also, funds with |
| high turnover rates may be more likely to generate capital gains, including short- |
| term capital gains, that must be distributed to shareholders and will be taxable to |
| shareholders investing through a taxable account. |
The Fund and Vanguard
The Fund is a member of The Vanguard Group, a family of more than 190 mutual funds holding assets of approximately $3.7 trillion. All of the funds that are members of The Vanguard Group (other than funds of funds) share in the expenses associated with administrative services and business operations, such as personnel, office space, and equipment.
Vanguard Marketing Corporation provides marketing services to the funds. Although shareholders do not pay sales commissions or 12b-1 distribution fees, each fund (other than a fund of funds) or each share class of a fund (in the case of a fund with multiple share classes) pays its allocated share of the Vanguard funds’ marketing costs.
Plain Talk About Vanguard’s Unique Corporate Structure
The Vanguard Group is truly a mutual mutual fund company. It is owned jointly by the funds it oversees and thus indirectly by the shareholders in those funds. Most other mutual funds are operated by management companies that may be owned by one person, by a private group of individuals, or by public investors who own the management company’s stock. The management fees charged by these companies include a profit component over and above the companies’ cost of providing services. By contrast, Vanguard provides services to its member funds on an at-cost basis, with no profit component, which helps to keep the funds’ expenses low.
16
Investment Advisor
The Vanguard Group, Inc. (Vanguard), P.O. Box 2600, Valley Forge, PA 19482, which began operations in 1975, serves as advisor to the Fund through its Equity Index Group. As of January 31, 2017, Vanguard served as advisor for approximately $3.2 trillion in assets. Vanguard provides investment advisory services to the Fund on an at-cost basis, subject to the supervision and oversight of the trustees and officers of the Fund.
For the fiscal year ended January 31, 2017, the advisory expenses represented an effective annual rate of 0.01% of the Fund’s average net assets.
For a discussion of why the board of trustees approved the Fund’s investment advisory arrangement, see the most recent semiannual report to shareholders covering the fiscal period ended July 31.
The managers primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund are:
Walter Nejman, Portfolio Manager at Vanguard. He has been with Vanguard since 2005, has worked in investment management since 2008, and has co-managed the Fund since 2016. Education: B.A., Arcadia University; M.B.A., Villanova University.
Gerard C. O’Reilly, Principal of Vanguard. He has been with Vanguard since 1992, has managed investment portfolios since 1994, and has managed the Fund since its inception in 1996 (co-managed since 2016). Education: B.S., Villanova University.
The Statement of Additional Information provides information about each portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts under management, and ownership of shares of the Fund.
Dividends, Capital Gains, and Taxes
Fund Distributions
Each March, June, September, and December, the Fund pays out to shareholders virtually all of the distributions it receives from its REIT investments, less expenses. Distributions may include income, return of capital, and capital gains. The Fund may also realize capital gains on the sale of its REIT investments. Distributions of these gains, if any, are included in the December distribution. In addition, the Fund may occasionally make a supplemental distribution at some other time during the year.
You can receive distributions of income or capital gains in cash, or you can have them automatically reinvested in more shares of the Fund. However, if you are investing through an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, your distributions will be automatically reinvested in additional Fund shares.
17
| Plain Talk About Distributions |
| As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a fund’s income from interest |
| and dividends as well as capital gains from the fund’s sale of investments. |
| Income consists of both the dividends that the fund earns from any stock |
| holdings and the interest it receives from any money market and bond |
| investments. Capital gains are realized whenever the fund sells securities for |
| higher prices than it paid for them. |
| Plain Talk About Return of Capital |
| The Internal Revenue Code requires a REIT to distribute at least 90% of its |
| taxable income to investors. In many cases, however, because of “noncash” |
| expenses such as property depreciation, an equity REIT’s cash flow will exceed |
| its taxable income. The REIT may distribute this excess cash to investors. Such a |
| distribution is classified as a return of capital. |
Basic Tax Points
Vanguard (or your intermediary) expects to send you a statement each February showing the tax status of all of your distributions. (Other Vanguard funds mail their tax statements in January; the Fund mails its statements later because REITs do not provide information on the taxability of their distributions until after the calendar year-end.) In addition, investors in taxable accounts should be aware of the following basic federal income tax points:
• Distributions (other than any return of capital) are taxable to you whether or not you reinvest these amounts in additional Fund shares.
• Distributions declared in December—if paid to you by the end of January—are taxable as if received in December.
• Any dividend distribution or short-term capital gains distribution that you receive is taxable to you as ordinary income. If you are an individual and meet certain holding-period requirements with respect to your Fund shares, you may be eligible for reduced tax rates on “qualified dividend income,” if any, distributed by the Fund.
• Any distribution of net long-term capital gains is taxable to you as long-term capital gains, no matter how long you have owned shares in the Fund.
• Capital gains distributions may vary considerably from year to year as a result of the Fund‘s normal investment activities and cash flows.
18
• A sale or exchange of Fund shares is a taxable event. This means that you may have a capital gain to report as income, or a capital loss to report as a deduction, when you complete your tax return.
• Dividend distributions attributable to the Fund’s REIT investments are not eligible for the corporate dividends-received deduction.
• Your cost basis in the Fund will be decreased by the amount of any return of capital that you receive. This, in turn, will affect the amount of any capital gain or loss that you realize when selling or exchanging your Fund shares.
• Return-of-capital distributions generally are not taxable to you until your cost basis has been reduced to zero. If your cost basis is at zero, return-of-capital distributions will be treated as capital gains.
• Any conversion between classes of shares of the same fund is a nontaxable event. By contrast, an exchange between classes of shares of different funds is a taxable event.
Individuals, trusts, and estates whose income exceeds certain threshold amounts are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on “net investment income.” Net investment income takes into account distributions paid by the Fund and capital gains from any sale or exchange of Fund shares.
Dividend distributions and capital gains distributions that you receive, as well as your gains or losses from any sale or exchange of Fund shares, may be subject to state and local income taxes.
This prospectus provides general tax information only. If you are investing through a tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA or an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, special tax rules apply. Please consult your tax advisor for detailed information about any tax consequences for you.
| Plain Talk About Buying a Dividend |
| Unless you are a tax-exempt investor or investing through a tax-advantaged |
| account (such as an IRA or an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan), |
| you should consider avoiding a purchase of fund shares shortly before the fund |
| makes a distribution, because doing so can cost you money in taxes. This is |
| known as “buying a dividend.” For example: On December 15, you invest $5,000, |
| buying 250 shares for $20 each. If the fund pays a distribution of $1 per share on |
| December 16, its share price will drop to $19 (not counting market change). You |
| still have only $5,000 (250 shares x $19 = $4,750 in share value, plus 250 shares |
| x $1 = $250 in distributions), but you owe tax on the $250 distribution you |
| received—even if you reinvest it in more shares. To avoid buying a dividend, check |
| a fund’s distribution schedule before you invest. |
19
General Information
Backup withholding. By law, Vanguard must withhold 28% of any taxable distributions or redemptions from your account if you do not:
-
Provide your correct taxpayer identification number.
-
Certify that the taxpayer identification number is correct.
-
Confirm that you are not subject to backup withholding.
Similarly, Vanguard (or your intermediary) must withhold taxes from your account if the IRS instructs us to do so.
Foreign investors. Vanguard funds offered for sale in the United States (Vanguard U.S. funds), including the Fund offered in this prospectus, are not widely available outside the United States. Non-U.S. investors should be aware that U.S. withholding and estate taxes and certain U.S. tax reporting requirements may apply to any investments in Vanguard U.S. funds. Foreign investors should visit the Non-U.S. Investors page on our website at vanguard.com for information on Vanguard’s non-U.S. products.
Invalid addresses. If a dividend distribution or capital gains distribution check mailed to your address of record is returned as undeliverable, Vanguard will automatically reinvest the distribution and all future distributions until you provide us with a valid mailing address. Reinvestments will receive the net asset value calculated on the date of the reinvestment.
Share Price
Share price, also known as net asset value (NAV), is calculated each business day as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), generally 4 p.m., Eastern time. Each share class has its own NAV, which is computed by dividing the total assets, minus liabilities, allocated to the share class by the number of Fund shares outstanding for that class. On U.S. holidays or other days when the NYSE is closed, the NAV is not calculated, and the Fund does not sell or redeem shares. However, on those days the value of the Fund’s assets may be affected to the extent that the Fund holds securities that change in value on those days (such as foreign securities that trade on foreign markets that are open).
Stocks held by a Vanguard fund are valued at their market value when reliable market quotations are readily available from the principal exchange or market on which they are traded. Such securities are generally valued at their official closing price, the last reported sales price, or if there were no sales that day, the mean between the closing bid and asking prices. When a fund determines that market quotations either are not readily available or do not accurately reflect the value of a security, the security is priced at its fair value (the amount that the owner might reasonably expect to receive upon the current sale of the security).
20
The values of any foreign securities held by a fund are converted into U.S. dollars using an exchange rate obtained from an independent third party as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE. The values of any mutual fund shares, including institutional money market fund shares, held by a fund are based on the NAVs of the shares. The values of any ETF shares or closed-end fund shares held by a fund are based on the market value of the shares.
A fund also will use fair-value pricing if the value of a security it holds has been materially affected by events occurring before the fund’s pricing time but after the close of the principal exchange or market on which the security is traded. This most commonly occurs with foreign securities, which may trade on foreign exchanges that close many hours before the fund’s pricing time. Intervening events might be company-specific (e.g., earnings report, merger announcement) or country-specific or regional/global (e.g., natural disaster, economic or political news, act of terrorism, interest rate change). Intervening events include price movements in U.S. markets that exceed a specified threshold or that are otherwise deemed to affect the value of foreign securities.
Fair-value pricing may be used for domestic securities—for example, if (1) trading in a security is halted and does not resume before the fund’s pricing time or a security does not trade in the course of a day and (2) the fund holds enough of the security that its price could affect the NAV.
Fair-value prices are determined by Vanguard according to procedures adopted by the board of trustees. When fair-value pricing is employed, the prices of securities used by a fund to calculate the NAV may differ from quoted or published prices for the same securities.
Vanguard fund share prices are published daily on our website at vanguard.com/prices.
21
Financial Highlights
The following financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Institutional Shares‘ financial performance for the periods shown, and certain information reflects financial results for a single Institutional Share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost each period on an investment in the Institutional Shares (assuming reinvestment of all distributions). This information has been obtained from the financial statements audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report—along with the Fund’s financial statements—is included in the Fund’s most recent annual report to shareholders. You may obtain a free copy of the latest annual or semiannual report by visiting vanguard.com or by contacting Vanguard by telephone or mail.
| Plain Talk About How to Read the Financial Highlights Table |
| The Institutional Shares began fiscal year 2017 with a net asset value (share price) |
| of $16.90 per share. During the year, each Institutional Share earned $0.515 from |
| investment income (interest and dividends) and $1.540 from investments that had |
| appreciated in value or that were sold for higher prices than the Fund paid for |
| them. |
| Shareholders received $0.642 per share in the form of dividend and capital gains |
| distributions. Return of capital was $0.233. A portion of each year’s distributions |
| may come from the prior year’s income or capital gains. |
| The share price at the end of the year was $18.08, reflecting earnings of $2.055 |
| per share and distributions of $0.875 per share. This was an increase of $1.18 per |
| share (from $16.90 at the beginning of the year to $18.08 at the end of the year). |
| For a shareholder who reinvested the distributions in the purchase of more |
| shares, the total return was 12.23% for the year. |
| As of January 31, 2017, the Institutional Shares had approximately $7.8 billion in |
| net assets. For the year, the expense ratio was 0.10% ($1.00 per $1,000 of net |
| assets), and the net investment income amounted to 2.76% of average net |
| assets. The Fund sold and replaced securities valued at 7% of its net assets. |
22
| REIT Index Fund Institutional Shares | |||||
| For a Share Outstanding | Year Ended January 31, | ||||
| Throughout Each Period | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period | $16.90 | $18.97 | $14.78 | $14.97 | $13.54 |
| Investment Operations | |||||
| Net Investment Income | .515 | .489 | .444 | .400 | .356 |
| Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) | |||||
| on Investments | 1.540 | (1.870) | 4.390 | .025 | 1.590 |
| Total from Investment Operations | 2.055 | (1.381) | 4.834 | .425 | 1.946 |
| Distributions | |||||
| Dividends from Net Investment Income | (.519) | (.479) | (.430) | (.431) | (.355) |
| Distributions from Realized Capital Gains | (.123) | — | — | — | — |
| Return of Capital | (.233) | (.210) | (.214) | (.184) | (.161) |
| Total Distributions | (.875) | (.689) | (.644) | (.615) | (.516) |
| Net Asset Value, End of Period | $18.08 | $16.90 | $18.97 | $14.78 | $14.97 |
| Total Return1 | 12.23% | –7.27% | 33.43% | 2.97% | 14.66% |
| Ratios/Supplemental Data | |||||
| Net Assets, End of Period (Millions) | $7,799 | $6,785 | $6,788 | $3,922 | $3,185 |
| Ratio of Total Expenses to Average Net Assets | 0.10% | 0.10% | 0.10% | 0.08% | 0.08% |
| Ratio of Net Investment Income to Average | |||||
| Net Assets | 2.76% | 2.82% | 2.72% | 2.67% | 2.55% |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate2 | 7% | 11% | 8% | 11% | 9% |
1 Total returns do not include transaction fees that may have applied in the periods shown.
2 Excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind purchases or redemptions of the Fund’s capital shares, including ETF Creation Units.
23
Investing With Vanguard
This section of the prospectus explains the basics of doing business with Vanguard. Vanguard fund shares can be held directly with Vanguard or indirectly through an intermediary, such as a bank, a broker, or an investment advisor. If you hold Vanguard fund shares directly with Vanguard, you should carefully read each topic within this section that pertains to your relationship with Vanguard. If you hold Vanguard fund shares indirectly through an intermediary (including shares held through a Vanguard brokerage account), please see Investing With Vanguard Through Other Firms, and also refer to your account agreement with the intermediary for information about transacting in that account. If you hold Vanguard fund shares through an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, please see Employer-Sponsored Plans. Vanguard reserves the right to change the following policies without notice. Please call or check online for current information. See Contacting Vanguard.
For Vanguard fund shares held directly with Vanguard, each fund you hold in an account is a separate “fund account.” For example, if you hold three funds in a nonretirement account titled in your own name, two funds in a nonretirement account titled jointly with your spouse, and one fund in an individual retirement account, you have six fund accounts—and this is true even if you hold the same fund in multiple accounts. Note that each reference to “you” in this prospectus applies to any one or more registered account owners or persons authorized to transact on your account.
Purchasing Shares
Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to increase or decrease the minimum amount required to open, convert shares to, or maintain a fund account or to add to an existing fund account.
Investment minimums may differ for certain categories of investors.
Account Minimums for Institutional Shares To open and maintain an account. $5 million.
Certain Vanguard institutional clients may meet the minimum investment amount by aggregating separate accounts within the same Fund. This aggregation policy does not apply to financial intermediaries.
Vanguard may charge additional recordkeeping fees for institutional clients whose accounts are recordkept by Vanguard. Please contact your Vanguard representative to determine whether additional recordkeeping fees apply to your account.
To add to an existing account. Generally $1.
24
How to Initiate a Purchase Request
Be sure to check Exchanging Shares, Frequent-Trading Limitations, and Other Rules You Should Know before placing your purchase request.
Online. You may open certain types of accounts, request a purchase of shares, and request an exchange through our website or our mobile application if you are registered for online access.
By telephone. You may call Vanguard to begin the account registration process or request that the account-opening forms be sent to you. You may also call Vanguard to request a purchase of shares in your account or to request an exchange. See
Contacting Vanguard.
By mail. You may send Vanguard your account registration form and check to open a new fund account. To add to an existing fund account, you may send your check with an Invest-by-Mail form (from a transaction confirmation or your account statement), with a deposit slip (available online), or with a written request. You may also send a written request to Vanguard to make an exchange. For a list of Vanguard addresses, see Contacting Vanguard.
How to Pay for a Purchase
By electronic bank transfer. You may purchase shares of a Vanguard fund through an electronic transfer of money from a bank account. To establish the electronic bank transfer service on an account, you must designate the bank account online, complete a special form, or fill out the appropriate section of your account registration form. After the service is set up on your account, you can purchase shares by electronic bank transfer on a regular schedule (Automatic Investment Plan) or upon request. Your purchase request can be initiated online (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail.
By wire. Wiring instructions vary for different types of purchases. Please call Vanguard for instructions and policies on purchasing shares by wire. See Contacting Vanguard.
By check. You may make initial or additional purchases to your fund account by sending a check or by utilizing our mobile application if you are registered for online access. Also see How to Initiate a Purchase Request. Make your check payable to Vanguard and include the appropriate fund number (Vanguard—3123).
By exchange. You may purchase shares of a Vanguard fund using the proceeds from the simultaneous redemption of shares of another Vanguard fund. You may initiate an exchange online (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail. See
Exchanging Shares.
25
Trade Date
The trade date for any purchase request received in good order will depend on the day and time Vanguard receives your request, the manner in which you are paying, and the type of fund you are purchasing. Your purchase will be executed using the net asset value (NAV) as calculated on the trade date. NAVs are calculated only on days that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open for trading (a business day).
For purchases by check into all funds other than money market funds and for purchases by exchange, wire, or electronic bank transfer (not using an Automatic Investment Plan) into all funds: If the purchase request is received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the trade date for the purchase will be the same day. If the purchase request is received on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the trade date for the purchase will be the next business day.
For purchases by check into money market funds: If the purchase request is received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the trade date for the purchase will be the next business day. If the purchase request is received on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the trade date for the purchase will be the second business day following the day Vanguard receives the purchase request. Because money market instruments must be purchased with federal funds and it takes a money market mutual fund one business day to convert check proceeds into federal funds, the trade date for the purchase will be one business day later than for other funds.
For purchases by electronic bank transfer using an Automatic Investment Plan: Your trade date generally will be the date you selected for withdrawal of funds from your designated bank account. Your bank account generally will be debited on the business day after your trade date. If the date you selected for withdrawal of funds from your bank account falls on a weekend, holiday, or other nonbusiness day, your trade date generally will be the previous business day. For retirement accounts, if the date you selected for withdrawal of funds from your designated bank account falls on the last business day of the year, your trade date will be the first business day of the following year. Please note that if you select the first of the month for automated withdrawals from your designated bank account, trades designated for January 1 will receive the next business day’s trade date.
If your purchase request is not accurate and complete, it may be rejected. See Other Rules You Should Know—Good Order.
For further information about purchase transactions, consult our website at vanguard.com or see Contacting Vanguard.
26
Other Purchase Rules You Should Know
Check purchases. All purchase checks must be written in U.S. dollars and must be drawn on a U.S. bank. Vanguard does not accept cash, traveler’s checks, or money orders. In addition, Vanguard may refuse “starter checks” and checks that are not made payable to Vanguard.
New accounts. We are required by law to obtain from you certain personal information that we will use to verify your identity. If you do not provide the information, we may not be able to open your account. If we are unable to verify your identity, Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to close your account or take such other steps as we deem reasonable. Certain types of accounts may require additional documentation.
Refused or rejected purchase requests. Vanguard reserves the right to stop selling fund shares or to reject any purchase request at any time and without notice, including, but not limited to, purchases requested by exchange from another Vanguard fund. This also includes the right to reject any purchase request because the investor has a history of frequent trading or because the purchase may negatively affect a fund’s operation or performance.
Large purchases. Call Vanguard before attempting to invest a large dollar amount.
No cancellations. Vanguard will not accept your request to cancel any purchase request once processing has begun. Please be careful when placing a purchase request.
Converting Shares
When a conversion occurs, you receive shares of one class in place of shares of another class of the same fund. At the time of conversion, the dollar value of the “new” shares you receive equals the dollar value of the “old” shares that were converted. In other words, the conversion has no effect on the value of your investment in the fund at the time of the conversion. However, the number of shares you own after the conversion may be greater than or less than the number of shares you owned before the conversion, depending on the NAVs of the two share classes.
Vanguard will not accept your request to cancel any self-directed conversion request once processing has begun. Please be careful when placing a conversion request.
A conversion between share classes of the same fund is a nontaxable event.
27
Trade Date
The trade date for any conversion request received in good order will depend on the day and time Vanguard receives your request. Your conversion will be executed using the NAVs of the different share classes on the trade date. NAVs are calculated only on days that the NYSE is open for trading (a business day).
For a conversion request (other than a request to convert to ETF Shares) received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the trade date will be the same day. For a conversion request received on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the trade date will be the next business day. See Other Rules You Should Know.
Conversions to Institutional Shares
You are eligible for a self-directed conversion from another share class to Institutional Shares of the Fund, provided that your account meets all Institutional Shares’ eligibility requirements. You may request a conversion through our website (if you are registered for online access), or you may contact Vanguard by telephone or by mail to request this transaction. Accounts that qualify for Institutional Shares will not be automatically converted.
Conversions to ETF Shares
Owners of conventional shares (i.e., not exchange-traded shares) issued by the Fund may convert those shares to ETF Shares of equivalent value of the same fund. Please note that investors who own conventional shares through a 401(k) plan or other employer-sponsored retirement or benefit plan generally may not convert those shares to ETF Shares and should check with their plan sponsor or recordkeeper. ETF Shares, whether acquired through a conversion or purchased on the secondary market, cannot be converted to conventional shares by a shareholder. Also, ETF Shares of one fund cannot be exchanged for ETF Shares of another fund.
ETF Shares must be held in a brokerage account. Thus, before converting conventional shares to ETF Shares, you must have an existing, or open a new, brokerage account. This account may be with Vanguard Brokerage Services® (Vanguard Brokerage) or with any other brokerage firm.
Vanguard Brokerage does not impose a fee on conversions from conventional shares to Vanguard ETF Shares. However, other brokerage firms may charge a fee to process a conversion. Vanguard reserves the right, in the future, to impose a transaction fee on conversions or to limit or terminate the conversion privilege. For additional information on converting conventional shares to ETF Shares, please contact Vanguard to obtain a prospectus for ETF Shares. See Contacting Vanguard.
28
Mandatory Conversions to Another Share Class
If an account no longer meets the balance requirements for Institutional Shares, Vanguard may automatically convert the shares in the account to another share class, as appropriate. A decline in the account balance because of market movement may result in such a conversion. Vanguard will notify the investor in writing before any mandatory conversion occurs.
Redeeming Shares
How to Initiate a Redemption Request
Be sure to check Exchanging Shares, Frequent-Trading Limitations, and Other Rules You Should Know before placing your redemption request.
Online. You may request a redemption of shares or request an exchange through our website or our mobile application if you are registered for online access.
By telephone. You may call Vanguard to request a redemption of shares or an exchange. See Contacting Vanguard.
By mail. You may send a written request to Vanguard to redeem from a fund account or to make an exchange. See Contacting Vanguard.
How to Receive Redemption Proceeds
By electronic bank transfer. You may have the proceeds of a fund redemption sent directly to a designated bank account. To establish the electronic bank transfer service on an account, you must designate a bank account online, complete a special form, or fill out the appropriate section of your account registration form. After the service is set up on your account, you can redeem shares by electronic bank transfer on a regular schedule (Automatic Withdrawal Plan) or upon request. Your redemption request can be initiated online (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail.
By wire. To receive your proceeds by wire, you may instruct Vanguard to wire your redemption proceeds ($100 minimum) to a previously designated bank account. To establish the wire redemption service, you generally must designate a bank account online, complete a special form, or fill out the appropriate section of your account registration form.
By exchange. You may have the proceeds of a Vanguard fund redemption invested directly in shares of another Vanguard fund. You may initiate an exchange online (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail. See Exchanging Shares.
By check. If you have not chosen another redemption method, Vanguard will mail you a redemption check, generally payable to all registered account owners, normally within two business days of your trade date, and generally to the address of record.
29
Trade Date
The trade date for any redemption request received in good order will depend on the day and time Vanguard receives your request and the manner in which you are redeeming. Your redemption will be executed using the NAV as calculated on the trade date. NAVs are calculated only on days that the NYSE is open for trading (a business day).
For redemptions by check, exchange, or wire: If the redemption request is received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the trade date will be the same day. If the redemption request is received on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the trade date will be the next business day.
• Note on timing of wire redemptions from money market funds: For telephone requests received by Vanguard on a business day before 10:45 a.m., Eastern time (2 p.m., Eastern time, for Vanguard Prime Money Market Fund; 12:30 p.m., Eastern time, for Vanguard Federal Money Market Fund), the redemption proceeds generally will leave Vanguard by the close of business the same day. For telephone requests received by Vanguard on a business day after those cut-off times, or on a nonbusiness day, and for all requests other than by telephone, the redemption proceeds generally will leave Vanguard by the close of business on the next business day.
• Note on timing of wire redemptions from all other funds: For requests received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the redemption proceeds generally will leave Vanguard by the close of business on the next business day. For requests received by Vanguard on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the redemption proceeds generally will leave Vanguard by the close of business on the second business day after Vanguard receives the request.
For redemptions by electronic bank transfer using an Automatic Withdrawal Plan: Your trade date generally will be the date you selected for withdrawal of funds (redemption of shares) from your Vanguard account. Proceeds of redeemed shares generally will be credited to your designated bank account two business days after your trade date. If the date you selected for withdrawal of funds from your Vanguard account falls on a weekend, holiday, or other nonbusiness day, your trade date generally will be the previous business day. For retirement accounts, if the date you selected for withdrawal of funds from your Vanguard account falls on the last day of the year and if that date is a holiday, your trade date will be the first business day of the following year. Please note that if you designate the first of the month for automated withdrawals, trades designated for January 1 will receive the next business day’s trade date.
30
For redemptions by electronic bank transfer not using an Automatic Withdrawal Plan: If the redemption request is received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the trade date will be the same day. If the redemption request is received on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the trade date will be the next business day.
If your redemption request is not accurate and complete, it may be rejected. If we are unable to send your redemption proceeds by wire or electronic bank transfer because the receiving institution rejects the transfer, Vanguard will make additional efforts to complete your transaction. If Vanguard is still unable to complete the transaction, we may send the proceeds of the redemption to you by check, generally payable to all registered account owners, or use your proceeds to purchase new shares of the fund from which you sold shares for the purpose of the wire or electronic bank transfer transaction. See Other Rules You Should Know—Good Order.
For further information about redemption transactions, consult our website at vanguard.com or see Contacting Vanguard.
Other Redemption Rules You Should Know
Documentation for certain accounts. Special documentation may be required to redeem from certain types of accounts, such as trust, corporate, nonprofit, or retirement accounts. Please call us before attempting to redeem from these types of accounts.
Potentially disruptive redemptions. Vanguard reserves the right to pay all or part of a redemption in kind—that is, in the form of securities—if we reasonably believe that a cash redemption would negatively affect the fund’s operation or performance or that the shareholder may be engaged in market-timing or frequent trading. Under these circumstances, Vanguard also reserves the right to delay payment of the redemption proceeds for up to seven calendar days. By calling us before you attempt to redeem a large dollar amount, you may avoid in-kind or delayed payment of your redemption. Please see Frequent-Trading Limitations for information about Vanguard’s policies to limit frequent trading.
Recently purchased shares. Although you can redeem shares at any time, proceeds may not be made available to you until the fund collects payment for your purchase. This may take up to seven calendar days for shares purchased by check or by electronic bank transfer. If you have written a check on a fund with checkwriting privileges, that check may be rejected if your fund account does not have a sufficient available balance.
31
Address change. If you change your address online or by telephone, there may be up to a 14-day restriction on your ability to request check redemptions online and by telephone. You can request a redemption in writing at any time. Confirmations of address changes are sent to both the old and new addresses.
Payment to a different person or address. At your request, we can make your redemption check payable, or wire your redemption proceeds, to a different person or send it to a different address. However, this generally requires the written consent of all registered account owners and may require additional documentation, such as a signature guarantee or a notarized signature. You may obtain a signature guarantee from some commercial or savings banks, credit unions, trust companies, or member firms of a U.S. stock exchange.
No cancellations. Vanguard will not accept your request to cancel any redemption request once processing has begun. Please be careful when placing a redemption request.
Emergency circumstances. Vanguard funds can postpone payment of redemption proceeds for up to seven calendar days. In addition, Vanguard funds can suspend redemptions and/or postpone payments of redemption proceeds beyond seven calendar days at times when the NYSE is closed or during emergency circumstances, as determined by the SEC.
Exchanging Shares
An exchange occurs when you use the proceeds from the redemption of shares of one Vanguard fund to simultaneously purchase shares of a different Vanguard fund. You can make exchange requests online (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail. See Purchasing Shares and Redeeming Shares.
If the NYSE is open for regular trading (generally until 4 p.m., Eastern time, on a business day) at the time an exchange request is received in good order, the trade date generally will be the same day. See Other Rules You Should Know—Good Order for additional information on all transaction requests.
Vanguard will not accept your request to cancel any exchange request once processing has begun. Please be careful when placing an exchange request.
Call Vanguard before attempting to exchange a large dollar amount. By calling us before you attempt to exchange a large dollar amount, you may avoid delayed or rejected transactions.
Please note that Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to revise or terminate the exchange privilege, limit the amount of any exchange, or reject an exchange, at any time, for any reason. See Frequent-Trading Limitations for additional restrictions on exchanges.
32
Frequent-Trading Limitations
Because excessive transactions can disrupt management of a fund and increase the fund’s costs for all shareholders, the board of trustees of each Vanguard fund places certain limits on frequent trading in the funds. Each Vanguard fund (other than money market funds and short-term bond funds, but including Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund) limits an investor’s purchases or exchanges into a fund account for 30 calendar days after the investor has redeemed or exchanged out of that fund account. ETF Shares are not subject to these frequent-trading limits.
For Vanguard Retirement Investment Program pooled plans, the limitations apply to exchanges made online or by telephone.
These frequent-trading limitations do not apply to the following:
• Purchases of shares with reinvested dividend or capital gains distributions.
• Transactions through Vanguard’s Automatic Investment Plan, Automatic Exchange Service, Direct Deposit Service, Automatic Withdrawal Plan, Required Minimum ® Distribution Service, and Vanguard Small Business Online .
™
• Discretionary transactions through Vanguard Asset Management Services , ® ® Vanguard Personal Advisor Services , and Vanguard Institutional Advisory Services .
• Redemptions of shares to pay fund or account fees.
• Redemptions of shares to remove excess shareholder contributions to certain
types of retirement accounts (including, but not limited to, IRAs, certain Individual 403(b)(7) Custodial Accounts, and Vanguard Individual 401(k) Plans).
• Transaction requests submitted by mail to Vanguard from shareholders who hold their accounts directly with Vanguard or through a Vanguard brokerage account. (Transaction requests submitted by fax, if otherwise permitted, are subject to the limitations.)
-
Transfers and reregistrations of shares within the same fund.
-
Purchases of shares by asset transfer or direct rollover.
-
Conversions of shares from one share class to another in the same fund.
-
Checkwriting redemptions.
-
Section 529 college savings plans.
-
Certain approved institutional portfolios and asset allocation programs, as well as
trades made by funds or trusts managed by Vanguard or its affiliates that invest in other Vanguard funds. (Please note that shareholders of Vanguard’s funds of funds are subject to the limitations.)
33
For participants in employer-sponsored defined contribution plans,* the frequent trading limitations do not apply to:
• Purchases of shares with participant payroll or employer contributions or loan repayments.
• Purchases of shares with reinvested dividend or capital gains distributions.
• Distributions, loans, and in-service withdrawals from a plan.
• Redemptions of shares as part of a plan termination or at the direction of the plan.
• Transactions executed through the Vanguard Managed Account Program.
• Redemptions of shares to pay fund or account fees.
• Share or asset transfers or rollovers.
• Reregistrations of shares.
• Conversions of shares from one share class to another in the same fund.
• Exchange requests submitted by written request to Vanguard. (Exchange requests submitted by fax, if otherwise permitted, are subject to the limitations.)
* The following Vanguard fund accounts are subject to the frequent-trading limitations: SEP-IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, certain Individual 403(b)(7) Custodial Accounts, and Vanguard Individual 401(k) Plans.
Accounts Held by Institutions (Other Than Defined Contribution Plans)
Vanguard will systematically monitor for frequent trading in institutional clients’ accounts. If we detect suspicious trading activity, we will investigate and take appropriate action, which may include applying to a client’s accounts the 30-day policy previously described, prohibiting a client’s purchases of fund shares, and/or revoking the client’s exchange privilege.
Accounts Held by Intermediaries
When intermediaries establish accounts in Vanguard funds for the benefit of their clients, we cannot always monitor the trading activity of the individual clients. However, we review trading activity at the intermediary (omnibus) level, and if we detect suspicious activity, we will investigate and take appropriate action. If necessary, Vanguard may prohibit additional purchases of fund shares by an intermediary, including for the benefit of certain of the intermediary’s clients. Intermediaries also may monitor their clients’ trading activities with respect to Vanguard funds.
For those Vanguard funds that charge purchase and/or redemption fees, intermediaries will be asked to assess these fees on client accounts and remit these fees to the funds. The application of purchase and redemption fees and frequent-trading limitations may vary among intermediaries. There are no assurances that
34
Vanguard will successfully identify all intermediaries or that intermediaries will properly assess purchase and redemption fees or administer frequent-trading limitations. If you invest with Vanguard through an intermediary, please read that firm’s materials carefully to learn of any other rules or fees that may apply.
Other Rules You Should Know
Prospectus and Shareholder Report Mailings
When two or more shareholders have the same last name and address, just one summary prospectus (or prospectus) and/or shareholder report may be sent in an attempt to eliminate the unnecessary expense of duplicate mailings. You may request individual prospectuses and reports by contacting our Client Services Department in writing, by telephone, or online. See Contacting Vanguard.
Vanguard.com
Registration. If you are a registered user of vanguard.com, you can review your account holdings; buy, sell, or exchange shares of most Vanguard funds; and perform most other transactions through our website. You must register for this service online.
Electronic delivery. Vanguard can deliver your account statements, transaction confirmations, prospectuses, certain tax forms, and shareholder reports electronically. If you are a registered user of vanguard.com, you can consent to the electronic delivery of these documents by logging on and changing your mailing preferences under “Account Maintenance.” You can revoke your electronic consent at any time through our website, and we will begin to send paper copies of these documents within 30 days of receiving your revocation.
Telephone Transactions
Automatic. When we set up your account, we will automatically enable you to do business with us by telephone, unless you instruct us otherwise in writing.
Tele-Account®. To obtain fund and account information through Vanguard’s automated telephone service, you must first establish a Personal Identification Number (PIN) by calling Tele-Account at 800-662-6273.
Proof of a caller’s authority. We reserve the right to refuse a telephone request if the caller is unable to provide the requested information or if we reasonably believe that the caller is not an individual authorized to act on the account. Before we allow a caller to act on an account, we may request the following information:
• Authorization to act on the account (as the account owner or by legal documentation or other means).
• Account registration and address.
35
-
Fund name and account number, if applicable.
-
Other information relating to the caller, the account owner, or the account.
Good Order
We reserve the right to reject any transaction instructions that are not in “good order.” Good order generally means that your instructions:
• Are provided by the person(s) authorized in accordance with Vanguard’s policies and procedures to access the account and request transactions.
• Include the fund name and account number.
• Include the amount of the transaction (stated in dollars, shares, or percentage).
Written instructions also must generally include:
• An original signature and date from the authorized person(s).
• Signature guarantees or notarized signatures, if required for the type of transaction.
(Call Vanguard for specific requirements.)
• Any supporting documentation that may be required.
Written instructions are acceptable when a Vanguard form is not applicable. The requirements vary among types of accounts and transactions. For more information, consult our website at vanguard.com or see Contacting Vanguard.
Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to revise the requirements for good order.
Future Trade-Date Requests
Vanguard does not accept requests to hold a purchase, conversion, redemption, or exchange transaction for a future date. All such requests will receive trade dates as previously described in Purchasing Shares, Converting Shares, Redeeming Shares, and
Exchanging Shares. Vanguard reserves the right to return future-dated purchase checks.
Accounts With More Than One Owner
If an account has more than one owner or authorized person, Vanguard generally will accept instructions from any one owner or authorized person.
Responsibility for Fraud
Vanguard will not be responsible for any account losses because of fraud if we reasonably believe that the person transacting business on an account is authorized to do so. Please take precautions to protect yourself from fraud. Keep your account information private, and immediately review any account statements or other information that we provide to you. It is important that you contact Vanguard immediately about any transactions or changes to your account that you believe to be unauthorized.
36
Uncashed Checks
Please cash your distribution or redemption checks promptly. Vanguard will not pay interest on uncashed checks. Vanguard may be required to transfer assets related to uncashed checks to a state under the state’s abandoned property law.
Dormant Accounts
If your account has no activity in it for a period of time, Vanguard may be required to transfer it to a state under the state’s abandoned property law.
Unusual Circumstances
If you experience difficulty contacting Vanguard online or by telephone, you can send us your transaction request by regular or express mail. See Contacting Vanguard for addresses.
Investing With Vanguard Through Other Firms
You may purchase or sell shares of most Vanguard funds through a financial intermediary, such as a bank, a broker, or an investment advisor. Please consult your financial intermediary to determine which, if any, shares are available through that firm and to learn about other rules that may apply. Your financial intermediary can provide you with account information and any required tax forms.
Please see Frequent-Trading Limitations—Accounts Held by Intermediaries for information about the assessment of any purchase or redemption fees and the monitoring of frequent trading for accounts held by intermediaries.
Low-Balance Accounts
The Fund reserves the right to convert an investor’s Institutional Shares to another share class, as appropriate, if the fund account balance falls below the account minimum for any reason, including market fluctuation. Any such conversion will be preceded by written notice to the investor.
Right to Change Policies
In addition to the rights expressly stated elsewhere in this prospectus, Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to (1) alter, add, or discontinue any conditions of purchase (including eligibility requirements), redemption, exchange, conversion, service, or privilege at any time; (2) accept initial purchases by telephone; (3) freeze any account and/or suspend account services if Vanguard has received reasonable notice of a dispute regarding the assets in an account, including notice of a dispute between the registered or beneficial account owners, or if Vanguard reasonably believes a fraudulent transaction may occur or has occurred; (4) temporarily freeze any account and/or suspend account services upon initial notification to Vanguard of the death of the shareholder until Vanguard receives required documentation in good order; (5) alter,
37
impose, discontinue, or waive any purchase fee, redemption fee, account service fee, or other fees charged to a shareholder or a group of shareholders; and (6) redeem an account or suspend account privileges, without the owner’s permission to do so, in cases of threatening conduct or activity Vanguard believes to be suspicious, fraudulent, or illegal. Changes may affect any or all investors. These actions will be taken when, at the sole discretion of Vanguard management, Vanguard reasonably believes they are in the best interest of a fund.
Share Classes
Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to change the eligibility requirements of its share classes, including the types of clients who are eligible to purchase each share class.
Fund and Account Updates
Confirmation Statements
We will send (or provide through our website, whichever you prefer) a confirmation of your trade date and the amount of your transaction when you buy, sell, exchange, or convert shares. However, we will not send confirmations reflecting only checkwriting redemptions or the reinvestment of dividend or capital gains distributions. For any month in which you had a checkwriting redemption, a Checkwriting Activity Statement will be sent to you itemizing the checkwriting redemptions for that month. Promptly review each confirmation statement that we provide to you. It is important that you contact Vanguard immediately with any questions you may have about any transaction reflected on a confirmation statement, or Vanguard will consider the transaction properly processed.
Portfolio Summaries
We will send (or provide through our website, whichever you prefer) quarterly portfolio summaries to help you keep track of your accounts throughout the year. If you prefer, you may request to receive monthly portfolio summaries. Each summary shows the market value of your account at the close of the statement period, as well as all distributions, purchases, redemptions, exchanges, transfers, and conversions for the current calendar quarter (or month). Promptly review each summary that we provide to you. It is important that you contact Vanguard immediately with any questions you may have about any transaction reflected on the summary, or Vanguard will consider the transaction properly processed.
38
Tax Information Statements
For most accounts, Vanguard (or your intermediary) is required to provide annual tax forms to assist you in preparing your income tax returns. These forms are generally available for each calendar year early in the following year. Registered users of vanguard.com can also view certain forms through our website. Vanguard (or your intermediary) may also provide you with additional tax-related documentation. For more information, consult our website at vanguard.com or see Contacting Vanguard.
Annual and Semiannual Reports
We will send (or provide through our website, whichever you prefer) reports about Vanguard REIT Index Fund twice a year, in March and September. These reports include overviews of the financial markets and provide the following specific Fund information:
-
Performance assessments and comparisons with industry benchmarks.
-
Financial statements with listings of Fund holdings.
Portfolio Holdings
Please consult the Fund‘s Statement of Additional Information or our website for a description of the policies and procedures that govern disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings.
39
Employer-Sponsored Plans
Your plan administrator or your employee benefits office can provide you with detailed information on how to participate in your plan and how to elect the Fund as an investment option.
• If you have any questions about the Fund or Vanguard, including those about the Fund’s investment objective, strategies, or risks, contact Vanguard Participant Services toll-free at 800-523-1188 or visit our website at vanguard.com.
• If you have questions about your account, contact your plan administrator or the organization that provides recordkeeping services for your plan.
• Be sure to carefully read each topic that pertains to your transactions with Vanguard.
Vanguard reserves the right to change its policies without notice to shareholders.
Transactions
Processing times for your transaction requests may differ among recordkeepers or among transaction and funding types. Your plan’s recordkeeper (which may also be Vanguard) will determine the necessary processing time frames for your transaction requests prior to submission to the Fund. Consult your recordkeeper or plan administrator for more information.
If Vanguard is serving as your plan recordkeeper and if your transaction involves one or more investments with an early cut-off time for processing or another trading restriction, your entire transaction will be subject to the restriction when the trade date for your transaction is determined.
40
| Contacting Vanguard | |
| Web | |
| Vanguard.com | For the most complete source of Vanguard news |
| For fund, account, and service information | |
| For most account transactions | |
| For literature requests | |
| 24 hours a day, 7 days a week | |
| Phone | |
| Vanguard Tele-Account® 800-662-6273 | For automated fund and account information |
| Toll-free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week | |
| Investor Information 800-662-7447 | For fund and service information |
| (Text telephone for people with hearing | For literature requests |
| impairment at 800-749-7273) | |
| Client Services 800-662-2739 | For account information |
| (Text telephone for people with hearing | For most account transactions |
| impairment at 800-749-7273) | |
| Participant Services 800-523-1188 | For information and services for participants in employer- |
| (Text telephone for people with hearing | sponsored plans |
| impairment at 800-749-7273) | |
| Institutional Division | For information and services for large institutional investors |
| 888-809-8102 | |
| Financial Advisor and Intermediary | For information and services for financial intermediaries |
| Sales Support 800-997-2798 | including financial advisors, broker-dealers, trust institutions, |
| and insurance companies | |
| Financial Advisory and Intermediary | For account information and trading support for financial |
| Trading Support 800-669-0498 | intermediaries including financial advisors, broker-dealers, |
| trust institutions, and insurance companies | |
41
Vanguard Addresses
Please be sure to use the correct address. Use of an incorrect address could delay the processing of your transaction.
| Regular Mail (Individuals) | The Vanguard Group | |||
| P.O. Box 1110 | ||||
| Valley Forge, PA 19482-1110 | ||||
| Regular Mail (Institutions, Intermediaries, and The Vanguard Group | ||||
| Employer-Sponsored Plan Participants) | P.O. Box 2900 | |||
| Valley Forge, PA 19482-2900 | ||||
| Registered, Express, or Overnight Mail | The Vanguard Group | |||
| 455 Devon Park Drive | ||||
| Wayne, PA 19087-1815 | ||||
| Additional Information | ||||
| Newspaper | Vanguard | CUSIP | ||
| Inception Date Abbreviation | Fund Number | Number | ||
| REIT Index Fund | ||||
| Institutional Shares | 12/2/2003 | REITInstl | 3123 | 921908869 |
| (Investor Shares | ||||
| 5/13/1996) | ||||
|
| ||||
42
THIS FUND IS NOT SPONSORED, ENDORSED, SOLD OR PROMOTED BY MSCI INC. (“MSCI”), ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES, ANY OF ITS DIRECT OR INDIRECT INFORMATION PROVIDERS OR ANY OTHER THIRD PARTY INVOLVED IN, OR RELATED TO, COMPILING, COMPUTING OR CREATING ANY MSCI INDEX (COLLECTIVELY, THE “MSCI PARTIES”). THE MSCI INDEXES ARE THE EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OF MSCI. MSCI AND THE MSCI INDEX NAMES ARE SERVICE MARK(S) OF MSCI OR ITS AFFILIATES AND HAVE BEEN LICENSED FOR USE FOR CERTAIN PURPOSES BY VANGUARD. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES MAKES ANY REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, TO THE OWNERS OF THIS FUND OR ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC REGARDING THE ADVISABILITY OF INVESTING IN FUNDS GENERALLY OR IN THIS FUND PARTICULARLY OR THE ABILITY OF ANY MSCI INDEX TO TRACK CORRESPONDING STOCK MARKET PERFORMANCE. MSCI OR ITS AFFILIATES ARE THE LICENSORS OF CERTAIN TRADEMARKS, SERVICE MARKS AND TRADE NAMES AND OF THE MSCI INDEXES WHICH ARE DETERMINED, COMPOSED AND CALCULATED BY MSCI WITHOUT REGARD TO THIS FUND OR THE ISSUER OR OWNER OF THIS FUND. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES HAS ANY OBLIGATION TO TAKE THE NEEDS OF THE ISSUERS OR OWNERS OF THIS FUND INTO CONSIDERATION IN DETERMINING, COMPOSING OR CALCULATING THE MSCI INDEXES. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OR HAS PARTICIPATED IN THE DETERMINATION OF THE TIMING OF, PRICES AT, OR QUANTITIES OF THIS FUND TO BE ISSUED OR IN THE DETERMINATION OR CALCULATION OF THE CONSIDERATION INTO WHICH THIS FUND IS REDEEMABLE. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES HAS ANY OBLIGATION OR LIABILITY TO THE OWNERS OF THIS FUND IN CONNECTION WITH THE ADMINISTRATION, MARKETING OR OFFERING OF THIS FUND.
ALTHOUGH MSCI SHALL OBTAIN INFORMATION FOR INCLUSION IN OR FOR USE IN THE CALCULATION OF THE MSCI INDEXES FROM SOURCES WHICH MSCI CONSIDERS RELIABLE, NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES WARRANTS OR GUARANTEES THE ORIGINALITY, ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF ANY MSCI INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES MAKES ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY LICENSEE, LICENSEE’S CUSTOMERS OR COUNTERPARTIES, ISSUERS OF THE FUNDS, OWNERS OF THE FUNDS, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY, FROM THE USE OF ANY MSCI INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN IN CONNECTION WITH THE RIGHTS LICENSED HEREUNDER OR FOR ANY OTHER USE. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES SHALL HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS OR INTERRUPTIONS OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH ANY MSCI INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. FURTHER, NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES MAKES ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, AND THE MSCI PARTIES HEREBY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WITH RESPECT TO ANY MSCI INDEX AND ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL ANY OF THE MSCI PARTIES HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, CONSEQUENTIAL OR ANY OTHER DAMAGES (INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION LOST PROFITS) EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
43
Glossary of Investment Terms
Active Management. An investment approach that seeks to exceed the average returns of a particular financial market or market segment. In selecting securities to buy and sell, active managers may rely on, among other things, research, market forecasts, quantitative models, and their own judgment and experience.
Capital Gains Distribution. Payment to mutual fund shareholders of gains realized on securities that a fund has sold at a profit, minus any realized losses.
Common Stock. A security representing ownership rights in a corporation.
Cost Basis. The adjusted cost of an investment, used to determine a capital gain or loss for tax purposes.
Distributions. Payments to mutual fund shareholders of dividend income, capital gains, and return of capital generated by the fund’s investment activities and distribution policies, after expenses.
Dividend Distribution. Payment to mutual fund shareholders of income from interest or dividends generated by a fund’s investments.
Expense Ratio. A fund’s total annual operating expenses expressed as a percentage of the fund’s average net assets. The expense ratio includes management and administrative expenses, but it does not include the transaction costs of buying and selling portfolio securities.
Inception Date. The date on which the assets of a fund (or one of its share classes) are first invested in accordance with the fund’s investment objective. For funds with a subscription period, the inception date is the day after that period ends. Investment performance is generally measured from the inception date.
Indexing. A low-cost investment strategy in which a mutual fund attempts to track—rather than outperform—a specified market benchmark, or “index.”
Liquidity. The degree of a security’s marketability (i.e., how quickly the security can be sold at a fair price and converted to cash).
Median Market Capitalization. An indicator of the size of companies in which a fund invests; the midpoint of market capitalization (market price x shares outstanding) of a fund’s stocks, weighted by the proportion of the fund’s assets invested in each stock. Stocks representing half of the fund’s assets have market capitalizations above the median, and the rest are below it.
Mutual Fund. An investment company that pools the money of many people and invests it in a variety of securities in an effort to achieve a specific objective over time.
44
New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). A stock exchange based in New York City that is open for regular trading on business days, Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Eastern time. Net asset values (NAVs) are calculated each business day as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE. In the rare event the NYSE experiences unanticipated trade disruptions and is unavailable at the close of the trading day, NAVs will be calculated as of the close of regular trading on the Nasdaq (or another alternate exchange if the Nasdaq is unavailable), generally 4 p.m., Eastern time.
REIT Spliced Index. An index that reflects performance of the MSCI US REIT Index adjusted to include a 2% cash position (Lipper Money Market Average) through April 30, 2009, and the MSCI US REIT Index thereafter.
Return of Capital. A return of all or part of your original investment in a fund. In general, return of capital reduces your cost basis in a fund’s shares and is not taxable to you until your cost basis has been reduced to zero.
Securities. Stocks, bonds, money market instruments, and other investments.
Total Return. A percentage change, over a specified time period, in a mutual fund’s net asset value, assuming the reinvestment of all distributions of dividends and capital gains.
Tracking Error. A measure of the difference between the performance of a fund or portfolio and that of its benchmark index.
Volatility. The fluctuations in value of a mutual fund or other security. The greater a fund’s volatility, the wider the fluctuations in its returns.
Yield. Income (interest or dividends) earned by an investment, expressed as a percentage of the investment’s price.
Institutional Division P.O. Box 2900 Valley Forge, PA 19482-2900
Connect with Vanguard® > vanguard.com
For More Information
If you would like more information about Vanguard REIT Index Fund, the following documents are available free upon request:
Annual/Semiannual Reports to Shareholders
Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semiannual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.
Statement of Additional Information (SAI)
The SAI provides more detailed information about the Fund and is incorporated by reference into (and thus legally a part of) this prospectus.
To receive a free copy of the latest annual or semiannual report or the SAI, or to request additional information about the Fund or other Vanguard funds, please visit vanguard.com or contact us as follows:
If you are an individual investor:
The Vanguard Group
Investor Information Department P.O. Box 2900 Valley Forge, PA 19482-2900
Telephone: 800-662-7447; Text telephone for people with hearing impairment: 800-749-7273
If you are a client of Vanguard’s Institutional Division:
The Vanguard Group
Institutional Investor Information Department P.O. Box 2900 Valley Forge, PA 19482-2900 Telephone: 888-809-8102; Text telephone for people with hearing impairment: 800-749-7273
If you are a current Vanguard shareholder and would like information about your account, account transactions, and/or account statements, please call:
Client Services Department
Telephone: 800-662-2739; Text telephone for people with hearing impairment: 800-749-7273
Information Provided by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
You can review and copy information about the Fund (including the SAI) at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. To find out more about this public service, call the SEC at 202-551-8090. Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR database on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, or you can receive copies of this information, for a fee, by electronic request at the following email address: [email protected], or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 20549-1520.
Fund’s Investment Company Act file number: 811-03916
© 2017 The Vanguard Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Vanguard Marketing Corporation, Distributor.
I 3123 052017
| Vanguard REIT ETF |
| Prospectus |
| May 25, 2017 |
| Exchange-traded fund shares that are not individually redeemable and are listed |
| on NYSE Arca |
| Vanguard REIT Index Fund ETF Shares (VNQ) |
| This prospectus contains financial data for the Fund through the fiscal year ended January 31, 2017. |
| The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or |
| passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. |
| Contents | |||
| Vanguard ETF Summary | 1 | More on the Fund and ETF Shares | 10 |
| Investing in Vanguard ETF Shares | 7 | The Fund and Vanguard | 21 |
| Investing in Index Funds | 9 | Investment Advisor | 22 |
| Dividends, Capital Gains, and Taxes | 22 | ||
| Share Price and Market Price | 25 | ||
| Additional Information | 26 | ||
| Financial Highlights | 27 | ||
| Glossary of Investment Terms | 30 | ||
ETF Summary
Investment Objective
The Fund seeks to provide a high level of income and moderate long-term capital appreciation by tracking the performance of a benchmark index that measures the performance of publicly traded equity REITs.
Fees and Expenses
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold ETF Shares of the Fund.
| Shareholder Fees | ||
| (Fees paid directly from your investment) | ||
| Transaction Fee on Purchases and Sales | None through Vanguard | |
| (Broker fees vary) | ||
| Transaction Fee on Reinvested Dividends | None through Vanguard | |
| (Broker fees vary) | ||
| Transaction Fee on Conversion to ETF Shares | None through Vanguard | |
| (Broker fees vary) | ||
| Annual Fund Operating Expenses | ||
| (Expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | ||
| Management Fees | 0.11% | |
| 12b-1 Distribution Fee | None | |
| Other Expenses | 0.01% | |
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.12% | |
1
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Funds ETF Shares with the cost of investing in other funds. It illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over various periods if you were to invest $10,000 in the Funds shares. This example assumes that the shares provide a return of 5% each year and that total annual fund operating expenses remain as stated in the preceding table. You would incur these hypothetical expenses whether or not you redeem your investment at the end of the given period. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
| 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years |
| $12 | $39 | $68 | $154 |
This example does not include the brokerage commissions that you may pay to buy and sell ETF Shares of the Fund.
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or turns over its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in more taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the previous expense example, reduce the Funds performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Funds portfolio turnover rate was 7% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund employs an indexing investment approach designed to track the performance of the MSCI US REIT Index. The Index is composed of stocks of publicly traded equity real estate investment trusts (known as REITs). The Fund attempts to replicate the Index by investing all, or substantially all, of its assets in the stocks that make up the Index, holding each stock in approximately the same proportion as its weighting in the Index.
2
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund could lose money over short or even long periods. You should expect the Funds share price and total return to fluctuate within a wide range. The Fund is subject to the following risks, which could affect the Funds performance:
Industry concentration risk, which is the chance that the stocks of REITs will decline because of adverse developments affecting the real estate industry and real property values. Because the Fund concentrates its assets in REIT stocks, industry concentration risk is high.
Stock market risk, which is the chance that stock prices overall will decline. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. The Funds target index may, at times, become focused in stocks of a limited number of companies, which could cause the Fund to underperform the overall stock market.
Interest rate risk, which is the chance that REIT stock prices overall will decline and that the cost of borrowing for REITs will increase because of rising interest rates. Interest rate risk is high for the Fund.
Investment style risk, which is the chance that the returns from REIT stockswhich typically are small- or mid-capitalization stockswill trail returns from the overall stock market. Historically, REIT stocks have performed quite differently from the overall market.
Asset concentration risk, which is the chance that, because the Funds target index (and therefore the Fund) tends to be heavily weighted in its ten largest holdings, the Funds performance may be hurt disproportionately by the poor performance of relatively few stocks.
Derivatives risk. The Fund may invest in derivatives, which may involve risks different from, and possibly greater than, those of investments directly in the underlying securities or assets.
Because ETF Shares are traded on an exchange, they are subject to additional risks:
The Funds ETF Shares are listed for trading on NYSE Arca and are bought and sold on the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of an ETF Share typically will approximate its net asset value (NAV), there may be times when the market price and the NAV differ significantly. Thus, you may pay more or less than NAV when you buy ETF Shares on the secondary market, and you may receive more or less than NAV when you sell those shares.
3
• Although the Fund’s ETF Shares are listed for trading on NYSE Arca, it is possible that an active trading market may not be maintained.
• Trading of the Fund’s ETF Shares may be halted by the activation of individual or marketwide trading halts (which halt trading for a specific period of time when the price of a particular security or overall market prices decline by a specified percentage). Trading of the Fund’s ETF Shares may also be halted if (1) the shares are delisted from NYSE Arca without first being listed on another exchange or (2) NYSE Arca officials determine that such action is appropriate in the interest of a fair and orderly market or for the protection of investors.
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Annual Total Returns
The following bar chart and table are intended to help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the performance of the Fund‘s ETF Shares (based on NAV) has varied from one calendar year to another over the periods shown. The table shows how the average annual total returns of the ETF Shares compare with those of the Fund‘s target index and a comparative index, which have investment characteristics similar to those of the Fund. Keep in mind that the Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) does not indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available on our website at vanguard.com/performance or by calling Vanguard toll-free at 800-662-7447.
Annual Total Returns — Vanguard REIT Index Fund ETF Shares1
1 The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on March 31, 2017, was 0.96%.
During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a calendar quarter was 34.63% (quarter ended September 30, 2009), and the lowest return for a quarter was –38.14% (quarter ended December 31, 2008).
4
| Average Annual Total Returns for Periods Ended December 31, 2016 | |||
| 1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | |
| Vanguard REIT Index Fund ETF Shares | |||
| Based on NAV | |||
| Return Before Taxes | 8.53% | 11.77% | 5.23% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions | 7.01 | 10.49 | 3.99 |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | 4.93 | 8.74 | 3.50 |
| Based on Market Price | |||
| Return Before Taxes | 8.53 | 11.78 | 5.24 |
| Comparative Indexes | |||
| (reflect no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) | |||
| MSCI US REIT Index | 8.60% | 11.86% | 4.96% |
| REIT Spliced Index | 8.60 | 11.86 | 5.20 |
Actual after-tax returns depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown in the preceding table. When after-tax returns are calculated, it is assumed that the shareholder was in the highest individual federal marginal income tax bracket at the time of each distribution of income or capital gains or upon redemption. State and local income taxes are not reflected in the calculations. Please note that after-tax returns are not relevant for a shareholder who holds fund shares in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan. Also, figures captioned Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may be higher than other figures for the same period if a capital loss occurs upon redemption and results in an assumed tax deduction for the shareholder.
5
Investment Advisor
The Vanguard Group, Inc. (Vanguard)
Portfolio Managers
Walter Nejman, Portfolio Manager at Vanguard. He has co-managed the Fund since 2016.
Gerard C. OReilly, Principal of Vanguard. He has managed the Fund since its inception in 1996 (co-managed since 2016).
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You can buy and sell ETF Shares of the Fund through a brokerage firm. The price you pay or receive for ETF Shares will be the prevailing market price, which may be more or less than the NAV of the shares. The brokerage firm may charge you a commission to execute the transaction. Unless imposed by your brokerage firm, there is no minimum dollar amount you must invest and no minimum number of shares you must buy. ETF Shares of the Fund cannot be directly purchased from or redeemed with the Fund, except by certain authorized broker-dealers. These broker-dealers may purchase and redeem ETF Shares only in large blocks (Creation Units) worth several million dollars, typically in exchange for baskets of securities. For this Fund, the number of ETF Shares in a Creation Unit is 100,000.
Tax Information
The Funds distributions may be taxable as ordinary income or capital gain. If you are investing through a tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA or an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, special tax rules apply.
Payments to Financial Intermediaries
The Fund and its investment advisor do not pay financial intermediaries for sales of Fund shares.
6
Investing in Vanguard ETF® Shares
What Are Vanguard ETF Shares?
Vanguard ETF Shares are an exchange-traded class of shares issued by certain Vanguard mutual funds. ETF Shares represent an interest in the portfolio of stocks or bonds held by the issuing fund. This prospectus describes REIT ETF, a class of shares issued by Vanguard REIT Index Fund. In addition to ETF Shares, the Fund offers three conventional (not exchange-traded) classes of shares. This prospectus, however, relates only to ETF Shares.
How Are Vanguard ETF Shares Different From Conventional Mutual Fund Shares?
Conventional mutual fund shares can be directly purchased from and redeemed with the issuing fund for cash at the net asset value (NAV), typically calculated once a day. ETF Shares, by contrast, cannot be purchased directly from or redeemed directly with the issuing fund by an individual investor. Rather, ETF Shares can only be purchased or redeemed directly from the issuing fund by certain authorized broker-dealers. These broker-dealers may purchase and redeem ETF Shares only in large blocks (Creation Units) worth several million dollars, usually in exchange for baskets of securities and not for cash (although some funds issue and redeem Creation Units in exchange for cash or a combination of cash and securities).
An organized secondary trading market is expected to exist for ETF Shares, unlike conventional mutual fund shares, because ETF Shares are listed for trading on a national securities exchange. Individual investors can purchase and sell ETF Shares on the secondary market through a broker. Secondary-market transactions occur not at NAV, but at market prices that change throughout the day based on the supply of and demand for ETF Shares and on changes in the prices of the funds portfolio holdings.
The market price of a funds ETF Shares typically will differ somewhat from the NAV of those shares. The difference between market price and NAV is expected to be small most of the time, but in times of market disruption or extreme market volatility, the difference may become significant.
7
How Do I Buy and Sell Vanguard ETF Shares?
ETF Shares of the Fund are listed for trading on NYSE Arca. You can buy and sell ETF Shares on the secondary market in the same way you buy and sell any other exchange-traded securitythrough a broker. Your broker may charge a commission to execute a transaction. You will also incur the cost of the bid-ask spread, which is the difference between the price a dealer will pay for a security and the somewhat higher price at which the dealer will sell the same security. Because secondary-market transactions occur at market prices, you may pay more (premium) or less (discount) than NAV when you buy ETF Shares and receive more or less than NAV when you sell those shares. In times of severe market disruption, the bid-ask spread and premiums/ discounts can increase significantly. Unless imposed by your broker, there is no minimum dollar amount you must invest and no minimum number of ETF Shares you must buy.
Your ownership of ETF Shares will be shown on the records of the broker through which you hold the shares. Vanguard will not have any record of your ownership. Your account information will be maintained by your broker, which will provide you with account statements, confirmations of your purchases and sales of ETF Shares, and tax information. Your broker also will be responsible for ensuring that you receive income and capital gains distributions, as well as shareholder reports and other communications from the fund whose ETF Shares you own. You will receive other services (e.g., dividend reinvestment and average cost information) only if your broker offers these services.
8
Investing in Index Funds
What Is Indexing?
Indexing is an investment strategy for tracking the performance of a specified market benchmark, or index. An index is a group of securities whose overall performance is used as a standard to measure the investment performance of a particular market. There are many types of indexes. Some represent entire marketssuch as the U.S. stock market or the U.S. bond market. Other indexes cover market segmentssuch as small-capitalization stocks or short-term bonds. The index sponsor determines the securities to include in the index, the weighting of each security in the index, and the appropriate time to make changes to the composition of the index. One cannot invest directly in an index.
An index fund holds all, or a representative sample, of the securities that make up its target index. Index funds attempt to mirror the performance of the target index, for better or worse. However, an index fund generally does not perform exactly like its target index. For example, like all mutual funds, index funds have operating expenses and transaction costs. Market indexes do not, and therefore they will usually have a slight performance advantage over funds that track them.
Index funds typically have the following characteristics:
Variety of investments. Most Vanguard index funds generally invest in the securities of a variety of companies and industries.
Relative performance consistency. Because they seek to track market benchmarks, index funds usually do not perform dramatically better or worse than their benchmarks.
Low cost. Index funds are inexpensive to run compared with actively managed funds.
They have low or no research costs and typically keep trading activityand thus brokerage commissions and other transaction coststo a minimum compared with actively managed funds.
9
More on the Fund and ETF Shares
This prospectus describes the principal risks you would face as a Fund shareholder. It is important to keep in mind one of the main axioms of investing: generally, the higher the risk of losing money, the higher the potential reward. The reverse, also, is generally true: the lower the risk, the lower the potential reward. As you consider an investment in any mutual fund, you should take into account your personal tolerance for fluctuations in the securities markets. Look for this symbol throughout the prospectus. It is used to mark detailed information about the more significant risks that you would confront as a Fund shareholder. To highlight terms and concepts important to mutual fund investors, we have provided Plain Talk® explanations along the way. Reading the prospectus will help you decide whether the Fund is the right investment for you. We suggest that you keep this prospectus for future reference.
Share Class Overview
This prospectus offers the Fund‘s ETF Shares, an exchange-traded class of shares. A separate prospectus offers the Fund‘s Investor Shares and AdmiralTM Shares, which generally have investment minimums of $3,000 and $10,000, respectively. In addition, another prospectus offers the Fund‘s Institutional Shares, which are generally for investors who invest a minimum of $5 million.
All share classes offered by the Fund have the same investment objective, strategies, and policies. However, different share classes have different expenses; as a result, their investment performances will differ.
A Note to Investors
Vanguard ETF Shares can be purchased directly from the issuing Fund only by authorized broker-dealers in exchange for a basket of securities (or, in some cases, for cash or a combination of cash and securities) that is expected to be worth several million dollars. Most individual investors, therefore, will not be able to purchase ETF Shares directly from the Fund. Instead, these investors will purchase ETF Shares on the secondary market with the assistance of a broker.
| Plain Talk About Fund Expenses |
| All mutual funds have operating expenses. These expenses, which are deducted |
| from a fund’s gross income, are expressed as a percentage of the net assets of |
| the fund. Assuming that operating expenses remain as stated in the Fees and |
| Expenses section, Vanguard REIT Index Fund ETF Shares’ expense ratio would be |
| 0.12%, or $1.20 per $1,000 of average net assets. The average expense ratio for |
| real estate funds in 2016 was 1.28%, or $12.80 per $1,000 of average net assets |
| (derived from data provided by Lipper, a Thomson Reuters Company, which |
| reports on the mutual fund industry). |
10
| Plain Talk About Costs of Investing |
| Costs are an important consideration in choosing a mutual fund. That is because |
| you, as a shareholder, pay a proportionate share of the costs of operating a fund, |
| plus any transaction costs incurred when the fund buys or sells securities. These |
| costs can erode a substantial portion of the gross income or the capital |
| appreciation a fund achieves. Even seemingly small differences in expenses can, |
| over time, have a dramatic effect on a fund‘s performance. |
The following sections explain the principal investment strategies and policies that the Fund uses in pursuit of its objective. The Fund‘s board of trustees, which oversees the Fund’s management, may change investment strategies or policies in the interest of shareholders without a shareholder vote, unless those strategies or policies are designated as fundamental. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its assets in the stocks that make up its target index. This policy may be changed only upon 60 days‘ notice to shareholders.
Market Exposure
The Fund invests in stocks of publicly traded equity real estate investment trusts.
| Plain Talk About REITs |
| Rather than directly owning properties—which can be costly and difficult to |
| convert into cash when needed—some investors buy shares in a company that |
| owns and manages real estate. Such a company is known as a real estate |
| investment trust, or REIT. Unlike corporations, REITs do not have to pay income |
| taxes if they meet certain Internal Revenue Code requirements. To qualify, a REIT |
| must distribute at least 90% of its taxable income to its shareholders and receive |
| at least 75% of that income from rents, mortgages, and sales of property. REITs |
| offer investors greater liquidity and diversification than direct ownership of a |
| handful of properties. REITs also offer the potential for higher income than an |
| investment in common stocks would provide. As with any investment in real |
| estate, however, a REIT’s performance depends on specific factors, such as the |
| company’s ability to find tenants for its properties, to renew leases, and to |
| finance property purchases and renovations. That said, returns from REITs may |
| not correspond to returns from direct property ownership. |
11
The Fund is subject to investment style risk, which is the chance that returns from REIT stocks—which typically are small- or mid-capitalization stocks—will trail returns from the overall stock market. Historically, REIT stocks have performed quite differently from the overall market.
Stocks of publicly traded companies and funds that invest in stocks are often classified according to market value, or market capitalization. These classifications typically include small-cap, mid-cap, and large-cap. It is important to understand that market capitalization ranges change over time. Also, interpretations of size vary, and there are no “official” definitions of small-, mid-, and large-cap, even among Vanguard fund advisors. REITs in the MSCI US REIT Index tend to be small- and mid-cap stocks. The asset-weighted median market capitalization of the Fund’s stock holdings as of January 31, 2017, was $10 billion.
Small- and mid-cap stocks tend to have greater volatility than large-cap stocks because, among other things, smaller companies often have fewer customers, financial resources, and products than larger firms. Such characteristics can make small and mid-size companies more sensitive to changing economic conditions. REIT stocks tend to have a significant amount of dividend income, which can reduce the impact of this volatility. However, the Fund is subject to additional risk because of the concentration in the real estate sector. This focus on a single sector may result in more risk than that for a more diversified, multisector portfolio.
| Plain Talk About Types of REITs |
| An equity REIT generally owns properties directly. Equity REITs typically generate |
| income from rental and lease payments, and they offer the potential for growth |
| from property appreciation as well as occasional capital gains from the sale of |
| property. A mortgage REIT makes loans to commercial real estate developers. |
| Mortgage REITs earn interest income and are subject to credit risk (i.e., the |
| chance that a developer will fail to repay a loan). A hybrid REIT holds both |
| properties and mortgages. The Fund invests in equity REITs only, and not other |
| types of REITs. |
The Fund is subject to stock market risk, which is the chance that stock prices overall will decline. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. The Fund‘s target index may, at times, become focused in stocks of a limited number of companies, which could cause the Fund to underperform the overall stock market.
12
To illustrate the volatility of stock prices, the following table shows the best, worst, and average annual total returns for the U.S. stock market over various periods as measured by the S&P 500 Index, a widely used barometer of U.S. stock market activity. Total returns consist of dividend income plus change in market price. Note that the returns shown do not include the costs of buying and selling stocks or other expenses that a real-world investment portfolio would incur.
| U.S. Stock Market Returns | ||||
| (1926–2016) | ||||
| 1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | 20 Years | |
| Best | 54.2% | 28.6% | 19.9% | 17.8% |
| Worst | –43.1 | –12.4 | –1.4 | 3.1 |
| Average | 11.9 | 10.1 | 10.3 | 11.0 |
The table covers all of the rolling 1-, 5-, 10-, and 20-year periods from 1926 through 2016. You can see, for example, that although the average annual return on common stocks for all of the 5-year periods was 10.1%, average annual returns for individual 5-year periods ranged from –12.4% (from 1928 through 1932) to 28.6% (from 1995 through 1999). These average annual returns reflect past performance of common stocks; you should not regard them as an indication of future performance of either the stock market as a whole or the Fund in particular.
The Fund is subject to interest rate risk, which is the chance that REIT stock prices overall will decline and that the cost of borrowing for REITs will increase because of rising interest rates. Interest rate risk is high for the Fund.
In general, during periods of high interest rates, REITs may lose some of their appeal for investors who may be able to obtain higher yields from other income-producing investments, such as long-term bonds. Higher interest rates also mean that financing for property purchases and improvements is more costly and difficult to obtain.
The Fund is subject to industry concentration risk, which is the chance that the stocks of REITs will decline because of adverse developments affecting the real estate industry and real property values. Because the Fund concentrates its assets in REIT stocks, industry concentration risk is high.
Because of its emphasis on REIT stocks, the Fund’s performance may at times be linked to the ups and downs of the real estate market. In general, real estate values can be affected by a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, supply and demand for properties, the economic health of the nation as well as different regions, and the strength of specific industries that rent properties. Ultimately, an individual REIT’s
13
performance depends on the types and locations of the properties it owns and on how well the REIT manages its properties. For instance, rental income could decline because of extended vacancies, increased competition from nearby properties, tenants’ failure to pay rent, regulatory limitations on rents, fluctuations in rental income, variations in market rental rates, or incompetent management. Property values could decrease because of overbuilding in the area, environmental liabilities, uninsured damages caused by natural disasters, a general decline in the neighborhood, losses because of casualty or condemnation, increases in property taxes, or changes in zoning laws. Loss of IRS status as a qualified REIT may also affect an individual REIT’s performance. In addition, many real estate issuers, including REITs, utilize leverage (and some may be highly leveraged), which increases investment risk and could adversely affect the issuer’s operations and market value in periods of rising interest rates.
Security Selection
The Fund attempts to track the investment performance of a benchmark index that measures the performance of publicly traded equity REITs.
The Fund attempts to hold each stock contained in the MSCI US REIT Index in roughly the same proportion as represented in the Index itself. For example, if 5% of the MSCI US REIT Index were made up of the stock of a specific REIT, the Fund would invest approximately the same percentage of its assets in that stock.
The MSCI US REIT Index is made up of the stocks of publicly traded equity REITs that meet certain criteria. For example, to be included initially in the Index, a REIT must meet a minimum market capitalization threshold and have enough shares and trading volume to be considered liquid. In line with the Index, the Fund invests in equity REITs only.
The Fund is subject to asset concentration risk, which is the chance that, because the Fund’s target index (and therefore the Fund) tends to be heavily weighted in its ten largest holdings, the Fund’s performance may be hurt disproportionately by the poor performance of relatively few stocks.
As of January 31, 2017, 155 equity REITs were included in the Index. The Index is rebalanced quarterly, except when a merger, acquisition, or similar corporate action dictates same-day rebalancing. On a quarterly basis, current stocks are tested for continued compliance with the guidelines of the Index. A REIT may be removed from the Index because of a decline in market capitalization, because it becomes illiquid, or because of other changes in its status.
14
Stocks in the MSCI US REIT Index represent a broadly diversified range of property types. The makeup of the Fund, as of January 31, 2017, was:
| Fund Allocation by | |
| REIT Type | Percentage of Fund |
| Retail | 22.4% |
| Residential | 15.5 |
| Specialized | 16.4 |
| Office | 13.7 |
| Health Care | 11.9 |
| Diversified | 7.8 |
| Hotel & Resort | 6.3 |
| Industrial | 6.0 |
Other Investment Policies and Risks
The Fund reserves the right to substitute a different index for the index it currently tracks if the current index is discontinued, if the Fund‘s agreement with the sponsor of its target index is terminated, or for any other reason determined in good faith by the Fund’s board of trustees. In any such instance, the substitute index would represent the same market segment as the current index.
The Fund is subject to REIT ownership limitation risk, which is the chance that the Fund may be unable to purchase (or otherwise obtain economic exposure to) the desired amounts of certain REITs included in its target index.
The Fund has significant ownership positions in many REITs included in its target index. For tax and other reasons, a REIT imposes limits on how much of its securities any one investor may own. If an ownership limit is reached, the Fund may seek to obtain an ownership waiver from the REIT to exceed the limit. If the Fund is unable to obtain a waiver, it may seek to obtain economic exposure to the REIT through alternative means, such as through a total return swap, which may be more costly than owning REIT shares directly. If the Fund is unable to obtain either an ownership waiver or economic exposure to the REIT through alternative means, the Fund may experience increased tracking error. In addition, to maintain its qualification as a regulated investment company, the Fund may be unable to own the desired amount of certain REITs, which may increase tracking error. Additional measures could be taken in the future in response to REIT ownership limits, including changing the Fund’s investment strategy, imposing purchase fees on or prohibiting the issuance of Creation Units, or any other appropriate action. If additional measures are pursued, market price and NAV may differ significantly and liquidity may be reduced.
15
The Fund may invest in foreign securities to the extent necessary to carry out its investment strategy of holding all, or substantially all, of the stocks that make up the index it tracks.
In addition to investing in common stocks of REITs, the Fund may make other kinds of investments to achieve its objective.
The Fund may invest in derivatives. In general, investments in derivatives may involve risks different from, and possibly greater than, those of investments directly in the underlying securities or assets.
Generally speaking, a derivative is a financial contract whose value is based on the value of a financial asset (such as a stock, a bond, or a currency), a physical asset (such as gold, oil, or wheat), a market index (such as the S&P 500 Index), or a reference rate (such as LIBOR). The Fund may invest in derivatives only if the expected risks and rewards of the derivatives are consistent with the investment objective, policies, strategies, and risks of the Fund as disclosed in this prospectus. In particular, derivatives will be used only when they may help the advisor to accomplish one or more of the following:
• Invest in eligible asset classes with greater efficiency and lower cost than is possible through direct investment.
• Obtain economic exposure to a stock, a basket of stocks, or an index when deemed desirable.
• Add value when these instruments are attractively priced.
The market for many derivatives is, or suddenly can become, illiquid, which may result in significant, rapid, and unpredictable changes in the prices for derivatives. The Fund‘s use of a derivative subjects it to the risk of nonperformance by the counterparty, potentially resulting in delayed or partial payment or even nonpayment of amounts due under the derivative contract. The Fund attempts to mitigate this risk by requiring the posting of collateral by its counterparty.
The Fund‘s derivative investments may include total return swaps or other derivatives.
| Plain Talk About Derivatives |
| Derivatives can take many forms. Some forms of derivatives—such as exchange- |
| traded futures and options on securities, commodities, or indexes—have been |
| trading on regulated exchanges for decades. These types of derivatives are |
| standardized contracts that can easily be bought and sold and whose market |
| values are determined and published daily. Non-exchange-traded derivatives (such |
| as certain swap agreements), on the other hand, tend to be more specialized or |
| complex and may be more difficult to accurately value. |
16
Cash Management
The Fund‘s daily cash balance may be invested in one or more Vanguard CMT Funds, which are very low-cost money market funds. When investing in a Vanguard CMT Fund, the Fund bears its proportionate share of the expenses of the CMT Fund in which it invests. Vanguard receives no additional revenue from Fund assets invested in a Vanguard CMT Fund.
Temporary Investment Measures
The Fund may temporarily depart from its normal investment policies and strategies when the advisor believes that doing so is in the Fund‘s best interest, so long as the alternative is consistent with the Fund‘s investment objective. For instance, the Fund may invest beyond its normal limits in derivatives or exchange-traded funds that are consistent with the Fund‘s objective when those instruments are more favorably priced or provide needed liquidity, as might be the case when the Fund receives large cash flows that it cannot prudently invest immediately.
Special Risks of Exchange-Traded Shares
ETF Shares are not individually redeemable. They can be redeemed with the issuing Fund at NAV only by authorized broker-dealers and only in large blocks known as Creation Units, which would cost millions of dollars to assemble. Consequently, if you want to liquidate some or all of your ETF Shares, you must sell them on the secondary market at prevailing market prices.
The market price of ETF Shares may differ from NAV. Although it is expected that the market price of an ETF Share typically will approximate its NAV, there may be times when the market price and the NAV differ significantly. Thus, you may pay more (premium) or less (discount) than NAV when you buy ETF Shares on the secondary market, and you may receive more or less than NAV when you sell those shares. These discounts and premiums are likely to be greatest during times of market disruption or extreme market volatility.
Vanguard’s website at vanguard.com shows the previous day’s closing NAV and closing market price for the Fund’s ETF Shares. The website also discloses, in the Premium/Discount Analysis section of the ETF Shares’ Price & Performance page, how frequently the Fund’s ETF Shares traded at a premium or discount to NAV (based on closing NAVs and market prices) and the magnitudes of such premiums and discounts.
17
An active trading market may not exist. Although Vanguard ETF Shares are listed on a national securities exchange, it is possible that an active trading market may not be maintained. Although this could happen at any time, it is more likely to occur during times of severe market disruption. If you attempt to sell your ETF Shares when an active trading market is not functioning, you may have to sell at a significant discount to NAV. In extreme cases, you may not be able to sell your shares at all.
Trading may be halted. Trading of Vanguard ETF Shares on an exchange may be halted by the activation of individual or marketwide trading halts (which halt trading for a specific period of time when the price of a particular security or overall market prices decline by a specified percentage). Trading of ETF Shares may also be halted if (1) the shares are delisted from the listing exchange without first being listed on another exchange or (2) exchange officials determine that such action is appropriate in the interest of a fair and orderly market or for the protection of investors.
Conversion Privilege
Owners of conventional shares issued by the Fund may convert those shares to ETF Shares of equivalent value of the same fund. Please note that investors who own conventional shares through a 401(k) plan or other employer-sponsored retirement or benefit plan generally may not convert those shares to ETF Shares and should check with their plan sponsor or recordkeeper. ETF Shares, whether acquired through a conversion or purchased on the secondary market, cannot be converted to conventional shares by a shareholder. Also, ETF Shares of one fund cannot be exchanged for ETF Shares of another fund.
You must hold ETF Shares in a brokerage account. Thus, before converting conventional shares to ETF Shares, you must have an existing, or open a new, brokerage account. This account may be with Vanguard Brokerage Services® (Vanguard Brokerage) or with any other brokerage firm. To initiate a conversion of conventional shares to ETF Shares, please contact your broker.
Vanguard Brokerage does not impose a fee on conversions from Vanguard conventional shares to Vanguard ETF Shares. However, other brokerage firms may charge a fee to process a conversion. Vanguard reserves the right, in the future, to impose a transaction fee on conversions or to limit or terminate the conversion privilege.
Converting conventional shares to ETF Shares is generally accomplished as follows. First, after your broker notifies Vanguard of your request to convert, Vanguard will transfer your conventional shares from your account to the broker’s omnibus account with Vanguard (an account maintained by the broker on behalf of all its customers who hold conventional Vanguard fund shares through the broker). After the transfer, Vanguard’s records will reflect your broker, not you, as the owner of the shares. Next,
18
your broker will instruct Vanguard to convert the appropriate number or dollar amount of conventional shares in its omnibus account to ETF Shares of equivalent value, based on the respective NAVs of the two share classes.
Your Fund’s transfer agent will reflect ownership of all ETF Shares in the name of the Depository Trust Company (DTC). The DTC will keep track of which ETF Shares belong to your broker, and your broker, in turn, will keep track of which ETF Shares belong to you.
Because the DTC is unable to handle fractional shares, only whole shares can be converted. For example, if you owned 300.250 conventional shares, and this was equivalent in value to 90.750 ETF Shares, the DTC account would receive 90 ETF Shares. Conventional shares with a value equal to 0.750 ETF Shares (in this example, that would be 2.481 conventional shares) would remain in the broker’s omnibus account with Vanguard. Your broker then could either (1) credit your account with 0.750 ETF Shares or (2) redeem the 2.481 conventional shares for cash at NAV and deliver that cash to your account. If your broker chose to redeem your conventional shares, you would realize a gain or loss on the redemption that must be reported on your tax return (unless you hold the shares in an IRA or other tax-deferred account). Please consult your broker for information on how it will handle the conversion process, including whether it will impose a fee to process a conversion.
If you convert your conventional shares to ETF Shares through Vanguard Brokerage, all conventional shares for which you request conversion will be converted to ETF Shares of equivalent value. Because no fractional shares will have to be sold, the transaction will not be taxable.
Here are some important points to keep in mind when converting conventional shares of a Vanguard fund to ETF Shares:
• The conversion process can take anywhere from several days to several weeks, depending on your broker. Vanguard generally will process conversion requests either on the day they are received or on the next business day. Vanguard imposes conversion blackout windows around the dates when a fund with ETF Shares declares dividends. This is necessary to prevent a shareholder from collecting a dividend from both the conventional share class currently held and also from the ETF share class to which the shares will be converted.
• Until the conversion process is complete, you will remain fully invested in a fund’s conventional shares, and your investment will increase or decrease in value in tandem with the NAV of those shares.
• The conversion transaction is nontaxable except, if applicable, to the very limited extent previously described.
19
A precautionary note to investment companies: Vanguard ETF Shares are issued by registered investment companies, and therefore the acquisition of such shares by other investment companies is subject to the restrictions of Section 12(d)(1) of the Investment Company Act of 1940. Vanguard has obtained an SEC exemptive order that allows registered investment companies to invest in the issuing funds beyond the limits of Section 12(d)(1), subject to certain terms and conditions, including the requirement to enter into a participation agreement with Vanguard.
Frequent Trading and Market-Timing
Unlike frequent trading of a Vanguard fund’s conventional (i.e., not exchange-traded) classes of shares, frequent trading of ETF Shares does not disrupt portfolio management, increase the fund’s trading costs, lead to realization of capital gains by the fund, or otherwise harm fund shareholders. The vast majority of trading in ETF Shares occurs on the secondary market. Because these trades do not involve the issuing fund, they do not harm the fund or its shareholders. A few institutional investors are authorized to purchase and redeem ETF Shares directly with the issuing fund. Because these trades typically are effected in kind (i.e., for securities and not for cash), they do not cause any of the harmful effects to the issuing fund (as previously noted) that may result from frequent cash trades. For these reasons, the board of trustees of each fund that issues ETF Shares has determined that it is not necessary to adopt policies and procedures to detect and deter frequent trading and market-timing of ETF Shares.
Portfolio Holdings
Please consult the Fund‘s Statement of Additional Information or our website for a description of the policies and procedures that govern disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings.
Turnover Rate
Although the Fund generally seeks to invest for the long term, it may sell securities regardless of how long they have been held. Generally, an index fund sells securities in response to redemption requests from shareholders of conventional (not exchange-traded) shares or to changes in the composition of its target index. The Financial Highlights section of this prospectus shows historical turnover rates for the Fund. A turnover rate of 100%, for example, would mean that the Fund had sold and replaced securities valued at 100% of its net assets within a one-year period.
20
| Plain Talk About Turnover Rate |
| Before investing in a mutual fund, you should review its turnover rate. This gives |
| an indication of how transaction costs, which are not included in the fund’s |
| expense ratio, could affect the fund’s future returns. In general, the greater the |
| volume of buying and selling by the fund, the greater the impact that brokerage |
| commissions and other transaction costs will have on its return. Also, funds with |
| high turnover rates may be more likely to generate capital gains, including short- |
| term capital gains, that must be distributed to shareholders and will be taxable to |
| shareholders investing through a taxable account. |
The Fund and Vanguard
The Fund is a member of The Vanguard Group, a family of more than 190 mutual funds holding assets of approximately $3.7 trillion. All of the funds that are members of The Vanguard Group (other than funds of funds) share in the expenses associated with administrative services and business operations, such as personnel, office space, and equipment.
Vanguard Marketing Corporation provides marketing services to the funds. Although shareholders do not pay sales commissions or 12b-1 distribution fees, each fund (other than a fund of funds) or each share class of a fund (in the case of a fund with multiple share classes) pays its allocated share of the Vanguard funds’ marketing costs.
| Plain Talk About Vanguard’s Unique Corporate Structure |
| The Vanguard Group is truly a mutual mutual fund company. It is owned jointly by |
| the funds it oversees and thus indirectly by the shareholders in those funds. |
| Most other mutual funds are operated by management companies that may be |
| owned by one person, by a private group of individuals, or by public investors |
| who own the management company’s stock. The management fees charged by |
| these companies include a profit component over and above the companies’ cost |
| of providing services. By contrast, Vanguard provides services to its member |
| funds on an at-cost basis, with no profit component, which helps to keep the |
| funds’ expenses low. |
21
Investment Advisor
The Vanguard Group, Inc. (Vanguard), P.O. Box 2600, Valley Forge, PA 19482, which began operations in 1975, serves as advisor to the Fund through its Equity Index Group. As of January 31, 2017, Vanguard served as advisor for approximately $3.2 trillion in assets. Vanguard provides investment advisory services to the Fund on an at-cost basis, subject to the supervision and oversight of the trustees and officers of the Fund.
For the fiscal year ended January 31, 2017, the advisory expenses represented an effective annual rate of 0.01% of the Fund’s average net assets.
For a discussion of why the board of trustees approved the Fund’s investment advisory arrangement, see the most recent semiannual report to shareholders covering the fiscal period ended July 31.
The managers primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund are:
Walter Nejman, Portfolio Manager at Vanguard. He has been with Vanguard since 2005, has worked in investment management since 2008, and has co-managed the Fund since 2016. Education: B.A., Arcadia University; M.B.A., Villanova University.
Gerard C. O’Reilly, Principal of Vanguard. He has been with Vanguard since 1992, has managed investment portfolios since 1994, and has managed the Fund since its inception in 1996 (co-managed since 2016). Education: B.S., Villanova University.
The Statement of Additional Information provides information about each portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts under management, and ownership of shares of the Fund.
Dividends, Capital Gains, and Taxes
Fund Distributions
Each March, June, September, and December, the Fund pays out to shareholders virtually all of the distributions it receives from its REIT investments, less expenses. Distributions may include income, return of capital, and capital gains. The Fund may also realize capital gains on the sale of its REIT investments. Distributions of these gains, if any, are included in the December distribution. In addition, the Fund may occasionally make a supplemental distribution at some other time during the year.
22
| Plain Talk About Distributions |
| As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a fund’s income from interest |
| and dividends as well as capital gains from the fund’s sale of investments. |
| Income consists of both the dividends that the fund earns from any stock |
| holdings and the interest it receives from any money market and bond |
| investments. Capital gains are realized whenever the fund sells securities for |
| higher prices than it paid for them. |
| Plain Talk About Return of Capital |
| The Internal Revenue Code requires a REIT to distribute at least 90% of its |
| taxable income to investors. In many cases, however, because of “noncash” |
| expenses such as property depreciation, an equity REIT’s cash flow will exceed |
| its taxable income. The REIT may distribute this excess cash to investors. Such a |
| distribution is classified as a return of capital. |
Reinvestment of Distributions
In order to reinvest dividend and capital gains distributions, investors in the Fund’s ETF Shares must hold their shares at a broker that offers a reinvestment service. This can be the broker’s own service or a service made available by a third party, such as the broker’s outside clearing firm or the Depository Trust Company (DTC). If a reinvestment service is available, distributions of income and capital gains can automatically be reinvested in additional whole and fractional ETF Shares of the Fund. If a reinvestment service is not available, investors will receive their distributions in cash. To determine whether a reinvestment service is available and whether there is a commission or other charge for using this service, consult your broker.
As with all exchange-traded funds, reinvestment of dividend and capital gains distributions in additional ETF Shares will occur four business days or more after the ex-dividend date (the date when a distribution of dividends or capital gains is deducted from the price of the Fund’s shares). The exact number of days depends on your broker. During that time, the amount of your distribution will not be invested in the Fund and therefore will not share in the Fund’s income, gains, and losses.
23
Basic Tax Points
Investors in taxable accounts should be aware of the following basic federal income tax points:
• Distributions (other than any return of capital) are taxable to you whether or not you reinvest these amounts in additional ETF Shares.
• Distributions declared in December—if paid to you by the end of January—are taxable as if received in December.
• Any dividend distribution or short-term capital gains distribution that you receive is taxable to you as ordinary income. If you are an individual and meet certain holding-period requirements with respect to your ETF Shares, you may be eligible for reduced tax rates on “qualified dividend income,” if any, distributed by the Fund.
• Any distribution of net long-term capital gains is taxable to you as long-term capital gains, no matter how long you have owned ETF Shares.
• Capital gains distributions may vary considerably from year to year as a result of the Fund‘s normal investment activities and cash flows.
• A sale of ETF Shares is a taxable event. This means that you may have a capital gain to report as income, or a capital loss to report as a deduction, when you complete your tax return.
• Dividend distributions attributable to the Fund’s REIT investments are not eligible for the corporate dividends-received deduction.
• Your cost basis in the Fund will be decreased by the amount of any return of capital that you receive. This, in turn, will affect the amount of any capital gain or loss that you realize when selling your ETF Shares.
• Return-of-capital distributions generally are not taxable to you until your cost basis has been reduced to zero. If your cost basis is at zero, return-of-capital distributions will be treated as capital gains.
Individuals, trusts, and estates whose income exceeds certain threshold amounts are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on “net investment income.” Net investment income takes into account distributions paid by the Fund and capital gains from any sale of ETF Shares.
Dividend distributions and capital gains distributions that you receive, as well as your gains or losses from any sale of ETF Shares, may be subject to state and local income taxes.
This prospectus provides general tax information only. If you are investing through a tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA or an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, special tax rules apply. Please consult your tax advisor for detailed information about any tax consequences for you.
24
Share Price and Market Price
Share price, also known as net asset value (NAV), is calculated each business day as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), generally 4 p.m., Eastern time. Each share class has its own NAV, which is computed by dividing the total assets, minus liabilities, allocated to the share class by the number of Fund shares outstanding for that class. On U.S. holidays or other days when the NYSE is closed, the NAV is not calculated, and the Fund does not sell or redeem shares. However, on those days the value of the Fund’s assets may be affected to the extent that the Fund holds securities that change in value on those days (such as foreign securities that trade on foreign markets that are open).
Remember: If you buy or sell ETF Shares on the secondary market, you will pay or receive the market price, which may be higher or lower than NAV. Your transaction will be priced at NAV only if you purchase or redeem your ETF Shares in Creation Unit blocks (an option available only to certain authorized broker-dealers) or if you convert your conventional fund shares to ETF Shares.
Stocks held by a Vanguard fund are valued at their market value when reliable market quotations are readily available from the principal exchange or market on which they are traded. Such securities are generally valued at their official closing price, the last reported sales price, or if there were no sales that day, the mean between the closing bid and asking prices. When a fund determines that market quotations either are not readily available or do not accurately reflect the value of a security, the security is priced at its fair value (the amount that the owner might reasonably expect to receive upon the current sale of the security).
The values of any foreign securities held by a fund are converted into U.S. dollars using an exchange rate obtained from an independent third party as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE. The values of any mutual fund shares, including institutional money market fund shares, held by a fund are based on the NAVs of the shares. The values of any ETF or closed-end fund shares held by a fund are based on the market value of the shares.
A fund also will use fair-value pricing if the value of a security it holds has been materially affected by events occurring before the fund’s pricing time but after the close of the principal exchange or market on which the security is traded. This most commonly occurs with foreign securities, which may trade on foreign exchanges that close many hours before the fund’s pricing time. Intervening events might be company-specific (e.g., earnings report, merger announcement) or country-specific or regional/global (e.g., natural disaster, economic or political news, act of terrorism, interest rate change). Intervening events include price movements in U.S. markets that exceed a specified threshold or that are otherwise deemed to affect the value of foreign securities. Fair-value pricing may be used for domestic securities—for
25
example, if (1) trading in a security is halted and does not resume before the fund’s pricing time or a security does not trade in the course of a day and (2) the fund holds enough of the security that its price could affect the NAV.
Fair-value prices are determined by Vanguard according to procedures adopted by the board of trustees. When fair-value pricing is employed, the prices of securities used by a fund to calculate the NAV may differ from quoted or published prices for the same securities.
Vanguard’s website will show the previous day’s closing NAV and closing market price for the Fund’s ETF Shares.
| Additional Information | |||
| Vanguard | |||
| Inception | Fund | CUSIP | |
| Date | Number | Number | |
| REIT Index Fund | |||
| ETF Shares | 9/23/2004 | 986 | 922908553 |
| (Investor Shares | |||
| 5/13/1996) | |||
26
Financial Highlights
The following financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the ETF Shares‘ financial performance for the periods shown, and certain information reflects financial results for a single ETF Share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost each period on an investment in the ETF Shares (assuming reinvestment of all distributions). This information has been obtained from the financial statements audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report—along with the Fund’s financial statements—is included in the Fund’s most recent annual report to shareholders. You may obtain a free copy of the latest annual or semiannual report by visiting vanguard.com or by contacting Vanguard by telephone or mail.
| Plain Talk About How to Read the Financial Highlights Table |
| The ETF Shares began fiscal year 2017 with a net asset value (share price) of |
| $77.05 per share. During the year, each ETF Share earned $2.334 from investment |
| income (interest and dividends) and $7.022 from investments that had |
| appreciated in value or that were sold for higher prices than the Fund paid for |
| them. |
| Shareholders received $2.916 per share in the form of dividend and capital gains |
| distributions. Return of capital was $1.06 per share. A portion of each year’s |
| distributions may come from the prior year’s income or capital gains. |
| The share price at the end of the year was $82.43, reflecting earnings of $9.356 |
| per share and distributions of $3.976 per share. This was an increase of $5.38 per |
| share (from $77.05 at the beginning of the year to $82.43 at the end of the year). |
| For a shareholder who reinvested the distributions in the purchase of more |
| shares, the total return was 12.25% for the year. |
| As of January 31, 2017, the ETF Shares had approximately $33.5 billion in net |
| assets. For the year, the expense ratio was 0.12% ($1.20 per $1,000 of net |
| assets), and the net investment income amounted to 2.74% of average net |
| assets. The Fund sold and replaced securities valued at 7% of its net assets. |
27
| REIT Index Fund ETF Shares | |||||
| Year Ended January 31, | |||||
| For a Share Outstanding | |||||
| Throughout Each Period | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period | $77.05 | $86.49 | $67.36 | $68.24 | $61.72 |
| Investment Operations | |||||
| Net Investment Income | 2.334 | 2.217 | 2.011 | 1.814 | 1.613 |
| Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) | |||||
| on Investments | 7.022 | (8.533) | 20.038 | .097 | 7.250 |
| Total from Investment Operations | 9.356 | (6.316) | 22.049 | 1.911 | 8.863 |
| Distributions | |||||
| Dividends from Net Investment Income | (2.353) | (2.170) | (1.947) | (1.955) | (1.612) |
| Distributions from Realized Capital Gains | (.563) | — | — | — | — |
| Return of Capital | (1.060) | (.954) | (.972) | (.836) | (.731) |
| Total Distributions | (3.976) | (3.124) | (2.919) | (2.791) | (2.343) |
| Net Asset Value, End of Period | $82.43 | $77.05 | $86.49 | $67.36 | $68.24 |
| Total Return | 12.25% | –7.31% | 33.41% | 2.93% | 14.64% |
| Ratios/Supplemental Data | |||||
| Net Assets, End of Period (Millions) | $33,527 | $27,007 | $29,487 | $18,528 | $16,983 |
| Ratio of Total Expenses to Average | |||||
| Net Assets | 0.12% | 0.12% | 0.12% | 0.10% | 0.10% |
| Ratio of Net Investment Income to | |||||
| Average Net Assets | 2.74% | 2.80% | 2.70% | 2.65% | 2.53% |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate1 | 7% | 11% | 8% | 11% | 9% |
1 Excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind purchases or redemptions of the Fund’s capital shares, including ETF Creation Units.
28
THIS FUND IS NOT SPONSORED, ENDORSED, SOLD OR PROMOTED BY MSCI INC. (“MSCI”), ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES, ANY OF ITS DIRECT OR INDIRECT INFORMATION PROVIDERS OR ANY OTHER THIRD PARTY INVOLVED IN, OR RELATED TO, COMPILING, COMPUTING OR CREATING ANY MSCI INDEX (COLLECTIVELY, THE “MSCI PARTIES”). THE MSCI INDEXES ARE THE EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OF MSCI. MSCI AND THE MSCI INDEX NAMES ARE SERVICE MARK(S) OF MSCI OR ITS AFFILIATES AND HAVE BEEN LICENSED FOR USE FOR CERTAIN PURPOSES BY VANGUARD. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES MAKES ANY REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, TO THE OWNERS OF THIS FUND OR ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC REGARDING THE ADVISABILITY OF INVESTING IN FUNDS GENERALLY OR IN THIS FUND PARTICULARLY OR THE ABILITY OF ANY MSCI INDEX TO TRACK CORRESPONDING STOCK MARKET PERFORMANCE. MSCI OR ITS AFFILIATES ARE THE LICENSORS OF CERTAIN TRADEMARKS, SERVICE MARKS AND TRADE NAMES AND OF THE MSCI INDEXES WHICH ARE DETERMINED, COMPOSED AND CALCULATED BY MSCI WITHOUT REGARD TO THIS FUND OR THE ISSUER OR OWNER OF THIS FUND. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES HAS ANY OBLIGATION TO TAKE THE NEEDS OF THE ISSUERS OR OWNERS OF THIS FUND INTO CONSIDERATION IN DETERMINING, COMPOSING OR CALCULATING THE MSCI INDEXES. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OR HAS PARTICIPATED IN THE DETERMINATION OF THE TIMING OF, PRICES AT, OR QUANTITIES OF THIS FUND TO BE ISSUED OR IN THE DETERMINATION OR CALCULATION OF THE CONSIDERATION INTO WHICH THIS FUND IS REDEEMABLE. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES HAS ANY OBLIGATION OR LIABILITY TO THE OWNERS OF THIS FUND IN CONNECTION WITH THE ADMINISTRATION, MARKETING OR OFFERING OF THIS FUND.
ALTHOUGH MSCI SHALL OBTAIN INFORMATION FOR INCLUSION IN OR FOR USE IN THE CALCULATION OF THE MSCI INDEXES FROM SOURCES WHICH MSCI CONSIDERS RELIABLE, NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES WARRANTS OR GUARANTEES THE ORIGINALITY, ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF ANY MSCI INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES MAKES ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY LICENSEE, LICENSEE’S CUSTOMERS OR COUNTERPARTIES, ISSUERS OF THE FUNDS, OWNERS OF THE FUNDS, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY, FROM THE USE OF ANY MSCI INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN IN CONNECTION WITH THE RIGHTS LICENSED HEREUNDER OR FOR ANY OTHER USE. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES SHALL HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS OR INTERRUPTIONS OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH ANY MSCI INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. FURTHER, NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES MAKES ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, AND THE MSCI PARTIES HEREBY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WITH RESPECT TO ANY MSCI INDEX AND ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL ANY OF THE MSCI PARTIES HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, CONSEQUENTIAL OR ANY OTHER DAMAGES (INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION LOST PROFITS) EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
29
Glossary of Investment Terms
Active Management. An investment approach that seeks to exceed the average returns of a particular financial market or market segment. In selecting securities to buy and sell, active managers may rely on, among other things, research, market forecasts, quantitative models, and their own judgment and experience.
Authorized Participant. Institutional investors that are permitted to purchase Creation Units directly from, and redeem Creation Units directly with, the issuing fund. To be an Authorized Participant, an entity must be a participant in the Depository Trust Company and must enter into an agreement with the fund’s Distributor.
Bid-Ask Spread. The difference between the price a dealer is willing to pay for a security (the bid price) and the somewhat higher price at which the dealer is willing to sell the same security (the ask price).
Capital Gains Distribution. Payment to mutual fund shareholders of gains realized on securities that a fund has sold at a profit, minus any realized losses.
Common Stock. A security representing ownership rights in a corporation.
Cost Basis. The adjusted cost of an investment, used to determine a capital gain or loss for tax purposes.
Creation Unit. A large block of a specified number of ETF Shares. Certain broker-dealers known as “Authorized Participants” may purchase and redeem ETF Shares from the issuing fund in Creation Unit size blocks.
Distributions. Payments to mutual fund shareholders of dividend income, capital gains, and return of capital generated by the fund’s investment activities and distribution policies, after expenses.
Dividend Distribution. Payment to mutual fund shareholders of income from interest or dividends generated by a fund’s investments.
Ex-Dividend Date. The date when a distribution of dividends and/or capital gains is deducted from the share price of a mutual fund or stock. On the ex-dividend date, the share price drops by the amount of the distribution per share (plus or minus any market activity).
Expense Ratio. A fund’s total annual operating expenses expressed as a percentage of the fund’s average net assets. The expense ratio includes management and administrative expenses, but it does not include the transaction costs of buying and selling portfolio securities.
Inception Date. The date on which the assets of a fund (or one of its share classes) are first invested in accordance with the fund’s investment objective. For funds with a subscription period, the inception date is the day after that period ends. Investment performance is generally measured from the inception date.
30
Indexing. A low-cost investment strategy in which a mutual fund attempts to track—rather than outperform—a specified market benchmark, or “index.”
Liquidity. The degree of a security’s marketability (i.e., how quickly the security can be sold at a fair price and converted to cash).
Median Market Capitalization. An indicator of the size of companies in which a fund invests; the midpoint of market capitalization (market price x shares outstanding) of a fund’s stocks, weighted by the proportion of the fund’s assets invested in each stock. Stocks representing half of the fund’s assets have market capitalizations above the median, and the rest are below it.
Mutual Fund. An investment company that pools the money of many people and invests it in a variety of securities in an effort to achieve a specific objective over time.
New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). A stock exchange based in New York City that is open for regular trading on business days, Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Eastern time. Net asset values (NAVs) are calculated each business day as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE. In the rare event the NYSE experiences unanticipated trade disruptions and is unavailable at the close of the trading day, NAVs will be calculated as of the close of regular trading on the Nasdaq (or another alternate exchange if the Nasdaq is unavailable), generally 4 p.m., Eastern time.
REIT Spliced Index. An index that reflects performance of the MSCI US REIT Index adjusted to include a 2% cash position (Lipper Money Market Average) through April 30, 2009, and the MSCI US REIT Index thereafter.
Return of Capital. A return of all or part of your original investment in a fund. In general, return of capital reduces your cost basis in a fund’s shares and is not taxable to you until your cost basis has been reduced to zero.
Securities. Stocks, bonds, money market instruments, and other investments.
Total Return. A percentage change, over a specified time period, in a mutual fund’s net asset value, assuming the reinvestment of all distributions of dividends and capital gains.
Tracking Error. A measure of the difference between the performance of a fund or portfolio and that of its benchmark index.
Volatility. The fluctuations in value of a mutual fund or other security. The greater a fund’s volatility, the wider the fluctuations in its returns.
Yield. Income (interest or dividends) earned by an investment, expressed as a percentage of the investment’s price.
31
This page intentionally left blank.
This page intentionally left blank.
Institutional Division P.O. Box 2900 Valley Forge, PA 19482-2900
Connect with Vanguard® > vanguard.com
For More Information
If you would like more information about Vanguard REIT ETF, the following documents are available free upon request:
Annual/Semiannual Reports to Shareholders
Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semiannual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.
Statement of Additional Information (SAI)
The SAI provides more detailed information about the Fund’s ETF Shares and is incorporated by reference into (and thus legally a part of) this prospectus.
To receive a free copy of the latest annual or semiannual report or the SAI, or to request additional information about Vanguard ETF Shares, please visit vanguard.com or contact us as follows:
Information Provided by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
You can review and copy information about the Fund (including the SAI) at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. To find out more about this public service, call the SEC at 202-551-8090. Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR database on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, or you can receive copies of this information, for a fee, by electronic request at the following email address: [email protected], or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 20549-1520.
Fund’s Investment Company Act file number: 811-03916
The Vanguard Group
Institutional Investor Information
P.O. Box 2900
Valley Forge, PA 19482-2900
Telephone: 866-499-8473
© 2017 The Vanguard Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
U.S. Patent Nos. 6,879,964; 7,337,138; 7,720,749; 7,925,573; 8,090,646; and 8,417,623.
Vanguard Marketing Corporation, Distributor.
P 986 052017
| Vanguard Dividend Growth Fund |
| Prospectus |
| May 25, 2017 |
| Investor Shares |
| Vanguard Dividend Growth Fund Investor Shares (VDIGX) |
| This prospectus contains financial data for the Fund through the fiscal year ended January 31, 2017. |
| The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or |
| passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. |
| Contents | |||
| Fund Summary | 1 | Investing With Vanguard | 19 |
| More on the Fund | 5 | Purchasing Shares | 19 |
| The Fund and Vanguard | 10 | Redeeming Shares | 22 |
| Investment Advisor | 11 | Exchanging Shares | 25 |
| Dividends, Capital Gains, and Taxes | 12 | Frequent-Trading Limitations | 26 |
| Share Price | 15 | Other Rules You Should Know | 28 |
| Financial Highlights | 17 | Fund and Account Updates | 32 |
| Employer-Sponsored Plans | 33 | ||
| Contacting Vanguard | 34 | ||
| Additional Information | 35 | ||
| Glossary of Investment Terms | 36 | ||
Fund Summary
Investment Objective
The Fund seeks to provide, primarily, a growing stream of income over time and, secondarily, long-term capital appreciation and current income.
Fees and Expenses
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.
| Shareholder Fees | |
| (Fees paid directly from your investment) | |
| Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases | None |
| Purchase Fee | None |
| Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends | None |
| Redemption Fee | None |
| Account Service Fee (for certain fund account balances below $10,000) | $20/year |
| Annual Fund Operating Expenses | |
| (Expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| Management Fees | 0.28% |
| 12b-1 Distribution Fee | None |
| Other Expenses | 0.02% |
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.30% |
| Example | |
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. It illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over various periods if you were to invest $10,000 in the Fund’s shares. This example assumes that the Fund provides a return of 5% each year and that total annual fund operating expenses remain as stated in the preceding table. You would incur these hypothetical expenses whether or not you redeem your investment at the end of the given period. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
| 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years |
| $31 | $97 | $169 | $381 |
1
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in more taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the previous expense example, reduce the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 27% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund invests primarily in stocks that tend to offer current dividends. The Fund focuses on high-quality companies that have prospects for long-term total returns as a result of their ability to grow earnings and their willingness to increase dividends over time. These stocks typically—but not always—will be large-cap, will be undervalued relative to the market, and will show potential for increasing dividends. The Fund seeks to be diversified across industry sectors.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund could lose money over short or even long periods. You should expect the Fund’s share price and total return to fluctuate within a wide range. The Fund is subject to the following risks, which could affect the Fund’s performance:
• Stock market risk, which is the chance that stock prices overall will decline. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices.
• Manager risk, which is the chance that poor security selection will cause the Fund to underperformrelevantbenchmarksorotherfundswithasimilarinvestmentobjective.
• Investment style risk, which is the chance that returns from dividend-paying large-capitalization stocks will trail returns from the overall stock market. Large-cap stocks tend to go through cycles of doing better—or worse—than other segments of the stock market or the stock market in general. These periods have, in the past, lasted for as long as several years.
• Asset concentration risk, which is the chance that, because the Fund tends to invest a high percentage of assets in its ten largest holdings, the Fund’s performance may be hurt disproportionately by the poor performance of relatively few stocks.
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
2
Annual Total Returns
The following bar chart and table are intended to help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the performance of the Fund has varied from one calendar year to another over the periods shown. The table shows how the average annual total returns of the Fund compare with those of a relevant market index and other comparative indexes, which have investment characteristics similar to those of the Fund. Keep in mind that the Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) does not indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available on our website at vanguard.com/performance or by calling Vanguard toll-free at 800-662-7447.
Annual Total Returns — Vanguard Dividend Growth Fund Investor Shares1
1 The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on March 31, 2017, was 5.87%.
During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a calendar quarter was 11.91% (quarter ended December 31, 2011), and the lowest return for a quarter was –17.10% (quarter ended December 31, 2008).
| Average Annual Total Returns for Periods Ended December 31, 2016 | |||
| 1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | |
| Vanguard Dividend Growth Fund Investor Shares | |||
| Return Before Taxes | 7.53% | 12.37% | 7.79% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions | 6.81 | 11.52 | 7.21 |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | 4.85 | 9.82 | 6.29 |
| Comparative Indexes | |||
| (reflect no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) | |||
| Russell 1000 Index | 12.05% | 14.69% | 7.08% |
| Dividend Growth Spliced Index | 11.93 | 11.76 | 5.94 |
| NASDAQ US Dividend Achievers Select Index | 11.93 | 11.76 | 7.08 |
3
Actual after-tax returns depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown in the preceding table. When after-tax returns are calculated, it is assumed that the shareholder was in the highest individual federal marginal income tax bracket at the time of each distribution of income or capital gains or upon redemption. State and local income taxes are not reflected in the calculations. Please note that after-tax returns are not relevant for a shareholder who holds fund shares in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan. Also, figures captioned Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may be higher than other figures for the same period if a capital loss occurs upon redemption and results in an assumed tax deduction for the shareholder.
Investment Advisor
Wellington Management Company LLP (Wellington Management)
Portfolio Manager
Donald J. Kilbride, Senior Managing Director and Equity Portfolio Manager of Wellington Management. He has managed the Fund since 2006.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may purchase or redeem shares online through our website (vanguard.com), by mail (The Vanguard Group, P.O. Box 1110, Valley Forge, PA 19482-1110), or by telephone (800-662-2739). The minimum investment amount required to open and maintain a Fund account for Investor Shares is $3,000. The minimum investment amount required to add to an existing Fund account is generally $1. Institutional, financial intermediary, and Vanguard retail managed clients should contact Vanguard for information on special eligibility rules that may apply to them regarding Investor Shares. If you are investing through an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, your plan administrator or your benefits office can provide you with detailed information on how to participate in your plan.
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions may be taxable as ordinary income or capital gain. If you are investing through a tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA or an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, special tax rules apply.
Payments to Financial Intermediaries
The Fund and its investment advisor do not pay financial intermediaries for sales of Fund shares.
4
More on the Fund
This prospectus describes the principal risks you would face as a Fund shareholder. It is important to keep in mind one of the main axioms of investing: generally, the higher the risk of losing money, the higher the potential reward. The reverse, also, is generally true: the lower the risk, the lower the potential reward. As you consider an investment in any mutual fund, you should take into account your personal tolerance
for fluctuations in the securities markets. Look for this
symbol throughout the
prospectus. It is used to mark detailed information about the more significant risks that you would confront as a Fund shareholder. To highlight terms and concepts important to mutual fund investors, we have provided Plain Talk® explanations along the way. Reading the prospectus will help you decide whether the Fund is the right investment for you. We suggest that you keep this prospectus for future reference.
| Plain Talk About Fund Expenses |
| All mutual funds have operating expenses. These expenses, which are deducted |
| from a fund’s gross income, are expressed as a percentage of the net assets of |
| the fund. Assuming that operating expenses remain as stated in the Fees and |
| Expenses section, Vanguard Dividend Growth Fund’s expense ratio would be |
| 0.30%, or $3.00 per $1,000 of average net assets. The average expense ratio for |
| large-capitalization core funds in 2016 was 1.07%, or $10.70 per $1,000 of |
| average net assets (derived from data provided by Lipper, a Thomson Reuters |
| Company, which reports on the mutual fund industry). |
| Plain Talk About Costs of Investing |
| Costs are an important consideration in choosing a mutual fund. That is because |
| you, as a shareholder, pay a proportionate share of the costs of operating a fund, |
| plus any transaction costs incurred when the fund buys or sells securities. These |
| costs can erode a substantial portion of the gross income or the capital |
| appreciation a fund achieves. Even seemingly small differences in expenses can, |
| over time, have a dramatic effect on a fund‘s performance. |
The following sections explain the principal investment strategies and policies that the Fund uses in pursuit of its objective. The Fund‘s board of trustees, which oversees the Fund’s management, may change investment strategies or policies in the interest of shareholders without a shareholder vote, unless those strategies or policies are designated as fundamental. Note that the Fund’s investment objective is not fundamental and may be changed without a shareholder vote.
5
Market Exposure
The Fund will invest predominantly in dividend-paying large-cap stocks that offer the potential for attractive dividend and earnings growth over the long term.
Stocks of publicly traded companies and funds that invest in stocks are often classified according to market value, or market capitalization. These classifications typically include small-cap, mid-cap, and large-cap. It is important to understand that market capitalization ranges change over time. Also, interpretations of size vary, and there are no “official” definitions of small-, mid-, and large-cap, even among Vanguard fund advisors. The asset-weighted median market capitalization of the Fund’s stock holdings as of January 31, 2017, was $84.6 billion.
The Fund is subject to stock market risk, which is the chance that stock prices overall will decline. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices.
To illustrate the volatility of stock prices, the following table shows the best, worst, and average annual total returns for the U.S. stock market over various periods as measured by the S&P 500 Index, a widely used barometer of U.S. stock market activity. Total returns consist of dividend income plus change in market price. Note that the returns shown do not include the costs of buying and selling stocks or other expenses that a real-world investment portfolio would incur.
| U.S. Stock Market Returns | ||||
| (1926–2016) | ||||
| 1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | 20 Years | |
| Best | 54.2% | 28.6% | 19.9% | 17.8% |
| Worst | –43.1 | –12.4 | –1.4 | 3.1 |
| Average | 11.9 | 10.1 | 10.3 | 11.0 |
The table covers all of the rolling 1-, 5-, 10-, and 20-year periods from 1926 through 2016. You can see, for example, that although the average annual return on common stocks for all of the 5-year periods was 10.1%, average annual returns for individual 5-year periods ranged from –12.4% (from 1928 through 1932) to 28.6% (from 1995 through 1999). These average annual returns reflect past performance of common stocks; you should not regard them as an indication of future performance of either the stock market as a whole or the Fund in particular.
6
The Fund is subject to investment style risk, which is the chance that returns from dividend-paying large-capitalization stocks will trail returns from the overall stock market. Large-cap stocks tend to go through cycles of doing better—or worse—than other segments of the stock market or the stock market in general. These periods have, in the past, lasted for as long as several years.
Security Selection
Wellington Management Company LLP (Wellington Management), advisor to the Fund, selects securities from a diverse group of industries, focusing on companies that have a history of paying a stable or increasing dividend. Stocks of companies that have reduced dividends in the past or are not currently paying dividends may be considered for inclusion in the Fund if the advisor believes that dividend growth is likely to be restored. Securities are selected based on a variety of factors, such as a company’s consistent effort to increase dividends over time while maintaining a target of profitability. The advisor is not constrained by a traditional value or growth mandate but is permitted sufficient style latitude to search a broad investment universe for quality stocks with attractive total return potential.
The Fund is subject to manager risk, which is the chance that poor security selection will cause the Fund to underperform relevant benchmarks or other funds with a similar investment objective.
The Fund is subject to asset concentration risk, which is the chance that, because the Fund tends to invest a high percentage of assets in its ten largest holdings, the Fund‘s performance may be hurt disproportionately by the poor performance of relatively few stocks.
Other Investment Policies and Risks
In addition to investing in dividend-paying large-capitalization stocks, the Fund may make other kinds of investments to achieve its objective.
The Fund typically invests a limited portion, up to 25%, of its assets in foreign securities, which may include depositary receipts. Foreign securities may be traded on U.S. or foreign markets. To the extent that it owns foreign securities, the Fund is subject to country risk and currency risk. Country risk is the chance that world events—such as political upheaval, financial troubles, or natural disasters—will adversely affect the value of securities issued by companies in foreign countries. In addition, the prices of foreign stocks and the prices of U.S. stocks have, at times, moved in opposite directions. Currency risk is the chance that the value of a foreign investment, measured in U.S. dollars, will decrease because of unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates.
7
The Fund may invest, to a limited extent, in derivatives. Generally speaking, a derivative is a financial contract whose value is based on the value of a financial asset (such as a stock, a bond, or a currency), a physical asset (such as gold, oil, or wheat), a market index (such as the S&P 500 Index), or a reference rate (such as LIBOR). Investments in derivatives may subject the Fund to risks different from, and possibly greater than, those of investments directly in the underlying securities or assets. The Fund will not use derivatives for speculation or for the purpose of leveraging (magnifying) investment returns.
The Fund may enter into foreign currency exchange forward contracts, which are a type of derivative. A foreign currency exchange forward contract is an agreement to buy or sell a currency at a specific price on a specific date, usually 30, 60, or 90 days in the future. In other words, the contract guarantees an exchange rate on a given date. Managers of portfolios that invest in foreign securities can use these contracts to guard against unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates. These contracts, however, would not prevent the Fund‘s securities from falling in value as a result of risks other than unfavorable currency exchange movements.
Cash Management
The Fund‘s daily cash balance may be invested in one or more Vanguard CMT Funds, which are very low-cost money market funds. When investing in a Vanguard CMT Fund, the Fund bears its proportionate share of the expenses of the CMT Fund in which it invests. Vanguard receives no additional revenue from Fund assets invested in a Vanguard CMT Fund.
Temporary Investment Measures
The Fund may temporarily depart from its normal investment policies and strategies when the advisor believes that doing so is in the Fund‘s best interest, so long as the alternative is consistent with the Fund‘s investment objective. For instance, the Fund may invest beyond its normal limits in derivatives or exchange-traded funds that are consistent with the Fund‘s objective when those instruments are more favorably priced or provide needed liquidity, as might be the case if the Fund is transitioning assets from one advisor to another or receives large cash flows that it cannot prudently invest immediately.
In addition, the Fund may take temporary defensive positions that are inconsistent with its normal investment policies and strategies—for instance, by allocating substantial assets to cash equivalent investments or other less volatile instruments—in response to adverse or unusual market, economic, political, or other conditions. In doing so, the Fund may succeed in avoiding losses but may otherwise fail to achieve its investment objective.
8
Frequent Trading or Market-Timing
Background. Some investors try to profit from strategies involving frequent trading of mutual fund shares, such as market-timing. For funds holding foreign securities, investors may try to take advantage of an anticipated difference between the price of the fund’s shares and price movements in overseas markets, a practice also known as time-zone arbitrage. Investors also may try to engage in frequent trading of funds holding investments such as small-cap stocks and high-yield bonds. As money is shifted into and out of a fund by a shareholder engaging in frequent trading, the fund incurs costs for buying and selling securities, resulting in increased brokerage and administrative costs. These costs are borne by all fund shareholders, including the long-term investors who do not generate the costs. In addition, frequent trading may interfere with an advisor’s ability to efficiently manage the fund.
Policies to address frequent trading. The Vanguard funds (other than money market funds and short-term bond funds, but including Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund) do not knowingly accommodate frequent trading. The board of trustees of each Vanguard fund (other than money market funds and short-term bond funds, but including Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund) has adopted policies and procedures reasonably designed to detect and discourage frequent trading and, in some cases, to compensate the fund for the costs associated with it. These policies and procedures do not apply to Vanguard ETF® Shares because frequent trading in ETF Shares generally does not disrupt portfolio management or otherwise harm fund shareholders. Although there is no assurance that Vanguard will be able to detect or prevent frequent trading or market-timing in all circumstances, the following policies have been adopted to address these issues:
• Each Vanguard fund reserves the right to reject any purchase request—including exchanges from other Vanguard funds—without notice and regardless of size. For example, a purchase request could be rejected because the investor has a history of frequent trading or if Vanguard determines that such purchase may negatively affect a fund’s operation or performance.
• Each Vanguard fund (other than money market funds and short-term bond funds, but including Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund) generally prohibits, except as otherwise noted in the Investing With Vanguard section, an investor’s purchases or exchanges into a fund account for 30 calendar days after the investor has redeemed or exchanged out of that fund account.
• Certain Vanguard funds charge shareholders purchase and/or redemption fees on transactions.
See the Investing With Vanguard section of this prospectus for further details on Vanguard’s transaction policies.
9
Each Vanguard fund (other than retail and government money market funds), in determining its net asset value, will use fair-value pricing when appropriate, as described in the Share Price section. Fair-value pricing may reduce or eliminate the profitability of certain frequent-trading strategies.
Do not invest with Vanguard if you are a market-timer.
Turnover Rate
Although the Fund generally seeks to invest for the long term, it may sell securities regardless of how long they have been held. The Financial Highlights section of this prospectus shows historical turnover rates for the Fund. A turnover rate of 100%, for example, would mean that the Fund had sold and replaced securities valued at 100% of its net assets within a one-year period.
| Plain Talk About Turnover Rate |
| Before investing in a mutual fund, you should review its turnover rate. This gives |
| an indication of how transaction costs, which are not included in the fund’s |
| expense ratio, could affect the fund’s future returns. In general, the greater the |
| volume of buying and selling by the fund, the greater the impact that brokerage |
| commissions and other transaction costs will have on its return. Also, funds with |
| high turnover rates may be more likely to generate capital gains, including short- |
| term capital gains, that must be distributed to shareholders and will be taxable to |
| shareholders investing through a taxable account. |
The Fund and Vanguard
The Fund is a member of The Vanguard Group, a family of more than 190 mutual funds holding assets of approximately $3.7 trillion. All of the funds that are members of The Vanguard Group (other than funds of funds) share in the expenses associated with administrative services and business operations, such as personnel, office space, and equipment.
Vanguard Marketing Corporation provides marketing services to the funds. Although shareholders do not pay sales commissions or 12b-1 distribution fees, each fund (other than a fund of funds) or each share class of a fund (in the case of a fund with multiple share classes) pays its allocated share of the Vanguard funds’ marketing costs.
10
| Plain Talk About Vanguard’s Unique Corporate Structure |
| The Vanguard Group is truly a mutual mutual fund company. It is owned jointly by |
| the funds it oversees and thus indirectly by the shareholders in those funds. |
| Most other mutual funds are operated by management companies that may be |
| owned by one person, by a private group of individuals, or by public investors |
| who own the management company’s stock. The management fees charged by |
| these companies include a profit component over and above the companies’ cost |
| of providing services. By contrast, Vanguard provides services to its member |
| funds on an at-cost basis, with no profit component, which helps to keep the |
| funds’ expenses low. |
Investment Advisor
Wellington Management Company LLP, 280 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210, is a Delaware limited liability partnership and an investment counseling firm that provides investment services to investment companies, employee benefit plans, endowments, foundations, and other institutions. Wellington Management and its predecessor organizations have provided investment advisory services for over 80 years. Wellington Management is owned by the partners of Wellington Management Group LLP, a Massachusetts limited liability company. As of January 31, 2017, Wellington Management and its investment advisory affiliates had investment management authority with respect to approximately $979 billion in assets. The firm manages the Fund subject to the supervision and oversight of the trustees and officers of the Fund.
The Fund pays the advisor a base fee plus or minus a performance adjustment. The base fee, which is paid quarterly, is a percentage of average daily net assets under management during the most recent fiscal quarter. The base fee has breakpoints, which means that the percentage declines as assets go up. The performance adjustment, also paid quarterly, is based on the cumulative total return of the Fund relative to that of the NASDAQ US Dividend Achievers Select Index over the preceding 36-month period. When the performance adjustment is positive, the Fund’s expenses increase; when it is negative, expenses decrease.
For the fiscal year ended January 31, 2017, the advisory fee represented an effective annual rate of 0.13% of the Fund’s average net assets before a performance-based increase of 0.03%.
Under the terms of an SEC exemption, the Fund’s board of trustees may, without prior approval from shareholders, change the terms of an advisory agreement or hire a new investment advisor—either as a replacement for an existing advisor or as an additional advisor. Any significant change in the Fund’s advisory arrangements will be communicated to shareholders in writing. In addition, as the Fund’s sponsor and
11
overall manager, The Vanguard Group, Inc. (Vanguard), may provide investment advisory services to the Fund, on an at-cost basis, at any time. Vanguard may also recommend to the board of trustees that an advisor be hired, terminated, or replaced or that the terms of an existing advisory agreement be revised.
For a discussion of why the board of trustees approved the Fund’s investment advisory agreement, see the most recent annual report to shareholders covering the fiscal year ended January 31.
The manager primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund is:
Donald J. Kilbride, Senior Managing Director and Equity Portfolio Manager of Wellington Management. He has worked in investment management since 1996, has managed investment portfolios since joining Wellington Management in 2002, and has managed the Fund since 2006. Education: B.A., College of the Holy Cross; M.B.A., University of North Carolina, Kenan-Flagler Business School.
The Statement of Additional Information provides information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts under management, and ownership of shares of the Fund.
Dividends, Capital Gains, and Taxes
Fund Distributions
The Fund distributes to shareholders virtually all of its net income (interest and dividends, less expenses) as well as any net short-term or long-term capital gains realized from the sale of its holdings. Income dividends generally are distributed semiannually in June and December; capital gains distributions, if any, generally occur annually in December. In addition, the Fund may occasionally make a supplemental distribution at some other time during the year.
You can receive distributions of income or capital gains in cash, or you can have them automatically reinvested in more shares of the Fund. However, if you are investing through an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, your distributions will be automatically reinvested in additional Fund shares.
12
| Plain Talk About Distributions |
| As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a fund’s income from interest |
| and dividends as well as capital gains from the fund’s sale of investments. |
| Income consists of both the dividends that the fund earns from any stock |
| holdings and the interest it receives from any money market and bond |
| investments. Capital gains are realized whenever the fund sells securities for |
| higher prices than it paid for them. These capital gains are either short-term or |
| long-term, depending on whether the fund held the securities for one year or less |
| or for more than one year. |
Basic Tax Points
Investors in taxable accounts should be aware of the following basic federal income tax points:
• Distributions are taxable to you whether or not you reinvest these amounts in additional Fund shares.
• Distributions declared in December—if paid to you by the end of January—are taxable as if received in December.
• Any dividend distribution or short-term capital gains distribution that you receive is taxable to you as ordinary income. If you are an individual and meet certain holding-period requirements with respect to your Fund shares, you may be eligible for reduced tax rates on “qualified dividend income,” if any, distributed by the Fund.
• Any distribution of net long-term capital gains is taxable to you as long-term capital gains, no matter how long you have owned shares in the Fund.
• Capital gains distributions may vary considerably from year to year as a result of the Fund‘s normal investment activities and cash flows.
-
A sale or exchange of Fund shares is a taxable event. This means that you may have
-
capital gain to report as income, or a capital loss to report as a deduction, when you
complete your tax return.
• Vanguard (or your intermediary) will send you a statement each year showing the tax status of all of your distributions.
Individuals, trusts, and estates whose income exceeds certain threshold amounts are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on “net investment income.” Net investment income takes into account distributions paid by the Fund and capital gains from any sale or exchange of Fund shares.
13
Dividend distributions and capital gains distributions that you receive, as well as your gains or losses from any sale or exchange of Fund shares, may be subject to state and local income taxes.
This prospectus provides general tax information only. If you are investing through a tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA or an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, special tax rules apply. Please consult your tax advisor for detailed information about any tax consequences for you.
| Plain Talk About Buying a Dividend |
| Unless you are a tax-exempt investor or investing through a tax-advantaged |
| account (such as an IRA or an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan), |
| you should consider avoiding a purchase of fund shares shortly before the fund |
| makes a distribution, because doing so can cost you money in taxes. This is |
| known as “buying a dividend.” For example: On December 15, you invest $5,000, |
| buying 250 shares for $20 each. If the fund pays a distribution of $1 per share on |
| December 16, its share price will drop to $19 (not counting market change). You |
| still have only $5,000 (250 shares x $19 = $4,750 in share value, plus 250 shares |
| x $1 = $250 in distributions), but you owe tax on the $250 distribution you |
| received—even if you reinvest it in more shares. To avoid buying a dividend, check |
| a fund’s distribution schedule before you invest. |
General Information
Backup withholding. By law, Vanguard must withhold 28% of any taxable distributions or redemptions from your account if you do not:
-
Provide your correct taxpayer identification number.
-
Certify that the taxpayer identification number is correct.
-
Confirm that you are not subject to backup withholding.
Similarly, Vanguard (or your intermediary) must withhold taxes from your account if the IRS instructs us to do so.
Foreign investors. Vanguard funds offered for sale in the United States (Vanguard U.S. funds), including the Fund offered in this prospectus, are not widely available outside the United States. Non-U.S. investors should be aware that U.S. withholding and estate taxes and certain U.S. tax reporting requirements may apply to any investments in Vanguard U.S. funds. Foreign investors should visit the Non-U.S. Investors page on our website at vanguard.com for information on Vanguard’s non-U.S. products.
Invalid addresses. If a dividend distribution or capital gains distribution check mailed to your address of record is returned as undeliverable, Vanguard will automatically reinvest the distribution and all future distributions until you provide us with a valid
14
mailing address. Reinvestments will receive the net asset value calculated on the date of the reinvestment.
Share Price
Share price, also known as net asset value (NAV), is calculated each business day as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), generally 4 p.m., Eastern time. The NAV per share is computed by dividing the total assets, minus liabilities, of the Fund by the number of Fund shares outstanding. On U.S. holidays or other days when the NYSE is closed, the NAV is not calculated, and the Fund does not sell or redeem shares. However, on those days the value of the Fund’s assets may be affected to the extent that the Fund holds securities that change in value on those days (such as foreign securities that trade on foreign markets that are open).
Stocks held by a Vanguard fund are valued at their market value when reliable market quotations are readily available from the principal exchange or market on which they are traded. Such securities are generally valued at their official closing price, the last reported sales price, or if there were no sales that day, the mean between the closing bid and asking prices. When a fund determines that market quotations either are not readily available or do not accurately reflect the value of a security, the security is priced at its fair value (the amount that the owner might reasonably expect to receive upon the current sale of the security).
The values of any foreign securities held by a fund are converted into U.S. dollars using an exchange rate obtained from an independent third party as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE. The values of any mutual fund shares, including institutional money market fund shares, held by a fund are based on the NAVs of the shares. The values of any ETF shares or closed-end fund shares held by a fund are based on the market value of the shares.
A fund also will use fair-value pricing if the value of a security it holds has been materially affected by events occurring before the fund’s pricing time but after the close of the principal exchange or market on which the security is traded. This most commonly occurs with foreign securities, which may trade on foreign exchanges that close many hours before the fund’s pricing time. Intervening events might be company-specific (e.g., earnings report, merger announcement) or country-specific or regional/global (e.g., natural disaster, economic or political news, act of terrorism, interest rate change). Intervening events include price movements in U.S. markets that exceed a specified threshold or that are otherwise deemed to affect the value of foreign securities.
15
Fair-value pricing may be used for domestic securities—for example, if (1) trading in a security is halted and does not resume before the fund’s pricing time or a security does not trade in the course of a day and (2) the fund holds enough of the security that its price could affect the NAV.
Fair-value prices are determined by Vanguard according to procedures adopted by the board of trustees. When fair-value pricing is employed, the prices of securities used by a fund to calculate the NAV may differ from quoted or published prices for the same securities.
Vanguard fund share prices are published daily on our website at vanguard.com/prices.
16
Financial Highlights
The following financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund‘s financial performance for the periods shown, and certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost each period on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all distributions). This information has been obtained from the financial statements audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report—along with the Fund’s financial statements—is included in the Fund’s most recent annual report to shareholders. You may obtain a free copy of the latest annual or semiannual report by visiting vanguard.com or by contacting Vanguard by telephone or mail.
| Plain Talk About How to Read the Financial Highlights Table |
| The Fund began fiscal year 2017 with a net asset value (share price) of $21.78 per |
| share. During the year, the Fund earned $0.446 per share from investment |
| income (interest and dividends) and $2.165 per share from investments that had |
| appreciated in value or that were sold for higher prices than the Fund paid |
| for them. |
| Shareholders received $0.671 per share in the form of dividend and capital gains |
| distributions. A portion of each year’s distributions may come from the prior |
| year’s income or capital gains. |
| The share price at the end of the year was $23.72, reflecting earnings of $2.611 |
| per share and distributions of $0.671 per share. This was an increase of $1.94 per |
| share (from $21.78 at the beginning of the year to $23.72 at the end of the year). |
| For a shareholder who reinvested the distributions in the purchase of more |
| shares, the total return was 12.06% for the year. |
| As of January 31, 2017, the Fund had approximately $31 billion in net assets. For |
| the year, its expense ratio was 0.30% ($3.00 per $1,000 of net assets), and its |
| net investment income amounted to 1.93% of its average net assets. The Fund |
| sold and replaced securities valued at 27% of its net assets. |
17
| Dividend Growth Fund | |||||
| Year Ended January 31, | |||||
| For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period | $21.78 | $22.47 | $20.45 | $17.52 | $15.81 |
| Investment Operations | |||||
| Net Investment Income | .446 | .442 | .430 | .385 | .357 |
| Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) | |||||
| on Investments | 2.165 | .145 | 2.378 | 3.033 | 1.721 |
| Total from Investment Operations | 2.611 | .587 | 2.808 | 3.418 | 2.078 |
| Distributions | |||||
| Dividends from Net Investment Income | (.450) | (.432) | (.440) | (.384) | (.368) |
| Distributions from Realized Capital Gains | (.221) | (.845) | (.348) | (.104) | — |
| Total Distributions | (.671) | (1.277) | (.788) | (.488) | (.368) |
| Net Asset Value, End of Period | $23.72 | $21.78 | $22.47 | $20.45 | $17.52 |
| Total Return1 | 12.06% | 2.44% | 13.69% | 19.60% | 13.36% |
| Ratios/Supplemental Data | |||||
| Net Assets, End of Period (Millions) | $30,633 | $25,632 | $23,067 | $19,137 | $12,704 |
| Ratio of Total Expenses to | |||||
| Average Net Assets2 | 0.30% | 0.33% | 0.32% | 0.31% | 0.29% |
| Ratio of Net Investment Income to | |||||
| Average Net Assets | 1.93% | 1.95% | 1.94% | 2.03% | 2.22% |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate | 27% | 26% | 23% | 18% | 11% |
1 Total returns do not include account service fees that may have applied in the periods shown.
2 Includes performance-based investment advisory fee increases (decreases) of 0.03%, 0.04%, 0.03%, 0.02%, and 0.00%.
18
Investing With Vanguard
This section of the prospectus explains the basics of doing business with Vanguard. Vanguard fund shares can be held directly with Vanguard or indirectly through an intermediary, such as a bank, a broker, or an investment advisor. If you hold Vanguard fund shares directly with Vanguard, you should carefully read each topic within this section that pertains to your relationship with Vanguard. If you hold Vanguard fund shares indirectly through an intermediary (including shares held through a Vanguard brokerage account), please see Investing With Vanguard Through Other Firms, and also refer to your account agreement with the intermediary for information about transacting in that account. If you hold Vanguard fund shares through an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, please see Employer-Sponsored Plans. Vanguard reserves the right to change the following policies without notice. Please call or check online for current information. See Contacting Vanguard.
For Vanguard fund shares held directly with Vanguard, each fund you hold in an account is a separate “fund account.” For example, if you hold three funds in a nonretirement account titled in your own name, two funds in a nonretirement account titled jointly with your spouse, and one fund in an individual retirement account, you have six fund accounts—and this is true even if you hold the same fund in multiple accounts. Note that each reference to “you” in this prospectus applies to any one or more registered account owners or persons authorized to transact on your account.
Purchasing Shares
Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to increase or decrease the minimum amount required to open or maintain a fund account or to add to an existing fund account.
Investment minimums may differ for certain categories of investors.
Account Minimums
To open and maintain an account. $3,000. Institutional, financial intermediary, and Vanguard retail managed clients should contact Vanguard for information on special eligibility rules that may apply to them regarding Investor Shares.
To add to an existing account. Generally $1.
How to Initiate a Purchase Request
Be sure to check Exchanging Shares, Frequent-Trading Limitations, and Other Rules You Should Know before placing your purchase request.
Online. You may open certain types of accounts, request a purchase of shares, and request an exchange through our website or our mobile application if you are registered for online access.
19
By telephone. You may call Vanguard to begin the account registration process or request that the account-opening forms be sent to you. You may also call Vanguard to request a purchase of shares in your account or to request an exchange. See
Contacting Vanguard.
By mail. You may send Vanguard your account registration form and check to open a new fund account. To add to an existing fund account, you may send your check with an Invest-by-Mail form (from a transaction confirmation or your account statement), with a deposit slip (available online), or with a written request. You may also send a written request to Vanguard to make an exchange. For a list of Vanguard addresses, see Contacting Vanguard.
How to Pay for a Purchase
By electronic bank transfer. You may purchase shares of a Vanguard fund through an electronic transfer of money from a bank account. To establish the electronic bank transfer service on an account, you must designate the bank account online, complete a special form, or fill out the appropriate section of your account registration form. After the service is set up on your account, you can purchase shares by electronic bank transfer on a regular schedule (Automatic Investment Plan) or upon request. Your purchase request can be initiated online (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail.
By wire. Wiring instructions vary for different types of purchases. Please call Vanguard for instructions and policies on purchasing shares by wire. See Contacting Vanguard.
By check. You may make initial or additional purchases to your fund account by sending a check or by utilizing our mobile application if you are registered for online access. Also see How to Initiate a Purchase Request. Make your check payable to Vanguard and include the appropriate fund number (Vanguard—57).
By exchange. You may purchase shares of a Vanguard fund using the proceeds from the simultaneous redemption of shares of another Vanguard fund. You may initiate an exchange online (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail. See
Exchanging Shares.
Trade Date
The trade date for any purchase request received in good order will depend on the day and time Vanguard receives your request, the manner in which you are paying, and the type of fund you are purchasing. Your purchase will be executed using the net asset value (NAV) as calculated on the trade date. NAVs are calculated only on days that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open for trading (a business day).
For purchases by check into all funds other than money market funds and for purchases by exchange, wire, or electronic bank transfer (not using an Automatic
20
Investment Plan) into all funds: If the purchase request is received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the trade date for the purchase will be the same day. If the purchase request is received on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the trade date for the purchase will be the next business day.
For purchases by check into money market funds: If the purchase request is received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the trade date for the purchase will be the next business day. If the purchase request is received on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the trade date for the purchase will be the second business day following the day Vanguard receives the purchase request. Because money market instruments must be purchased with federal funds and it takes a money market mutual fund one business day to convert check proceeds into federal funds, the trade date for the purchase will be one business day later than for other funds.
For purchases by electronic bank transfer using an Automatic Investment Plan: Your trade date generally will be the date you selected for withdrawal of funds from your designated bank account. Your bank account generally will be debited on the business day after your trade date. If the date you selected for withdrawal of funds from your bank account falls on a weekend, holiday, or other nonbusiness day, your trade date generally will be the previous business day. For retirement accounts, if the date you selected for withdrawal of funds from your designated bank account falls on the last business day of the year, your trade date will be the first business day of the following year. Please note that if you select the first of the month for automated withdrawals from your designated bank account, trades designated for January 1 will receive the next business day’s trade date.
If your purchase request is not accurate and complete, it may be rejected. See Other Rules You Should Know—Good Order.
For further information about purchase transactions, consult our website at vanguard.com or see Contacting Vanguard.
Other Purchase Rules You Should Know
Check purchases. All purchase checks must be written in U.S. dollars and must be drawn on a U.S. bank. Vanguard does not accept cash, traveler’s checks, or money orders. In addition, Vanguard may refuse “starter checks” and checks that are not made payable to Vanguard.
New accounts. We are required by law to obtain from you certain personal information that we will use to verify your identity. If you do not provide the information, we may not be able to open your account. If we are unable to verify your identity, Vanguard
21
reserves the right, without notice, to close your account or take such other steps as we deem reasonable. Certain types of accounts may require additional documentation.
Refused or rejected purchase requests. Vanguard reserves the right to stop selling fund shares or to reject any purchase request at any time and without notice, including, but not limited to, purchases requested by exchange from another Vanguard fund. This also includes the right to reject any purchase request because the investor has a history of frequent trading or because the purchase may negatively affect a fund’s operation or performance.
Large purchases. Call Vanguard before attempting to invest a large dollar amount.
No cancellations. Vanguard will not accept your request to cancel any purchase request once processing has begun. Please be careful when placing a purchase request.
Redeeming Shares
How to Initiate a Redemption Request
Be sure to check Exchanging Shares, Frequent-Trading Limitations, and Other Rules You Should Know before placing your redemption request.
Online. You may request a redemption of shares or request an exchange through our website or our mobile application if you are registered for online access.
By telephone. You may call Vanguard to request a redemption of shares or an exchange. See Contacting Vanguard.
By mail. You may send a written request to Vanguard to redeem from a fund account or to make an exchange. See Contacting Vanguard.
How to Receive Redemption Proceeds
By electronic bank transfer. You may have the proceeds of a fund redemption sent directly to a designated bank account. To establish the electronic bank transfer service on an account, you must designate a bank account online, complete a special form, or fill out the appropriate section of your account registration form. After the service is set up on your account, you can redeem shares by electronic bank transfer on a regular schedule (Automatic Withdrawal Plan) or upon request. Your redemption request can be initiated online (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail.
By wire. To receive your proceeds by wire, you may instruct Vanguard to wire your redemption proceeds ($100 minimum) to a previously designated bank account. To establish the wire redemption service, you generally must designate a bank account online, complete a special form, or fill out the appropriate section of your account registration form.
22
By exchange. You may have the proceeds of a Vanguard fund redemption invested directly in shares of another Vanguard fund. You may initiate an exchange online (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail. See Exchanging Shares.
By check. If you have not chosen another redemption method, Vanguard will mail you a redemption check, generally payable to all registered account owners, normally within two business days of your trade date, and generally to the address of record.
Trade Date
The trade date for any redemption request received in good order will depend on the day and time Vanguard receives your request and the manner in which you are redeeming. Your redemption will be executed using the NAV as calculated on the trade date. NAVs are calculated only on days that the NYSE is open for trading (a business day).
For redemptions by check, exchange, or wire: If the redemption request is received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the trade date will be the same day. If the redemption request is received on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the trade date will be the next business day.
• Note on timing of wire redemptions from money market funds: For telephone requests received by Vanguard on a business day before 10:45 a.m., Eastern time (2 p.m., Eastern time, for Vanguard Prime Money Market Fund; 12:30 p.m., Eastern time, for Vanguard Federal Money Market Fund), the redemption proceeds generally will leave Vanguard by the close of business the same day. For telephone requests received by Vanguard on a business day after those cut-off times, or on a nonbusiness day, and for all requests other than by telephone, the redemption proceeds generally will leave Vanguard by the close of business on the next business day.
• Note on timing of wire redemptions from all other funds: For requests received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the redemption proceeds generally will leave Vanguard by the close of business on the next business day. For requests received by Vanguard on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the redemption proceeds generally will leave Vanguard by the close of business on the second business day after Vanguard receives the request.
For redemptions by electronic bank transfer using an Automatic Withdrawal Plan: Your trade date generally will be the date you selected for withdrawal of funds (redemption of shares) from your Vanguard account. Proceeds of redeemed shares generally will be credited to your designated bank account two business days after your trade date. If the date you selected for withdrawal of funds from your Vanguard
23
account falls on a weekend, holiday, or other nonbusiness day, your trade date generally will be the previous business day. For retirement accounts, if the date you selected for withdrawal of funds from your Vanguard account falls on the last day of the year and if that date is a holiday, your trade date will be the first business day of the following year. Please note that if you designate the first of the month for automated withdrawals, trades designated for January 1 will receive the next business day’s trade date.
For redemptions by electronic bank transfer not using an Automatic Withdrawal Plan: If the redemption request is received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the trade date will be the same day. If the redemption request is received on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the trade date will be the next business day.
If your redemption request is not accurate and complete, it may be rejected. If we are unable to send your redemption proceeds by wire or electronic bank transfer because the receiving institution rejects the transfer, Vanguard will make additional efforts to complete your transaction. If Vanguard is still unable to complete the transaction, we may send the proceeds of the redemption to you by check, generally payable to all registered account owners, or use your proceeds to purchase new shares of the fund from which you sold shares for the purpose of the wire or electronic bank transfer transaction. See Other Rules You Should Know—Good Order.
For further information about redemption transactions, consult our website at vanguard.com or see Contacting Vanguard.
Other Redemption Rules You Should Know
Documentation for certain accounts. Special documentation may be required to redeem from certain types of accounts, such as trust, corporate, nonprofit, or retirement accounts. Please call us before attempting to redeem from these types of accounts.
Potentially disruptive redemptions. Vanguard reserves the right to pay all or part of a redemption in kind—that is, in the form of securities—if we reasonably believe that a cash redemption would negatively affect the fund’s operation or performance or that the shareholder may be engaged in market-timing or frequent trading. Under these circumstances, Vanguard also reserves the right to delay payment of the redemption proceeds for up to seven calendar days. By calling us before you attempt to redeem a large dollar amount, you may avoid in-kind or delayed payment of your redemption. Please see Frequent-Trading Limitations for information about Vanguard’s policies to limit frequent trading.
24
Recently purchased shares. Although you can redeem shares at any time, proceeds may not be made available to you until the fund collects payment for your purchase. This may take up to seven calendar days for shares purchased by check or by electronic bank transfer. If you have written a check on a fund with checkwriting privileges, that check may be rejected if your fund account does not have a sufficient available balance.
Address change. If you change your address online or by telephone, there may be up to a 14-day restriction on your ability to request check redemptions online and by telephone. You can request a redemption in writing at any time. Confirmations of address changes are sent to both the old and new addresses.
Payment to a different person or address. At your request, we can make your redemption check payable, or wire your redemption proceeds, to a different person or send it to a different address. However, this generally requires the written consent of all registered account owners and may require additional documentation, such as a signature guarantee or a notarized signature. You may obtain a signature guarantee from some commercial or savings banks, credit unions, trust companies, or member firms of a U.S. stock exchange.
No cancellations. Vanguard will not accept your request to cancel any redemption request once processing has begun. Please be careful when placing a redemption request.
Emergency circumstances. Vanguard funds can postpone payment of redemption proceeds for up to seven calendar days. In addition, Vanguard funds can suspend redemptions and/or postpone payments of redemption proceeds beyond seven calendar days at times when the NYSE is closed or during emergency circumstances, as determined by the SEC.
Exchanging Shares
An exchange occurs when you use the proceeds from the redemption of shares of one Vanguard fund to simultaneously purchase shares of a different Vanguard fund. You can make exchange requests online (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail. See Purchasing Shares and Redeeming Shares.
If the NYSE is open for regular trading (generally until 4 p.m., Eastern time, on a business day) at the time an exchange request is received in good order, the trade date generally will be the same day. See Other Rules You Should Know—Good Order for additional information on all transaction requests.
Vanguard will not accept your request to cancel any exchange request once processing has begun. Please be careful when placing an exchange request.
25
Call Vanguard before attempting to exchange a large dollar amount. By calling us before you attempt to exchange a large dollar amount, you may avoid delayed or rejected transactions.
Please note that Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to revise or terminate the exchange privilege, limit the amount of any exchange, or reject an exchange, at any time, for any reason. See Frequent-Trading Limitations for additional restrictions on exchanges.
Frequent-Trading Limitations
Because excessive transactions can disrupt management of a fund and increase the fund’s costs for all shareholders, the board of trustees of each Vanguard fund places certain limits on frequent trading in the funds. Each Vanguard fund (other than money market funds and short-term bond funds, but including Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund) limits an investor’s purchases or exchanges into a fund account for 30 calendar days after the investor has redeemed or exchanged out of that fund account. ETF Shares are not subject to these frequent-trading limits.
For Vanguard Retirement Investment Program pooled plans, the limitations apply to exchanges made online or by telephone.
These frequent-trading limitations do not apply to the following:
-
Purchases of shares with reinvested dividend or capital gains distributions.
-
Transactions through Vanguard’s Automatic Investment Plan, Automatic Exchange
Service, Direct Deposit Service, Automatic Withdrawal Plan, Required Minimum Distribution Service, and Vanguard Small Business Online®.
• Discretionary transactions through Vanguard Asset Management Services™, Vanguard Personal Advisor Services®, and Vanguard Institutional Advisory Services®.
-
Redemptions of shares to pay fund or account fees.
-
Redemptions of shares to remove excess shareholder contributions to certain
types of retirement accounts (including, but not limited to, IRAs, certain Individual 403(b)(7) Custodial Accounts, and Vanguard Individual 401(k) Plans).
• Transaction requests submitted by mail to Vanguard from shareholders who hold their accounts directly with Vanguard or through a Vanguard brokerage account. (Transaction requests submitted by fax, if otherwise permitted, are subject to the limitations.)
-
Transfers and reregistrations of shares within the same fund.
-
Purchases of shares by asset transfer or direct rollover.
-
Conversions of shares from one share class to another in the same fund.
-
Checkwriting redemptions.
-
Section 529 college savings plans.
-
Certain approved institutional portfolios and asset allocation programs, as well as
trades made by funds or trusts managed by Vanguard or its affiliates that invest in other Vanguard funds. (Please note that shareholders of Vanguard’s funds of funds are subject to the limitations.)
For participants in employer-sponsored defined contribution plans,* the frequent-trading limitations do not apply to:
• Purchases of shares with participant payroll or employer contributions or loan repayments.
-
Purchases of shares with reinvested dividend or capital gains distributions.
-
Distributions, loans, and in-service withdrawals from a plan.
-
Redemptions of shares as part of a plan termination or at the direction of the plan.
-
Transactions executed through the Vanguard Managed Account Program.
-
Redemptions of shares to pay fund or account fees.
-
Share or asset transfers or rollovers.
-
Reregistrations of shares.
-
Conversions of shares from one share class to another in the same fund.
-
Exchange requests submitted by written request to Vanguard. (Exchange requests
submitted by fax, if otherwise permitted, are subject to the limitations.)
* The following Vanguard fund accounts are subject to the frequent-trading limitations: SEP-IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, certain Individual 403(b)(7) Custodial Accounts, and Vanguard Individual 401(k) Plans.
Accounts Held by Institutions (Other Than Defined Contribution Plans)
Vanguard will systematically monitor for frequent trading in institutional clients’ accounts. If we detect suspicious trading activity, we will investigate and take appropriate action, which may include applying to a client’s accounts the 30-day policy previously described, prohibiting a client’s purchases of fund shares, and/or revoking the client’s exchange privilege.
Accounts Held by Intermediaries
When intermediaries establish accounts in Vanguard funds for the benefit of their clients, we cannot always monitor the trading activity of the individual clients. However, we review trading activity at the intermediary (omnibus) level, and if we detect suspicious activity, we will investigate and take appropriate action. If necessary, Vanguard may prohibit additional purchases of fund shares by an intermediary, including for the benefit of certain of the intermediary’s clients.
27
Intermediaries also may monitor their clients’ trading activities with respect to Vanguard funds.
For those Vanguard funds that charge purchase and/or redemption fees, intermediaries will be asked to assess these fees on client accounts and remit these fees to the funds. The application of purchase and redemption fees and frequent-trading limitations may vary among intermediaries. There are no assurances that Vanguard will successfully identify all intermediaries or that intermediaries will properly assess purchase and redemption fees or administer frequent-trading limitations. If you invest with Vanguard through an intermediary, please read that firm’s materials carefully to learn of any other rules or fees that may apply.
Other Rules You Should Know
Prospectus and Shareholder Report Mailings
When two or more shareholders have the same last name and address, just one summary prospectus (or prospectus) and/or shareholder report may be sent in an attempt to eliminate the unnecessary expense of duplicate mailings. You may request individual prospectuses and reports by contacting our Client Services Department in writing, by telephone, or online. See Contacting Vanguard.
Vanguard.com
Registration. If you are a registered user of vanguard.com, you can review your account holdings; buy, sell, or exchange shares of most Vanguard funds; and perform most other transactions through our website. You must register for this service online.
Electronic delivery. Vanguard can deliver your account statements, transaction confirmations, prospectuses, certain tax forms, and shareholder reports electronically. If you are a registered user of vanguard.com, you can consent to the electronic delivery of these documents by logging on and changing your mailing preferences under “Account Maintenance.” You can revoke your electronic consent at any time through our website, and we will begin to send paper copies of these documents within 30 days of receiving your revocation.
Telephone Transactions
Automatic. When we set up your account, we will automatically enable you to do business with us by telephone, unless you instruct us otherwise in writing.
Tele-Account®. To obtain fund and account information through Vanguard’s automated telephone service, you must first establish a Personal Identification Number (PIN) by calling Tele-Account at 800-662-6273.
28
Proof of a caller’s authority. We reserve the right to refuse a telephone request if the caller is unable to provide the requested information or if we reasonably believe that the caller is not an individual authorized to act on the account. Before we allow a caller to act on an account, we may request the following information:
• Authorization to act on the account (as the account owner or by legal documentation or other means).
-
Account registration and address.
-
Fund name and account number, if applicable.
-
Other information relating to the caller, the account owner, or the account.
Good Order
We reserve the right to reject any transaction instructions that are not in “good order.” Good order generally means that your instructions:
• Are provided by the person(s) authorized in accordance with Vanguard’s policies and procedures to access the account and request transactions.
-
Include the fund name and account number.
-
Include the amount of the transaction (stated in dollars, shares, or percentage).
Written instructions also must generally include:
-
An original signature and date from the authorized person(s).
-
Signature guarantees or notarized signatures, if required for the type of transaction.
(Call Vanguard for specific requirements.)
• Any supporting documentation that may be required.
Written instructions are acceptable when a Vanguard form is not applicable. The requirements vary among types of accounts and transactions. For more information, consult our website at vanguard.com or see Contacting Vanguard.
Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to revise the requirements for good order.
Future Trade-Date Requests
Vanguard does not accept requests to hold a purchase, redemption, or exchange transaction for a future date. All such requests will receive trade dates as previously described in Purchasing Shares, Redeeming Shares, and Exchanging Shares. Vanguard reserves the right to return future-dated purchase checks.
Accounts With More Than One Owner
If an account has more than one owner or authorized person, Vanguard generally will accept instructions from any one owner or authorized person.
29
Responsibility for Fraud
Vanguard will not be responsible for any account losses because of fraud if we reasonably believe that the person transacting business on an account is authorized to do so. Please take precautions to protect yourself from fraud. Keep your account information private, and immediately review any account statements or other information that we provide to you. It is important that you contact Vanguard immediately about any transactions or changes to your account that you believe to be unauthorized.
Uncashed Checks
Please cash your distribution or redemption checks promptly. Vanguard will not pay interest on uncashed checks. Vanguard may be required to transfer assets related to uncashed checks to a state under the state’s abandoned property law.
Dormant Accounts
If your account has no activity in it for a period of time, Vanguard may be required to transfer it to a state under the state’s abandoned property law.
Unusual Circumstances
If you experience difficulty contacting Vanguard online or by telephone, you can send us your transaction request by regular or express mail. See Contacting Vanguard for addresses.
Investing With Vanguard Through Other Firms
You may purchase or sell shares of most Vanguard funds through a financial intermediary, such as a bank, a broker, or an investment advisor. Please consult your financial intermediary to determine which, if any, shares are available through that firm and to learn about other rules that may apply. Your financial intermediary can provide you with account information and any required tax forms.
Please see Frequent-Trading Limitations—Accounts Held by Intermediaries for information about the assessment of any purchase or redemption fees and the monitoring of frequent trading for accounts held by intermediaries.
Account Service Fee
Vanguard charges a $20 account service fee on fund accounts that have a balance below $10,000 for any reason, including market fluctuation. The account service fee applies to both retirement and nonretirement fund accounts and will be assessed on fund accounts in all Vanguard funds, regardless of the account minimum. The fee, which will be collected by redeeming fund shares in the amount of $20, will be deducted from a fund account only once per calendar year.
30
If you register on vanguard.com and elect to receive electronic delivery of statements, reports, and other materials for all of your fund accounts, the account service fee for balances below $10,000 will not be charged, so long as that election remains in effect.
The account service fee also does not apply to the following:
• Money market sweep accounts owned in connection with a Vanguard Brokerage Services® account.
-
Accounts held through intermediaries.
-
Accounts held by institutional clients.
-
Accounts held by Voyager, Voyager Select, Flagship, and Flagship Select clients.
Eligibility is based on total household assets held at Vanguard, with a minimum of $50,000 to qualify for Vanguard Voyager Services®, $500,000 for Vanguard Voyager Select Services®, $1 million for Vanguard Flagship Services®, and $5 million for Vanguard Flagship Select Services™. Vanguard determines eligibility by aggregating assets of all qualifying accounts held by the investor and immediate family members who reside at the same address. Aggregate assets include investments in Vanguard mutual funds, Vanguard ETFs®, certain annuities through Vanguard, the Vanguard 529 Plan, and certain small-business accounts. Assets in employer-sponsored retirement plans for which Vanguard provides recordkeeping services may be included in determining eligibility if the investor also has a personal account holding Vanguard mutual funds. Note that assets held in a Vanguard Brokerage Services account (other than Vanguard funds, including Vanguard ETFs) are not included when determining a household’s eligibility.
• Participant accounts in employer-sponsored defined contribution plans.* Please consult your enrollment materials for the rules that apply to your account.
-
Section 529 college savings plans.
-
The following Vanguard fund accounts have alternative fee structures: SIMPLE IRAs,
certain Individual 403(b)(7) Custodial Accounts, Vanguard Retirement Investment Program pooled plans, and Vanguard Individual 401(k) Plans.
Low-Balance Accounts
The Fund reserves the right to liquidate a fund account whose balance falls below the account minimum for any reason, including market fluctuation. This liquidation policy applies to nonretirement fund accounts and accounts that are held through intermediaries. Any such liquidation will be preceded by written notice to the investor.
Right to Change Policies
In addition to the rights expressly stated elsewhere in this prospectus, Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to (1) alter, add, or discontinue any conditions of
31
purchase (including eligibility requirements), redemption, exchange, service, or privilege at any time; (2) accept initial purchases by telephone; (3) freeze any account and/or suspend account services if Vanguard has received reasonable notice of a dispute regarding the assets in an account, including notice of a dispute between the registered or beneficial account owners, or if Vanguard reasonably believes a fraudulent transaction may occur or has occurred; (4) temporarily freeze any account and/or suspend account services upon initial notification to Vanguard of the death of the shareholder until Vanguard receives required documentation in good order; (5) alter, impose, discontinue, or waive any purchase fee, redemption fee, account service fee, or other fees charged to a shareholder or a group of shareholders; and (6) redeem an account or suspend account privileges, without the owner’s permission to do so, in cases of threatening conduct or activity Vanguard believes to be suspicious, fraudulent, or illegal. Changes may affect any or all investors. These actions will be taken when, at the sole discretion of Vanguard management, Vanguard reasonably believes they are in the best interest of a fund.
Fund and Account Updates
Confirmation Statements
We will send (or provide through our website, whichever you prefer) a confirmation of your trade date and the amount of your transaction when you buy, sell, or exchange shares. However, we will not send confirmations reflecting only checkwriting redemptions or the reinvestment of dividend or capital gains distributions. For any month in which you had a checkwriting redemption, a Checkwriting Activity Statement will be sent to you itemizing the checkwriting redemptions for that month. Promptly review each confirmation statement that we provide to you. It is important that you contact Vanguard immediately with any questions you may have about any transaction reflected on a confirmation statement, or Vanguard will consider the transaction properly processed.
Portfolio Summaries
We will send (or provide through our website, whichever you prefer) quarterly portfolio summaries to help you keep track of your accounts throughout the year. If you prefer, you may request to receive monthly portfolio summaries. Each summary shows the market value of your account at the close of the statement period, as well as all distributions, purchases, redemptions, exchanges, and transfers for the current calendar quarter (or month). Promptly review each summary that we provide to you. It is important that you contact Vanguard immediately with any questions you may have about any transaction reflected on the summary, or Vanguard will consider the transaction properly processed.
32
Tax Information Statements
For most accounts, Vanguard (or your intermediary) is required to provide annual tax forms to assist you in preparing your income tax returns. These forms are generally available for each calendar year early in the following year. Registered users of vanguard.com can also view certain forms through our website. Vanguard (or your intermediary) may also provide you with additional tax-related documentation. For more information, consult our website at vanguard.com or see Contacting Vanguard.
Annual and Semiannual Reports
We will send (or provide through our website, whichever you prefer) reports about Vanguard Dividend Growth Fund twice a year, in March and September. These reports include overviews of the financial markets and provide the following specific Fund information:
-
Performance assessments and comparisons with industry benchmarks.
-
Reports from the advisor.
-
Financial statements with listings of Fund holdings.
Portfolio Holdings
Please consult the Fund‘s Statement of Additional Information or our website for a description of the policies and procedures that govern disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings.
Employer-Sponsored Plans
Your plan administrator or your employee benefits office can provide you with detailed information on how to participate in your plan and how to elect the Fund as an investment option.
• If you have any questions about the Fund or Vanguard, including those about the Fund’s investment objective, strategies, or risks, contact Vanguard Participant Services toll-free at 800-523-1188 or visit our website at vanguard.com.
• If you have questions about your account, contact your plan administrator or the organization that provides recordkeeping services for your plan.
• Be sure to carefully read each topic that pertains to your transactions with Vanguard.
Vanguard reserves the right to change its policies without notice to shareholders.
33
Transactions
Processing times for your transaction requests may differ among recordkeepers or among transaction and funding types. Your plan’s recordkeeper (which may also be Vanguard) will determine the necessary processing time frames for your transaction requests prior to submission to the Fund. Consult your recordkeeper or plan administrator for more information.
If Vanguard is serving as your plan recordkeeper and if your transaction involves one or more investments with an early cut-off time for processing or another trading restriction, your entire transaction will be subject to the restriction when the trade date for your transaction is determined.
| Contacting Vanguard | |
| Web | |
| Vanguard.com | For the most complete source of Vanguard news |
| For fund, account, and service information | |
| For most account transactions | |
| For literature requests | |
| 24 hours a day, 7 days a week | |
| Phone | |
| Vanguard Tele-Account® 800-662-6273 | For automated fund and account information |
| Toll-free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week | |
| Investor Information 800-662-7447 | For fund and service information |
| (Text telephone for people with hearing | For literature requests |
| impairment at 800-749-7273) | |
| Client Services 800-662-2739 | For account information |
| (Text telephone for people with hearing | For most account transactions |
| impairment at 800-749-7273) | |
| Participant Services 800-523-1188 | For information and services for participants in employer- |
| (Text telephone for people with hearing | sponsored plans |
| impairment at 800-749-7273) | |
| Institutional Division | For information and services for large institutional investors |
| 888-809-8102 | |
| Financial Advisor and Intermediary | For information and services for financial intermediaries |
| Sales Support 800-997-2798 | including financial advisors, broker-dealers, trust institutions, |
| and insurance companies | |
| Financial Advisory and Intermediary | For account information and trading support for financial |
| Trading Support 800-669-0498 | intermediaries including financial advisors, broker-dealers, |
| trust institutions, and insurance companies | |
34
Vanguard Addresses
Please be sure to use the correct address. Use of an incorrect address could delay the processing of your transaction.
| Regular Mail (Individuals) | The Vanguard Group | |||
| P.O. Box 1110 | ||||
| Valley Forge, PA 19482-1110 | ||||
| Regular Mail (Institutions, Intermediaries, and | The Vanguard Group | |||
| Employer-Sponsored Plan Participants) | P.O. Box 2900 | |||
| Valley Forge, PA 19482-2900 | ||||
| Registered, Express, or Overnight Mail | The Vanguard Group | |||
| 455 Devon Park Drive | ||||
| Wayne, PA 19087-1815 | ||||
| Additional Information | ||||
| Newspaper | Vanguard | CUSIP | ||
| Inception Date | Abbreviation | Fund Number | Number | |
| Dividend Growth Fund | 5/15/1992 | DividGro | 57 | 921908604 |
“Dividend Achievers” is a trademark of The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. (collectively, with its affiliates, “NASDAQ OMX”) and has been licensed for use by The Vanguard Group, Inc. Vanguard mutual funds are not sponsored, endorsed, sold, or promoted by NASDAQ OMX and NASDAQ OMX makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in the funds. NASDAQ OMX MAKES NO WARRANTIES AND BEARS NO LIABILITY WITH RESPECT TO THE VANGUARD MUTUAL FUNDS.
35
Glossary of Investment Terms
Capital Gains Distribution. Payment to mutual fund shareholders of gains realized on securities that a fund has sold at a profit, minus any realized losses.
Cash Equivalent Investments. Cash deposits, short-term bank deposits, and money market instruments that include U.S. Treasury bills and notes, bank certificates of deposit (CDs), repurchase agreements, commercial paper, and banker’s acceptances.
Common Stock. A security representing ownership rights in a corporation.
Dividend Distribution. Payment to mutual fund shareholders of income from interest or dividends generated by a fund’s investments.
Dividend Growth Spliced Index. An index that reflects performance of the Russell 1000 Index through January 31, 2010, and the NASDAQ US Dividend Achievers Select Index thereafter.
Expense Ratio. A fund’s total annual operating expenses expressed as a percentage of the fund’s average net assets. The expense ratio includes management and administrative expenses, but it does not include the transaction costs of buying and selling portfolio securities.
Inception Date. The date on which the assets of a fund (or one of its share classes) are first invested in accordance with the fund’s investment objective. For funds with a subscription period, the inception date is the day after that period ends. Investment performance is generally measured from the inception date.
Median Market Capitalization. An indicator of the size of companies in which a fund invests; the midpoint of market capitalization (market price x shares outstanding) of a fund’s stocks, weighted by the proportion of the fund’s assets invested in each stock. Stocks representing half of the fund’s assets have market capitalizations above the median, and the rest are below it.
Mutual Fund. An investment company that pools the money of many people and invests it in a variety of securities in an effort to achieve a specific objective over time.
NASDAQ US Dividend Achievers Select Index. An index that tracks U.S. common stocks with a record of increasing dividends for at least ten consecutive years, excluding real estate investment trusts (known as REITs) and companies that have low potential for dividend growth.
New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). A stock exchange based in New York City that is open for regular trading on business days, Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Eastern time. Net asset values (NAVs) are calculated each business day as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE. In the rare event the NYSE experiences unanticipated trade disruptions and is unavailable at the close of the trading day, NAVs will be calculated as of the close of regular trading on the Nasdaq (or another alternate exchange if the Nasdaq is unavailable), generally 4 p.m., Eastern time.
36
Russell 1000 Index. An index that measures the performance of the 1,000 largest U.S. companies.
Securities. Stocks, bonds, money market instruments, and other investments.
Total Return. A percentage change, over a specified time period, in a mutual fund’s net asset value, assuming the reinvestment of all distributions of dividends and capital gains.
Volatility. The fluctuations in value of a mutual fund or other security. The greater a fund’s volatility, the wider the fluctuations in its returns.
Yield. Income (interest or dividends) earned by an investment, expressed as a percentage of the investment’s price.
P.O. Box 2600
Valley Forge, PA 19482-2600
Connect with Vanguard® > vanguard.com
For More Information
If you would like more information about Vanguard Dividend Growth Fund, the following documents are available free upon request:
Annual/Semiannual Reports to Shareholders
Additional information about the Funds investments is available in the Funds annual and semiannual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Funds performance during its last fiscal year.
Statement of Additional Information (SAI)
The SAI provides more detailed information about the Fund and is incorporated by reference into (and thus legally a part of) this prospectus.
To receive a free copy of the latest annual or semiannual report or the SAI, or to request additional information about the Fund or other Vanguard funds, please visit vanguard.com or contact us as follows:
If you are an individual investor:
The Vanguard Group
Investor Information Department P.O. Box 2600 Valley Forge, PA 19482-2600 Telephone: 800-662-7447
Text telephone for people with hearing impairment: 800-749-7273
If you are a participant in an employer-sponsored plan:
The Vanguard Group Participant Services P.O. Box 2900 Valley Forge, PA 19482-2900 Telephone: 800-523-1188
Text telephone for people with hearing impairment: 800-749-7273
If you are a current Vanguard shareholder and would like information about your account, account transactions, and/or account statements, please call:
Client Services Department Telephone: 800-662-2739
Text telephone for people with hearing impairment: 800-749-7273
Information Provided by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
You can review and copy information about the Fund (including the SAI) at the SECs Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. To find out more about this public service, call the SEC at 202-551-8090. Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR database on the SECs website at www.sec.gov, or you can receive copies of this information, for a fee, by electronic request at the following email address: [email protected], or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 20549-1520.
Funds Investment Company Act file number: 811-03916
© 2017 The Vanguard Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Vanguard Marketing Corporation, Distributor.
P 057 052017
| Vanguard Dividend Growth Fund |
| Prospectus |
| May 25, 2017 |
| Investor Shares |
| Vanguard Dividend Growth Fund Investor Shares (VDIGX) |
| This prospectus contains financial data for the Fund through the fiscal year ended January 31, 2017. |
| The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or |
| passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. |
| Contents | |||
| Fund Summary | 1 | Financial Highlights | 15 |
| More on the Fund | 6 | General Information | 17 |
| The Fund and Vanguard | 11 | Glossary of Investment Terms | 19 |
| Investment Advisor | 12 | ||
| Taxes | 13 | ||
| Share Price | 13 | ||
Fund Summary
Investment Objective
The Fund seeks to provide, primarily, a growing stream of income over time and, secondarily, long-term capital appreciation and current income.
Fees and Expenses
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.
| Shareholder Fees | |
| (Fees paid directly from your investment) | |
| Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases | None |
| Purchase Fee | None |
| Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends | None |
| Redemption Fee | None |
| Annual Fund Operating Expenses | |
| (Expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| Management Fees | 0.28% |
| 12b-1 Distribution Fee | None |
| Other Expenses | 0.02% |
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.30% |
1
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. It illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over various periods if you were to invest $10,000 in the Fund’s shares. This example assumes that the Fund provides a return of 5% each year and that total annual fund operating expenses remain as stated in the preceding table. You would incur these hypothetical expenses whether or not you redeem your investment at the end of the given period. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
| 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years |
| $31 | $97 | $169 | $381 |
This example does not include fees associated with the income annuity program through which you invest. Detailed information about the annuity program fees is presented in the “Fee Table” section of the accompanying prospectus of the insurance company for the annuity program through which Fund shares are offered.
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in more taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the previous expense example, reduce the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 27% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund invests primarily in stocks that tend to offer current dividends. The Fund focuses on high-quality companies that have prospects for long-term total returns as a result of their ability to grow earnings and their willingness to increase dividends over time. These stocks typically—but not always—will be large-cap, will be undervalued relative to the market, and will show potential for increasing dividends. The Fund seeks to be diversified across industry sectors.
2
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund could lose money over short or even long periods. You should expect the Fund’s share price and total return to fluctuate within a wide range. The Fund is subject to the following risks, which could affect the Fund’s performance:
• Stock market risk, which is the chance that stock prices overall will decline. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices.
• Manager risk, which is the chance that poor security selection will cause the Fund to underperform relevant benchmarks or other funds with a similar investment objective.
• Investment style risk, which is the chance that returns from dividend-paying large-capitalization stocks will trail returns from the overall stock market. Large-cap stocks tend to go through cycles of doing better—or worse—than other segments of the stock market or the stock market in general. These periods have, in the past, lasted for as long as several years.
• Asset concentration risk, which is the chance that, because the Fund tends to invest a high percentage of assets in its ten largest holdings, the Fund’s performance may be hurt disproportionately by the poor performance of relatively few stocks.
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
3
Annual Total Returns
The following bar chart and table are intended to help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the performance of the Fund has varied from one calendar year to another over the periods shown. The table shows how the average annual total returns of the Fund compare with those of a relevant market index and other comparative indexes, which have investment characteristics similar to those of the Fund. The bar chart and table do not reflect additional fees and expenses that are deducted by the income annuity program through which you invest. If such fees and expenses were included in the calculation of the Fund’s returns, the returns would be lower. Keep in mind that the Fund’s past performance does not indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available on our website at vanguard.com/performance or by calling Vanguard toll-free at 800-662-7447.
Annual Total Returns — Vanguard Dividend Growth Fund Investor Shares1
1 The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on March 31, 2017, was 5.87%.
During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a calendar quarter was 11.91% (quarter ended December 31, 2011), and the lowest return for a quarter was –17.10% (quarter ended December 31, 2008).
| Average Annual Total Returns for Periods Ended December 31, 2016 | |||
| 1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | |
| Vanguard Dividend Growth Fund Investor Shares | 7.53% | 12.37% | 7.79% |
| Comparative Indexes | |||
| (reflect no deduction for fees or expenses) | |||
| Russell 1000 Index | 12.05% | 14.69% | 7.08% |
| Dividend Growth Spliced Index | 11.93 | 11.76 | 5.94 |
| NASDAQ US Dividend Achievers Select Index | 11.93 | 11.76 | 7.08 |
4
Investment Advisor
Wellington Management Company LLP (Wellington Management)
Portfolio Manager
Donald J. Kilbride, Senior Managing Director and Equity Portfolio Manager of Wellington Management. He has managed the Fund since 2006.
Tax Information
The tax consequences of your investment in the Fund depend on the provisions of the income annuity program through which you invest. For more information on taxes, please refer to the accompanying prospectus of the insurance company that offers your annuity program.
Payments to Financial Intermediaries
The Fund and its investment advisor do not pay financial intermediaries for sales of Fund shares.
5
More on the Fund
This prospectus describes the principal risks you would face as an investor in this Fund. It is important to keep in mind one of the main axioms of investing: generally, the higher the risk of losing money, the higher the potential reward. The reverse, also, is generally true: the lower the risk, the lower the potential reward. As you consider an investment in any mutual fund, you should take into account your personal tolerance for fluctuations in the securities markets. Look for this symbol throughout the prospectus. It is used to mark detailed information about the more significant risks that you would confront as a Fund investor. To highlight terms and concepts important to mutual fund investors, we have provided Plain Talk® explanations along the way. Reading the prospectus will help you decide whether the Fund is the right investment for you. We suggest that you keep this prospectus for future reference.
This prospectus is intended for investors who would like to open an income annuity (also referred to as an immediate annuity) account through a contract offered by an insurance company. Another version—for investors who would like to open a personal investment account—can be obtained by visiting our website at vanguard.com or by calling Vanguard at 800-662-7447.
A Note About Investing in the Fund
The Fund is a mutual fund used as an investment option for income annuity programs offered by insurance companies and for personal investment accounts. When investing through an insurance company, you cannot purchase shares of the Fund directly, but only through a contract offered by the insurance company.
The Fund‘s income annuity accounts’ performance will differ from the performance of personal investment accounts because of administrative and insurance costs associated with the income annuity programs.
| Plain Talk About Costs of Investing |
| Costs are an important consideration in choosing a mutual fund. That is because |
| you, as a contract owner, pay a proportionate share of the costs of operating a |
| fund, plus any transaction costs incurred when the fund buys or sells securities. |
| These costs can erode a substantial portion of the gross income or the capital |
| appreciation a fund achieves. Even seemingly small differences in expenses can, |
| over time, have a dramatic effect on a fund‘s performance. |
The following sections explain the principal investment strategies and policies that the Fund uses in pursuit of its objective. The Fund‘s board of trustees, which oversees the Fund‘s management, may change investment strategies or policies in the interest of shareholders without a shareholder vote, unless those strategies or policies are
6
designated as fundamental. Note that the Fund‘s investment objective is not fundamental and may be changed without a shareholder vote.
Market Exposure
The Fund will invest predominantly in dividend-paying large-cap stocks that offer the potential for attractive dividend and earnings growth over the long term.
Stocks of publicly traded companies and funds that invest in stocks are often classified according to market value, or market capitalization. These classifications typically include small-cap, mid-cap, and large-cap. It is important to understand that market capitalization ranges change over time. Also, interpretations of size vary, and there are no “official” definitions of small-, mid-, and large-cap, even among Vanguard fund advisors. The asset-weighted median market capitalization of the Fund’s stock holdings as of January 31, 2017, was $84.6 billion.
The Fund is subject to stock market risk, which is the chance that stock prices overall will decline. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices.
To illustrate the volatility of stock prices, the following table shows the best, worst, and average annual total returns for the U.S. stock market over various periods as measured by the S&P 500 Index, a widely used barometer of U.S. stock market activity. Total returns consist of dividend income plus change in market price. Note that the returns shown do not include the costs of buying and selling stocks or other expenses that a real-world investment portfolio would incur.
| U.S. Stock Market Returns | ||||
| (1926–2016) | ||||
| 1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | 20 Years | |
| Best | 54.2% | 28.6% | 19.9% | 17.8% |
| Worst | –43.1 | –12.4 | –1.4 | 3.1 |
| Average | 11.9 | 10.1 | 10.3 | 11.0 |
The table covers all of the rolling 1-, 5-, 10-, and 20-year periods from 1926 through 2016. You can see, for example, that although the average annual return on common stocks for all of the 5-year periods was 10.1%, average annual returns for individual 5-year periods ranged from –12.4% (from 1928 through 1932) to 28.6% (from 1995 through 1999). These average annual returns reflect past performance of common stocks; you should not regard them as an indication of future performance of either the stock market as a whole or the Fund in particular.
7
The Fund is subject to investment style risk, which is the chance that returns from dividend-paying large-capitalization stocks will trail returns from the overall stock market. Large-cap stocks tend to go through cycles of doing better—or worse—than other segments of the stock market or the stock market in general. These periods have, in the past, lasted for as long as several years.
Security Selection
Wellington Management Company LLP (Wellington Management), advisor to the Fund, selects securities from a diverse group of industries, focusing on companies that have a history of paying a stable or increasing dividend. Stocks of companies that have reduced dividends in the past or are not currently paying dividends may be considered for inclusion in the Fund if the advisor believes that dividend growth is likely to be restored. Securities are selected based on a variety of factors, such as a company’s consistent effort to increase dividends over time while maintaining a target of profitability. The advisor is not constrained by a traditional value or growth mandate but is permitted sufficient style latitude to search a broad investment universe for quality stocks with attractive total return potential.
The Fund is subject to manager risk, which is the chance that poor security selection will cause the Fund to underperform relevant benchmarks or other funds with a similar investment objective.
The Fund is subject to asset concentration risk, which is the chance that, because the Fund tends to invest a high percentage of assets in its ten largest holdings, the Fund‘s performance may be hurt disproportionately by the poor performance of relatively few stocks.
Other Investment Policies and Risks
In addition to investing in dividend-paying large-capitalization stocks, the Fund may make other kinds of investments to achieve its objective.
The Fund typically invests a limited portion, up to 25%, of its assets in foreign securities, which may include depositary receipts. Foreign securities may be traded on U.S. or foreign markets. To the extent that it owns foreign securities, the Fund is subject to country risk and currency risk. Country risk is the chance that world events—such as political upheaval, financial troubles, or natural disasters—will adversely affect the value of securities issued by companies in foreign countries. In addition, the prices of foreign stocks and the prices of U.S. stocks have, at times, moved in opposite directions. Currency risk is the chance that the value of a foreign investment, measured in U.S. dollars, will decrease because of unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates.
8
The Fund may invest, to a limited extent, in derivatives. Generally speaking, a derivative is a financial contract whose value is based on the value of a financial asset (such as a stock, a bond, or a currency), a physical asset (such as gold, oil, or wheat), a market index (such as the S&P 500 Index), or a reference rate (such as LIBOR). Investments in derivatives may subject the Fund to risks different from, and possibly greater than, those of investments directly in the underlying securities or assets. The Fund will not use derivatives for speculation or for the purpose of leveraging (magnifying) investment returns.
The Fund may enter into foreign currency exchange forward contracts, which are a type of derivative. A foreign currency exchange forward contract is an agreement to buy or sell a currency at a specific price on a specific date, usually 30, 60, or 90 days in the future. In other words, the contract guarantees an exchange rate on a given date. Advisors of funds that invest in foreign securities can use these contracts to guard against unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates. These contracts, however, would not prevent the Fund‘s securities from falling in value as a result of risks other than unfavorable currency exchange movements.
Cash Management
The Fund‘s daily cash balance may be invested in one or more Vanguard CMT Funds, which are very low-cost money market funds. When investing in a Vanguard CMT Fund, the Fund bears its proportionate share of the expenses of the CMT Fund in which it invests. Vanguard receives no additional revenue from Fund assets invested in a Vanguard CMT Fund.
Temporary Investment Measures
The Fund may temporarily depart from its normal investment policies and strategies when the advisor believes that doing so is in the Fund‘s best interest, so long as the alternative is consistent with the Fund‘s investment objective. For instance, the Fund may invest beyond its normal limits in derivatives or exchange-traded funds that are consistent with the Fund‘s objective when those instruments are more favorably priced or provide needed liquidity, as might be the case if the Fund is transitioning assets from one advisor to another or receives large cash flows that it cannot prudently invest immediately.
In addition, the Fund may take temporary defensive positions that are inconsistent with its normal investment policies and strategies—for instance, by allocating substantial assets to cash equivalent investments or other less volatile instruments—in response to adverse or unusual market, economic, political, or other conditions. In doing so, the Fund may succeed in avoiding losses but may otherwise fail to achieve its investment objective.
9
Frequent Trading or Market-Timing
Background. Some investors try to profit from strategies involving frequent trading of mutual fund shares, such as market-timing. For funds holding foreign securities, investors may try to take advantage of an anticipated difference between the price of the fund’s shares and price movements in overseas markets, a practice also known as time-zone arbitrage. Investors also may try to engage in frequent trading of funds holding investments such as small-cap stocks and high-yield bonds. As money is shifted into and out of a fund by a shareholder engaging in frequent trading, the fund incurs costs for buying and selling securities, resulting in increased brokerage and administrative costs. These costs are borne by all fund shareholders, including the long-term investors who do not generate the costs. In addition, frequent trading may interfere with an advisor’s ability to efficiently manage the fund.
Policies to address frequent trading. The Vanguard funds (other than money market funds and short-term bond funds, but including Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund) do not knowingly accommodate frequent trading. The board of trustees of each Vanguard fund (other than money market funds and short-term bond funds, but including Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund) has adopted policies and procedures reasonably designed to detect and discourage frequent trading and, in some cases, to compensate the fund for the costs associated with it. These policies and procedures do not apply to Vanguard ETF® Shares because frequent trading in ETF Shares generally does not disrupt portfolio management or otherwise harm fund shareholders. Although there is no assurance that Vanguard will be able to detect or prevent frequent trading or market-timing in all circumstances, the following policies have been adopted to address these issues:
• Each Vanguard fund reserves the right to reject any purchase request—including exchanges from other Vanguard funds—without notice and regardless of size. For example, a purchase request could be rejected because the investor has a history of frequent trading or if Vanguard determines that such purchase may negatively affect a fund’s operation or performance.
• Each Vanguard fund (other than money market funds and short-term bond funds, but including Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund) generally prohibits a contract owner or annuitant from exchanging into a fund contract for 30 calendar days after the contract owner or annuitant has exchanged out of that fund contract.
• Certain Vanguard funds charge shareholders purchase and/or redemption fees on transactions.
10
Each Vanguard fund (other than retail and government money market funds), in determining its net asset value, will use fair-value pricing when appropriate, as described in the Share Price section. Fair-value pricing may reduce or eliminate the profitability of certain frequent-trading strategies.
Do not invest with Vanguard if you are a market-timer.
Turnover Rate
Although the Fund generally seeks to invest for the long term, it may sell securities regardless of how long they have been held. The Financial Highlights section of this prospectus shows historical turnover rates for the Fund. A turnover rate of 100%, for example, would mean that the Fund had sold and replaced securities valued at 100% of its net assets within a one-year period.
| Plain Talk About Turnover Rate |
| Before investing in a mutual fund, you should review its turnover rate. This gives |
| an indication of how transaction costs, which are not included in the fund’s |
| expense ratio, could affect the fund’s future returns. In general, the greater the |
| volume of buying and selling by the fund, the greater the impact that brokerage |
| commissions and other transaction costs will have on its return. Also, funds with |
| high turnover rates may be more likely to generate capital gains, including short- |
| term capital gains, that must be distributed to shareholders and will be taxable to |
| shareholders investing through a taxable account. |
The Fund and Vanguard
The Fund is a member of The Vanguard Group, a family of more than 190 mutual funds holding assets of approximately $3.7 trillion. All of the funds that are members of The Vanguard Group (other than funds of funds) share in the expenses associated with administrative services and business operations, such as personnel, office space, and equipment.
Vanguard Marketing Corporation provides marketing services to the funds. Although shareholders do not pay sales commissions or 12b-1 distribution fees, each fund (other than a fund of funds) or each share class of a fund (in the case of a fund with multiple share classes) pays its allocated share of the Vanguard funds’ marketing costs.
11
| Plain Talk About Vanguard’s Unique Corporate Structure |
| The Vanguard Group is truly a mutual mutual fund company. It is owned jointly by |
| the funds it oversees and thus indirectly by the shareholders in those funds. |
| Most other mutual funds are operated by management companies that may be |
| owned by one person, by a private group of individuals, or by public investors |
| who own the management company’s stock. The management fees charged by |
| these companies include a profit component over and above the companies’ cost |
| of providing services. By contrast, Vanguard provides services to its member |
| funds on an at-cost basis, with no profit component, which helps to keep the |
| funds’ expenses low. |
Investment Advisor
Wellington Management Company LLP, 280 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210, is a Delaware limited liability partnership and an investment counseling firm that provides investment services to investment companies, employee benefit plans, endowments, foundations, and other institutions. Wellington Management and its predecessor organizations have provided investment advisory services for over 80 years. Wellington Management is owned by the partners of Wellington Management Group LLP, a Massachusetts limited liability company. As of January 31, 2017, Wellington Management and its investment advisory affiliates had investment management authority with respect to approximately $979 billion in assets. The firm manages the Fund subject to the supervision and oversight of the trustees and officers of the Fund.
The Fund pays the advisor a base fee plus or minus a performance adjustment. The base fee, which is paid quarterly, is a percentage of average daily net assets under management during the most recent fiscal quarter. The base fee has breakpoints, which means that the percentage declines as assets go up. The performance adjustment, also paid quarterly, is based on the cumulative total return of the Fund relative to that of the NASDAQ US Dividend Achievers Select Index over the preceding 36-month period. When the performance adjustment is positive, the Fund’s expenses increase; when it is negative, expenses decrease.
For the fiscal year ended January 31, 2017, the advisory fee represented an effective annual rate of 0.13% of the Fund’s average net assets before a performance-based increase of 0.03%.
Under the terms of an SEC exemption, the Fund’s board of trustees may, without prior approval from shareholders, change the terms of an advisory agreement or hire a new investment advisor—either as a replacement for an existing advisor or as an additional advisor. Any significant change in the Fund’s advisory arrangements will be communicated to shareholders in writing. In addition, as the Fund’s sponsor and
12
overall manager, The Vanguard Group, Inc. (Vanguard), may provide investment advisory services to the Fund, on an at-cost basis, at any time. Vanguard may also recommend to the board of trustees that an advisor be hired, terminated, or replaced or that the terms of an existing advisory agreement be revised.
For a discussion of why the board of trustees approved the Fund’s investment advisory agreement, see the most recent annual report to shareholders covering the fiscal year ended January 31.
The manager primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund is:
Donald J. Kilbride, Senior Managing Director and Equity Portfolio Manager of Wellington Management. He has worked in investment management since 1996, has managed investment portfolios since joining Wellington Management in 2002, and has managed the Fund since 2006. Education: B.A., College of the Holy Cross; M.B.A., University of North Carolina, Kenan-Flagler Business School.
The Statement of Additional Information provides information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts under management, and ownership of shares of the Fund.
Taxes
The tax consequences of your investment in the Fund depend on the provisions of the income annuity program through which you invest. For more information on taxes, please refer to the accompanying prospectus of the insurance company that offers your annuity program.
Share Price
Share price, also known as net asset value (NAV), is calculated each business day as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), generally 4 p.m., Eastern time. The NAV per share is computed by dividing the total assets, minus liabilities, of the Fund by the number of Fund shares outstanding. On U.S. holidays or other days when the NYSE is closed, the NAV is not calculated, and the Fund does not sell or redeem shares. However, on those days the value of the Fund’s assets may be affected to the extent that the Fund holds securities that change in value on those days (such as foreign securities that trade on foreign markets that are open).
Stocks held by a Vanguard fund are valued at their market value when reliable market quotations are readily available from the principal exchange or market on which they are traded. Such securities are generally valued at their official closing price, the last reported sales price, or if there were no sales that day, the mean between the closing bid and asking prices. When a fund determines that market quotations either are not
13
readily available or do not accurately reflect the value of a security, the security is priced at its fair value (the amount that the owner might reasonably expect to receive upon the current sale of the security).
The values of any foreign securities held by a fund are converted into U.S. dollars using an exchange rate obtained from an independent third party as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE. The values of any mutual fund shares, including institutional money market fund shares, held by a fund are based on the NAVs of the shares. The values of any ETF shares or closed-end fund shares held by a fund are based on the market value of the shares.
A fund also will use fair-value pricing if the value of a security it holds has been materially affected by events occurring before the fund’s pricing time but after the close of the principal exchange or market on which the security is traded. This most commonly occurs with foreign securities, which may trade on foreign exchanges that close many hours before the fund’s pricing time. Intervening events might be company-specific (e.g., earnings report, merger announcement) or country-specific or regional/global (e.g., natural disaster, economic or political news, act of terrorism, interest rate change). Intervening events include price movements in U.S. markets that exceed a specified threshold or that are otherwise deemed to affect the value of foreign securities.
Fair-value pricing may be used for domestic securities—for example, if (1) trading in a security is halted and does not resume before the fund’s pricing time or a security does not trade in the course of a day and (2) the fund holds enough of the security that its price could affect the NAV.
Fair-value prices are determined by Vanguard according to procedures adopted by the board of trustees. When fair-value pricing is employed, the prices of securities used by a fund to calculate the NAV may differ from quoted or published prices for the same securities.
The Fund’s NAV is used to determine the annuity’s unit value for the income annuity program through which you invest. For more information on unit values, please refer to the accompanying prospectus of the insurance company that offers your annuity program.
14
Financial Highlights
The following financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund‘s financial performance for the periods shown, and certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost each period on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all distributions). This information has been obtained from the financial statements audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report—along with the Fund’s financial statements—is included in the Fund’s most recent annual report to shareholders. You may obtain a free copy of the latest annual or semiannual report by visiting vanguard.com or by contacting Vanguard by telephone or mail.
Yields and total returns presented for the Fund are net of the Fund’s operating expenses, but they do not take into account charges and expenses attributable to the income annuity program through which you invest. The expenses of the annuity program reduce the returns and yields you ultimately receive, so you should bear those expenses in mind when evaluating the performance of the Fund and when comparing the yields and returns of the Fund with those of other mutual funds.
| Plain Talk About How to Read the Financial Highlights Table |
| The Fund began fiscal year 2017 with a net asset value (share price) of $21.78 per |
| share. During the year, the Fund earned $0.446 per share from investment |
| income (interest and dividends) and $2.165 per share from investments that had |
| appreciated in value or that were sold for higher prices than the Fund paid |
| for them. |
| Shareholders received $0.671 per share in the form of dividend and capital gains |
| distributions. A portion of each year’s distributions may come from the prior |
| year’s income or capital gains. |
| The share price at the end of the year was $23.72, reflecting earnings of $2.611 |
| per share and distributions of $0.671 per share. This was an increase of $1.94 per |
| share (from $21.78 at the beginning of the year to $23.72 at the end of the year). |
| For a shareholder who reinvested the distributions in the purchase of more |
| shares, the total return was 12.06% for the year. |
| As of January 31, 2017, the Fund had approximately $31 billion in net assets. For |
| the year, its expense ratio was 0.30% ($3.00 per $1,000 of net assets), and its |
| net investment income amounted to 1.93% of its average net assets. The Fund |
| sold and replaced securities valued at 27% of its net assets. |
15
| Dividend Growth Fund | |||||
| Year Ended January 31, | |||||
| For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period | $21.78 | $22.47 | $20.45 | $17.52 | $15.81 |
| Investment Operations | |||||
| Net Investment Income | .446 | .442 | .430 | .385 | .357 |
| Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) | |||||
| on Investments | 2.165 | .145 | 2.378 | 3.033 | 1.721 |
| Total from Investment Operations | 2.611 | .587 | 2.808 | 3.418 | 2.078 |
| Distributions | |||||
| Dividends from Net Investment Income | (.450) | (.432) | (.440) | (.384) | (.368) |
| Distributions from Realized Capital Gains | (.221) | (.845) | (.348) | (.104) | — |
| Total Distributions | (.671) | (1.277) | (.788) | (.488) | (.368) |
| Net Asset Value, End of Period | $23.72 | $21.78 | $22.47 | $20.45 | $17.52 |
| Total Return | 12.06% | 2.44% | 13.69% | 19.60% | 13.36% |
| Ratios/Supplemental Data | |||||
| Net Assets, End of Period (Millions) | $30,633 | $25,632 | $23,067 | $19,137 | $12,704 |
| Ratio of Total Expenses to | |||||
| Average Net Assets1 | 0.30% | 0.33% | 0.32% | 0.31% | 0.29% |
| Ratio of Net Investment Income to | |||||
| Average Net Assets | 1.93% | 1.95% | 1.94% | 2.03% | 2.22% |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate | 27% | 26% | 23% | 18% | 11% |
1 Includes performance-based investment advisory fee increases (decreases) of 0.03%, 0.04%, 0.03%, 0.02%, and 0.00%.
16
General Information
The Fund offers its shares to insurance companies that offer income annuity programs. Because of differences in tax treatment or other considerations, the interests of various contract owners participating in the Fund might at some time be in conflict. The Fund‘s board of trustees will monitor for any material conflicts and determine what action, if any, should be taken.
If the board of trustees determines that continued offering of shares would be detrimental to the best interests of the Fund’s shareholders, the Fund may suspend the offering of shares for a period of time. If the board of trustees determines that a specific purchase acceptance would be detrimental to the best interests of the Fund’s shareholders, the Fund may reject such a purchase request.
If you wish to redeem money from the Fund, please refer to the instructions provided in the accompanying prospectus of the insurance company that offers your annuity program. Shares of the Fund may be redeemed on any business day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open for trading. The redemption price of shares will be the next-determined NAV per share. Redemption proceeds will be wired to the administrator for distribution to the contract owner generally on the business day following receipt of the redemption request, but no later than seven business days. Contract owners will receive a check from the administrator for the redemption amount.
The Fund can postpone payment of redemption proceeds beyond seven calendar days or suspend the redemption right at times when the NYSE is closed or during any emergency circumstances, as determined by the SEC.
The exchange privilege (your ability to purchase shares of a fund using the proceeds from the simultaneous redemption of shares of another fund) may be available to you through your program. Although we make every effort to maintain the exchange privilege, Vanguard reserves the right to revise or terminate this privilege, limit the amount of an exchange, or reject any exchange, at any time, without notice.
If the board of trustees determines that it would be detrimental to the best interests of the Fund’s remaining shareholders to make payment in cash, the Fund may pay redemption proceeds in whole or in part by a distribution in kind of readily marketable securities.
For certain categories of investors, the Fund has authorized one or more brokers to accept on its behalf purchase and redemption orders. The brokers are authorized to designate other intermediaries to accept purchase and redemption orders on the Fund’s behalf. The Fund will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when an authorized broker, or a broker’s authorized designee, accepts the order in accordance with the Fund’s instructions. In most instances, for these categories of investors, a contract owner’s properly transmitted order will be priced at the Fund‘s next-determined NAV after the order is accepted by the authorized broker or the
17
broker’s designee. The contract owner should review the authorized broker’s policies relating to trading in the Vanguard funds.
When insurance companies establish omnibus accounts in the Fund for the benefit of their clients, we cannot monitor the trading activity of the individual clients. However, we review trading activity at the omnibus account level, and we look for activity that may indicate potential frequent trading or market-timing. If we detect suspicious activity, we will seek the assistance of the insurance company to investigate and take appropriate action. If necessary, Vanguard may prohibit additional purchases of Fund shares by an insurance company, including for the benefit of certain of the insurance company’s clients. Also, insurance companies may apply frequent-trading policies that differ from one another.
Please read the insurance company contract and program materials carefully to learn of any rules or fees that may apply. See the accompanying prospectus for the annuity or insurance program through which Fund shares are offered for further details on transaction policies.
Please consult the Fund‘s Statement of Additional Information or our website for a description of the policies and procedures that govern disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings.
“Dividend Achievers” is a trademark of The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. (collectively, with its affiliates, “NASDAQ OMX”) and has been licensed for use by The Vanguard Group, Inc. Vanguard mutual funds are not sponsored, endorsed, sold, or promoted by NASDAQ OMX and NASDAQ OMX makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in the funds. NASDAQ OMX MAKES NO WARRANTIES AND BEARS NO LIABILITY WITH RESPECT TO THE VANGUARD MUTUAL FUNDS.
18
Glossary of Investment Terms
Capital Gains Distribution. Payment to mutual fund shareholders of gains realized on securities that a fund has sold at a profit, minus any realized losses.
Cash Equivalent Investments. Cash deposits, short-term bank deposits, and money market instruments that include U.S. Treasury bills and notes, bank certificates of deposit (CDs), repurchase agreements, commercial paper, and banker’s acceptances.
Common Stock. A security representing ownership rights in a corporation.
Dividend Distribution. Payment to mutual fund shareholders of income from interest or dividends generated by a fund’s investments.
Dividend Growth Spliced Index. An index that reflects performance of the Russell 1000 Index through January 31, 2010, and the NASDAQ US Dividend Achievers Select Index thereafter.
Expense Ratio. A fund’s total annual operating expenses expressed as a percentage of the fund’s average net assets. The expense ratio includes management and administrative expenses, but it does not include the transaction costs of buying and selling portfolio securities.
Inception Date. The date on which the assets of a fund (or one of its share classes) are first invested in accordance with the fund’s investment objective. For funds with a subscription period, the inception date is the day after that period ends. Investment performance is generally measured from the inception date.
Median Market Capitalization. An indicator of the size of companies in which a fund invests; the midpoint of market capitalization (market price x shares outstanding) of a fund’s stocks, weighted by the proportion of the fund’s assets invested in each stock. Stocks representing half of the fund’s assets have market capitalizations above the median, and the rest are below it.
Mutual Fund. An investment company that pools the money of many people and invests it in a variety of securities in an effort to achieve a specific objective over time.
NASDAQ US Dividend Achievers Select Index. An index that tracks U.S. common stocks with a record of increasing dividends for at least ten consecutive years, excluding real estate investment trusts (known as REITs) and companies that have low potential for dividend growth.
New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). A stock exchange based in New York City that is open for regular trading on business days, Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Eastern time. Net asset values (NAVs) are calculated each business day as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE. In the rare event the NYSE experiences unanticipated trade disruptions and is unavailable at the close of the trading day, NAVs will be calculated as of the close of regular trading on the Nasdaq (or another alternate exchange if the Nasdaq is unavailable), generally 4 p.m., Eastern time.
19
Russell 1000 Index. An index that measures the performance of the 1,000 largest U.S. companies.
Securities. Stocks, bonds, money market instruments, and other investments.
Total Return. A percentage change, over a specified time period, in a mutual fund’s net asset value, assuming the reinvestment of all distributions of dividends and capital gains.
Volatility. The fluctuations in value of a mutual fund or other security. The greater a fund’s volatility, the wider the fluctuations in its returns.
Yield. Income (interest or dividends) earned by an investment, expressed as a percentage of the investment’s price.
20
This page intentionally left blank.
P.O. Box 2600
Valley Forge, PA 19482-2600
Connect with Vanguard® > vanguard.com
For More Information
If you would like more information about Vanguard Dividend Growth Fund, the following documents are available free upon request:
Annual/Semiannual Reports to Shareholders
Additional information about the Funds investments is available in the Funds annual and semiannual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Funds performance during its last fiscal year.
Statement of Additional Information (SAI)
The SAI provides more detailed information about the Fund and is incorporated by reference into (and thus legally a part of) this prospectus.
To receive a free copy of the latest annual or semiannual report or the SAI, or to request additional information about the Fund or other Vanguard funds, please visit vanguard.com or contact us as follows:
Vanguard Annuity and Insurance Services P.O. Box 2600 Valley Forge, PA 19482-2600 Telephone: 800-522-5555
Information Provided by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
You can review and copy information about the Fund (including the SAI) at the SECs Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. To find out more about this public service, call the SEC at 202-551-8090. Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR database on the SECs website at www.sec.gov, or you can receive copies of this information, for a fee, by electronic request at the following email address: [email protected], or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 20549-1520.
Funds Investment Company Act file number: 811-03916
© 2017 The Vanguard Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Vanguard Marketing Corporation, Distributor.
P 057A 052017
| Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund |
| Prospectus |
| May 25, 2017 |
| Investor Shares & Admiral Shares |
| Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund Investor Shares (VDAIX) |
| Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund Admiral Shares (VDADX) |
| This prospectus contains financial data for the Fund through the fiscal year ended January 31, 2017. |
| The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or |
| passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. |
| Contents | |||
| Fund Summary | 1 | Investing With Vanguard | 21 |
| Investing in Index Funds | 6 | Purchasing Shares | 21 |
| More on the Fund | 7 | Converting Shares | 24 |
| The Fund and Vanguard | 12 | Redeeming Shares | 26 |
| Investment Advisor | 13 | Exchanging Shares | 29 |
| Dividends, Capital Gains, and Taxes | 14 | Frequent-Trading Limitations | 30 |
| Share Price | 16 | Other Rules You Should Know | 32 |
| Financial Highlights | 18 | Fund and Account Updates | 36 |
| Employer-Sponsored Plans | 37 | ||
| Contacting Vanguard | 38 | ||
| Additional Information | 39 | ||
| Glossary of Investment Terms | 40 | ||
Fund Summary
Investment Objective
The Fund seeks to track the performance of a benchmark index that measures the investment return of common stocks of companies that have a record of increasing dividends over time.
Fees and Expenses
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold Investor Shares or Admiral Shares of the Fund.
| Shareholder Fees | ||
| (Fees paid directly from your investment) | ||
| Investor Shares | Admiral Shares | |
| Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases | None | None |
| Purchase Fee | None | None |
| Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends | None | None |
| Redemption Fee | None | None |
| Account Service Fee (for certain fund account balances below | $20/year | $20/year |
| $10,000) | ||
| Annual Fund Operating Expenses | ||
| (Expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | ||
| Investor Shares | Admiral Shares | |
| Management Fees | 0.14% | 0.07% |
| 12b-1 Distribution Fee | None | None |
| Other Expenses | 0.03% | 0.01% |
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.17% | 0.08% |
1
Examples
The following examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund’s Investor Shares or Admiral Shares with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. They illustrate the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over various periods if you were to invest $10,000 in the Fund’s shares. These examples assume that the shares provide a return of 5% each year and that total annual fund operating expenses remain as stated in the preceding table. You would incur these hypothetical expenses whether or not you redeem your investment at the end of the given period. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
| 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years | |
| Investor Shares | $17 | $55 | $96 | $217 |
| Admiral Shares | $8 | $26 | $45 | $103 |
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in more taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the previous expense examples, reduce the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 19% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund employs an indexing investment approach designed to track the performance of the Nasdaq US Dividend Achievers Select Index, which consists of common stocks of companies that have a record of increasing dividends over time. The Fund attempts to replicate the target index by investing all, or substantially all, of its assets in the stocks that make up the Index, holding each stock in approximately the same proportion as its weighting in the Index.
2
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund could lose money over short or even long periods. You should expect the Funds share price and total return to fluctuate within a wide range. The Fund is subject to the following risks, which could affect the Funds performance:
Stock market risk, which is the chance that stock prices overall will decline. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. The Funds target index tracks a subset of the U.S. stock market, which could cause the Fund to perform differently from the overall stock market. In addition, the Funds target index may, at times, become focused in stocks of a particular market sector, which would subject the Fund to proportionately higher exposure to the risks of that sector.
Investment style risk, which is the chance that returns from dividend-paying stocks will trail returns from the overall stock market. In addition, mid-capitalization stocks (to the extent that the Funds assets are invested in mid-cap stocks) historically have been more volatile in price than the large-cap stocks that dominate the overall stock market. Dividend-paying stocks tend to go through cycles of doing betteror worsethan the stock market in general. These periods have, in the past, lasted for as long as several years.
Asset concentration risk, which is the chance that, because the Funds target index (and therefore the Fund) tends to be heavily weighted in its ten largest holdings, the Funds performance may be hurt disproportionately by the poor performance of relatively few stocks.
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Annual Total Returns
The following bar chart and table are intended to help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the performance of the Funds Investor Shares has varied from one calendar year to another over the periods shown. The table shows how the average annual total returns of the share classes presented compare with those of the Funds target index, which has investment characteristics similar to those of the Fund. Keep in mind that the Funds past performance (before and after taxes) does not indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available on our website at vanguard.com/performance or by calling Vanguard toll-free at 800-662-7447.
3
Annual Total Returns — Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund Investor Shares1
1 The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on March 31, 2017, was 6.14%.
During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a calendar quarter was 12.82% (quarter ended December 31, 2011), and the lowest return for a quarter was –15.32% (quarter ended December 31, 2008).
| Average Annual Total Returns for Periods Ended December 31, 2016 | |||
| 1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | |
| Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund Investor Shares | |||
| Return Before Taxes | 11.73% | 11.57% | 6.85% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions | 11.17 | 11.07 | 6.45 |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | 7.07 | 9.20 | 5.51 |
| Nasdaq US Dividend Achievers Select Index | |||
| (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) | 11.93% | 11.76% | 7.08% |
| Since | |||
| Inception | |||
| (Dec. 19, | |||
| 1 Year | 2013) | ||
| Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund Admiral Shares | |||
| Return Before Taxes | 11.79% | 7.13% | |
| Nasdaq US Dividend Achievers Select Index | |||
| (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) | 11.93% | 7.21% | |
Actual after-tax returns depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown in the preceding table. When after-tax returns are calculated, it is assumed that the shareholder was in the highest individual federal marginal income tax bracket at the time of each distribution of income or capital gains or upon redemption. State and local income taxes are not reflected in the calculations. Please note that after-tax
4
returns are shown only for the Investor Shares and may differ for each share class. After-tax returns are not relevant for a shareholder who holds fund shares in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan. Also, figures captioned Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may be higher than other figures for the same period if a capital loss occurs upon redemption and results in an assumed tax deduction for the shareholder.
Investment Advisor
The Vanguard Group, Inc. (Vanguard)
Portfolio Managers
Walter Nejman, Portfolio Manager at Vanguard. He has co-managed the Fund since 2016.
Gerard C. OReilly, Principal of Vanguard. He has co-managed the Fund since 2016.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may purchase or redeem shares online through our website (vanguard.com), by mail (The Vanguard Group, P.O. Box 1110, Valley Forge, PA 19482-1110), or by telephone (800-662-2739). The minimum investment amount required to open and maintain a Fund account for Investor Shares or Admiral Shares is $3,000 or $10,000, respectively. The minimum investment amount required to add to an existing Fund account is generally $1. Institutional, financial intermediary, and Vanguard retail managed clients should contact Vanguard for information on special eligibility rules that may apply to them regarding Admiral Shares. If you are investing through an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, your plan administrator or your benefits office can provide you with detailed information on how to participate in your plan.
Tax Information
The Funds distributions may be taxable as ordinary income or capital gain. If you are investing through a tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA or an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, special tax rules apply.
Payments to Financial Intermediaries
The Fund and its investment advisor do not pay financial intermediaries for sales of Fund shares.
5
Investing in Index Funds
What Is Indexing?
Indexing is an investment strategy for tracking the performance of a specified market benchmark, or index. An index is a group of securities whose overall performance is used as a standard to measure the investment performance of a particular market. There are many types of indexes. Some represent entire marketssuch as the U.S. stock market or the U.S. bond market. Other indexes cover market segmentssuch as small-capitalization stocks or short-term bonds. The index sponsor determines the securities to include in the index, the weighting of each security in the index, and the appropriate time to make changes to the composition of the index. One cannot invest directly in an index.
An index fund holds all, or a representative sample, of the securities that make up its target index. Index funds attempt to mirror the performance of the target index, for better or worse. However, an index fund generally does not perform exactly like its target index. For example, like all mutual funds, index funds have operating expenses and transaction costs. Market indexes do not, and therefore they will usually have a slight performance advantage over funds that track them.
Index funds typically have the following characteristics:
Variety of investments. Most Vanguard index funds generally invest in the securities of a variety of companies and industries.
Relative performance consistency. Because they seek to track market benchmarks, index funds usually do not perform dramatically better or worse than their benchmarks.
Low cost. Index funds are inexpensive to run compared with actively managed funds.
They have low or no research costs and typically keep trading activityand thus brokerage commissions and other transaction coststo a minimum compared with actively managed funds.
6
More on the Fund
This prospectus describes the principal risks you would face as a Fund shareholder. It is important to keep in mind one of the main axioms of investing: generally, the higher the risk of losing money, the higher the potential reward. The reverse, also, is generally true: the lower the risk, the lower the potential reward. As you consider an investment in any mutual fund, you should take into account your personal tolerance
for fluctuations in the securities markets. Look for this
symbol throughout the
prospectus. It is used to mark detailed information about the more significant risks that you would confront as a Fund shareholder. To highlight terms and concepts important to mutual fund investors, we have provided Plain Talk® explanations along the way. Reading the prospectus will help you decide whether the Fund is the right investment for you. We suggest that you keep this prospectus for future reference.
Share Class Overview
This prospectus offers the Funds Investor Shares and Admiral Shares. The Fund also issues ETF Shares (an exchange-traded class of shares), which are offered through a separate prospectus.
All share classes offered by the Fund have the same investment objective, strategies, and policies. However, different share classes have different expenses; as a result, their investment performances will differ.
| Plain Talk About Fund Expenses |
| All mutual funds have operating expenses. These expenses, which are deducted |
| from a funds gross income, are expressed as a percentage of the net assets of |
| the fund. Assuming that operating expenses remain as stated in the Fees and |
| Expenses section, Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Funds expense ratios |
| would be as follows: for Investor Shares, 0.17%, or $1.70 per $1,000 of average |
| net assets; for Admiral Shares, 0.08%, or $0.80 per $1,000 of average net |
| assets. The average expense ratio for large-capitalization core funds in 2016 was |
| 1.07%, or $10.70 per $1,000 of average net assets (derived from data provided by |
| Lipper, a Thomson Reuters Company, which reports on the mutual fund industry). |
7
Plain Talk About Costs of Investing
Costs are an important consideration in choosing a mutual fund. That is because you, as a shareholder, pay a proportionate share of the costs of operating a fund, plus any transaction costs incurred when the fund buys or sells securities. These costs can erode a substantial portion of the gross income or the capital appreciation a fund achieves. Even seemingly small differences in expenses can, over time, have a dramatic effect on a funds performance.
The following sections explain the principal investment strategies and policies that the Fund uses in pursuit of its objective. The Funds board of trustees, which oversees the Funds management, may change investment strategies or policies in the interest of shareholders without a shareholder vote, unless those strategies or policies are designated as fundamental. Note that the Funds investment objective is not fundamental and may be changed without a shareholder vote. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its assets in the stocks that make up its target index. The Fund may change its 80% policy only upon 60 days notice to shareholders.
Market Exposure
The Fund invests mainly in common stocks of companies that have a record of increasing dividends over time. Stocks purchased by the Fund are expected to have increasing dividends over time and also to have the potential for long-term capital appreciation. The Fund may purchase stocks that have relatively low dividend yields if the company issuing the stock has increased dividends in recent years.
The Fund is subject to stock market risk, which is the chance that stock prices overall will decline. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. The Funds target index tracks a subset of the U.S. stock market, which could cause the Fund to perform differently from the overall stock market. In addition, the Funds target index may, at times, become focused in stocks of a particular market sector, which would subject the Fund to proportionately higher exposure to the risks of that sector.
To illustrate the volatility of stock prices, the following table shows the best, worst, and average annual total returns for the U.S. stock market over various periods as measured by the S&P 500 Index, a widely used barometer of U.S. stock market activity. Total returns consist of dividend income plus change in market price. Note that the returns shown do not include the costs of buying and selling stocks or other expenses that a real-world investment portfolio would incur.
8
| U.S. Stock Market Returns | ||||
| (1926–2016) | ||||
| 1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | 20 Years | |
| Best | 54.2% | 28.6% | 19.9% | 17.8% |
| Worst | –43.1 | –12.4 | –1.4 | 3.1 |
| Average | 11.9 | 10.1 | 10.3 | 11.0 |
The table covers all of the rolling 1-, 5-, 10-, and 20-year periods from 1926 through 2016. You can see, for example, that although the average annual return on common stocks for all of the 5-year periods was 10.1%, average annual returns for individual 5-year periods ranged from –12.4% (from 1928 through 1932) to 28.6% (from 1995 through 1999). These average annual returns reflect past performance of common stocks; you should not regard them as an indication of future performance of either the stock market as a whole or the Fund in particular.
The Fund is subject to investment style risk, which is the chance that returns from dividend-paying stocks will trail returns from the overall stock market. In addition, mid-capitalization stocks (to the extent that the Fund’s assets are invested in mid-cap stocks) historically have been more volatile in price than the large-cap stocks that dominate the overall stock market. Dividend-paying stocks tend to go through cycles of doing better—or worse—than the stock market in general. These periods have, in the past, lasted for as long as several years.
Security Selection
The Fund attempts to track the investment performance of a benchmark index consisting of common stocks of companies that have a record of increasing dividends over time. The companies in which the Fund invests will be within the capitalization range of the companies included in the Nasdaq US Dividend Achievers Select Index ($441 million to $500 billion as of January 31, 2017). In the future, the Index’s market capitalization range may be higher or lower, and the Fund’s investments may track another index. Such changes may occur at any time and without notice to Fund shareholders.
The Fund uses the replication method of indexing, meaning that the Fund generally holds the same stocks as those in its target index, and in approximately the same proportions.
The Fund is subject to asset concentration risk, which is the chance that, because the Fund’s target index (and therefore the Fund) tends to be heavily weighted in its ten largest holdings, the Fund’s performance may be hurt disproportionately by the poor performance of relatively few stocks.
9
Other Investment Policies and Risks
The Fund reserves the right to substitute a different index for the index it currently tracks if the current index is discontinued, if the Funds agreement with the sponsor of its target index is terminated, or for any other reason determined in good faith by the Funds board of trustees. In any such instance, the substitute index would represent the same market segment as the current index.
The Fund may invest in foreign securities to the extent necessary to carry out its investment strategy of holding all, or substantially all, of the stocks that make up the index it tracks. It is not expected that the Fund will invest more than 5% of its assets in foreign securities.
To track its target index as closely as possible, the Fund attempts to remain fully invested in stocks. To help stay fully invested and to reduce transaction costs, the Fund may invest, to a limited extent, in derivatives, including equity futures. The Fund may also use derivatives such as total return swaps to obtain exposure to a stock, a basket of stocks, or an index. Generally speaking, a derivative is a financial contract whose value is based on the value of a financial asset (such as a stock, a bond, or a currency), a physical asset (such as gold, oil, or wheat), a market index (such as the S&P 500 Index), or a reference rate (such as LIBOR). Investments in derivatives may subject the Fund to risks different from, and possibly greater than, those of investments directly in the underlying securities or assets. The Fund will not use derivatives for speculation or for the purpose of leveraging (magnifying) investment returns.
Cash Management
The Funds daily cash balance may be invested in one or more Vanguard CMT Funds, which are very low-cost money market funds. When investing in a Vanguard CMT Fund, the Fund bears its proportionate share of the expenses of the CMT Fund in which it invests. Vanguard receives no additional revenue from Fund assets invested in a Vanguard CMT Fund.
Temporary Investment Measures
The Fund may temporarily depart from its normal investment policies and strategies when the advisor believes that doing so is in the Funds best interest, so long as the alternative is consistent with the Funds investment objective. For instance, the Fund may invest beyond its normal limits in derivatives or exchange-traded funds that are consistent with the Funds objective when those instruments are more favorably priced or provide needed liquidity, as might be the case when the Fund receives large cash flows that it cannot prudently invest immediately.
10
Frequent Trading or Market-Timing
Background. Some investors try to profit from strategies involving frequent trading of mutual fund shares, such as market-timing. For funds holding foreign securities, investors may try to take advantage of an anticipated difference between the price of the funds shares and price movements in overseas markets, a practice also known as time-zone arbitrage. Investors also may try to engage in frequent trading of funds holding investments such as small-cap stocks and high-yield bonds. As money is shifted into and out of a fund by a shareholder engaging in frequent trading, the fund incurs costs for buying and selling securities, resulting in increased brokerage and administrative costs. These costs are borne by all fund shareholders, including the long-term investors who do not generate the costs. In addition, frequent trading may interfere with an advisors ability to efficiently manage the fund.
Policies to address frequent trading. The Vanguard funds (other than money market funds and short-term bond funds, but including Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund) do not knowingly accommodate frequent trading. The board of trustees of each Vanguard fund (other than money market funds and short-term bond funds, but including Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund) has adopted policies and procedures reasonably designed to detect and discourage frequent trading and, in some cases, to compensate the fund for the costs associated with it. These policies and procedures do not apply to Vanguard ETF® Shares because frequent trading in ETF Shares generally does not disrupt portfolio management or otherwise harm fund shareholders. Although there is no assurance that Vanguard will be able to detect or prevent frequent trading or market-timing in all circumstances, the following policies have been adopted to address these issues:
Each Vanguard fund reserves the right to reject any purchase requestincluding exchanges from other Vanguard fundswithout notice and regardless of size. For example, a purchase request could be rejected because the investor has a history of frequent trading or if Vanguard determines that such purchase may negatively affect a funds operation or performance.
Each Vanguard fund (other than money market funds and short-term bond funds, but including Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund) generally prohibits, except as otherwise noted in the Investing With Vanguard section, an investors purchases or exchanges into a fund account for 30 calendar days after the investor has redeemed or exchanged out of that fund account.
Certain Vanguard funds charge shareholders purchase and/or redemption fees on transactions.
See the Investing With Vanguard section of this prospectus for further details on Vanguards transaction policies.
11
Each Vanguard fund (other than retail and government money market funds), in determining its net asset value, will use fair-value pricing when appropriate, as described in the Share Price section. Fair-value pricing may reduce or eliminate the profitability of certain frequent-trading strategies.
Do not invest with Vanguard if you are a market-timer.
Turnover Rate
Although the Fund generally seeks to invest for the long term, it may sell securities regardless of how long they have been held. Generally, an index fund sells securities in response to redemption requests from shareholders of conventional (not exchange-traded) shares or to changes in the composition of its target index. The Financial Highlights section of this prospectus shows historical turnover rates for the Fund. A turnover rate of 100%, for example, would mean that the Fund had sold and replaced securities valued at 100% of its net assets within a one-year period.
| Plain Talk About Turnover Rate |
| Before investing in a mutual fund, you should review its turnover rate. This gives |
| an indication of how transaction costs, which are not included in the funds |
| expense ratio, could affect the funds future returns. In general, the greater the |
| volume of buying and selling by the fund, the greater the impact that brokerage |
| commissions and other transaction costs will have on its return. Also, funds with |
| high turnover rates may be more likely to generate capital gains, including short- |
| term capital gains, that must be distributed to shareholders and will be taxable to |
| shareholders investing through a taxable account. |
The Fund and Vanguard
The Fund is a member of The Vanguard Group, a family of more than 190 mutual funds holding assets of approximately $3.7 trillion. All of the funds that are members of The Vanguard Group (other than funds of funds) share in the expenses associated with administrative services and business operations, such as personnel, office space, and equipment.
Vanguard Marketing Corporation provides marketing services to the funds. Although shareholders do not pay sales commissions or 12b-1 distribution fees, each fund (other than a fund of funds) or each share class of a fund (in the case of a fund with multiple share classes) pays its allocated share of the Vanguard funds marketing costs.
12
| Plain Talk About Vanguards Unique Corporate Structure |
| The Vanguard Group is truly a mutual mutual fund company. It is owned jointly by |
| the funds it oversees and thus indirectly by the shareholders in those funds. |
| Most other mutual funds are operated by management companies that may be |
| owned by one person, by a private group of individuals, or by public investors |
| who own the management companys stock. The management fees charged by |
| these companies include a profit component over and above the companies cost |
| of providing services. By contrast, Vanguard provides services to its member |
| funds on an at-cost basis, with no profit component, which helps to keep the |
| funds expenses low. |
Investment Advisor
The Vanguard Group, Inc. (Vanguard), P.O. Box 2600, Valley Forge, PA 19482, which began operations in 1975, serves as advisor to the Fund through its Equity Index Group. As of January 31, 2017, Vanguard served as advisor for approximately $3.2 trillion in assets. Vanguard provides investment advisory services to the Fund on an at-cost basis, subject to the supervision and oversight of the trustees and officers of the Fund.
For the fiscal year ended January 31, 2017, the advisory expenses represented an effective annual rate of 0.01% of the Funds average net assets.
For a discussion of why the board of trustees approved the Funds investment advisory arrangement, see the most recent semiannual report to shareholders covering the fiscal period ended July 31.
The managers primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund are:
Walter Nejman, Portfolio Manager at Vanguard. He has been with Vanguard since 2005, has worked in investment management since 2008, and has co-managed the Fund since 2016. Education: B.S., Arcadia University; M.B.A., Villanova University.
Gerard C. OReilly, Principal of Vanguard. He has been with Vanguard since 1992, has managed investment portfolios since 1994, and has co-managed the Fund since 2016. Education: B.S., Villanova University.
The Statement of Additional Information provides information about each portfolio managers compensation, other accounts under management, and ownership of shares of the Fund.
13
Dividends, Capital Gains, and Taxes
Fund Distributions
The Fund distributes to shareholders virtually all of its net income (interest and dividends, less expenses) as well as any net short-term or long-term capital gains realized from the sale of its holdings. Income dividends generally are distributed quarterly in March, June, September, and December; capital gains distributions, if any, generally occur annually in December. In addition, the Fund may occasionally make a supplemental distribution at some other time during the year.
You can receive distributions of income or capital gains in cash, or you can have them automatically reinvested in more shares of the Fund. However, if you are investing through an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, your distributions will be automatically reinvested in additional Fund shares.
| Plain Talk About Distributions |
| As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a funds income from interest |
| and dividends as well as capital gains from the funds sale of investments. |
| Income consists of both the dividends that the fund earns from any stock |
| holdings and the interest it receives from any money market and bond |
| investments. Capital gains are realized whenever the fund sells securities for |
| higher prices than it paid for them. These capital gains are either short-term or |
| long-term, depending on whether the fund held the securities for one year or less |
| or for more than one year. |
Basic Tax Points
Investors in taxable accounts should be aware of the following basic federal income tax points:
Distributions are taxable to you whether or not you reinvest these amounts in additional Fund shares.
Distributions declared in Decemberif paid to you by the end of Januaryare taxable as if received in December.
Any dividend distribution or short-term capital gains distribution that you receive is taxable to you as ordinary income. If you are an individual and meet certain holding-period requirements with respect to your Fund shares, you may be eligible for reduced tax rates on qualified dividend income, if any, distributed by the Fund.
Any distribution of net long-term capital gains is taxable to you as long-term capital gains, no matter how long you have owned shares in the Fund.
14
Capital gains distributions may vary considerably from year to year as a result of the Funds normal investment activities and cash flows.
A sale or exchange of Fund shares is a taxable event. This means that you may have a capital gain to report as income, or a capital loss to report as a deduction, when you complete your tax return.
Any conversion between classes of shares of the same fund is a nontaxable event. By contrast, an exchange between classes of shares of different funds is a taxable event.
Vanguard (or your intermediary) will send you a statement each year showing the tax status of all of your distributions.
Individuals, trusts, and estates whose income exceeds certain threshold amounts are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on net investment income. Net investment income takes into account distributions paid by the Fund and capital gains from any sale or exchange of Fund shares.
Dividend distributions and capital gains distributions that you receive, as well as your gains or losses from any sale or exchange of Fund shares, may be subject to state and local income taxes.
This prospectus provides general tax information only. If you are investing through a tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA or an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, special tax rules apply. Please consult your tax advisor for detailed information about any tax consequences for you.
| Plain Talk About Buying a Dividend |
| Unless you are a tax-exempt investor or investing through a tax-advantaged |
| account (such as an IRA or an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan), |
| you should consider avoiding a purchase of fund shares shortly before the fund |
| makes a distribution, because doing so can cost you money in taxes. This is |
| known as buying a dividend. For example: On December 15, you invest $5,000, |
| buying 250 shares for $20 each. If the fund pays a distribution of $1 per share on |
| December 16, its share price will drop to $19 (not counting market change). You |
| still have only $5,000 (250 shares x $19 = $4,750 in share value, plus 250 shares |
| x $1 = $250 in distributions), but you owe tax on the $250 distribution you |
| receivedeven if you reinvest it in more shares. To avoid buying a dividend, check |
| a funds distribution schedule before you invest. |
15
General Information
Backup withholding. By law, Vanguard must withhold 28% of any taxable distributions or redemptions from your account if you do not:
Provide your correct taxpayer identification number.
Certify that the taxpayer identification number is correct.
Confirm that you are not subject to backup withholding.
Similarly, Vanguard (or your intermediary) must withhold taxes from your account if the IRS instructs us to do so.
Foreign investors. Vanguard funds offered for sale in the United States (Vanguard U.S. funds), including the Fund offered in this prospectus, are not widely available outside the United States. Non-U.S. investors should be aware that U.S. withholding and estate taxes and certain U.S. tax reporting requirements may apply to any investments in Vanguard U.S. funds. Foreign investors should visit the Non-U.S. Investors page on our website at vanguard.com for information on Vanguards non-U.S. products.
Invalid addresses. If a dividend distribution or capital gains distribution check mailed to your address of record is returned as undeliverable, Vanguard will automatically reinvest the distribution and all future distributions until you provide us with a valid mailing address. Reinvestments will receive the net asset value calculated on the date of the reinvestment.
Share Price
Share price, also known as net asset value (NAV), is calculated each business day as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), generally 4 p.m., Eastern time. Each share class has its own NAV, which is computed by dividing the total assets, minus liabilities, allocated to the share class by the number of Fund shares outstanding for that class. On U.S. holidays or other days when the NYSE is closed, the NAV is not calculated, and the Fund does not sell or redeem shares. However, on those days the value of the Funds assets may be affected to the extent that the Fund holds securities that change in value on those days (such as foreign securities that trade on foreign markets that are open).
Stocks held by a Vanguard fund are valued at their market value when reliable market quotations are readily available from the principal exchange or market on which they are traded. Such securities are generally valued at their official closing price, the last reported sales price, or if there were no sales that day, the mean between the closing bid and asking prices. When a fund determines that market quotations either are not readily available or do not accurately reflect the value of a security, the security is priced at its fair value (the amount that the owner might reasonably expect to receive upon the current sale of the security).
16
The values of any foreign securities held by a fund are converted into U.S. dollars using an exchange rate obtained from an independent third party as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE. The values of any mutual fund shares, including institutional money market fund shares, held by a fund are based on the NAVs of the shares. The values of any ETF shares or closed-end fund shares held by a fund are based on the market value of the shares.
A fund also will use fair-value pricing if the value of a security it holds has been materially affected by events occurring before the funds pricing time but after the close of the principal exchange or market on which the security is traded. This most commonly occurs with foreign securities, which may trade on foreign exchanges that close many hours before the funds pricing time. Intervening events might be company-specific (e.g., earnings report, merger announcement) or country-specific or regional/global (e.g., natural disaster, economic or political news, act of terrorism, interest rate change). Intervening events include price movements in U.S. markets that exceed a specified threshold or that are otherwise deemed to affect the value of foreign securities.
Fair-value pricing may be used for domestic securitiesfor example, if (1) trading in a security is halted and does not resume before the funds pricing time or a security does not trade in the course of a day and (2) the fund holds enough of the security that its price could affect the NAV.
Fair-value prices are determined by Vanguard according to procedures adopted by the board of trustees. When fair-value pricing is employed, the prices of securities used by a fund to calculate the NAV may differ from quoted or published prices for the same securities.
Vanguard fund share prices are published daily on our website at vanguard.com/prices.
17
Financial Highlights
The following financial highlights tables are intended to help you understand the Funds financial performance for the periods shown, and certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in each table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost each period on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all distributions). This information has been obtained from the financial statements audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose reportalong with the Funds financial statementsis included in the Funds most recent annual report to shareholders. You may obtain a free copy of the latest annual or semiannual report by visiting vanguard.com or by contacting Vanguard by telephone or mail.
| Plain Talk About How to Read the Financial Highlights Tables |
| This explanation uses the Funds Investor Shares as an example. The Investor |
| Shares began fiscal year 2017 with a net asset value (share price) of $30.40 per |
| share. During the year, each Investor Share earned $0.694 from investment |
| income (interest and dividends) and $4.275 from investments that had |
| appreciated in value or that were sold for higher prices than the Fund paid for |
| them. |
| Shareholders received $0.699 per share in the form of dividend distributions. A |
| portion of each years distributions may come from the prior years income or |
| capital gains. |
| The share price at the end of the year was $34.67, reflecting earnings of $4.969 |
| per share and distributions of $0.699 per share. This was an increase of $4.27 per |
| share (from $30.40 at the beginning of the year to $34.67 at the end of the year). |
| For a shareholder who reinvested the distributions in the purchase of more |
| shares, the total return was 16.46% for the year. |
| As of January 31, 2017, the Investor Shares had approximately $994 million in net |
| assets. For the year, the expense ratio was 0.17% ($1.70 per $1,000 of net |
| assets), and the net investment income amounted to 2.11% of average net |
| assets. The Fund sold and replaced securities valued at 19% of its net assets. |
18
|
|
|||||
| Dividend Appreciation Index Fund Investor Shares | |||||
| Year Ended January 31, | |||||
| For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period | $30.40 | $31.37 | $28.59 | $25.23 | $22.42 |
| Investment Operations | |||||
| Net Investment Income | .694 | .670 | .627 | .540 | .538 |
| Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) | |||||
| on Investments | 4.275 | (.947) | 2.756 | 3.350 | 2.812 |
| Total from Investment Operations | 4.969 | (.277) | 3.383 | 3.890 | 3.350 |
| Distributions | |||||
| Dividends from Net Investment Income | (.699) | (.693) | (.603) | (.530) | (.540) |
| Distributions from Realized Capital Gains | — | — | — | — | — |
| Total Distributions | (.699) | (.693) | (.603) | (.530) | (.540) |
| Net Asset Value, End of Period | $34.67 | $30.40 | $31.37 | $28.59 | $25.23 |
| Total Return1 | 16.46% | –0.93% | 11.86% | 15.51% | 15.15% |
| Ratios/Supplemental Data | |||||
| Net Assets, End of Period (Millions) | $994 | $875 | $1,450 | $2,966 | $2,804 |
| Ratio of Total Expenses to Average | |||||
| Net Assets | 0.17% | 0.19% | 0.20% | 0.20% | 0.20% |
| Ratio of Net Investment Income to Average | |||||
| Net Assets | 2.11% | 2.11% | 2.04% | 1.98% | 2.32% |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate2 | 19% | 22% | 20% | 3% | 15% |
| 1 Total returns do not include account service fees that may have applied in the periods shown. | |||||
| 2 Excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind purchases or redemptions of the Fund’s | |||||
| capital shares, including ETF Creation Units. | |||||
19
| Dividend Appreciation Index Fund Admiral Shares | ||||
| Dec. 19, | ||||
| 20131 to | ||||
| Year Ended January 31, | Jan. 31, | |||
| For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period | $20.62 | $21.28 | $19.40 | $20.00 |
| Investment Operations | ||||
| Net Investment Income | .492 | .478 | .445 | .030 |
| Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) | ||||
| on Investments | 2.903 | (.644) | 1.865 | (.630) |
| Total from Investment Operations | 3.395 | (.166) | 2.310 | (.600) |
| Distributions | ||||
| Dividends from Net Investment Income | (.495) | (.494) | (.430) | — |
| Distributions from Realized Capital Gains | — | — | — | — |
| Total Distributions | (.495) | (.494) | (.430) | — |
| Net Asset Value, End of Period | $23.52 | $20.62 | $21.28 | $19.40 |
| Total Return2 | 16.58% | –0.83% | 11.94% | –3.00% |
| Ratios/Supplemental Data | ||||
| Net Assets, End of Period (Millions) | $4,294 | $3,215 | $2,776 | $760 |
| Ratio of Total Expenses to Average | ||||
| Net Assets | 0.08% | 0.09% | 0.10% | 0.10%3 |
| Ratio of Net Investment Income to Average | ||||
| Net Assets | 2.20% | 2.21% | 2.14% | 2.08%3 |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate4 | 19% | 22% | 20% | 3% |
| 1 Inception. | ||||
| 2 Total returns do not include account service fees that may have applied in the periods shown. | ||||
| 3 Annualized. | ||||
| 4 Excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind purchases or redemptions of the Fund’s | ||||
| capital shares, including ETF Creation Units. | ||||
20
Investing With Vanguard
This section of the prospectus explains the basics of doing business with Vanguard. Vanguard fund shares can be held directly with Vanguard or indirectly through an intermediary, such as a bank, a broker, or an investment advisor. If you hold Vanguard fund shares directly with Vanguard, you should carefully read each topic within this section that pertains to your relationship with Vanguard. If you hold Vanguard fund shares indirectly through an intermediary (including shares held through a Vanguard brokerage account), please see Investing With Vanguard Through Other Firms, and also refer to your account agreement with the intermediary for information about transacting in that account. If you hold Vanguard fund shares through an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, please see Employer-Sponsored Plans. Vanguard reserves the right to change the following policies without notice. Please call or check online for current information. See Contacting Vanguard.
For Vanguard fund shares held directly with Vanguard, each fund you hold in an account is a separate fund account. For example, if you hold three funds in a nonretirement account titled in your own name, two funds in a nonretirement account titled jointly with your spouse, and one fund in an individual retirement account, you have six fund accountsand this is true even if you hold the same fund in multiple accounts. Note that each reference to you in this prospectus applies to any one or more registered account owners or persons authorized to transact on your account.
Purchasing Shares
Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to increase or decrease the minimum amount required to open, convert shares to, or maintain a fund account or to add to an existing fund account.
Investment minimums may differ for certain categories of investors.
Account Minimums for Investor Shares To open and maintain an account. $3,000.
To add to an existing account. Generally $1.
Account Minimums for Admiral Shares
To open and maintain an account. $10,000. If you request Admiral Shares when you open a new account but the investment amount does not meet the account minimum for Admiral Shares, your investment will be placed in Investor Shares of the Fund. Institutional, financial intermediary, and Vanguard retail managed clients should contact Vanguard for information on special eligibility rules that may apply to them.
To add to an existing account. Generally $1.
21
How to Initiate a Purchase Request
Be sure to check Exchanging Shares, Frequent-Trading Limitations, and Other Rules You Should Know before placing your purchase request.
Online. You may open certain types of accounts, request a purchase of shares, and request an exchange through our website or our mobile application if you are registered for online access.
By telephone. You may call Vanguard to begin the account registration process or request that the account-opening forms be sent to you. You may also call Vanguard to request a purchase of shares in your account or to request an exchange. See
Contacting Vanguard.
By mail. You may send Vanguard your account registration form and check to open a new fund account. To add to an existing fund account, you may send your check with an Invest-by-Mail form (from a transaction confirmation or your account statement), with a deposit slip (available online), or with a written request. You may also send a written request to Vanguard to make an exchange. For a list of Vanguard addresses, see Contacting Vanguard.
How to Pay for a Purchase
By electronic bank transfer. You may purchase shares of a Vanguard fund through an electronic transfer of money from a bank account. To establish the electronic bank transfer service on an account, you must designate the bank account online, complete a special form, or fill out the appropriate section of your account registration form. After the service is set up on your account, you can purchase shares by electronic bank transfer on a regular schedule (Automatic Investment Plan) or upon request. Your purchase request can be initiated online (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail.
By wire. Wiring instructions vary for different types of purchases. Please call Vanguard for instructions and policies on purchasing shares by wire. See Contacting Vanguard.
By check. You may make initial or additional purchases to your fund account by sending a check or by utilizing our mobile application if you are registered for online access. Also see How to Initiate a Purchase Request. Make your check payable to Vanguard and include the appropriate fund number (e.g., Vanguardxx). For a list of Fund numbers (for share classes in this prospectus), see Additional Information.
By exchange. You may purchase shares of a Vanguard fund using the proceeds from the simultaneous redemption of shares of another Vanguard fund. You may initiate an exchange online (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail. See
Exchanging Shares.
22
Trade Date
The trade date for any purchase request received in good order will depend on the day and time Vanguard receives your request, the manner in which you are paying, and the type of fund you are purchasing. Your purchase will be executed using the net asset value (NAV) as calculated on the trade date. NAVs are calculated only on days that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open for trading (a business day).
For purchases by check into all funds other than money market funds and for purchases by exchange, wire, or electronic bank transfer (not using an Automatic Investment Plan) into all funds: If the purchase request is received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the trade date for the purchase will be the same day. If the purchase request is received on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the trade date for the purchase will be the next business day.
For purchases by check into money market funds: If the purchase request is received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the trade date for the purchase will be the next business day. If the purchase request is received on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the trade date for the purchase will be the second business day following the day Vanguard receives the purchase request. Because money market instruments must be purchased with federal funds and it takes a money market mutual fund one business day to convert check proceeds into federal funds, the trade date for the purchase will be one business day later than for other funds.
For purchases by electronic bank transfer using an Automatic Investment Plan: Your trade date generally will be the date you selected for withdrawal of funds from your designated bank account. Your bank account generally will be debited on the business day after your trade date. If the date you selected for withdrawal of funds from your bank account falls on a weekend, holiday, or other nonbusiness day, your trade date generally will be the previous business day. For retirement accounts, if the date you selected for withdrawal of funds from your designated bank account falls on the last business day of the year, your trade date will be the first business day of the following year. Please note that if you select the first of the month for automated withdrawals from your designated bank account, trades designated for January 1 will receive the next business days trade date.
If your purchase request is not accurate and complete, it may be rejected. See Other Rules You Should KnowGood Order.
For further information about purchase transactions, consult our website at vanguard.com or see Contacting Vanguard.
23
Other Purchase Rules You Should Know
Admiral Shares. Admiral Shares generally are not available for SIMPLE IRAs, Vanguard Individual 401(k) Plans, and Vanguard retail-serviced Individual 403(b)(7) Custodial Accounts.
Check purchases. All purchase checks must be written in U.S. dollars and must be drawn on a U.S. bank. Vanguard does not accept cash, travelers checks, or money orders. In addition, Vanguard may refuse starter checks and checks that are not made payable to Vanguard.
New accounts. We are required by law to obtain from you certain personal information that we will use to verify your identity. If you do not provide the information, we may not be able to open your account. If we are unable to verify your identity, Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to close your account or take such other steps as we deem reasonable. Certain types of accounts may require additional documentation.
Refused or rejected purchase requests. Vanguard reserves the right to stop selling fund shares or to reject any purchase request at any time and without notice, including, but not limited to, purchases requested by exchange from another Vanguard fund. This also includes the right to reject any purchase request because the investor has a history of frequent trading or because the purchase may negatively affect a funds operation or performance.
Large purchases. Call Vanguard before attempting to invest a large dollar amount.
No cancellations. Vanguard will not accept your request to cancel any purchase request once processing has begun. Please be careful when placing a purchase request.
Converting Shares
When a conversion occurs, you receive shares of one class in place of shares of another class of the same fund. At the time of conversion, the dollar value of the new shares you receive equals the dollar value of the old shares that were converted. In other words, the conversion has no effect on the value of your investment in the fund at the time of the conversion. However, the number of shares you own after the conversion may be greater than or less than the number of shares you owned before the conversion, depending on the NAVs of the two share classes.
Vanguard will not accept your request to cancel any self-directed conversion request once processing has begun. Please be careful when placing a conversion request.
A conversion between share classes of the same fund is a nontaxable event.
24
Trade Date
The trade date for any conversion request received in good order will depend on the day and time Vanguard receives your request. Your conversion will be executed using the NAVs of the different share classes on the trade date. NAVs are calculated only on days that the NYSE is open for trading (a business day).
For a conversion request (other than a request to convert to ETF Shares) received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the trade date will be the same day. For a conversion request received on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the trade date will be the next business day. See Other Rules You Should Know.
Conversions From Investor Shares to Admiral Shares
Self-directed conversions. If your account balance in the Fund is at least $10,000, you may ask Vanguard to convert your Investor Shares to Admiral Shares. You may request a conversion through our website (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail. Institutional, financial intermediary, and Vanguard retail managed clients should contact Vanguard for information on special eligibility rules that may apply to them. See Contacting Vanguard.
Automatic conversions. Vanguard conducts periodic reviews of account balances and may, if your account balance in the Fund exceeds $10,000, automatically convert your Investor Shares to Admiral Shares. You will be notified before an automatic conversion occurs and will have an opportunity to instruct Vanguard not to effect the conversion. Institutional, financial intermediary, and Vanguard retail managed clients should contact Vanguard for information on special eligibility rules that may apply to them.
Conversions to ETF Shares
Owners of conventional shares (i.e., not exchange-traded shares) issued by the Fund may convert those shares to ETF Shares of equivalent value of the same fund. Please note that investors who own conventional shares through a 401(k) plan or other employer-sponsored retirement or benefit plan generally may not convert those shares to ETF Shares and should check with their plan sponsor or recordkeeper. ETF Shares, whether acquired through a conversion or purchased on the secondary market, cannot be converted to conventional shares by a shareholder. Also, ETF Shares of one fund cannot be exchanged for ETF Shares of another fund.
ETF Shares must be held in a brokerage account. Thus, before converting conventional shares to ETF Shares, you must have an existing, or open a new, brokerage account. This account may be with Vanguard Brokerage Services® (Vanguard Brokerage) or with any other brokerage firm.
25
Vanguard Brokerage does not impose a fee on conversions from conventional shares to Vanguard ETF Shares. However, other brokerage firms may charge a fee to process a conversion. Vanguard reserves the right, in the future, to impose a transaction fee on conversions or to limit or terminate the conversion privilege. For additional information on converting conventional shares to ETF Shares, please contact Vanguard to obtain a prospectus for ETF Shares. See Contacting Vanguard.
Mandatory Conversions to Investor Shares
If an account no longer meets the balance requirements for Admiral Shares, Vanguard may automatically convert the shares in the account to Investor Shares. A decline in the account balance because of market movement may result in such a conversion. Vanguard will notify the investor in writing before any mandatory conversion occurs.
Redeeming Shares
How to Initiate a Redemption Request
Be sure to check Exchanging Shares, Frequent-Trading Limitations, and Other Rules You Should Know before placing your redemption request.
Online. You may request a redemption of shares or request an exchange through our website or our mobile application if you are registered for online access.
By telephone. You may call Vanguard to request a redemption of shares or an exchange. See Contacting Vanguard.
By mail. You may send a written request to Vanguard to redeem from a fund account or to make an exchange. See Contacting Vanguard.
How to Receive Redemption Proceeds
By electronic bank transfer. You may have the proceeds of a fund redemption sent directly to a designated bank account. To establish the electronic bank transfer service on an account, you must designate a bank account online, complete a special form, or fill out the appropriate section of your account registration form. After the service is set up on your account, you can redeem shares by electronic bank transfer on a regular schedule (Automatic Withdrawal Plan) or upon request. Your redemption request can be initiated online (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail.
By wire. To receive your proceeds by wire, you may instruct Vanguard to wire your redemption proceeds ($100 minimum) to a previously designated bank account. To establish the wire redemption service, you generally must designate a bank account online, complete a special form, or fill out the appropriate section of your account registration form.
26
By exchange. You may have the proceeds of a Vanguard fund redemption invested directly in shares of another Vanguard fund. You may initiate an exchange online (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail. See Exchanging Shares.
By check. If you have not chosen another redemption method, Vanguard will mail you a redemption check, generally payable to all registered account owners, normally within two business days of your trade date, and generally to the address of record.
Trade Date
The trade date for any redemption request received in good order will depend on the day and time Vanguard receives your request and the manner in which you are redeeming. Your redemption will be executed using the NAV as calculated on the trade date. NAVs are calculated only on days that the NYSE is open for trading (a business day).
For redemptions by check, exchange, or wire: If the redemption request is received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the trade date will be the same day. If the redemption request is received on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the trade date will be the next business day.
Note on timing of wire redemptions from money market funds: For telephone requests received by Vanguard on a business day before 10:45 a.m., Eastern time (2 p.m., Eastern time, for Vanguard Prime Money Market Fund; 12:30 p.m., Eastern time, for Vanguard Federal Money Market Fund), the redemption proceeds generally will leave Vanguard by the close of business the same day. For telephone requests received by Vanguard on a business day after those cut-off times, or on a nonbusiness day, and for all requests other than by telephone, the redemption proceeds generally will leave Vanguard by the close of business on the next business day.
Note on timing of wire redemptions from all other funds: For requests received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the redemption proceeds generally will leave Vanguard by the close of business on the next business day. For requests received by Vanguard on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the redemption proceeds generally will leave Vanguard by the close of business on the second business day after Vanguard receives the request.
For redemptions by electronic bank transfer using an Automatic Withdrawal Plan: Your trade date generally will be the date you selected for withdrawal of funds (redemption of shares) from your Vanguard account. Proceeds of redeemed shares generally will be credited to your designated bank account two business days after your trade date. If the date you selected for withdrawal of funds from your Vanguard
27
account falls on a weekend, holiday, or other nonbusiness day, your trade date generally will be the previous business day. For retirement accounts, if the date you selected for withdrawal of funds from your Vanguard account falls on the last day of the year and if that date is a holiday, your trade date will be the first business day of the following year. Please note that if you designate the first of the month for automated withdrawals, trades designated for January 1 will receive the next business days trade date.
For redemptions by electronic bank transfer not using an Automatic Withdrawal Plan: If the redemption request is received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the trade date will be the same day. If the redemption request is received on a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the trade date will be the next business day.
If your redemption request is not accurate and complete, it may be rejected. If we are unable to send your redemption proceeds by wire or electronic bank transfer because the receiving institution rejects the transfer, Vanguard will make additional efforts to complete your transaction. If Vanguard is still unable to complete the transaction, we may send the proceeds of the redemption to you by check, generally payable to all registered account owners, or use your proceeds to purchase new shares of the fund from which you sold shares for the purpose of the wire or electronic bank transfer transaction. See Other Rules You Should KnowGood Order.
For further information about redemption transactions, consult our website at vanguard.com or see Contacting Vanguard.
Other Redemption Rules You Should Know
Documentation for certain accounts. Special documentation may be required to redeem from certain types of accounts, such as trust, corporate, nonprofit, or retirement accounts. Please call us before attempting to redeem from these types of accounts.
Potentially disruptive redemptions. Vanguard reserves the right to pay all or part of a redemption in kindthat is, in the form of securitiesif we reasonably believe that a cash redemption would negatively affect the funds operation or performance or that the shareholder may be engaged in market-timing or frequent trading. Under these circumstances, Vanguard also reserves the right to delay payment of the redemption proceeds for up to seven calendar days. By calling us before you attempt to redeem a large dollar amount, you may avoid in-kind or delayed payment of your redemption. Please see Frequent-Trading Limitations for information about Vanguards policies to limit frequent trading.
28
Recently purchased shares. Although you can redeem shares at any time, proceeds may not be made available to you until the fund collects payment for your purchase. This may take up to seven calendar days for shares purchased by check or by electronic bank transfer. If you have written a check on a fund with checkwriting privileges, that check may be rejected if your fund account does not have a sufficient available balance.
Address change. If you change your address online or by telephone, there may be up to a 14-day restriction on your ability to request check redemptions online and by telephone. You can request a redemption in writing at any time. Confirmations of address changes are sent to both the old and new addresses.
Payment to a different person or address. At your request, we can make your redemption check payable, or wire your redemption proceeds, to a different person or send it to a different address. However, this generally requires the written consent of all registered account owners and may require additional documentation, such as a signature guarantee or a notarized signature. You may obtain a signature guarantee from some commercial or savings banks, credit unions, trust companies, or member firms of a U.S. stock exchange.
No cancellations. Vanguard will not accept your request to cancel any redemption request once processing has begun. Please be careful when placing a redemption request.
Emergency circumstances. Vanguard funds can postpone payment of redemption proceeds for up to seven calendar days. In addition, Vanguard funds can suspend redemptions and/or postpone payments of redemption proceeds beyond seven calendar days at times when the NYSE is closed or during emergency circumstances, as determined by the SEC.
Exchanging Shares
An exchange occurs when you use the proceeds from the redemption of shares of one Vanguard fund to simultaneously purchase shares of a different Vanguard fund. You can make exchange requests online (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail. See Purchasing Shares and Redeeming Shares.
If the NYSE is open for regular trading (generally until 4 p.m., Eastern time, on a business day) at the time an exchange request is received in good order, the trade date generally will be the same day. See Other Rules You Should KnowGood Order for additional information on all transaction requests.
Vanguard will not accept your request to cancel any exchange request once processing has begun. Please be careful when placing an exchange request.
29
Call Vanguard before attempting to exchange a large dollar amount. By calling us before you attempt to exchange a large dollar amount, you may avoid delayed or rejected transactions.
Please note that Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to revise or terminate the exchange privilege, limit the amount of any exchange, or reject an exchange, at any time, for any reason. See Frequent-Trading Limitations for additional restrictions on exchanges.
Frequent-Trading Limitations
Because excessive transactions can disrupt management of a fund and increase the funds costs for all shareholders, the board of trustees of each Vanguard fund places certain limits on frequent trading in the funds. Each Vanguard fund (other than money market funds and short-term bond funds, but including Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund) limits an investors purchases or exchanges into a fund account for 30 calendar days after the investor has redeemed or exchanged out of that fund account. ETF Shares are not subject to these frequent-trading limits.
For Vanguard Retirement Investment Program pooled plans, the limitations apply to exchanges made online or by telephone.
These frequent-trading limitations do not apply to the following:
Purchases of shares with reinvested dividend or capital gains distributions.
Transactions through Vanguards Automatic Investment Plan, Automatic Exchange Service, Direct Deposit Service, Automatic Withdrawal Plan, Required Minimum Distribution Service, and Vanguard Small Business Online®.
Discretionary transactions through Vanguard Asset Management Services, Vanguard Personal Advisor Services®, and Vanguard Institutional Advisory Services®.
Redemptions of shares to pay fund or account fees.
Redemptions of shares to remove excess shareholder contributions to certain types of retirement accounts (including, but not limited to, IRAs, certain Individual 403(b)(7) Custodial Accounts, and Vanguard Individual 401(k) Plans).
Transaction requests submitted by mail to Vanguard from shareholders who hold their accounts directly with Vanguard or through a Vanguard brokerage account. (Transaction requests submitted by fax, if otherwise permitted, are subject to the limitations.)
Transfers and reregistrations of shares within the same fund.
Purchases of shares by asset transfer or direct rollover.
Conversions of shares from one share class to another in the same fund.
Checkwriting redemptions.
30
Section 529 college savings plans.
Certain approved institutional portfolios and asset allocation programs, as well as trades made by funds or trusts managed by Vanguard or its affiliates that invest in other Vanguard funds. (Please note that shareholders of Vanguards funds of funds are subject to the limitations.)
For participants in employer-sponsored defined contribution plans,* the frequent-trading limitations do not apply to:
Purchases of shares with participant payroll or employer contributions or loan repayments.
Purchases of shares with reinvested dividend or capital gains distributions.
Distributions, loans, and in-service withdrawals from a plan.
Redemptions of shares as part of a plan termination or at the direction of the plan.
Transactions executed through the Vanguard Managed Account Program.
Redemptions of shares to pay fund or account fees.
Share or asset transfers or rollovers.
Reregistrations of shares.
Conversions of shares from one share class to another in the same fund.
Exchange requests submitted by written request to Vanguard. (Exchange requests submitted by fax, if otherwise permitted, are subject to the limitations.)
* The following Vanguard fund accounts are subject to the frequent-trading limitations: SEP-IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, certain Individual 403(b)(7) Custodial Accounts, and Vanguard Individual 401(k) Plans.
Accounts Held by Institutions (Other Than Defined Contribution Plans)
Vanguard will systematically monitor for frequent trading in institutional clients accounts. If we detect suspicious trading activity, we will investigate and take appropriate action, which may include applying to a clients accounts the 30-day policy previously described, prohibiting a clients purchases of fund shares, and/or revoking the clients exchange privilege.
Accounts Held by Intermediaries
When intermediaries establish accounts in Vanguard funds for the benefit of their clients, we cannot always monitor the trading activity of the individual clients. However, we review trading activity at the intermediary (omnibus) level, and if we detect suspicious activity, we will investigate and take appropriate action. If necessary, Vanguard may prohibit additional purchases of fund shares by an intermediary, including for the benefit of certain of the intermediarys clients.
31
Intermediaries also may monitor their clients trading activities with respect to Vanguard funds.
For those Vanguard funds that charge purchase and/or redemption fees, intermediaries will be asked to assess these fees on client accounts and remit these fees to the funds. The application of purchase and redemption fees and frequent-trading limitations may vary among intermediaries. There are no assurances that Vanguard will successfully identify all intermediaries or that intermediaries will properly assess purchase and redemption fees or administer frequent-trading limitations. If you invest with Vanguard through an intermediary, please read that firms materials carefully to learn of any other rules or fees that may apply.
Other Rules You Should Know
Prospectus and Shareholder Report Mailings
When two or more shareholders have the same last name and address, just one summary prospectus (or prospectus) and/or shareholder report may be sent in an attempt to eliminate the unnecessary expense of duplicate mailings. You may request individual prospectuses and reports by contacting our Client Services Department in writing, by telephone, or online. See Contacting Vanguard.
Vanguard.com
Registration. If you are a registered user of vanguard.com, you can review your account holdings; buy, sell, or exchange shares of most Vanguard funds; and perform most other transactions through our website. You must register for this service online.
Electronic delivery. Vanguard can deliver your account statements, transaction confirmations, prospectuses, certain tax forms, and shareholder reports electronically. If you are a registered user of vanguard.com, you can consent to the electronic delivery of these documents by logging on and changing your mailing preferences under Account Maintenance. You can revoke your electronic consent at any time through our website, and we will begin to send paper copies of these documents within 30 days of receiving your revocation.
Telephone Transactions
Automatic. When we set up your account, we will automatically enable you to do business with us by telephone, unless you instruct us otherwise in writing.
Tele-Account®. To obtain fund and account information through Vanguards automated telephone service, you must first establish a Personal Identification Number (PIN) by calling Tele-Account at 800-662-6273.
32
Proof of a callers authority. We reserve the right to refuse a telephone request if the caller is unable to provide the requested information or if we reasonably believe that the caller is not an individual authorized to act on the account. Before we allow a caller to act on an account, we may request the following information:
Authorization to act on the account (as the account owner or by legal documentation or other means).
Account registration and address.
Fund name and account number, if applicable.
Other information relating to the caller, the account owner, or the account.
Good Order
We reserve the right to reject any transaction instructions that are not in good order. Good order generally means that your instructions:
Are provided by the person(s) authorized in accordance with Vanguards policies and procedures to access the account and request transactions.
Include the fund name and account number.
Include the amount of the transaction (stated in dollars, shares, or percentage).
Written instructions also must generally include:
An original signature and date from the authorized person(s).
Signature guarantees or notarized signatures, if required for the type of transaction.
(Call Vanguard for specific requirements.)
Any supporting documentation that may be required.
Written instructions are acceptable when a Vanguard form is not applicable. The requirements vary among types of accounts and transactions. For more information, consult our website at vanguard.com or see Contacting Vanguard.
Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to revise the requirements for good order.
Future Trade-Date Requests
Vanguard does not accept requests to hold a purchase, conversion, redemption, or exchange transaction for a future date. All such requests will receive trade dates as previously described in Purchasing Shares, Converting Shares, Redeeming Shares, and
Exchanging Shares. Vanguard reserves the right to return future-dated purchase checks.
Accounts With More Than One Owner
If an account has more than one owner or authorized person, Vanguard generally will accept instructions from any one owner or authorized person.
33
Responsibility for Fraud
Vanguard will not be responsible for any account losses because of fraud if we reasonably believe that the person transacting business on an account is authorized to do so. Please take precautions to protect yourself from fraud. Keep your account information private, and immediately review any account statements or other information that we provide to you. It is important that you contact Vanguard immediately about any transactions or changes to your account that you believe to be unauthorized.
Uncashed Checks
Please cash your distribution or redemption checks promptly. Vanguard will not pay interest on uncashed checks. Vanguard may be required to transfer assets related to uncashed checks to a state under the states abandoned property law.
Dormant Accounts
If your account has no activity in it for a period of time, Vanguard may be required to transfer it to a state under the states abandoned property law.
Unusual Circumstances
If you experience difficulty contacting Vanguard online or by telephone, you can send us your transaction request by regular or express mail. See Contacting Vanguard for addresses.
Investing With Vanguard Through Other Firms
You may purchase or sell shares of most Vanguard funds through a financial intermediary, such as a bank, a broker, or an investment advisor. Please consult your financial intermediary to determine which, if any, shares are available through that firm and to learn about other rules that may apply. Your financial intermediary can provide you with account information and any required tax forms.
Please see Frequent-Trading LimitationsAccounts Held by Intermediaries for information about the assessment of any purchase or redemption fees and the monitoring of frequent trading for accounts held by intermediaries.
Account Service Fee
Vanguard charges a $20 account service fee on fund accounts that have a balance below $10,000 for any reason, including market fluctuation. The account service fee applies to both retirement and nonretirement fund accounts and will be assessed on fund accounts in all Vanguard funds, regardless of the account minimum. The fee, which will be collected by redeeming fund shares in the amount of $20, will be deducted from a fund account only once per calendar year.
34
If you register on vanguard.com and elect to receive electronic delivery of statements, reports, and other materials for all of your fund accounts, the account service fee for balances below $10,000 will not be charged, so long as that election remains in effect.
The account service fee also does not apply to the following:
Money market sweep accounts owned in connection with a Vanguard Brokerage Services® account.
Accounts held through intermediaries.
Accounts held by institutional clients.
Accounts held by Voyager, Voyager Select, Flagship, and Flagship Select clients.
Eligibility is based on total household assets held at Vanguard, with a minimum of $50,000 to qualify for Vanguard Voyager Services®, $500,000 for Vanguard Voyager Select Services®, $1 million for Vanguard Flagship Services®, and $5 million for Vanguard Flagship Select Services. Vanguard determines eligibility by aggregating assets of all qualifying accounts held by the investor and immediate family members who reside at the same address. Aggregate assets include investments in Vanguard mutual funds, Vanguard ETFs®, certain annuities through Vanguard, the Vanguard 529 Plan, and certain small-business accounts. Assets in employer-sponsored retirement plans for which Vanguard provides recordkeeping services may be included in determining eligibility if the investor also has a personal account holding Vanguard mutual funds. Note that assets held in a Vanguard Brokerage Services account (other than Vanguard funds, including Vanguard ETFs) are not included when determining a households eligibility.
Participant accounts in employer-sponsored defined contribution plans.* Please consult your enrollment materials for the rules that apply to your account.
Section 529 college savings plans.
* The following Vanguard fund accounts have alternative fee structures: SIMPLE IRAs, certain Individual 403(b)(7) Custodial Accounts, Vanguard Retirement Investment Program pooled plans, and Vanguard Individual 401(k) Plans.
Low-Balance Accounts
The Fund reserves the right to liquidate a fund account whose balance falls below the account minimum for any reason, including market fluctuation. This liquidation policy applies to nonretirement fund accounts and accounts that are held through intermediaries. Any such liquidation will be preceded by written notice to the investor.
Right to Change Policies
In addition to the rights expressly stated elsewhere in this prospectus, Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to (1) alter, add, or discontinue any conditions of
35
purchase (including eligibility requirements), redemption, exchange, conversion, service, or privilege at any time; (2) accept initial purchases by telephone; (3) freeze any account and/or suspend account services if Vanguard has received reasonable notice of a dispute regarding the assets in an account, including notice of a dispute between the registered or beneficial account owners, or if Vanguard reasonably believes a fraudulent transaction may occur or has occurred; (4) temporarily freeze any account and/or suspend account services upon initial notification to Vanguard of the death of the shareholder until Vanguard receives required documentation in good order; (5) alter, impose, discontinue, or waive any purchase fee, redemption fee, account service fee, or other fees charged to a shareholder or a group of shareholders; and (6) redeem an account or suspend account privileges, without the owners permission to do so, in cases of threatening conduct or activity Vanguard believes to be suspicious, fraudulent, or illegal. Changes may affect any or all investors. These actions will be taken when, at the sole discretion of Vanguard management, Vanguard reasonably believes they are in the best interest of a fund.
Share Classes
Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to change the eligibility requirements of its share classes, including the types of clients who are eligible to purchase each share class.
Fund and Account Updates
Confirmation Statements
We will send (or provide through our website, whichever you prefer) a confirmation of your trade date and the amount of your transaction when you buy, sell, exchange, or convert shares. However, we will not send confirmations reflecting only checkwriting redemptions or the reinvestment of dividend or capital gains distributions. For any month in which you had a checkwriting redemption, a Checkwriting Activity Statement will be sent to you itemizing the checkwriting redemptions for that month. Promptly review each confirmation statement that we provide to you. It is important that you contact Vanguard immediately with any questions you may have about any transaction reflected on a confirmation statement, or Vanguard will consider the transaction properly processed.
Portfolio Summaries
We will send (or provide through our website, whichever you prefer) quarterly portfolio summaries to help you keep track of your accounts throughout the year. If you prefer, you may request to receive monthly portfolio summaries. Each summary shows the market value of your account at the close of the statement period, as well as all distributions, purchases, redemptions, exchanges, transfers, and conversions for the
36
current calendar quarter (or month). Promptly review each summary that we provide to you. It is important that you contact Vanguard immediately with any questions you may have about any transaction reflected on the summary, or Vanguard will consider the transaction properly processed.
Tax Information Statements
For most accounts, Vanguard (or your intermediary) is required to provide annual tax forms to assist you in preparing your income tax returns. These forms are generally available for each calendar year early in the following year. Registered users of vanguard.com can also view certain forms through our website. Vanguard (or your intermediary) may also provide you with additional tax-related documentation. For more information, consult our website at vanguard.com or see Contacting Vanguard.
Annual and Semiannual Reports
We will send (or provide through our website, whichever you prefer) reports about Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund twice a year, in March and September. These reports include overviews of the financial markets and provide the following specific Fund information:
Performance assessments and comparisons with industry benchmarks.
Financial statements with listings of Fund holdings.
Portfolio Holdings
Please consult the Funds Statement of Additional Information or our website for a description of the policies and procedures that govern disclosure of the Funds portfolio holdings.
Employer-Sponsored Plans
Your plan administrator or your employee benefits office can provide you with detailed information on how to participate in your plan and how to elect the Fund as an investment option.
If you have any questions about the Fund or Vanguard, including those about the Funds investment objective, strategies, or risks, contact Vanguard Participant Services toll-free at 800-523-1188 or visit our website at vanguard.com.
If you have questions about your account, contact your plan administrator or the organization that provides recordkeeping services for your plan.
Be sure to carefully read each topic that pertains to your transactions with Vanguard.
Vanguard reserves the right to change its policies without notice to shareholders.
37
Transactions
Processing times for your transaction requests may differ among recordkeepers or among transaction and funding types. Your plan’s recordkeeper (which may also be Vanguard) will determine the necessary processing time frames for your transaction requests prior to submission to the Fund. Consult your recordkeeper or plan administrator for more information.
If Vanguard is serving as your plan recordkeeper and if your transaction involves one or more investments with an early cut-off time for processing or another trading restriction, your entire transaction will be subject to the restriction when the trade date for your transaction is determined.
| Contacting Vanguard | |
| Web | |
| Vanguard.com | For the most complete source of Vanguard news |
| For fund, account, and service information | |
| For most account transactions | |
| For literature requests | |
| 24 hours a day, 7 days a week | |
| Phone | |
| Vanguard Tele-Account® 800-662-6273 | For automated fund and account information |
| Toll-free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week | |
| Investor Information 800-662-7447 | For fund and service information |
| (Text telephone for people with hearing | For literature requests |
| impairment at 800-749-7273) | |
| Client Services 800-662-2739 | For account information |
| (Text telephone for people with hearing | For most account transactions |
| impairment at 800-749-7273) | |
| Participant Services 800-523-1188 | For information and services for participants in employer- |
| (Text telephone for people with hearing | sponsored plans |
| impairment at 800-749-7273) | |
| Institutional Division | For information and services for large institutional investors |
| 888-809-8102 | |
| Financial Advisor and Intermediary | For information and services for financial intermediaries |
| Sales Support 800-997-2798 | including financial advisors, broker-dealers, trust institutions, |
| and insurance companies | |
| Financial Advisory and Intermediary | For account information and trading support for financial |
| Trading Support 800-669-0498 | intermediaries including financial advisors, broker-dealers, |
| trust institutions, and insurance companies | |
38
Vanguard Addresses
Please be sure to use the correct address. Use of an incorrect address could delay the processing of your transaction.
| Regular Mail (Individuals) | The Vanguard Group |
| P.O. Box 1110 | |
| Valley Forge, PA 19482-1110 | |
| Regular Mail (Institutions, Intermediaries, | The Vanguard Group |
| and Employer-Sponsored Plan Participants) | P.O. Box 2900 |
| Valley Forge, PA 19482-2900 | |
| Registered, Express, or Overnight Mail | The Vanguard Group |
| 455 Devon Park Drive | |
| Wayne, PA 19087-1815 |
| Additional Information | ||||
| Inception | Newspaper | Vanguard | CUSIP | |
| Date | Abbreviation | Fund Number | Number | |
| Dividend Appreciation Index Fund | ||||
| Investor Shares | 4/27/2006 | DivAppIn | 602 | 921908851 |
| Admiral Shares | 12/19/2013 | DivApprIdxAdm | 5702 | 921908828 |
“Dividend Achievers” is a trademark of The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. (collectively, with its affiliates, “NASDAQ OMX”) and has been licensed for use by The Vanguard Group, Inc. Vanguard mutual funds are not sponsored, endorsed, sold, or promoted by NASDAQ OMX and NASDAQ OMX makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in the funds. NASDAQ OMX MAKES NO WARRANTIES AND BEARS NO LIABILITY WITH RESPECT TO THE VANGUARD MUTUAL FUNDS.
39
Glossary of Investment Terms
Active Management. An investment approach that seeks to exceed the average returns of a particular financial market or market segment. In selecting securities to buy and sell, active managers may rely on, among other things, research, market forecasts, quantitative models, and their own judgment and experience.
Capital Gains Distribution. Payment to mutual fund shareholders of gains realized on securities that a fund has sold at a profit, minus any realized losses.
Common Stock. A security representing ownership rights in a corporation.
Dividend Distribution. Payment to mutual fund shareholders of income from interest or dividends generated by a funds investments.
Expense Ratio. A funds total annual operating expenses expressed as a percentage of the funds average net assets. The expense ratio includes management and administrative expenses, but it does not include the transaction costs of buying and selling portfolio securities.
Inception Date. The date on which the assets of a fund (or one of its share classes) are first invested in accordance with the funds investment objective. For funds with a subscription period, the inception date is the day after that period ends. Investment performance is generally measured from the inception date.
Indexing. A low-cost investment strategy in which a mutual fund attempts to trackrather than outperforma specified market benchmark, or index.
Median Market Capitalization. An indicator of the size of companies in which a fund invests; the midpoint of market capitalization (market price x shares outstanding) of a funds stocks, weighted by the proportion of the funds assets invested in each stock. Stocks representing half of the funds assets have market capitalizations above the median, and the rest are below it.
Mutual Fund. An investment company that pools the money of many people and invests it in a variety of securities in an effort to achieve a specific objective over time.
New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). A stock exchange based in New York City that is open for regular trading on business days, Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Eastern time. Net asset values (NAVs) are calculated each business day as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE. In the rare event the NYSE experiences unanticipated trade disruptions and is unavailable at the close of the trading day, NAVs will be calculated as of the close of regular trading on the Nasdaq (or another alternate exchange if the Nasdaq is unavailable), generally 4 p.m., Eastern time.
40
Securities. Stocks, bonds, money market instruments, and other investments.
Total Return. A percentage change, over a specified time period, in a mutual funds net asset value, assuming the reinvestment of all distributions of dividends and capital gains.
Volatility. The fluctuations in value of a mutual fund or other security. The greater a funds volatility, the wider the fluctuations in its returns.
Yield. Income (interest or dividends) earned by an investment, expressed as a percentage of the investments price.
![]() | |
|
P.O. Box 2600 | |
|
Valley Forge, PA 19482-2600 | |
| Connect with Vanguard® > vanguard.com | |
| For More Information | If you are a participant in an employer-sponsored plan: |
| If you would like more information about Vanguard | The Vanguard Group |
| Dividend Appreciation Index Fund, the following | Participant Services |
| documents are available free upon request: | P.O. Box 2900 |
| Valley Forge, PA 19482-2900 | |
| Annual/Semiannual Reports to Shareholders | Telephone: 800-523-1188 |
| Additional information about the Fund’s investments is | Text telephone for people with hearing impairment: |
| available in the Fund’s annual and semiannual reports | 800-749-7273 |
| to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a | |
| discussion of the market conditions and investment | If you are a current Vanguard shareholder and would |
| strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s | like information about your account, account |
| performance during its last fiscal year. | transactions, and/or account statements, please call: |
| Statement of Additional Information (SAI) | Client Services Department |
| The SAI provides more detailed information about the | Telephone: 800-662-2739 |
| Fund and is incorporated by reference into (and thus | Text telephone for people with hearing impairment: |
| legally a part of) this prospectus. | 800-749-7273 |
| Information Provided by the Securities and | |
| To receive a free copy of the latest annual or semiannual | Exchange Commission (SEC) |
| report or the SAI, or to request additional information | You can review and copy information about the Fund |
| about the Fund or other Vanguard funds, please visit | (including the SAI) at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in |
| vanguard.com or contact us as follows: | Washington, DC. To find out more about this public |
| service, call the SEC at 202-551-8090. Reports and other | |
| If you are an individual investor: | information about the Fund are also available in the |
| The Vanguard Group | EDGAR database on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, |
| Investor Information Department | or you can receive copies of this information, for a fee, by |
| P.O. Box 2600 | electronic request at the following email address: |
| Valley Forge, PA 19482-2600 | [email protected], or by writing the Public Reference |
| Telephone: 800-662-7447 | Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, |
| Text telephone for people with hearing impairment: | Washington, DC 20549-1520. |
| 800-749-7273 | |
| Fund’s Investment Company Act file number: 811-03916 | |
| © 2017 The Vanguard Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | |
| Vanguard Marketing Corporation, Distributor. | |
| P 602 052017 | |
| Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF |
| Prospectus |
| May 25, 2017 |
| Exchange-traded fund shares that are not individually redeemable and are listed |
| on NYSE Arca |
| Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund ETF Shares (VIG) |
| This prospectus contains financial data for the Fund through the fiscal year ended January 31, 2017. |
| The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or |
| passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. |
| Contents | |||
| Vanguard ETF Summary | 1 | More on the Fund and ETF Shares | 10 |
| Investing in Vanguard ETF Shares | 7 | The Fund and Vanguard | 17 |
| Investing in Index Funds | 9 | Investment Advisor | 18 |
| Dividends, Capital Gains, and Taxes | 19 | ||
| Share Price and Market Price | 20 | ||
| Additional Information | 22 | ||
| Financial Highlights | 23 | ||
| Glossary of Investment Terms | 26 | ||
ETF Summary
Investment Objective
The Fund seeks to track the performance of a benchmark index that measures the investment return of common stocks of companies that have a record of increasing dividends over time.
Fees and Expenses
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold ETF Shares of the Fund.
| Shareholder Fees | |
| (Fees paid directly from your investment) | |
| Transaction Fee on Purchases and Sales | None through Vanguard |
| (Broker fees vary) | |
| Transaction Fee on Reinvested Dividends | None through Vanguard |
| (Broker fees vary) | |
| Transaction Fee on Conversion to ETF Shares | None through Vanguard |
| (Broker fees vary) | |
| Annual Fund Operating Expenses | |
| (Expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| Management Fees | 0.07% |
| 12b-1 Distribution Fee | None |
| Other Expenses | 0.01% |
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.08% |
1
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund’s ETF Shares with the cost of investing in other funds. It illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over various periods if you were to invest $10,000 in the Fund’s shares. This example assumes that the shares provide a return of 5% each year and that total annual fund operating expenses remain as stated in the preceding table. You would incur these hypothetical expenses whether or not you redeem your investment at the end of the given period. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
| 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years |
| $8 | $26 | $45 | $103 |
This example does not include the brokerage commissions that you may pay to buy and sell ETF Shares of the Fund.
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in more taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the previous expense example, reduce the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 19% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund employs an indexing investment approach designed to track the performance of the Nasdaq US Dividend Achievers Select Index, which consists of common stocks of companies that have a record of increasing dividends over time. The Fund attempts to replicate the target index by investing all, or substantially all, of its assets in the stocks that make up the Index, holding each stock in approximately the same proportion as its weighting in the Index.
2
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund could lose money over short or even long periods. You should expect the Funds share price and total return to fluctuate within a wide range. The Fund is subject to the following risks, which could affect the Funds performance:
Stock market risk, which is the chance that stock prices overall will decline. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. The Funds target index tracks a subset of the U.S. stock market, which could cause the Fund to perform differently from the overall stock market. In addition, the Funds target index may, at times, become focused in stocks of a particular market sector, which would subject the Fund to proportionately higher exposure to the risks of that sector.
Investment style risk, which is the chance that returns from dividend-paying stocks will trail returns from the overall stock market. In addition, mid-capitalization stocks (to the extent that the Funds assets are invested in mid-cap stocks) historically have been more volatile in price than the large-cap stocks that dominate the overall stock market. Dividend-paying stocks tend to go through cycles of doing betteror worsethan the stock market in general. These periods have, in the past, lasted for as long as several years.
Asset concentration risk, which is the chance that, because the Funds target index (and therefore the Fund) tends to be heavily weighted in its ten largest holdings, the Funds performance may be hurt disproportionately by the poor performance of relatively few stocks.
Because ETF Shares are traded on an exchange, they are subject to additional risks:
The Funds ETF Shares are listed for trading on NYSE Arca and are bought and sold on the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of an ETF Share typically will approximate its net asset value (NAV), there may be times when the market price and the NAV differ significantly. Thus, you may pay more or less than NAV when you buy ETF Shares on the secondary market, and you may receive more or less than NAV when you sell those shares.
Although the Funds ETF Shares are listed for trading on NYSE Arca, it is possible that an active trading market may not be maintained.
Trading of the Funds ETF Shares may be halted by the activation of individual or marketwide trading halts (which halt trading for a specific period of time when the price of a particular security or overall market prices decline by a specified percentage). Trading of the Funds ETF Shares may also be halted if (1) the shares are delisted from NYSE Arca without first being listed on another exchange or (2) NYSE Arca officials determine that such action is appropriate in the interest of a fair and orderly market or for the protection of investors.
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
3
Annual Total Returns
The following bar chart and table are intended to help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the performance of the Funds ETF Shares (based on NAV) has varied from one calendar year to another over the periods shown. The table shows how the average annual total returns of the ETF Shares compare with those of the Funds target index, which has investment characteristics similar to those of the Fund. Keep in mind that the Funds past performance (before and after taxes) does not indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available on our website at vanguard.com/performance or by calling Vanguard toll-free at 800-662-7447.
Annual Total Returns Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund ETF Shares1
1 The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on March 31, 2017, was 6.18%.
During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a calendar quarter was 12.86% (quarter ended December 31, 2011), and the lowest return for a quarter was 15.28% (quarter ended December 31, 2008).
4
| Average Annual Total Returns for Periods Ended December 31, 2016 | |||
| 1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | |
| Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund ETF Shares | |||
| Based on NAV | |||
| Return Before Taxes | 11.84% | 11.68% | 6.96% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions | 11.26 | 11.15 | 6.54 |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | 7.15 | 9.29 | 5.61 |
| Based on Market Price | |||
| Return Before Taxes | 11.90 | 11.69 | 6.96 |
| Nasdaq US Dividend Achievers Select Index | |||
| (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) | 11.93% | 11.76% | 7.08% |
Actual after-tax returns depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown in the preceding table. When after-tax returns are calculated, it is assumed that the shareholder was in the highest individual federal marginal income tax bracket at the time of each distribution of income or capital gains or upon redemption. State and local income taxes are not reflected in the calculations. Please note that after-tax returns are not relevant for a shareholder who holds fund shares in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan. Also, figures captioned Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may be higher than other figures for the same period if a capital loss occurs upon redemption and results in an assumed tax deduction for the shareholder.
5
Investment Advisor
The Vanguard Group, Inc. (Vanguard)
Portfolio Managers
Walter Nejman, Portfolio Manager at Vanguard. He has co-managed the Fund since 2016.
Gerard C. O’Reilly, Principal of Vanguard. He has co-managed the Fund since 2016.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You can buy and sell ETF Shares of the Fund through a brokerage firm. The price you pay or receive for ETF Shares will be the prevailing market price, which may be more or less than the NAV of the shares. The brokerage firm may charge you a commission to execute the transaction. Unless imposed by your brokerage firm, there is no minimum dollar amount you must invest and no minimum number of shares you must buy. ETF Shares of the Fund cannot be directly purchased from or redeemed with the Fund, except by certain authorized broker-dealers. These broker-dealers may purchase and redeem ETF Shares only in large blocks (Creation Units) worth several million dollars, typically in exchange for baskets of securities. For this Fund, the number of ETF Shares in a Creation Unit is 25,000.
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions may be taxable as ordinary income or capital gain. If you are investing through a tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA or an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, special tax rules apply.
Payments to Financial Intermediaries
The Fund and its investment advisor do not pay financial intermediaries for sales of Fund shares.
6
Investing in Vanguard ETF® Shares
What Are Vanguard ETF Shares?
Vanguard ETF Shares are an exchange-traded class of shares issued by certain Vanguard mutual funds. ETF Shares represent an interest in the portfolio of stocks or bonds held by the issuing fund. This prospectus describes Dividend Appreciation ETF, a class of shares issued by Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund. In addition to ETF Shares, the Fund offers two conventional (not exchange-traded) classes of shares. This prospectus, however, relates only to ETF Shares.
How Are Vanguard ETF Shares Different From Conventional Mutual Fund Shares?
Conventional mutual fund shares can be directly purchased from and redeemed with the issuing fund for cash at the net asset value (NAV), typically calculated once a day. ETF Shares, by contrast, cannot be purchased directly from or redeemed directly with the issuing fund by an individual investor. Rather, ETF Shares can only be purchased or redeemed directly from the issuing fund by certain authorized broker-dealers. These broker-dealers may purchase and redeem ETF Shares only in large blocks (Creation Units) worth several million dollars, usually in exchange for baskets of securities and not for cash (although some funds issue and redeem Creation Units in exchange for cash or a combination of cash and securities).
An organized secondary trading market is expected to exist for ETF Shares, unlike conventional mutual fund shares, because ETF Shares are listed for trading on a national securities exchange. Individual investors can purchase and sell ETF Shares on the secondary market through a broker. Secondary-market transactions occur not at NAV, but at market prices that change throughout the day based on the supply of and demand for ETF Shares and on changes in the prices of the fund’s portfolio holdings.
The market price of a fund’s ETF Shares typically will differ somewhat from the NAV of those shares. The difference between market price and NAV is expected to be small most of the time, but in times of market disruption or extreme market volatility, the difference may become significant.
7
How Do I Buy and Sell Vanguard ETF Shares?
ETF Shares of the Fund are listed for trading on NYSE Arca. You can buy and sell ETF Shares on the secondary market in the same way you buy and sell any other exchange-traded securitythrough a broker. Your broker may charge a commission to execute a transaction. You will also incur the cost of the bid-ask spread, which is the difference between the price a dealer will pay for a security and the somewhat higher price at which the dealer will sell the same security. Because secondary-market transactions occur at market prices, you may pay more (premium) or less (discount) than NAV when you buy ETF Shares and receive more or less than NAV when you sell those shares. In times of severe market disruption, the bid-ask spread and premiums/ discounts can increase significantly. Unless imposed by your broker, there is no minimum dollar amount you must invest and no minimum number of ETF Shares you must buy.
Your ownership of ETF Shares will be shown on the records of the broker through which you hold the shares. Vanguard will not have any record of your ownership. Your account information will be maintained by your broker, which will provide you with account statements, confirmations of your purchases and sales of ETF Shares, and tax information. Your broker also will be responsible for ensuring that you receive income and capital gains distributions, as well as shareholder reports and other communications from the fund whose ETF Shares you own. You will receive other services (e.g., dividend reinvestment and average cost information) only if your broker offers these services.
8
Investing in Index Funds
What Is Indexing?
Indexing is an investment strategy for tracking the performance of a specified market benchmark, or index. An index is a group of securities whose overall performance is used as a standard to measure the investment performance of a particular market. There are many types of indexes. Some represent entire marketssuch as the U.S. stock market or the U.S. bond market. Other indexes cover market segmentssuch as small-capitalization stocks or short-term bonds. The index sponsor determines the securities to include in the index, the weighting of each security in the index, and the appropriate time to make changes to the composition of the index. One cannot invest directly in an index.
An index fund holds all, or a representative sample, of the securities that make up its target index. Index funds attempt to mirror the performance of the target index, for better or worse. However, an index fund generally does not perform exactly like its target index. For example, like all mutual funds, index funds have operating expenses and transaction costs. Market indexes do not, and therefore they will usually have a slight performance advantage over funds that track them.
Index funds typically have the following characteristics:
Variety of investments. Most Vanguard index funds generally invest in the securities of a variety of companies and industries.
Relative performance consistency. Because they seek to track market benchmarks, index funds usually do not perform dramatically better or worse than their benchmarks.
Low cost. Index funds are inexpensive to run compared with actively managed funds.
They have low or no research costs and typically keep trading activityand thus brokerage commissions and other transaction coststo a minimum compared with actively managed funds.
9
More on the Fund and ETF Shares
This prospectus describes the principal risks you would face as a Fund shareholder. It is important to keep in mind one of the main axioms of investing: generally, the higher the risk of losing money, the higher the potential reward. The reverse, also, is generally true: the lower the risk, the lower the potential reward. As you consider an investment in any mutual fund, you should take into account your personal tolerance for fluctuations in the securities markets. Look for this symbol throughout the prospectus. It is used to mark detailed information about the more significant risks that you would confront as a Fund shareholder. To highlight terms and concepts important to mutual fund investors, we have provided Plain Talk® explanations along the way. Reading the prospectus will help you decide whether the Fund is the right investment for you. We suggest that you keep this prospectus for future reference.
Share Class Overview
This prospectus offers the Funds ETF Shares, an exchange-traded class of shares. A separate prospectus offers the Funds Investor Shares and Admiral Shares, which generally have investment minimums of $3,000 and $10,000, respectively.
All share classes offered by the Fund have the same investment objective, strategies, and policies. However, different share classes have different expenses; as a result, their investment performances will differ.
A Note to Investors
Vanguard ETF Shares can be purchased directly from the issuing Fund only by authorized broker-dealers in exchange for a basket of securities (or, in some cases, for cash or a combination of cash and securities) that is expected to be worth several million dollars. Most individual investors, therefore, will not be able to purchase ETF Shares directly from the Fund. Instead, these investors will purchase ETF Shares on the secondary market with the assistance of a broker.
| Plain Talk About Fund Expenses |
| All mutual funds have operating expenses. These expenses, which are deducted |
| from a funds gross income, are expressed as a percentage of the net assets of |
| the fund. Assuming that operating expenses remain as stated in the Fees and |
| Expenses section, Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund ETF Shares |
| expense ratio would be 0.08%, or $0.80 per $1,000 of average net assets. The |
| average expense ratio for large-capitalization core funds in 2016 was 1.07%, or |
| $10.70 per $1,000 of average net assets (derived from data provided by Lipper, a |
| Thomson Reuters Company, which reports on the mutual fund industry). |
10
| Plain Talk About Costs of Investing |
| Costs are an important consideration in choosing a mutual fund. That is because |
| you, as a shareholder, pay a proportionate share of the costs of operating a fund, |
| plus any transaction costs incurred when the fund buys or sells securities. These |
| costs can erode a substantial portion of the gross income or the capital |
| appreciation a fund achieves. Even seemingly small differences in expenses can, |
| over time, have a dramatic effect on a funds performance. |
The following sections explain the principal investment strategies and policies that the Fund uses in pursuit of its objective. The Funds board of trustees, which oversees the Funds management, may change investment strategies or policies in the interest of shareholders without a shareholder vote, unless those strategies or policies are designated as fundamental. Note that the Funds investment objective is not fundamental and may be changed without a shareholder vote. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its assets in the stocks that make up its target index. The Fund may change its 80% policy only upon 60 days notice to shareholders.
Market Exposure
The Fund invests mainly in common stocks of companies that have a record of increasing dividends over time. Stocks purchased by the Fund are expected to have increasing dividends over time and also to have the potential for long-term capital appreciation. The Fund may purchase stocks that have relatively low dividend yields if the company issuing the stock has increased dividends in recent years.
The Fund is subject to stock market risk, which is the chance that stock prices overall will decline. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. The Funds target index tracks a subset of the U.S. stock market, which could cause the Fund to perform differently from the overall stock market. In addition, the Funds target index may, at times, become focused in stocks of a particular market sector, which would subject the Fund to proportionately higher exposure to the risks of that sector.
To illustrate the volatility of stock prices, the following table shows the best, worst, and average annual total returns for the U.S. stock market over various periods as measured by the S&P 500 Index, a widely used barometer of U.S. stock market activity. Total returns consist of dividend income plus change in market price. Note that the returns shown do not include the costs of buying and selling stocks or other expenses that a real-world investment portfolio would incur.
11
| U.S. Stock Market Returns | ||||
| (1926–2016) | ||||
| 1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | 20 Years | |
| Best | 54.2% | 28.6% | 19.9% | 17.8% |
| Worst | –43.1 | –12.4 | –1.4 | 3.1 |
| Average | 11.9 | 10.1 | 10.3 | 11.0 |
The table covers all of the rolling 1-, 5-, 10-, and 20-year periods from 1926 through 2016. You can see, for example, that although the average annual return on common stocks for all of the 5-year periods was 10.1%, average annual returns for individual 5-year periods ranged from –12.4% (from 1928 through 1932) to 28.6% (from 1995 through 1999). These average annual returns reflect past performance of common stocks; you should not regard them as an indication of future performance of either the stock market as a whole or the Fund in particular.
The Fund is subject to investment style risk, which is the chance that returns from dividend-paying stocks will trail returns from the overall stock market. In addition, mid-capitalization stocks (to the extent that the Fund’s assets are invested in mid-cap stocks) historically have been more volatile in price than the large-cap stocks that dominate the overall stock market. Dividend-paying stocks tend to go through cycles of doing better—or worse—than the stock market in general. These periods have, in the past, lasted for as long as several years.
Security Selection
The Fund attempts to track the investment performance of a benchmark index consisting of common stocks of companies that have a record of increasing dividends over time. The companies in which the Fund invests will be within the capitalization range of the companies included in the Nasdaq US Dividend Achievers Select Index ($441 million to $500 billion as of January 31, 2017). In the future, the Index’s market capitalization range may be higher or lower, and the Fund’s investments may track another index. Such changes may occur at any time and without notice to Fund shareholders.
The Fund uses the replication method of indexing, meaning that the Fund generally holds the same stocks as those in its target index, and in approximately the same proportions.
The Fund is subject to asset concentration risk, which is the chance that, because the Fund’s target index (and therefore the Fund) tends to be heavily weighted in its ten largest holdings, the Fund’s performance may be hurt disproportionately by the poor performance of relatively few stocks.
12
Other Investment Policies and Risks
The Fund reserves the right to substitute a different index for the index it currently tracks if the current index is discontinued, if the Funds agreement with the sponsor of its target index is terminated, or for any other reason determined in good faith by the Funds board of trustees. In any such instance, the substitute index would represent the same market segment as the current index.
The Fund may invest in foreign securities to the extent necessary to carry out its investment strategy of holding all, or substantially all, of the stocks that make up the index it tracks. It is not expected that the Fund will invest more than 5% of its assets in foreign securities.
To track its target index as closely as possible, the Fund attempts to remain fully invested in stocks. To help stay fully invested and to reduce transaction costs, the Fund may invest, to a limited extent, in derivatives, including equity futures. The Fund may also use derivatives such as total return swaps to obtain exposure to a stock, a basket of stocks, or an index. Generally speaking, a derivative is a financial contract whose value is based on the value of a financial asset (such as a stock, a bond, or a currency), a physical asset (such as gold, oil, or wheat), a market index (such as the S&P 500 Index), or a reference rate (such as LIBOR). Investments in derivatives may subject the Fund to risks different from, and possibly greater than, those of investments directly in the underlying securities or assets. The Fund will not use derivatives for speculation or for the purpose of leveraging (magnifying) investment returns.
Cash Management
The Funds daily cash balance may be invested in one or more Vanguard CMT Funds, which are very low-cost money market funds. When investing in a Vanguard CMT Fund, the Fund bears its proportionate share of the expenses of the CMT Fund in which it invests. Vanguard receives no additional revenue from Fund assets invested in a Vanguard CMT Fund.
Temporary Investment Measures
The Fund may temporarily depart from its normal investment policies and strategies when the advisor believes that doing so is in the Funds best interest, so long as the alternative is consistent with the Funds investment objective. For instance, the Fund may invest beyond its normal limits in derivatives or exchange-traded funds that are consistent with the Funds objective when those instruments are more favorably priced or provide needed liquidity, as might be the case when the Fund receives large cash flows that it cannot prudently invest immediately.
13
Special Risks of Exchange-Traded Shares
ETF Shares are not individually redeemable. They can be redeemed with the issuing Fund at NAV only by authorized broker-dealers and only in large blocks known as Creation Units, which would cost millions of dollars to assemble. Consequently, if you want to liquidate some or all of your ETF Shares, you must sell them on the secondary market at prevailing market prices.
The market price of ETF Shares may differ from NAV. Although it is expected that the market price of an ETF Share typically will approximate its NAV, there may be times when the market price and the NAV differ significantly. Thus, you may pay more (premium) or less (discount) than NAV when you buy ETF Shares on the secondary market, and you may receive more or less than NAV when you sell those shares. These discounts and premiums are likely to be greatest during times of market disruption or extreme market volatility.
Vanguards website at vanguard.com shows the previous days closing NAV and closing market price for the Funds ETF Shares. The website also discloses, in the Premium/Discount Analysis section of the ETF Shares Price & Performance page, how frequently the Funds ETF Shares traded at a premium or discount to NAV (based on closing NAVs and market prices) and the magnitudes of such premiums and discounts.
An active trading market may not exist. Although Vanguard ETF Shares are listed on a national securities exchange, it is possible that an active trading market may not be maintained. Although this could happen at any time, it is more likely to occur during times of severe market disruption. If you attempt to sell your ETF Shares when an active trading market is not functioning, you may have to sell at a significant discount to NAV. In extreme cases, you may not be able to sell your shares at all.
Trading may be halted. Trading of Vanguard ETF Shares on an exchange may be halted by the activation of individual or marketwide trading halts (which halt trading for a specific period of time when the price of a particular security or overall market prices decline by a specified percentage). Trading of ETF Shares may also be halted if (1) the shares are delisted from the listing exchange without first being listed on another exchange or (2) exchange officials determine that such action is appropriate in the interest of a fair and orderly market or for the protection of investors.
14
Conversion Privilege
Owners of conventional shares issued by the Fund may convert those shares to ETF Shares of equivalent value of the same fund. Please note that investors who own conventional shares through a 401(k) plan or other employer-sponsored retirement or benefit plan generally may not convert those shares to ETF Shares and should check with their plan sponsor or recordkeeper. ETF Shares, whether acquired through a conversion or purchased on the secondary market, cannot be converted to conventional shares by a shareholder. Also, ETF Shares of one fund cannot be exchanged for ETF Shares of another fund.
You must hold ETF Shares in a brokerage account. Thus, before converting conventional shares to ETF Shares, you must have an existing, or open a new, brokerage account. This account may be with Vanguard Brokerage Services® (Vanguard Brokerage) or with any other brokerage firm. To initiate a conversion of conventional shares to ETF Shares, please contact your broker.
Vanguard Brokerage does not impose a fee on conversions from Vanguard conventional shares to Vanguard ETF Shares. However, other brokerage firms may charge a fee to process a conversion. Vanguard reserves the right, in the future, to impose a transaction fee on conversions or to limit or terminate the conversion privilege.
Converting conventional shares to ETF Shares is generally accomplished as follows. First, after your broker notifies Vanguard of your request to convert, Vanguard will transfer your conventional shares from your account to the brokers omnibus account with Vanguard (an account maintained by the broker on behalf of all its customers who hold conventional Vanguard fund shares through the broker). After the transfer, Vanguards records will reflect your broker, not you, as the owner of the shares. Next, your broker will instruct Vanguard to convert the appropriate number or dollar amount of conventional shares in its omnibus account to ETF Shares of equivalent value, based on the respective NAVs of the two share classes.
Your Funds transfer agent will reflect ownership of all ETF Shares in the name of the Depository Trust Company (DTC). The DTC will keep track of which ETF Shares belong to your broker, and your broker, in turn, will keep track of which ETF Shares belong to you.
Because the DTC is unable to handle fractional shares, only whole shares can be converted. For example, if you owned 300.250 conventional shares, and this was equivalent in value to 90.750 ETF Shares, the DTC account would receive 90 ETF Shares. Conventional shares with a value equal to 0.750 ETF Shares (in this example, that would be 2.481 conventional shares) would remain in the brokers omnibus account with Vanguard. Your broker then could either (1) credit your account with 0.750 ETF Shares or (2) redeem the 2.481 conventional shares for cash at NAV and deliver that cash to your account. If your broker chose to redeem your conventional
15
shares, you would realize a gain or loss on the redemption that must be reported on your tax return (unless you hold the shares in an IRA or other tax-deferred account). Please consult your broker for information on how it will handle the conversion process, including whether it will impose a fee to process a conversion.
If you convert your conventional shares to ETF Shares through Vanguard Brokerage, all conventional shares for which you request conversion will be converted to ETF Shares of equivalent value. Because no fractional shares will have to be sold, the transaction will not be taxable.
Here are some important points to keep in mind when converting conventional shares of a Vanguard fund to ETF Shares:
The conversion process can take anywhere from several days to several weeks, depending on your broker. Vanguard generally will process conversion requests either on the day they are received or on the next business day. Vanguard imposes conversion blackout windows around the dates when a fund with ETF Shares declares dividends. This is necessary to prevent a shareholder from collecting a dividend from both the conventional share class currently held and also from the ETF share class to which the shares will be converted.
Until the conversion process is complete, you will remain fully invested in a funds conventional shares, and your investment will increase or decrease in value in tandem with the NAV of those shares.
The conversion transaction is nontaxable except, if applicable, to the very limited extent previously described.
A precautionary note to investment companies: Vanguard ETF Shares are issued by registered investment companies, and therefore the acquisition of such shares by other investment companies is subject to the restrictions of Section 12(d)(1) of the Investment Company Act of 1940. Vanguard has obtained an SEC exemptive order that allows registered investment companies to invest in the issuing funds beyond the limits of Section 12(d)(1), subject to certain terms and conditions, including the requirement to enter into a participation agreement with Vanguard.
Frequent Trading and Market-Timing
Unlike frequent trading of a Vanguard funds conventional (i.e., not exchange-traded) classes of shares, frequent trading of ETF Shares does not disrupt portfolio management, increase the funds trading costs, lead to realization of capital gains by the fund, or otherwise harm fund shareholders. The vast majority of trading in ETF Shares occurs on the secondary market. Because these trades do not involve the issuing fund, they do not harm the fund or its shareholders. A few institutional investors are authorized to purchase and redeem ETF Shares directly with the issuing fund. Because these trades typically are effected in kind (i.e., for securities and not for
16
cash), they do not cause any of the harmful effects to the issuing fund (as previously noted) that may result from frequent cash trades. For these reasons, the board of trustees of each fund that issues ETF Shares has determined that it is not necessary to adopt policies and procedures to detect and deter frequent trading and market-timing of ETF Shares.
Portfolio Holdings
Please consult the Funds Statement of Additional Information or our website for a description of the policies and procedures that govern disclosure of the Funds portfolio holdings.
Turnover Rate
Although the Fund generally seeks to invest for the long term, it may sell securities regardless of how long they have been held. Generally, an index fund sells securities in response to redemption requests from shareholders of conventional (not exchange-traded) shares or to changes in the composition of its target index. The Financial Highlights section of this prospectus shows historical turnover rates for the Fund. A turnover rate of 100%, for example, would mean that the Fund had sold and replaced securities valued at 100% of its net assets within a one-year period.
Plain Talk About Turnover Rate
Before investing in a mutual fund, you should review its turnover rate. This gives an indication of how transaction costs, which are not included in the funds expense ratio, could affect the funds future returns. In general, the greater the volume of buying and selling by the fund, the greater the impact that brokerage commissions and other transaction costs will have on its return. Also, funds with high turnover rates may be more likely to generate capital gains, including short-term capital gains, that must be distributed to shareholders and will be taxable to shareholders investing through a taxable account.
The Fund and Vanguard
The Fund is a member of The Vanguard Group, a family of more than 190 mutual funds holding assets of approximately $3.7 trillion. All of the funds that are members of The Vanguard Group (other than funds of funds) share in the expenses associated with administrative services and business operations, such as personnel, office space, and equipment.
Vanguard Marketing Corporation provides marketing services to the funds. Although shareholders do not pay sales commissions or 12b-1 distribution fees, each fund (other
17
than a fund of funds) or each share class of a fund (in the case of a fund with multiple share classes) pays its allocated share of the Vanguard funds marketing costs.
| Plain Talk About Vanguards Unique Corporate Structure |
| The Vanguard Group is truly a mutual mutual fund company. It is owned jointly by |
| the funds it oversees and thus indirectly by the shareholders in those funds. |
| Most other mutual funds are operated by management companies that may be |
| owned by one person, by a private group of individuals, or by public investors |
| who own the management companys stock. The management fees charged by |
| these companies include a profit component over and above the companies cost |
| of providing services. By contrast, Vanguard provides services to its member |
| funds on an at-cost basis, with no profit component, which helps to keep the |
| funds expenses low. |
Investment Advisor
The Vanguard Group, Inc. (Vanguard), P.O. Box 2600, Valley Forge, PA 19482, which began operations in 1975, serves as advisor to the Fund through its Equity Index Group. As of January 31, 2017, Vanguard served as advisor for approximately $3.2 trillion in assets. Vanguard provides investment advisory services to the Fund on an at-cost basis, subject to the supervision and oversight of the trustees and officers of the Fund.
For the fiscal year ended January 31, 2017, the advisory expenses represented an effective annual rate of 0.01% of the Funds average net assets.
For a discussion of why the board of trustees approved the Funds investment advisory arrangement, see the most recent semiannual report to shareholders covering the fiscal period ended July 31.
The managers primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund are:
Walter Nejman, Portfolio Manager at Vanguard. He has been with Vanguard since 2005, has worked in investment management since 2008, and has co-managed the Fund since 2016. Education: B.S., Arcadia University; M.B.A., Villanova University.
Gerard C. OReilly, Principal of Vanguard. He has been with Vanguard since 1992, has managed investment portfolios since 1994, and has co-managed the Fund since 2016. Education: B.S., Villanova University.
The Statement of Additional Information provides information about each portfolio managers compensation, other accounts under management, and ownership of shares of the Fund.
18
Dividends, Capital Gains, and Taxes
Fund Distributions
The Fund distributes to shareholders virtually all of its net income (interest and dividends, less expenses) as well as any net short-term or long-term capital gains realized from the sale of its holdings. Income dividends generally are distributed quarterly in March, June, September, and December; capital gains distributions, if any, generally occur annually in December. In addition, the Fund may occasionally make a supplemental distribution at some other time during the year.
| Plain Talk About Distributions |
| As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a funds income from interest |
| and dividends as well as capital gains from the funds sale of investments. |
| Income consists of both the dividends that the fund earns from any stock |
| holdings and the interest it receives from any money market and bond |
| investments. Capital gains are realized whenever the fund sells securities for |
| higher prices than it paid for them. These capital gains are either short-term or |
| long-term, depending on whether the fund held the securities for one year or less |
| or for more than one year. |
Reinvestment of Distributions
In order to reinvest dividend and capital gains distributions, investors in the Funds ETF Shares must hold their shares at a broker that offers a reinvestment service. This can be the brokers own service or a service made available by a third party, such as the brokers outside clearing firm or the Depository Trust Company (DTC). If a reinvestment service is available, distributions of income and capital gains can automatically be reinvested in additional whole and fractional ETF Shares of the Fund. If a reinvestment service is not available, investors will receive their distributions in cash. To determine whether a reinvestment service is available and whether there is a commission or other charge for using this service, consult your broker.
As with all exchange-traded funds, reinvestment of dividend and capital gains distributions in additional ETF Shares will occur four business days or more after the ex-dividend date (the date when a distribution of dividends or capital gains is deducted from the price of the Funds shares). The exact number of days depends on your broker. During that time, the amount of your distribution will not be invested in the Fund and therefore will not share in the Funds income, gains, and losses.
19
Basic Tax Points
Investors in taxable accounts should be aware of the following basic federal income tax points:
Distributions are taxable to you whether or not you reinvest these amounts in additional ETF Shares.
Distributions declared in Decemberif paid to you by the end of Januaryare taxable as if received in December.
Any dividend distribution or short-term capital gains distribution that you receive is taxable to you as ordinary income. If you are an individual and meet certain holding-period requirements with respect to your ETF Shares, you may be eligible for reduced tax rates on qualified dividend income, if any, distributed by the Fund.
Any distribution of net long-term capital gains is taxable to you as long-term capital gains, no matter how long you have owned ETF Shares.
Capital gains distributions may vary considerably from year to year as a result of the Funds normal investment activities and cash flows.
A sale of ETF Shares is a taxable event. This means that you may have a capital gain to report as income, or a capital loss to report as a deduction, when you complete your tax return.
Individuals, trusts, and estates whose income exceeds certain threshold amounts are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on net investment income. Net investment income takes into account distributions paid by the Fund and capital gains from any sale of ETF Shares.
Dividend distributions and capital gains distributions that you receive, as well as your gains or losses from any sale of ETF Shares, may be subject to state and local income taxes.
This prospectus provides general tax information only. If you are investing through a tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA or an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, special tax rules apply. Please consult your tax advisor for detailed information about any tax consequences for you.
Share Price and Market Price
Share price, also known as net asset value (NAV), is calculated each business day as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), generally 4 p.m., Eastern time. Each share class has its own NAV, which is computed by dividing the total assets, minus liabilities, allocated to the share class by the number of Fund shares outstanding for that class. On U.S. holidays or other days when the NYSE is closed, the NAV is not calculated, and the Fund does not sell or redeem shares. However, on those days the value of the Funds assets may be affected to the
20
extent that the Fund holds securities that change in value on those days (such as foreign securities that trade on foreign markets that are open).
Remember: If you buy or sell ETF Shares on the secondary market, you will pay or receive the market price, which may be higher or lower than NAV. Your transaction will be priced at NAV only if you purchase or redeem your ETF Shares in Creation Unit blocks (an option available only to certain authorized broker-dealers) or if you convert your conventional fund shares to ETF Shares.
Stocks held by a Vanguard fund are valued at their market value when reliable market quotations are readily available from the principal exchange or market on which they are traded. Such securities are generally valued at their official closing price, the last reported sales price, or if there were no sales that day, the mean between the closing bid and asking prices. When a fund determines that market quotations either are not readily available or do not accurately reflect the value of a security, the security is priced at its fair value (the amount that the owner might reasonably expect to receive upon the current sale of the security).
The values of any foreign securities held by a fund are converted into U.S. dollars using an exchange rate obtained from an independent third party as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE. The values of any mutual fund shares, including institutional money market fund shares, held by a fund are based on the NAVs of the shares. The values of any ETF shares or closed-end fund shares held by a fund are based on the market value of the shares.
A fund also will use fair-value pricing if the value of a security it holds has been materially affected by events occurring before the funds pricing time but after the close of the principal exchange or market on which the security is traded. This most commonly occurs with foreign securities, which may trade on foreign exchanges that close many hours before the funds pricing time. Intervening events might be company-specific (e.g., earnings report, merger announcement) or country-specific or regional/global (e.g., natural disaster, economic or political news, act of terrorism, interest rate change). Intervening events include price movements in U.S. markets that exceed a specified threshold or that are otherwise deemed to affect the value of foreign securities.
Fair-value pricing may be used for domestic securitiesfor example, if (1) trading in a security is halted and does not resume before the funds pricing time or a security does not trade in the course of a day and (2) the fund holds enough of the security that its price could affect the NAV.
21
Fair-value prices are determined by Vanguard according to procedures adopted by the board of trustees. When fair-value pricing is employed, the prices of securities used by a fund to calculate the NAV may differ from quoted or published prices for the same securities.
Vanguard’s website will show the previous day’s closing NAV and closing market price for the Fund’s ETF Shares.
| Additional Information | |||
| Vanguard | CUSIP | ||
| Inception Date | Fund Number | Number | |
| Dividend Appreciation Index Fund | |||
| ETF Shares | 4/21/2006 | 920 | 921908844 |
22
Financial Highlights
The following financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the ETF Shares financial performance for the periods shown, and certain information reflects financial results for a single ETF Share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost each period on an investment in the ETF Shares (assuming reinvestment of all distributions). This information has been obtained from the financial statements audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose reportalong with the Funds financial statementsis included in the Funds most recent annual report to shareholders. You may obtain a free copy of the latest annual or semiannual report by visiting vanguard.com or by contacting Vanguard by telephone or mail.
| Plain Talk About How to Read the Financial Highlights Table |
| The ETF Shares began fiscal year 2017 with a net asset value (share price) of |
| $75.98 per share. During the year, each ETF Share earned $1.81 from investment |
| income (interest and dividends) and $10.696 from investments that had |
| appreciated in value or that were sold for higher prices than the Fund paid for |
| them. |
| Shareholders received $1.826 per share in the form of dividend distributions. A |
| portion of each years distributions may come from the prior years income or |
| capital gains. |
| The share price at the end of the year was $86.66, reflecting earnings of $12.506 |
| per share and distributions of $1.826 per share. This was an increase of $10.68 |
| per share (from $75.98 at the beginning of the year to $86.66 at the end of the |
| year). For a shareholder who reinvested the distributions in the purchase of more |
| shares, the total return was 16.59% for the year. |
| As of January 31, 2017, the ETF Shares had approximately $22.7 billion in net |
| assets. For the year, the expense ratio was 0.08% ($0.80 per $1,000 of net |
| assets), and the net investment income amounted to 2.20% of average net |
| assets. The Fund sold and replaced securities valued at 19% of its net assets. |
23
| Dividend Appreciation Index Fund ETF Shares | |||||
| Year Ended January 31, | |||||
| For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period | $75.98 | $78.42 | $71.47 | $63.08 | $56.04 |
| Investment Operations | |||||
| Net Investment Income | 1.810 | 1.759 | 1.645 | 1.421 | 1.401 |
| Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) | |||||
| on Investments | 10.696 | (2.380) | 6.890 | 8.357 | 7.049 |
| Total from Investment Operations | 12.506 | (.621) | 8.535 | 9.778 | 8.450 |
| Distributions | |||||
| Dividends from Net Investment Income | (1.826) | (1.819) | (1.585) | (1.388) | (1.410) |
| Distributions from Realized Capital Gains | — | — | — | — | — |
| Total Distributions | (1.826) | (1.819) | (1.585) | (1.388) | (1.410) |
| Net Asset Value, End of Period | $86.66 | $75.98 | $78.42 | $71.47 | $63.08 |
| Total Return | 16.59% | –0.84% | 11.97% | 15.60% | 15.29% |
| Ratios/Supplemental Data | |||||
| Net Assets, End of Period (Millions) | $22,698 | $18,771 | $20,610 | $18,511 | $13,119 |
| Ratio of Total Expenses to Average Net Assets | 0.08% | 0.09% | 0.10% | 0.10% | 0.10% |
| Ratio of Net Investment Income to Average | |||||
| Net Assets | 2.20% | 2.21% | 2.14% | 2.08% | 2.42% |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate1 | 19% | 22% | 20% | 3% | 15% |
| 1 Excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind purchases or redemptions of the Fund’s | |||||
| capital shares, including ETF Creation Units. | |||||
24
“Dividend Achievers” is a trademark of The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. (collectively, with its affiliates, “NASDAQ OMX”) and has been licensed for use by The Vanguard Group, Inc. Vanguard mutual funds are not sponsored, endorsed, sold, or promoted by NASDAQ OMX and NASDAQ OMX makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in the funds. NASDAQ OMX MAKES NO WARRANTIES AND BEARS NO LIABILITY WITH RESPECT TO THE VANGUARD MUTUAL FUNDS.
25
Glossary of Investment Terms
Active Management. An investment approach that seeks to exceed the average returns of a particular financial market or market segment. In selecting securities to buy and sell, active managers may rely on, among other things, research, market forecasts, quantitative models, and their own judgment and experience.
Authorized Participant. Institutional investors that are permitted to purchase Creation Units directly from, and redeem Creation Units directly with, the issuing fund. To be an Authorized Participant, an entity must be a participant in the Depository Trust Company and must enter into an agreement with the funds Distributor.
Bid-Ask Spread. The difference between the price a dealer is willing to pay for a security (the bid price) and the somewhat higher price at which the dealer is willing to sell the same security (the ask price).
Capital Gains Distribution. Payment to mutual fund shareholders of gains realized on securities that a fund has sold at a profit, minus any realized losses.
Common Stock. A security representing ownership rights in a corporation.
Creation Unit. A large block of a specified number of ETF Shares. Certain broker-dealers known as Authorized Participants may purchase and redeem ETF Shares from the issuing fund in Creation Unit size blocks.
Dividend Distribution. Payment to mutual fund shareholders of income from interest or dividends generated by a funds investments.
Ex-Dividend Date. The date when a distribution of dividends and/or capital gains is deducted from the share price of a mutual fund or stock. On the ex-dividend date, the share price drops by the amount of the distribution per share (plus or minus any market activity).
Expense Ratio. A funds total annual operating expenses expressed as a percentage of the funds average net assets. The expense ratio includes management and administrative expenses, but it does not include the transaction costs of buying and selling portfolio securities.
Inception Date. The date on which the assets of a fund (or one of its share classes) are first invested in accordance with the funds investment objective. For funds with a subscription period, the inception date is the day after that period ends. Investment performance is generally measured from the inception date.
Indexing. A low-cost investment strategy in which a mutual fund attempts to trackrather than outperforma specified market benchmark, or index.
26
Median Market Capitalization. An indicator of the size of companies in which a fund invests; the midpoint of market capitalization (market price x shares outstanding) of a funds stocks, weighted by the proportion of the funds assets invested in each stock. Stocks representing half of the funds assets have market capitalizations above the median, and the rest are below it.
Mutual Fund. An investment company that pools the money of many people and invests it in a variety of securities in an effort to achieve a specific objective over time.
New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). A stock exchange based in New York City that is open for regular trading on business days, Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Eastern time. Net asset values (NAVs) are calculated each business day as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE. In the rare event the NYSE experiences unanticipated trade disruptions and is unavailable at the close of the trading day, NAVs will be calculated as of the close of regular trading on the Nasdaq (or another alternate exchange if the Nasdaq is unavailable), generally 4 p.m., Eastern time.
Securities. Stocks, bonds, money market instruments, and other investments.
Total Return. A percentage change, over a specified time period, in a mutual funds net asset value, assuming the reinvestment of all distributions of dividends and capital gains.
Volatility. The fluctuations in value of a mutual fund or other security. The greater a funds volatility, the wider the fluctuations in its returns.
Yield. Income (interest or dividends) earned by an investment, expressed as a percentage of the investments price.
27
This page intentionally left blank.
This page intentionally left blank.
![]() | |
| Institutional Division | |
| P.O. Box 2900 | |
| Valley Forge, PA 19482-2900 | |
| Connect with Vanguard® > vanguard.com | |
| For More Information | Information Provided by the Securities and |
| If you would like more information about Vanguard | Exchange Commission (SEC) |
| Dividend Appreciation ETF, the following documents | You can review and copy information about the Fund |
| are available free upon request: | (including the SAI) at the SEC’s Public Reference Room |
| in Washington, DC. To find out more about this public | |
| Annual/Semiannual Reports to Shareholders | service, call the SEC at 202-551-8090. Reports and |
| Additional information about the Fund’s investments is | other information about the Fund are also available in |
| available in the Fund’s annual and semiannual reports | the EDGAR database on the SEC’s website at |
| to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a | www.sec.gov, or you can receive copies of this |
| discussion of the market conditions and investment | information, for a fee, by electronic request at the |
| strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s | following email address: [email protected], or by |
| performance during its last fiscal year. | writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and |
| Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 20549-1520. | |
| Statement of Additional Information (SAI) | |
| The SAI provides more detailed information about the | Fund’s Investment Company Act file number: 811-03916 |
| Fund’s ETF Shares and is incorporated by reference | |
| into (and thus legally a part of) this prospectus. | |
| To receive a free copy of the latest annual or | |
| semiannual report or the SAI, or to request additional | |
| information about Vanguard ETF Shares, please visit | |
| vanguard.com or contact us as follows: | |
| The Vanguard Group | |
| Institutional Investor Information | |
| P.O. Box 2900 | |
| Valley Forge, PA 19482-2900 | |
| Telephone: 866-499-8473 | |
| © 2017 The Vanguard Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | |
| U.S. Patent Nos. 6,879,964; 7,337,138; 7,720,749; 7,925,573; 8,090,646; | |
| and 8,417,623. | |
| Vanguard Marketing Corporation, Distributor. | |
| P 920 052017 | |
| PART B | ||||
| VANGUARD® SPECIALIZED FUNDS | ||||
| STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION | ||||
| May 25, 2017 | ||||
| This Statement of Additional Information is not a prospectus but should be read in conjunction with a Funds current | ||||
| prospectus (dated May 25, 2017). To obtain, without charge, a prospectus or the most recent Annual Report to | ||||
| Shareholders, which contains the Funds financial statements as hereby incorporated by reference, please contact The | ||||
| Vanguard Group, Inc. (Vanguard). | ||||
| Phone: Investor Information Department at 800-662-7447 | ||||
| Online: vanguard.com | ||||
| TABLE OF CONTENTS | ||||
| Description of the Trust | B-1 | |||
| Fundamental Policies | B-3 | |||
| Investment Strategies, Risks, and Nonfundamental Policies | B-4 | |||
| Share Price | B-23 | |||
| Purchase and Redemption of Shares | B-23 | |||
| Management of the Funds | B-24 | |||
| Investment Advisory Services | B-40 | |||
| Portfolio Transactions | B-48 | |||
| Proxy Voting Guidelines | B-49 | |||
| Information About the ETF Share Class | B-55 | |||
| Financial Statements | B-62 | |||
| DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST | ||||
| Vanguard Specialized Funds (the Trust) currently offers the following funds and share classes (identified by ticker symbol): | ||||
| Share Classes1 | ||||
| Fund2 | Investor | Admiral | Institutional | ETF |
| Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund | VDAIX | VDADX | | VIG |
| Vanguard Dividend Growth Fund | VDIGX | | | |
| Vanguard Energy Fund | VGENX | VGELX | | |
| Vanguard Health Care Fund | VGHCX | VGHAX | | |
| Vanguard Precious Metals and Mining Fund | VGPMX | | | |
| Vanguard REIT Index Fund | VGSIX | VGSLX | VGSNX | VNQ |
| 1 Individually, a class; collectively, the classes. | ||||
| 2 Individually, a Fund; collectively, the Funds. | ||||
| The Trust has the ability to offer additional funds or classes of shares. There is no limit on the number of full and | ||||
| fractional shares that may be issued for a single fund or class of shares. | ||||
| Throughout this document, any references to class apply only to the extent a Fund issues multiple classes. | ||||
| Organization | ||||
| The Trust was organized as a Pennsylvania business trust in 1983, was reorganized as a Maryland corporation in 1986, | ||||
| and was reorganized as a Delaware statutory trust in 1998. Prior to its reorganization as a Delaware statutory trust, the | ||||
| Trust was known as Vanguard Specialized Portfolios, Inc. The Trust is registered with the United States Securities and | ||||
| Exchange Commission (SEC) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act) as an open-end management | ||||
| investment company. All Funds within the Trust, other than Vanguard Precious Metals and Mining Fund, are classified as | ||||
B-1
diversified within the meaning of the 1940 Act. The Precious Metals and Mining Fund is classified as nondiversified within the meaning of the 1940 Act.
Service Providers
Custodians. JPMorgan Chase Bank, 270 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017-2070 (for the Dividend Appreciation Index, Health Care, and Precious Metals and Mining Funds) and Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., 50 Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02110-1548 (for the REIT Index, Dividend Growth, and Energy Funds) serve as the Funds custodians. The custodians are responsible for maintaining the Funds assets, keeping all necessary accounts and records of Fund assets, and appointing any foreign subcustodians or foreign securities depositories.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Two Commerce Square, Suite 1800, 2001 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-7042, serves as the Funds independent registered public accounting firm. The independent registered public accounting firm audits the Funds annual financial statements and provides other related services.
Transfer and Dividend-Paying Agent. The Funds transfer agent and dividend-paying agent is Vanguard, P.O. Box 2600, Valley Forge, PA 19482.
Characteristics of the Funds Shares
Restrictions on Holding or Disposing of Shares. There are no restrictions on the right of shareholders to retain or dispose of a Funds shares, other than those described in the Funds current prospectus and elsewhere in this Statement of Additional Information. Each Fund or class may be terminated by reorganization into another mutual fund or class or by liquidation and distribution of the assets of the Fund or class. Unless terminated by reorganization or liquidation, each Fund and share class will continue indefinitely.
Shareholder Liability. The Trust is organized under Delaware law, which provides that shareholders of a statutory trust are entitled to the same limitations of personal liability as shareholders of a corporation organized under Delaware law. This means that a shareholder of a Fund generally will not be personally liable for payment of the Funds debts. Some state courts, however, may not apply Delaware law on this point. We believe that the possibility of such a situation arising is remote.
Dividend Rights. The shareholders of each class of a Fund are entitled to receive any dividends or other distributions declared by the Fund for each such class. No shares of a Fund have priority or preference over any other shares of the Fund with respect to distributions. Distributions will be made from the assets of the Fund and will be paid ratably to all shareholders of a particular class according to the number of shares of the class held by shareholders on the record date. The amount of dividends per share may vary between separate share classes of the Fund based upon differences in the net asset values of the different classes and differences in the way that expenses are allocated between share classes pursuant to a multiple class plan approved by the Funds board of trustees.
Voting Rights. Shareholders are entitled to vote on a matter if (1) the matter concerns an amendment to the Declaration of Trust that would adversely affect to a material degree the rights and preferences of the shares of a Fund or any class; (2) the trustees determine that it is necessary or desirable to obtain a shareholder vote; (3) a merger or consolidation, share conversion, share exchange, or sale of assets is proposed and a shareholder vote is required by the 1940 Act to approve the transaction; or (4) a shareholder vote is required under the 1940 Act. The 1940 Act requires a shareholder vote under various circumstances, including to elect or remove trustees upon the written request of shareholders representing 10% or more of a Funds net assets, to change any fundamental policy of a Fund (please see Fundamental Policies), and to enter into certain merger transactions. Unless otherwise required by applicable law, shareholders of a Fund receive one vote for each dollar of net asset value owned on the record date and a fractional vote for each fractional dollar of net asset value owned on the record date. However, only the shares of the Fund or class affected by a particular matter are entitled to vote on that matter. In addition, each class has exclusive voting rights on any matter submitted to shareholders that relates solely to that class, and each class has separate voting rights on any matter submitted to shareholders in which the interests of one class differ from the interests of another. Voting rights are noncumulative and cannot be modified without a majority vote by the shareholders.
Liquidation Rights. In the event that a Fund is liquidated, shareholders will be entitled to receive a pro rata share of the Funds net assets. In the event that a class of shares is liquidated, shareholders of that class will be entitled to receive a
B-2
pro rata share of the Funds net assets that are allocated to that class. Shareholders may receive cash, securities, or a combination of the two.
Preemptive Rights. There are no preemptive rights associated with the Funds shares.
Conversion Rights. Shareholders of each Fund (except the Dividend Growth and Precious Metals and Mining Funds) may convert their shares into another class of shares of the same Fund upon satisfaction of any then-applicable eligibility requirements, as described in the Funds current prospectus. ETF Shares cannot be converted into conventional shares of a fund by a shareholder. For additional information about the conversion rights applicable to ETF Shares, please see Information About the ETF Share Class. There are no conversion rights associated with the Dividend Growth and Precious Metals and Mining Funds.
Redemption Provisions. Each Funds redemption provisions are described in its current prospectus and elsewhere in this Statement of Additional Information.
Sinking Fund Provisions. The Funds have no sinking fund provisions.
Calls or Assessment. Each Funds shares, when issued, are fully paid and non-assessable.
Tax Status of the Funds
Each Fund expects to qualify each year for treatment as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the IRC). This special tax status means that the Fund will not be liable for federal tax on income and capital gains distributed to shareholders. In order to preserve its tax status, each Fund must comply with certain requirements. If a Fund fails to meet these requirements in any taxable year, the Fund will, in some cases, be able to cure such failure, including by paying a fund-level tax, paying interest, making additional distributions, or disposing of certain assets. If the Fund is ineligible to or otherwise does not cure such failure for any year, it will be subject to tax on its taxable income at corporate rates, and all distributions from earnings and profits, including any distributions of net tax-exempt income and net long-term capital gains, will be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. In addition, a Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest, and make substantial distributions before regaining its tax status as a regulated investment company.
Dividends received and distributed by each Fund on shares of stock of domestic corporations and certain foreign corporations generally may be eligible to be reported by the Fund, and treated by individual shareholders, as qualified dividend income taxed at long-term capital gain rates instead of at higher ordinary income tax rates. Individuals must satisfy holding period and other requirements in order to be eligible for such treatment. Capital gains distributed by the Funds are not eligible for treatment as qualified dividend income.
Dividends received and distributed by each Fund on shares of stock of domestic corporations may be eligible for the dividends-received deduction applicable to corporate shareholders. Corporations must satisfy certain requirements in order to claim the deduction. Capital gains distributed by the Funds are not eligible for the dividends-received deduction.
Each Fund may declare a capital gain dividend consisting of the excess (if any) of net realized long-term capital gains over net realized short-term capital losses. Net capital gains for a fiscal year are computed by taking into account any capital loss carryforwards of the Fund. For Fund fiscal years beginning on or after December 22, 2010, capital losses may be carried forward indefinitely and retain their character as either short-term or long-term. Under prior law, net capital losses could be carried forward for eight tax years and were treated as short-term capital losses. A Fund is required to use capital losses arising in fiscal years beginning on or after December 22, 2010, before using capital losses arising in fiscal years beginning prior to December 22, 2010.
FUNDAMENTAL POLICIES
Each Fund is subject to the following fundamental investment policies, which cannot be changed in any material way without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Funds shares. For these purposes, a majority of shares means shares representing the lesser of (1) 67% or more of the Funds net assets voted, so long as shares representing more than 50% of the Funds net assets are present or represented by proxy or (2) more than 50% of the Funds net assets.
Borrowing. Each Fund may borrow money only as permitted by the 1940 Act or other governing statute, by the Rules thereunder, or by the SEC or other regulatory agency with authority over the Fund.
B-3
Commodities. Each Fund may invest in commodities only as permitted by the 1940 Act or other governing statute, by the Rules thereunder, or by the SEC or other regulatory agency with authority over the Fund.
Diversification. With respect to 75% of its total assets, each Fund (other than Vanguard Precious Metals and Mining Fund) may not (1) purchase more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer; or (2) purchase securities of any issuer if, as a result, more than 5% of the Funds total assets would be invested in that issuers securities. This limitation does not apply to obligations of the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities.
Vanguard Precious Metals and Mining Fund will limit the aggregate value of all holdings (except U.S. government securities, cash, and cash items, as defined under subchapter M of the IRC), each of which exceeds 5% of the Funds total assets or 10% of the issuers outstanding voting securities, to an aggregate of 50% of the Funds total assets as of the end of each quarter of the taxable year. Additionally, the Fund will limit the aggregate value of holdings of a single issuer (except U.S. government securities, as defined in the IRC) to a maximum of 25% of the Funds total assets as of the end of each quarter of the taxable year.
Industry Concentration. Each Fund (other than Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund and Vanguard Dividend Growth Fund) will concentrate its investments in the securities of issuers whose principal business activities are in the industry denoted by the Fund name.
Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund will not concentrate its investments in the securities of issuers whose principal business activities are in the same industry, except as may be necessary to approximate the composition of its target index.
Vanguard Dividend Growth Fund will not concentrate its investments in the securities of issuers whose principal business activities are in the same industry.
Investment Objective. The investment objectives of Vanguard Energy Fund, Vanguard Precious Metals and Mining Fund, Vanguard Health Care Fund, and Vanguard REIT Index Fund may not be materially changed without a shareholder vote.
Loans. Each Fund may make loans to another person only as permitted by the 1940 Act or other governing statute, by the Rules thereunder, or by the SEC or other regulatory agency with authority over the Fund.
Real Estate. Each Fund may not invest directly in real estate unless it is acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments. This restriction shall not prevent the Fund from investing in securities or other instruments (1) issued by companies that invest, deal, or otherwise engage in transactions in real estate or (2) backed or secured by real estate or interests in real estate.
Senior Securities. Each Fund may not issue senior securities except as permitted by the 1940 Act or other governing statute, by the Rules thereunder, or by the SEC or other regulatory agency with authority over the Fund.
Underwriting. Each Fund may not act as an underwriter of another issuers securities, except to the extent that the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 (the 1933 Act), in connection with the purchase and sale of portfolio securities.
Compliance with the fundamental policies previously described is generally measured at the time the securities are purchased. Unless otherwise required by the 1940 Act (as is the case with borrowing), if a percentage restriction is adhered to at the time the investment is made, a later change in percentage resulting from a change in the market value of assets will not constitute a violation of such restriction. All fundamental policies must comply with applicable regulatory requirements. For more details, see Investment Strategies, Risks, and Nonfundamental Policies.
None of these policies prevents the Funds from having an ownership interest in Vanguard. As a part owner of Vanguard, each Fund may own securities issued by Vanguard, make loans to Vanguard, and contribute to Vanguards costs or other financial requirements. See Management of the Funds for more information.
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES, RISKS, AND NONFUNDAMENTAL POLICIES
Some of the investment strategies and policies described on the following pages and in each Funds prospectus set forth percentage limitations on a Funds investment in, or holdings of, certain securities or other assets. Unless otherwise required by law, compliance with these strategies and policies will be determined immediately after the acquisition of
B-4
such securities or assets by the Fund. Subsequent changes in values, net assets, or other circumstances will not be considered when determining whether the investment complies with the Funds investment strategies and policies.
The following investment strategies, risks, and policies supplement each Funds investment strategies, risks, and policies set forth in the prospectus. With respect to the different investments discussed as follows, a Fund may acquire such investments to the extent consistent with its investment strategies and policies.
Borrowing. A funds ability to borrow money is limited by its investment policies and limitations; by the 1940 Act; and by applicable exemptions, no-action letters, interpretations, and other pronouncements issued from time to time by the SEC and its staff or any other regulatory authority with jurisdiction. Under the 1940 Act, a fund is required to maintain continuous asset coverage (that is, total assets including borrowings, less liabilities exclusive of borrowings) of 300% of the amount borrowed, with an exception for borrowings not in excess of 5% of the funds total assets made for temporary or emergency purposes. Any borrowings for temporary purposes in excess of 5% of the funds total assets must maintain continuous asset coverage. If the 300% asset coverage should decline as a result of market fluctuations or for other reasons, a fund may be required to sell some of its portfolio holdings within three days (excluding Sundays and holidays) to reduce the debt and restore the 300% asset coverage, even though it may be disadvantageous from an investment standpoint to sell securities at that time.
Borrowing will tend to exaggerate the effect on net asset value of any increase or decrease in the market value of a funds portfolio. Money borrowed will be subject to interest costs that may or may not be recovered by earnings on the securities purchased with the proceeds of such borrowing. A fund also may be required to maintain minimum average balances in connection with a borrowing or to pay a commitment or other fee to maintain a line of credit; either of these requirements would increase the cost of borrowing over the stated interest rate.
The SEC takes the position that transactions that have a leveraging effect on the capital structure of a fund or are economically equivalent to borrowing can be viewed as constituting a form of borrowing by the fund for purposes of the 1940 Act. These transactions can include entering into reverse repurchase agreements; engaging in mortgage-dollar-roll transactions; selling securities short (other than short sales against-the-box); buying and selling certain derivatives (such as futures contracts); selling (or writing) put and call options; engaging in sale-buybacks; entering into firm-commitment and standby-commitment agreements; engaging in when-issued, delayed-delivery, or forward-commitment transactions; and participating in other similar trading practices. (Additional discussion about a number of these transactions can be found on the following pages.) A borrowing transaction will not be considered to constitute the issuance, by a fund, of a senior security, as that term is defined in Section 18(g) of the 1940 Act, and therefore such transaction will not be subject to the 300% asset coverage requirement otherwise applicable to borrowings by a fund, if the fund maintains an offsetting financial position; segregates liquid assets (with such liquidity determined by the advisor in accordance with procedures established by the board of trustees) equal (as determined on a daily mark-to-market basis) in value to the funds potential economic exposure under the borrowing transaction; or otherwise covers the transaction in accordance with applicable SEC guidance (collectively, covers the transaction). A fund may have to buy or sell a security at a disadvantageous time or price in order to cover a borrowing transaction. In addition, segregated assets may not be available to satisfy redemptions or to fulfill other obligations.
Common Stock. Common stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer. Common stock typically entitles the owner to vote on the election of directors and other important matters, as well as to receive dividends on such stock. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds, other debt holders, and owners of preferred stock take precedence over the claims of those who own common stock.
Convertible Securities. Convertible securities are hybrid securities that combine the investment characteristics of bonds and common stocks. Convertible securities typically consist of debt securities or preferred stock that may be converted (on a voluntary or mandatory basis) within a specified period of time (normally for the entire life of the security) into a certain amount of common stock or other equity security of the same or a different issuer at a predetermined price. Convertible securities also include debt securities with warrants or common stock attached and derivatives combining the features of debt securities and equity securities. Other convertible securities with features and risks not specifically referred to herein may become available in the future. Convertible securities involve risks similar to those of both fixed income and equity securities. In a corporations capital structure, convertible securities are senior to common stock but are usually subordinated to senior debt obligations of the issuer.
The market value of a convertible security is a function of its investment value and its conversion value. A securitys investment value represents the value of the security without its conversion feature (i.e., a nonconvertible debt
B-5
security). The investment value may be determined by reference to its credit quality and the current value of its yield to maturity or probable call date. At any given time, investment value is dependent upon such factors as the general level of interest rates, the yield of similar nonconvertible securities, the financial strength of the issuer, and the seniority of the security in the issuers capital structure. A securitys conversion value is determined by multiplying the number of shares the holder is entitled to receive upon conversion or exchange by the current price of the underlying security. If the conversion value of a convertible security is significantly below its investment value, the convertible security will trade like nonconvertible debt or preferred stock and its market value will not be influenced greatly by fluctuations in the market price of the underlying security. In that circumstance, the convertible security takes on the characteristics of a bond, and its price moves in the opposite direction from interest rates. Conversely, if the conversion value of a convertible security is near or above its investment value, the market value of the convertible security will be more heavily influenced by fluctuations in the market price of the underlying security. In that case, the convertible securitys price may be as volatile as that of common stock. Because both interest rates and market movements can influence its value, a convertible security generally is not as sensitive to interest rates as a similar debt security, nor is it as sensitive to changes in share price as its underlying equity security. Convertible securities are often rated below investment grade or are not rated, and they are generally subject to a high degree of credit risk.
Although all markets are prone to change over time, the generally high rate at which convertible securities are retired (through mandatory or scheduled conversions by issuers or through voluntary redemptions by holders) and replaced with newly issued convertible securities may cause the convertible securities market to change more rapidly than other markets. For example, a concentration of available convertible securities in a few economic sectors could elevate the sensitivity of the convertible securities market to the volatility of the equity markets and to the specific risks of those sectors. Moreover, convertible securities with innovative structures, such as mandatory-conversion securities and equity-linked securities, have increased the sensitivity of the convertible securities market to the volatility of the equity markets and to the special risks of those innovations, which may include risks different from, and possibly greater than, those associated with traditional convertible securities. A convertible security may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price set in the governing instrument of the convertible security. If a convertible security held by a fund is subject to such redemption option and is called for redemption, the fund must allow the issuer to redeem the security, convert it into the underlying common stock, or sell the security to a third party.
Cybersecurity Risks. The increased use of technology to conduct business could subject a fund and its third-party service providers (including, but not limited to, investment advisors and custodians) to risks associated with cybersecurity. In general, a cybersecurity incident can occur as a result of a deliberate attack designed to gain unauthorized access to digital systems. If the attack is successful, an unauthorized person or persons could misappropriate assets or sensitive information, corrupt data, or cause operational disruption. A cybersecurity incident could also occur unintentionally if, for example, an authorized person inadvertently released proprietary or confidential information. Vanguard has developed robust technological safeguards and business continuity plans to prevent, or reduce the impact of, potential cybersecurity incidents. Additionally, Vanguard has a process for assessing the information security and/or cybersecurity programs implemented by a funds third-party service providers, which helps minimize the risk of potential incidents. Despite these measures, a cybersecurity incident still has the potential to disrupt business operations, which could negatively impact a fund and/or its shareholders. Some examples of negative impacts that could occur as a result of a cybersecurity incident include, but are not limited to, the following: a fund may be unable to calculate its net asset value (NAV), a funds shareholders may be unable to transact business, a fund may be unable to process transactions on behalf of its shareholders, or a fund may be unable to safeguard its data or the personal information of its shareholders.
Debt Securities. A debt security, sometimes called a fixed income security, consists of a certificate or other evidence of a debt (secured or unsecured) on which the issuing company or governmental body promises to pay the holder thereof a fixed, variable, or floating rate of interest for a specified length of time and to repay the debt on the specified maturity date. Some debt securities, such as zero-coupon bonds, do not make regular interest payments but are issued at a discount to their principal or maturity value. Debt securities include a variety of fixed income obligations, including, but not limited to, corporate bonds, government securities, municipal securities, convertible securities, mortgage-backed securities, and asset-backed securities. Debt securities include investment-grade securities, non-investment-grade securities, and unrated securities. Debt securities are subject to a variety of risks, such as interest rate risk, income risk, call risk, prepayment risk, extension risk, inflation risk, credit risk, liquidity risk, and (in the case of foreign securities) country risk and currency risk. The reorganization of an issuer under the federal bankruptcy laws may result in the
B-6
issuers debt securities being cancelled without repayment, repaid only in part, or repaid in part or in whole through an exchange thereof for any combination of cash, debt securities, convertible securities, equity securities, or other instruments or rights in respect to the same issuer or a related entity.
Debt SecuritiesNon-Investment-Grade Securities. Non-investment-grade securities, also referred to as high-yield securities or junk bonds, are debt securities that are rated lower than the four highest rating categories by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (e.g., lower than Baa3/P-2 by Moodys Investors Service, Inc. (Moodys) or below BBB/A-2 by Standard & Poors Financial Services LLC (Standard & Poors)) or, if unrated, are determined to be of comparable quality by the funds advisor. These securities are generally considered to be, on balance, predominantly speculative with respect to capacity to pay interest and repay principal in accordance with the terms of the obligation, and they will generally involve more credit risk than securities in the investment-grade categories. Non-investment-grade securities generally provide greater income and opportunity for capital appreciation than higher quality securities, but they also typically entail greater price volatility and principal and income risk.
Analysis of the creditworthiness of issuers of high-yield securities may be more complex than for issuers of investment-grade securities. Thus, reliance on credit ratings in making investment decisions entails greater risks for high-yield securities than for investment-grade securities. The success of a funds advisor in managing high-yield securities is more dependent upon its own credit analysis than is the case with investment-grade securities.
Some high-yield securities are issued by smaller, less-seasoned companies, while others are issued as part of a corporate restructuring such as an acquisition, a merger, or a leveraged buyout. Companies that issue high-yield securities are often highly leveraged and may not have more traditional methods of financing available to them. Therefore, the risk associated with acquiring the securities of such issuers generally is greater than is the case with investment-grade securities. Some high-yield securities were once rated as investment-grade but have been downgraded to junk-bond status because of financial difficulties experienced by their issuers.
The market values of high-yield securities tend to reflect individual issuer developments to a greater extent than do investment-grade securities, which in general react to fluctuations in the general level of interest rates. High-yield securities also tend to be more sensitive to economic conditions than are investment-grade securities. An actual or anticipated economic downturn or sustained period of rising interest rates, for example, could cause a decline in junk-bond prices because the advent of a recession could lessen the ability of a highly leveraged company to make principal and interest payments on its debt securities. If an issuer of high-yield securities defaults, in addition to risking payment of all or a portion of interest and principal, a fund investing in such securities may incur additional expenses to seek recovery.
The secondary market on which high-yield securities are traded may be less liquid than the market for investment-grade securities. Less liquidity in the secondary trading market could adversely affect the ability of a funds advisor to sell a high-yield security or the price at which a funds advisor could sell a high-yield security, and it could also adversely affect the daily net asset value of fund shares. When secondary markets for high-yield securities are less liquid than the market for investment-grade securities, it may be more difficult to value the securities because such valuation may require more research, and elements of judgment may play a greater role in the valuation of the securities.
Except as otherwise provided in a funds prospectus, if a credit-rating agency changes the rating of a portfolio security held by a fund, the fund may retain the portfolio security if the advisor deems it in the best interests of shareholders.
Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts (also sold as participatory notes) are securities that evidence ownership interests in a security or a pool of securities that have been deposited with a depository. Depositary receipts may be sponsored or unsponsored and include American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), European Depositary Receipts (EDRs), and Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs). For ADRs, the depository is typically a U.S. financial institution, and the underlying securities are issued by a foreign issuer. For other depositary receipts, the depository may be a foreign or a U.S. entity, and the underlying securities may have a foreign or a U.S. issuer. Depositary receipts will not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as their underlying securities. Generally, ADRs are issued in registered form, denominated in U.S. dollars, and designed for use in the U.S. securities markets. Other depositary receipts, such as GDRs and EDRs, may be issued in bearer form and denominated in other currencies, and they are generally designed for use in securities markets outside the United States. Although the two types of depositary receipt facilities (sponsored and unsponsored) are similar, there are differences regarding a holders rights and obligations and the practices of market participants.
B-7
A depository may establish an unsponsored facility without participation by (or acquiescence of) the underlying issuer; typically, however, the depository requests a letter of nonobjection from the underlying issuer prior to establishing the facility. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all the costs of the facility. The depository usually charges fees upon the deposit and withdrawal of the underlying securities, the conversion of dividends into U.S. dollars or other currency, the disposition of noncash distributions, and the performance of other services. The depository of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the underlying issuer or to pass through voting rights to depositary receipt holders with respect to the underlying securities.
Sponsored depositary receipt facilities are created in generally the same manner as unsponsored facilities, except that sponsored depositary receipts are established jointly by a depository and the underlying issuer through a deposit agreement. The deposit agreement sets out the rights and responsibilities of the underlying issuer, the depository, and the depositary receipt holders. With sponsored facilities, the underlying issuer typically bears some of the costs of the depositary receipts (such as dividend payment fees of the depository), although most sponsored depositary receipt holders may bear costs such as deposit and withdrawal fees. Depositories of most sponsored depositary receipts agree to distribute notices of shareholder meetings, voting instructions, and other shareholder communications and information to the depositary receipt holders at the underlying issuers request.
For purposes of a funds investment policies, investments in depositary receipts will be deemed to be investments in the underlying securities. Thus, a depositary receipt representing ownership of common stock will be treated as common stock. Depositary receipts do not eliminate all of the risks associated with directly investing in the securities of foreign issuers.
Derivatives. A derivative is a financial instrument that has a value based onor derived fromthe values of other assets, reference rates, or indexes. Derivatives may relate to a wide variety of underlying references, such as commodities, stocks, bonds, interest rates, currency exchange rates, and related indexes. Derivatives include futures contracts and options on futures contracts, certain forward-commitment transactions, options on securities, caps, floors, collars, swap agreements, and certain other financial instruments. Some derivatives, such as futures contracts and certain options, are traded on U.S. commodity and securities exchanges, while other derivatives, such as swap agreements, may be privately negotiated and entered into in the over-the-counter market (OTC Derivatives) or may be cleared through a clearinghouse (Cleared Derivatives) and traded on an exchange or swap execution facility. As a result of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the Dodd-Frank Act), certain swap agreements, such as certain standardized credit default and interest rate swap agreements, must be cleared through a clearinghouse and traded on an exchange or swap execution facility. This could result in an increase in the overall costs of such transactions. While the intent of derivatives regulatory reform is to mitigate risks associated with derivatives markets, the new regulations could, among other things, increase liquidity and decrease pricing for more standardized products while decreasing liquidity and increasing pricing for less standardized products. The risks associated with the use of derivatives are different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the securities or assets on which the derivatives are based.
Derivatives may be used for a variety of purposes includingbut not limited tohedging, managing risk, seeking to stay fully invested, seeking to reduce transaction costs, seeking to simulate an investment in equity or debt securities or other investments, and seeking to add value by using derivatives to more efficiently implement portfolio positions when derivatives are favorably priced relative to equity or debt securities or other investments. Some investors may use derivatives primarily for speculative purposes while other uses of derivatives may not constitute speculation. There is no assurance that any derivatives strategy used by a funds advisor will succeed. The other parties to the funds OTC Derivatives contracts (usually referred to as counterparties) will not be considered the issuers thereof for purposes of certain provisions of the 1940 Act and the IRC, although such OTC Derivatives may qualify as securities or investments under such laws. The funds advisors, however, will monitor and adjust, as appropriate, the funds credit risk exposure to OTC Derivative counterparties.
Derivative products are highly specialized instruments that require investment techniques and risk analyses different from those associated with stocks, bonds, and other traditional investments. The use of a derivative requires an understanding not only of the underlying instrument but also of the derivative itself, without the benefit of observing the performance of the derivative under all possible market conditions.
When the fund enters into a Cleared Derivative, an initial margin deposit with a Futures Commission Merchant (FCM) is required. Initial margin deposits are typically calculated as an amount equal to the volatility in market value of a Cleared
B-8
Derivative over a fixed period. If the value of the funds Cleared Derivatives declines, the fund will be required to make additional variation margin payments to the FCM to settle the change in value. If the value of the funds Cleared Derivatives increases, the FCM will be required to make additional variation margin payments to the fund to settle the change in value. This process is known as marking-to-market and is calculated on a daily basis.
For OTC Derivatives, the fund is subject to the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the insolvency or bankruptcy of the counterparty or the failure of the counterparty to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of the contract. Additionally, the use of credit derivatives can result in losses if a funds advisor does not correctly evaluate the creditworthiness of the issuer on which the credit derivative is based.
Derivatives may be subject to liquidity risk, which exists when a particular derivative is difficult to purchase or sell. If a derivative transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is illiquid (as is the case with certain OTC Derivatives), it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position at an advantageous time or price.
Derivatives may be subject to pricing or basis risk, which exists when a particular derivative becomes extraordinarily expensive relative to historical prices or the prices of corresponding cash market instruments. Under certain market conditions, it may not be economically feasible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position in time to avoid a loss or take advantage of an opportunity.
Because certain derivatives have a leverage component, adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying asset, reference rate, or index can result in a loss substantially greater than the amount invested in the derivative itself. Certain derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investment. A derivative transaction will not be considered to constitute the issuance, by a fund, of a senior security, as that term is defined in Section 18(g) of the 1940 Act, and therefore such transaction will not be subject to the 300% asset coverage requirement otherwise applicable to borrowings by a fund, if the fund covers the transaction in accordance with the requirements described under the heading Borrowing.
Like most other investments, derivative instruments are subject to the risk that the market value of the instrument will change in a way detrimental to a funds interest. A fund bears the risk that its advisor will incorrectly forecast future market trends or the values of assets, reference rates, indexes, or other financial or economic factors in establishing derivative positions for the fund. If the advisor attempts to use a derivative as a hedge against, or as a substitute for, a portfolio investment, the fund will be exposed to the risk that the derivative will have or will develop imperfect or no correlation with the portfolio investment. This could cause substantial losses for the fund. Although hedging strategies involving derivative instruments can reduce the risk of loss, they can also reduce the opportunity for gain or even result in losses by offsetting favorable price movements in other fund investments. Many derivatives (in particular, OTC Derivatives) are complex and often valued subjectively. Improper valuations can result in increased cash payment requirements to counterparties or a loss of value to a fund.
Exchange-Traded Funds. A fund may purchase shares of exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Typically, a fund would purchase ETF shares for the same reason it would purchase (and as an alternative to purchasing) futures contracts: to obtain exposure to all or a portion of the stock or bond market. ETF shares enjoy several advantages over futures. Depending on the market, the holding period, and other factors, ETF shares can be less costly and more tax-efficient than futures. In addition, ETF shares can be purchased for smaller sums, offer exposure to market sectors and styles for which there is no suitable or liquid futures contract, and do not involve leverage.
An investment in an ETF generally presents the same principal risks as an investment in a conventional fund (i.e., one that is not exchange-traded) that has the same investment objective, strategies, and policies. The price of an ETF can fluctuate within a wide range, and a fund could lose money investing in an ETF if the prices of the securities owned by the ETF go down. In addition, ETFs are subject to the following risks that do not apply to conventional funds: (1) the market price of an ETFs shares may trade at a discount or a premium to their net asset value; (2) an active trading market for an ETFs shares may not develop or be maintained; and (3) trading of an ETFs shares may be halted by the activation of individual or marketwide trading halts (which halt trading for a specific period of time when the price of a particular security or overall market prices decline by a specified percentage). Trading of an ETFs shares may also be halted if the shares are delisted from the exchange without first being listed on another exchange or if the listing exchanges officials determine that such action is appropriate in the interest of a fair and orderly market or for the protection of investors.
Most ETFs are investment companies. Therefore, a funds purchases of ETF shares generally are subject to the limitations on, and the risks of, a funds investments in other investment companies, which are described under the heading Other Investment Companies.
B-9
Vanguard ETF®* Shares are exchange-traded shares that represent an interest in an investment portfolio held by Vanguard funds. A funds investments in Vanguard ETF Shares are also generally subject to the descriptions, limitations, and risks described under the heading Other Investment Companies, except as provided by an exemption granted by the SEC that permits registered investment companies to invest in a Vanguard fund that issues ETF Shares beyond the limits of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act, subject to certain terms and conditions.
* U.S. Patent Nos. 6,879,964; 7,337,138; 7,720,749; 7,925,573; 8,090,646; and 8,417,623.
Foreign Securities. Typically, foreign securities are considered to be equity or debt securities issued by entities organized, domiciled, or with a principal executive office outside the United States, such as foreign corporations and governments. Securities issued by certain companies organized outside the United States may not be deemed to be foreign securities if the companys principal operations are conducted from the United States or when the companys equity securities trade principally on a U.S. stock exchange. Foreign securities may trade in U.S. or foreign securities markets. A fund may make foreign investments either directly by purchasing foreign securities or indirectly by purchasing depositary receipts or depositary shares of similar instruments (depositary receipts) for foreign securities. Direct investments in foreign securities may be made either on foreign securities exchanges or in the over-the-counter (OTC) markets. Investing in foreign securities involves certain special risk considerations that are not typically associated with investing in securities of U.S. companies or governments.
Because foreign issuers are not generally subject to uniform accounting, auditing, and financial reporting standards and practices comparable to those applicable to U.S. issuers, there may be less publicly available information about certain foreign issuers than about U.S. issuers. Evidence of securities ownership may be uncertain in many foreign countries. As a result, there are multiple risks that could result in a loss to the fund, including, but not limited to, the risk that a funds trade details could be incorrectly or fraudulently entered at the time of a transaction. Securities of foreign issuers are generally more volatile and less liquid than securities of comparable U.S. issuers, and foreign investments may be effected through structures that may be complex or confusing. In certain countries, there is less government supervision and regulation of stock exchanges, brokers, and listed companies than in the United States. The risk that securities traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange, or by government authorities, is also heightened. In addition, with respect to certain foreign countries, there is the possibility of expropriation or confiscatory taxation, political or social instability, war, terrorism, nationalization, limitations on the removal of funds or other assets, or diplomatic developments that could affect U.S. investments in those countries. Additionally, economic or other sanctions imposed on the United States by a foreign country, or imposed on a foreign country or issuer by the United States, could impair a funds ability to buy, sell, hold, receive, deliver, or otherwise transact in certain investment securities. Sanctions could also affect the value and/or liquidity of a foreign security.
Although an advisor will endeavor to achieve the most favorable execution costs for a funds portfolio transactions in foreign securities under the circumstances, commissions and other transaction costs are generally higher than those on U.S. securities. In addition, it is expected that the custodian arrangement expenses for a fund that invests primarily in foreign securities will be somewhat greater than the expenses for a fund that invests primarily in domestic securities. Additionally, bankruptcy laws vary by jurisdiction and cash deposits may be subject to a custodians creditors. Certain foreign governments levy withholding or other taxes against dividend and interest income from, capital gains on the sale of, or transactions in foreign securities. Although in some countries a portion of these taxes is recoverable by the fund, the nonrecovered portion of foreign withholding taxes will reduce the income received from such securities.
The value of the foreign securities held by a fund that are not U.S. dollar-denominated may be significantly affected by changes in currency exchange rates. The U.S. dollar value of a foreign security generally decreases when the value of the U.S. dollar rises against the foreign currency in which the security is denominated, and it tends to increase when the value of the U.S. dollar falls against such currency (as discussed under the heading Foreign SecuritiesForeign Currency Transactions, a fund may attempt to hedge its currency risks). In addition, the value of fund assets may be affected by losses and other expenses incurred from converting between various currencies in order to purchase and sell foreign securities, as well as by currency restrictions, exchange control regulations, currency devaluations, and political and economic developments.
Foreign SecuritiesChina A-shares Risk. China A-shares (A-shares) are shares of mainland Chinese companies that are traded locally on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges. In order to invest in A-shares, a foreign investor must have access to an investment quota through a Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (QFII) or a Renminbi QFII (RQFII) license holder. A-shares are also available through the China Stock Connect program, subject to separate quota
B-10
limitations. The developing state of the investment and banking systems of the Peoples Republic of China (China, or the PRC) subjects the settlement, clearing, and registration of securities transactions to heightened risks. Additionally, there are foreign ownership limitations that may result in limitations on investment or the return of profits if a fund purchases and sells shares of an issuer in which it owns 5% or more of the shares issued within a six-month period. It is unclear if the 5% ownership will be determined by aggregating the holdings of a fund with affiliated funds.
Due to these restrictions, it is possible that the A-shares quota available to a fund as a foreign investor may not be sufficient to meet the funds investment needs. In this situation, a fund may seek an alternative method of economic exposure, such as by purchasing other classes of securities or depositary receipts or by utilizing derivatives. Any of these options could increase a funds index sampling risk (for index funds) or investment cost. Additionally, investing in A-shares generally increases emerging markets risk due in part to government and issuer market controls and the developing settlement and legal systems.
Investing in China A-shares through Stock Connect. The China Stock Connect program (Stock Connect) is a mutual market access program designed to, among other things, enable foreign investment in the PRC via brokers in Hong Kong. A QFII/RQFII license is not required to trade via Stock Connect. There are significant risks inherent in investing in A-shares through Stock Connect. Specifically, trading can be affected by a number of issues. Stock Connect can only operate when both PRC and Hong Kong markets are open for trading and when banking services are available in both markets on the corresponding settlement days. As such, if one or both markets are closed on a U.S. trading day, a fund may not be able to dispose of its shares in a timely manner, which could adversely affect the funds performance. Trading through Stock Connect generally requires pre-delivery of cash or securities to a broker. If the cash or securities are not in the brokers possession before the market opens on the day of selling, the sell order will be rejected. This requirement may limit a funds ability to dispose of its A-shares purchased through Stock Connect in a timely manner.
Additionally, Stock Connect is subject to daily quota limitations on purchases into the PRC. Once the daily quota is reached, orders to purchase additional A-shares through Stock Connect will be rejected. In addition, a funds purchase of A-shares through Stock Connect may only be subsequently sold through Stock Connect and is not otherwise transferable. Stock Connect utilizes an omnibus clearing structure, and the funds shares will be registered in its custodians name on the Hong Kong Central Clearing and Settlement System. This may limit an advisors ability to effectively manage a funds holdings, including the potential enforcement of equity owner rights.
Foreign SecuritiesEmerging Market Risk. Investing in emerging market countries involves certain risks not typically associated with investing in the United States, and it imposes risks greater than, or in addition to, risks of investing in more developed foreign countries. These risks include, but are not limited to, the following: nationalization or expropriation of assets or confiscatory taxation; currency devaluations and other currency exchange rate fluctuations; greater social, economic, and political uncertainty and instability (including amplified risk of war and terrorism); more substantial government involvement in the economy; less government supervision and regulation of the securities markets and participants in those markets and possible arbitrary and unpredictable enforcement of securities regulations and other laws; controls on foreign investment and limitations on repatriation of invested capital and on the funds ability to exchange local currencies for U.S. dollars; unavailability of currency-hedging techniques in certain emerging market countries; generally smaller, less seasoned, or newly organized companies; differences in, or lack of, auditing and financial reporting standards, which may result in unavailability of material information about issuers; difficulty in obtaining and/or enforcing a judgment in a court outside the United States; and greater price volatility, substantially less liquidity, and significantly smaller market capitalization of securities markets. Also, any change in the leadership or politics of emerging market countries, or the countries that exercise a significant influence over those countries, may halt the expansion of or reverse the liberalization of foreign investment policies now occurring and adversely affect existing investment opportunities. Furthermore, high rates of inflation and rapid fluctuations in inflation rates have had, and may continue to have, negative effects on the economies and securities markets of certain emerging market countries. Custodial services and other investment-related costs are often more expensive in emerging market countries, which can reduce a funds income from investments in securities or debt instruments of emerging market country issuers.
Foreign SecuritiesForeign Currency Transactions. The value in U.S. dollars of a funds non-dollar-denominated foreign securities may be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in foreign currency exchange rates and exchange control regulations, and the fund may incur costs in connection with conversions between various currencies. To seek to minimize the impact of such factors on net asset values, a fund may engage in foreign currency transactions in connection with its investments in foreign securities. A fund will enter into foreign currency transactions only to attempt
B-11
to hedge the currency risk associated with investing in foreign securities. Although such transactions tend to minimize the risk of loss that would result from a decline in the value of the hedged currency, they also may limit any potential gain that might result should the value of such currency increase.
Currency exchange transactions may be conducted either on a spot (i.e., cash) basis at the rate prevailing in the currency exchange market or through forward contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies. A forward currency contract involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. These contracts are entered into with large commercial banks or other currency traders who are participants in the interbank market. Currency exchange transactions also may be effected through the use of swap agreements or other derivatives.
Currency exchange transactions may be considered borrowings. A currency exchange transaction will not be considered to constitute the issuance, by a fund, of a senior security, as that term is defined in Section 18(g) of the 1940 Act, and therefore such transaction will not be subject to the 300% asset coverage requirement otherwise applicable to borrowings by a fund, if the fund covers the transaction in accordance with the requirements described under the heading Borrowing.
By entering into a forward contract for the purchase or sale of foreign currency involved in underlying security transactions, a fund may be able to protect itself against part or all of the possible loss between trade and settlement dates for that purchase or sale resulting from an adverse change in the relationship between the U.S. dollar and such foreign currency. This practice is sometimes referred to as transaction hedging. In addition, when the advisor reasonably believes that a particular foreign currency may suffer a substantial decline against the U.S. dollar, a fund may enter into a forward contract to sell an amount of foreign currency approximating the value of some or all of its portfolio securities denominated in such foreign currency. This practice is sometimes referred to as portfolio hedging. Similarly, when the advisor reasonably believes that the U.S. dollar may suffer a substantial decline against a foreign currency, a fund may enter into a forward contract to buy that foreign currency for a fixed dollar amount.
A fund may also attempt to hedge its foreign currency exchange rate risk by engaging in currency futures, options, and cross-hedge transactions. In cross-hedge transactions, a fund holding securities denominated in one foreign currency will enter into a forward currency contract to buy or sell a different foreign currency (one that the advisor reasonably believes generally tracks the currency being hedged with regard to price movements). The advisor may select the tracking (or substitute) currency rather than the currency in which the security is denominated for various reasons, including in order to take advantage of pricing or other opportunities presented by the tracking currency or to take advantage of a more liquid or more efficient market for the tracking currency. Such cross-hedges are expected to help protect a fund against an increase or decrease in the value of the U.S. dollar against certain foreign currencies.
A fund may hold a portion of its assets in bank deposits denominated in foreign currencies so as to facilitate investment in foreign securities as well as protect against currency fluctuations and the need to convert such assets into U.S. dollars (thereby also reducing transaction costs). To the extent these assets are converted back into U.S. dollars, the value of the assets so maintained will be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in foreign currency exchange rates and exchange control regulations.
The forecasting of currency market movement is extremely difficult, and whether any hedging strategy will be successful is highly uncertain. Moreover, it is impossible to forecast with precision the market value of portfolio securities at the expiration of a forward currency contract. Accordingly, a fund may be required to buy or sell additional currency on the spot market (and bear the expense of such transaction) if its advisors predictions regarding the movement of foreign currency or securities markets prove inaccurate. In addition, the use of cross-hedging transactions may involve special risks and may leave a fund in a less advantageous position than if such a hedge had not been established. Because forward currency contracts are privately negotiated transactions, there can be no assurance that a fund will have flexibility to roll over a forward currency contract upon its expiration if it desires to do so. Additionally, there can be no assurance that the other party to the contract will perform its services thereunder.
Foreign SecuritiesForeign Investment Companies. Some of the countries in which a fund may invest may not permit, or may place economic restrictions on, direct investment by outside investors. Fund investments in such countries may be permitted only through foreign government-approved or authorized investment vehicles, which may include other investment companies. Such investments may be made through registered or unregistered closed-end investment companies that invest in foreign securities. Investing through such vehicles may involve layered fees or
B-12
expenses and may also be subject to the limitations on, and the risks of, a funds investments in other investment companies, which are described under the heading Other Investment Companies.
Foreign SecuritiesRussian Market Risk. There are significant risks inherent in investing in Russian securities. The underdeveloped state of Russias banking system subjects the settlement, clearing, and registration of securities transactions to significant risks. In March of 2013, the National Settlement Depository (NSD) began acting as a central depository for the majority of Russian equity securities; the NSD is now recognized as the Central Securities Depository in Russia.
For Russian issuers with fewer than 50 shareholders, ownership records are maintained only by registrars who are under contract with the issuers and are currently not settled with the NSD. Although a Russian subcustodian will maintain copies of the registrars records (Share Extracts) on its premises, such Share Extracts are not recorded with the NSD and may not be legally sufficient to establish ownership of securities. The registrars may not be independent from the issuer, are not necessarily subject to effective state supervision, and may not be licensed with any governmental entity. A fund will endeavor to ensure by itself or through a custodian or other agent that the funds interest continues to be appropriately recorded for Russian issuers with fewer than 50 shareholders by inspecting the share register and by obtaining extracts of share registers through regular confirmations. However, these extracts have no legal enforceability, and the possibility exists that a subsequent illegal amendment or other fraudulent act may deprive the fund of its ownership rights or may improperly dilute its interest. In addition, although applicable Russian regulations impose liability on registrars for losses resulting from their errors, a fund may find it difficult to enforce any rights it may have against the registrar or issuer of the securities in the event of loss of share registration.
Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts. Futures contracts and options on futures contracts are derivatives. A futures contract is a standardized agreement between two parties to buy or sell at a specific time in the future a specific quantity of a commodity at a specific price. The commodity may consist of an asset, a reference rate, or an index. A security futures contract relates to the sale of a specific quantity of shares of a single equity security or a narrow-based securities index. The value of a futures contract tends to increase and decrease in tandem with the value of the underlying commodity. The buyer of a futures contract enters into an agreement to purchase the underlying commodity on the settlement date and is said to be long the contract. The seller of a futures contract enters into an agreement to sell the underlying commodity on the settlement date and is said to be short the contract. The price at which a futures contract is entered into is established either in the electronic marketplace or by open outcry on the floor of an exchange between exchange members acting as traders or brokers. Open futures contracts can be liquidated or closed out by physical delivery of the underlying commodity or payment of the cash settlement amount on the settlement date, depending on the terms of the particular contract. Some financial futures contracts (such as security futures) provide for physical settlement at maturity. Other financial futures contracts (such as those relating to interest rates, foreign currencies, and broad-based securities indexes) generally provide for cash settlement at maturity. In the case of cash-settled futures contracts, the cash settlement amount is equal to the difference between the final settlement or market price for the relevant commodity on the last trading day of the contract and the price for the relevant commodity agreed upon at the outset of the contract. Most futures contracts, however, are not held until maturity but instead are offset before the settlement date through the establishment of an opposite and equal futures position.
The purchaser or seller of a futures contract is not required to deliver or pay for the underlying commodity unless the contract is held until the settlement date. However, both the purchaser and seller are required to deposit initial margin with a futures commission merchant (FCM) when the futures contract is entered into. Initial margin deposits are typically calculated as an amount equal to the volatility in market value of a contract over a fixed period. If the value of the funds position declines, the fund will be required to make additional variation margin payments to the FCM to settle the change in value. If the value of the funds position increases, the FCM will be required to make additional variation margin payments to the fund to settle the change in value. This process is known as marking-to-market and is calculated on a daily basis. A futures transaction will not be considered to constitute the issuance, by a fund, of a senior security, as that term is defined in Section 18(g) of the 1940 Act, and therefore such transaction will not be subject to the 300% asset coverage requirement otherwise applicable to borrowings by a fund, if the fund covers the transaction in accordance with the requirements described under the heading Borrowing.
An option on a futures contract (or futures option) conveys the right, but not the obligation, to purchase (in the case of a call option) or sell (in the case of a put option) a specific futures contract at a specific price (called the exercise or strike price) any time before the option expires. The seller of an option is called an option writer. The purchase price of an option is called the premium. The potential loss to an option buyer is limited to the amount of the premium plus
B-13
transaction costs. This will be the case, for example, if the option is held and not exercised prior to its expiration date. Generally, an option writer sells options with the goal of obtaining the premium paid by the option buyer. If an option sold by an option writer expires without being exercised, the writer retains the full amount of the premium. The option writer, however, has unlimited economic risk because its potential loss, except to the extent offset by the premium received when the option was written, is equal to the amount the option is in-the-money at the expiration date. A call option is in-the-money if the value of the underlying futures contract exceeds the exercise price of the option. A put option is in-the-money if the exercise price of the option exceeds the value of the underlying futures contract. Generally, any profit realized by an option buyer represents a loss for the option writer.
A fund that takes the position of a writer of a futures option is required to deposit and maintain initial and variation margin with respect to the option, as previously described in the case of futures contracts. A futures option transaction will not be considered to constitute the issuance, by a fund, of a senior security, as that term is defined in Section 18(g) of the 1940 Act, and therefore such transaction will not be subject to the 300% asset coverage requirement otherwise applicable to borrowings by a fund, if the fund covers the transaction in accordance with the requirements described under the heading Borrowing.
Each Fund intends to comply with Rule 4.5 under the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA), under which a mutual fund may be excluded from the definition of the term Commodity Pool Operator (CPO) if the fund meets certain conditions such as limiting its investments in certain CEA-regulated instruments (e.g., futures, options, or swaps) and complying with certain marketing restrictions. Accordingly, Vanguard is not subject to registration or regulation as a CPO with respect to the Fund under the CEA. A Fund will only enter into futures contracts and futures options that are traded on a U.S. or foreign exchange, board of trade, or similar entity or that are quoted on an automated quotation system.
Each Funds obligations under futures contracts will not exceed 20% of its total assets.
Futures Contracts and Options on Futures ContractsRisks. The risk of loss in trading futures contracts and in writing futures options can be substantial because of the low margin deposits required, the extremely high degree of leverage involved in futures and options pricing, and the potential high volatility of the futures markets. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures position may result in immediate and substantial loss (or gain) for the investor. For example, if at the time of purchase, 10% of the value of the futures contract is deposited as margin, a subsequent 10% decrease in the value of the futures contract would result in a total loss of the margin deposit, before any deduction for the transaction costs, if the account were then closed out. A 15% decrease would result in a loss equal to 150% of the original margin deposit if the contract were closed out. Thus, a purchase or sale of a futures contract, and the writing of a futures option, may result in losses in excess of the amount invested in the position. In the event of adverse price movements, a fund would continue to be required to make daily cash payments to maintain its required margin. In such situations, if the fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell portfolio securities to meet daily margin requirements (and segregation requirements, if applicable) at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. In addition, on the settlement date, a fund may be required to make delivery of the instruments underlying the futures positions it holds.
A fund could suffer losses if it is unable to close out a futures contract or a futures option because of an illiquid secondary market. Futures contracts and futures options may be closed out only on an exchange that provides a secondary market for such products. However, there can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for any particular futures product at any specific time. Thus, it may not be possible to close a futures or option position. Moreover, most futures exchanges limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in futures contract prices during a single trading day. The daily limit establishes the maximum amount that the price of a futures contract may vary either up or down from the previous days settlement price at the end of a trading session. Once the daily limit has been reached in a particular type of contract, no trades may be made on that day at a price beyond that limit. The daily limit governs only price movement during a particular trading day, and therefore does not limit potential losses because the limit may prevent the liquidation of unfavorable positions. Futures contract prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of future positions and subjecting some futures traders to substantial losses. The inability to close futures and options positions also could have an adverse impact on the ability to hedge a portfolio investment or to establish a substitute for a portfolio investment. U.S. Treasury futures are generally not subject to such daily limits.
A fund bears the risk that its advisor will incorrectly predict future market trends. If the advisor attempts to use a futures contract or a futures option as a hedge against, or as a substitute for, a portfolio investment, the fund will be exposed to
B-14
the risk that the futures position will have or will develop imperfect or no correlation with the portfolio investment. This could cause substantial losses for the fund. Although hedging strategies involving futures products can reduce the risk of loss, they can also reduce the opportunity for gain or even result in losses by offsetting favorable price movements in other fund investments.
A fund could lose margin payments it has deposited with its FCM if, for example, the FCM breaches its agreement with the fund or becomes insolvent or goes into bankruptcy. In that event, the fund may be entitled to return of margin owed to it only in proportion to the amount received by the FCMs other customers, potentially resulting in losses to the fund.
Interfund Borrowing and Lending. The SEC has granted an exemption permitting registered open-end Vanguard funds to participate in Vanguards interfund lending program. This program allows the Vanguard funds to borrow money from and lend money to each other for temporary or emergency purposes. The program is subject to a number of conditions, including, among other things, the requirements that (1) no fund may borrow or lend money through the program unless it receives a more favorable interest rate than is typically available from a bank for a comparable transaction, (2) no fund may lend money if the loan would cause its aggregate outstanding loans through the program to exceed 15% of its net assets at the time of the loan, and (3) a funds interfund loans to any one fund shall not exceed 5% of the lending funds net assets. In addition, a Vanguard fund may participate in the program only if and to the extent that such participation is consistent with the funds investment objective and investment policies. The boards of trustees of the Vanguard funds are responsible for overseeing the interfund lending program. Any delay in repayment to a lending fund could result in a lost investment opportunity or additional borrowing costs.
Investing for Control. Each Vanguard fund invests in securities and other instruments for the sole purpose of achieving a specific investment objective. As such, a Vanguard fund does not seek to acquire, individually or collectively with any other Vanguard fund, enough of a companys outstanding voting stock to have control over management decisions. A Vanguard fund does not invest for the purpose of controlling a companys management.
Options. An option is a derivative. An option on a security (or index) is a contract that gives the holder of the option, in return for the payment of a premium, the right, but not the obligation, to buy from (in the case of a call option) or sell to (in the case of a put option) the writer of the option the security underlying the option (or the cash value of the index) at a specified exercise price prior to the expiration date of the option. The writer of an option on a security has the obligation upon exercise of the option to deliver the underlying security upon payment of the exercise price (in the case of a call option) or to pay the exercise price upon delivery of the underlying security (in the case of a put option). The writer of an option on an index has the obligation upon exercise of the option to pay an amount equal to the cash value of the index minus the exercise price, multiplied by the specified multiplier for the index option. The multiplier for an index option determines the size of the investment position the option represents. Unlike exchange-traded options, which are standardized with respect to the underlying instrument, expiration date, contract size, and strike price, the terms of over-the-counter (OTC) options (options not traded on exchanges) generally are established through negotiation with the other party to the option contract. Although this type of arrangement allows the purchaser or writer greater flexibility to tailor an option to its needs, OTC options generally involve credit risk to the counterparty whereas for exchange-traded, centrally cleared options, credit risk is mutualized through the involvement of the applicable clearing house.
The buyer (or holder) of an option is said to be long the option, while the seller (or writer) of an option is said to be short the option. A call option grants to the holder the right to buy (and obligates the writer to sell) the underlying security at the strike price, which is the predetermined price at which the option may be exercised. A put option grants to the holder the right to sell (and obligates the writer to buy) the underlying security at the strike price. The purchase price of an option is called the premium. The potential loss to an option buyer is limited to the amount of the premium plus transaction costs. This will be the case if the option is held and not exercised prior to its expiration date. Generally, an option writer sells options with the goal of obtaining the premium paid by the option buyer, but that person could also seek to profit from an anticipated rise or decline in option prices. If an option sold by an option writer expires without being exercised, the writer retains the full amount of the premium. The option writer, however, has unlimited economic risk because its potential loss, except to the extent offset by the premium received when the option was written, is equal to the amount the option is in-the-money at the expiration date. A call option is in-the-money if the value of the underlying position exceeds the exercise price of the option. A put option is in-the-money if the exercise price of the option exceeds the value of the underlying position. Generally, any profit realized by an option buyer represents a loss for the option writer. The writing of an option will not be considered to constitute the issuance, by a fund, of a senior
B-15
security, as that term is defined in Section 18(g) of the 1940 Act, and therefore such transaction will not be subject to the 300% asset coverage requirement otherwise applicable to borrowings by a fund, if the fund covers the transaction in accordance with the requirements described under the heading Borrowing.
If a trading market, in particular options, were to become unavailable, investors in those options (such as the funds) would be unable to close out their positions until trading resumes, and they may be faced with substantial losses if the value of the underlying instrument moves adversely during that time. Even if the market were to remain available, there may be times when options prices will not maintain their customary or anticipated relationships to the prices of the underlying instruments and related instruments. Lack of investor interest, changes in volatility, or other factors or conditions might adversely affect the liquidity, efficiency, continuity, or even the orderliness of the market for particular options.
A fund bears the risk that its advisor will not accurately predict future market trends. If the advisor attempts to use an option as a hedge against, or as a substitute for, a portfolio investment, the fund will be exposed to the risk that the option will have or will develop imperfect or no correlation with the portfolio investment, which could cause substantial losses for the fund. Although hedging strategies involving options can reduce the risk of loss, they can also reduce the opportunity for gain or even result in losses by offsetting favorable price movements in other fund investments. Many options, in particular OTC options, are complex and often valued based on subjective factors. Improper valuations can result in increased cash payment requirements to counterparties or a loss of value to a fund.
OTC Swap Agreements. An over-the-counter (OTC) swap agreement, which is a type of derivative, is an agreement between two parties (counterparties) to exchange payments at specified dates (periodic payment dates) on the basis of a specified amount (notional amount) with the payments calculated with reference to a specified asset, reference rate, or index.
Examples of OTC swap agreements include, but are not limited to, interest rate swaps, credit default swaps, equity swaps, commodity swaps, foreign currency swaps, index swaps, excess return swaps, and total return swaps. Most OTC swap agreements provide that when the periodic payment dates for both parties are the same, payments are netted and only the net amount is paid to the counterparty entitled to receive the net payment. Consequently, a funds current obligations (or rights) under an OTC swap agreement will generally be equal only to the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement, based on the relative values of the positions held by each counterparty. OTC swap agreements allow for a wide variety of transactions. For example, fixed rate payments may be exchanged for floating rate payments; U.S. dollar-denominated payments may be exchanged for payments denominated in a different currency; and payments tied to the price of one asset, reference rate, or index may be exchanged for payments tied to the price of another asset, reference rate, or index.
An OTC option on an OTC swap agreement, also called a swaption, is an option that gives the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to enter into a swap on a future date in exchange for paying a market-based premium. A receiver swaption gives the owner the right to receive the total return of a specified asset, reference rate, or index. A payer swaption gives the owner the right to pay the total return of a specified asset, reference rate, or index. Swaptions also include options that allow an existing swap to be terminated or extended by one of the counterparties.
The use of OTC swap agreements by a fund entails certain risks, which may be different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the securities and other investments that are the referenced asset for the swap agreement. OTC swaps are highly specialized instruments that require investment techniques, risk analyses, and tax planning different from those associated with stocks, bonds, and other traditional investments. The use of an OTC swap requires an understanding not only of the referenced asset, reference rate, or index but also of the swap itself, without the benefit of observing the performance of the swap under all possible market conditions.
OTC swap agreements may be subject to liquidity risk, which exists when a particular swap is difficult to purchase or sell. If an OTC swap transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is illiquid (as is the case with many OTC swaps), it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position at an advantageous time or price, which may result in significant losses. In addition, OTC swap transactions may be subject to a funds limitation on investments in illiquid securities.
OTC swap agreements may be subject to pricing risk, which exists when a particular swap becomes extraordinarily expensive or inexpensive relative to historical prices or the prices of corresponding cash market instruments. Under certain market conditions, it may not be economically feasible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position in time to avoid a loss or take advantage of an opportunity or to realize the intrinsic value of the OTC swap agreement.
B-16
Because certain OTC swap agreements have a leverage component, adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying asset, reference rate, or index can result in a loss substantially greater than the amount invested in the swap itself. Certain OTC swaps have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investment. A leveraged OTC swap transaction will not be considered to constitute the issuance, by a fund, of a senior security, as that term is defined in Section 18(g) of the 1940 Act, and therefore such transaction will not be subject to the 300% asset coverage requirement otherwise applicable to borrowings by a fund, if the fund covers the transaction in accordance with the requirements described under the heading Borrowing.
Like most other investments, OTC swap agreements are subject to the risk that the market value of the instrument will change in a way detrimental to a funds interest. A fund bears the risk that its advisor will not accurately forecast future market trends or the values of assets, reference rates, indexes, or other economic factors in establishing OTC swap positions for the fund. If the advisor attempts to use an OTC swap as a hedge against, or as a substitute for, a portfolio investment, the fund will be exposed to the risk that the OTC swap will have or will develop imperfect or no correlation with the portfolio investment. This could cause substantial losses for the fund. Although hedging strategies involving OTC swap instruments can reduce the risk of loss, they can also reduce the opportunity for gain or even result in losses by offsetting favorable price movements in other fund investments. Many OTC swaps are complex and often valued subjectively. Improper valuations can result in increased cash payment requirements to counterparties or a loss of value to a fund.
The use of an OTC swap agreement also involves the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the insolvency or bankruptcy of the counterparty or the failure of the counterparty to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of the agreement. Additionally, the use of credit default swaps can result in losses if a funds advisor does not correctly evaluate the creditworthiness of the issuer on which the credit swap is based.
The market for OTC swaps and swaptions is a relatively new market. It is possible that developments in the market could adversely affect a fund, including its ability to terminate existing OTC swap agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such agreements. As previously noted under the heading Derivatives, under the Dodd-Frank Act, certain swaps that may be used by a fund may be cleared through a clearinghouse and traded on an exchange or swap execution facility.
Other Investment Companies. A fund may invest in other investment companies to the extent permitted by applicable law or SEC exemption. Under Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act, a fund generally may invest up to 10% of its assets in shares of investment companies and up to 5% of its assets in any one investment company, as long as no investment represents more than 3% of the voting stock of an acquired investment company. In addition, no funds for which Vanguard acts as an advisor may, in the aggregate, own more than 10% of the voting stock of a closed-end investment company. The 1940 Act and related rules provide certain exemptions from these restrictions, for example, funds that invest in other funds within the same group of investment companies. If a fund invests in other investment companies, shareholders will bear not only their proportionate share of the funds expenses (including operating expenses and the fees of the advisor), but they also may indirectly bear similar expenses of the underlying investment companies. Certain investment companies, such as business development companies (BDCs), are more akin to operating companies and, as such, their expenses are not direct expenses paid by fund shareholders and are not used to calculate the funds net asset value. SEC rules nevertheless require that any expenses incurred by a BDC be included in a funds expense ratio as Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses. The expense ratio of a fund that holds a BDC will thus overstate what the fund actually spends on portfolio management, administrative services, and other shareholder services by an amount equal to these Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses. The Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are not included in a funds financial statements, which provide a clearer picture of a funds actual operating expenses. Shareholders would also be exposed to the risks associated not only with the investments of the fund but also with the portfolio investments of the underlying investment companies. Certain types of investment companies, such as closed-end investment companies, issue a fixed number of shares that typically trade on a stock exchange or over-the-counter at a premium or discount to their net asset value. Others are continuously offered at net asset value but also may be traded on the secondary market.
Preferred Stock. Preferred stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer. Preferred stock normally pays dividends at a specified rate and has precedence over common stock in the event the issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy. However, in the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds take precedence over the claims of those who own preferred and common stock. Preferred stock, unlike common stock,
B-17
often has a stated dividend rate payable from the corporations earnings. Preferred stock dividends may be cumulative or noncumulative, participating, or auction rate. Cumulative dividend provisions require all or a portion of prior unpaid dividends to be paid before dividends can be paid to the issuers common stock. Participating preferred stock may be entitled to a dividend exceeding the stated dividend in certain cases. If interest rates rise, the fixed dividend on preferred stocks may be less attractive, causing the price of such stocks to decline. Preferred stock may have mandatory sinking fund provisions, as well as provisions allowing the stock to be called or redeemed, which can limit the benefit of a decline in interest rates. Preferred stock is subject to many of the risks to which common stock and debt securities are subject. In addition, preferred stock may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than common stock or debt securities because preferred stock may trade with less frequency and in more limited volume.
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). An equity REIT owns real estate properties directly and generates income from rental and lease payments. Equity REITs also have the potential to generate capital gains as properties are sold at a profit. A mortgage REIT makes construction, development, and long-term mortgage loans to commercial real estate developers and earns interest income on these loans. A hybrid REIT holds both properties and mortgages. To avoid taxation at the corporate level, REITs must distribute most of their earnings to shareholders.
Investments in REITs are subject to many of the same risks as direct investments in real estate. In general, real estate values can be affected by a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, supply and demand for properties, general or local economic conditions, and the strength of specific industries that rent properties. Ultimately, a REITs performance depends on the types and locations of the properties it owns and on how well the REIT manages its properties. For example, rental income could decline because of extended vacancies, increased competition from nearby properties, tenants failure to pay rent, regulatory limitations on rents, fluctuations in rental income, variations in market rental rates, or incompetent management. Property values could decrease because of overbuilding in the area, environmental liabilities, uninsured damages caused by natural disasters, a general decline in the neighborhood, losses because of casualty or condemnation, increases in property taxes, or changes in zoning laws.
The value of a REIT may also be affected by changes in interest rates. Rising interest rates generally increase the cost of financing for real estate projects, which could cause the value of an equity REIT to decline. During periods of declining interest rates, mortgagors may elect to prepay mortgages held by mortgage REITs, which could lower or diminish the yield on the REIT. REITs are also subject to heavy cash-flow dependency, default by borrowers, and changes in tax and regulatory requirements. In addition, a REIT may fail to qualify for tax-exempt status under the IRC and/or fail to maintain exemption from the 1940 Act.
Repurchase Agreements. A repurchase agreement is an agreement under which a fund acquires a debt security (generally a security issued by the U.S. government or an agency thereof, a bankers acceptance, or a certificate of deposit) from a bank, a broker, or a dealer and simultaneously agrees to resell such security to the seller at an agreed-upon price and date (normally, the next business day). Because the security purchased constitutes collateral for the repurchase obligation, a repurchase agreement may be considered a loan that is collateralized by the security purchased. The resale price reflects an agreed-upon interest rate effective for the period the instrument is held by a fund and is unrelated to the interest rate on the underlying instrument. In these transactions, the securities acquired by a fund (including accrued interest earned thereon) must have a total value in excess of the value of the repurchase agreement and be held by a custodian bank until repurchased. In addition, the investment advisor will monitor a funds repurchase agreement transactions generally and will evaluate the creditworthiness of any bank, broker, or dealer party to a repurchase agreement relating to a fund. The aggregate amount of any such agreements is not limited, except to the extent required by law.
The use of repurchase agreements involves certain risks. One risk is the sellers ability to pay the agreed-upon repurchase price on the repurchase date. If the seller defaults, the fund may incur costs in disposing of the collateral, which would reduce the amount realized thereon. If the seller seeks relief under bankruptcy laws, the disposition of the collateral may be delayed or limited. For example, if the other party to the agreement becomes insolvent and subject to liquidation or reorganization under bankruptcy or other laws, a court may determine that the underlying security is collateral for a loan by the fund not within its control, and therefore the realization by the fund on such collateral may be automatically stayed. Finally, it is possible that the fund may not be able to substantiate its interest in the underlying security and may be deemed an unsecured creditor of the other party to the agreement.
Restricted and Illiquid Securities. Illiquid securities are securities that cannot be sold or disposed of within seven days in the ordinary course of business at approximately the price at which they are valued. The SEC generally limits
B-18
aggregate holdings of illiquid securities by a mutual fund to 15% of its net assets (5% for money market funds). A fund may experience difficulty valuing and selling illiquid securities and, in some cases, may be unable to value or sell certain illiquid securities for an indefinite period of time. Illiquid securities may include a wide variety of investments, such as (1) repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days (unless the agreements have demand/redemption features), (2) OTC options contracts and certain other derivatives (including certain swap agreements), (3) fixed time deposits that are not subject to prepayment or do not provide for withdrawal penalties upon prepayment (other than overnight deposits), (4) certain loan interests and other direct debt instruments, (5) certain municipal lease obligations, (6) private equity investments, (7) commercial paper issued pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the 1933 Act, and (8) securities whose disposition is restricted under the federal securities laws. Illiquid securities include restricted, privately placed securities that, under the federal securities laws, generally may be resold only to qualified institutional buyers. If a substantial market develops for a restricted security held by a fund, it may be treated as a liquid security in accordance with procedures and guidelines approved by the board of trustees. This generally includes securities that are unregistered, that can be sold to qualified institutional buyers in accordance with Rule 144A under the 1933 Act, or that are exempt from registration under the 1933 Act, such as commercial paper. Although a funds advisor monitors the liquidity of restricted securities, the board of trustees oversees and retains ultimate responsibility for the advisors liquidity determinations. Several factors that the trustees consider in monitoring these decisions include the valuation of a security; the availability of qualified institutional buyers, brokers, and dealers that trade in the security; and the availability of information about the securitys issuer.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements. In a reverse repurchase agreement, a fund sells a security to another party, such as a bank or broker-dealer, in return for cash and agrees to repurchase that security at an agreed-upon price and time. Under a reverse repurchase agreement, the fund continues to receive any principal and interest payments on the underlying security during the term of the agreement. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the market value of securities retained by the fund may decline below the repurchase price of the securities sold by the fund that it is obligated to repurchase. In addition to the risk of such a loss, fees charged to the fund may exceed the return the fund earns from investing the proceeds received from the reverse repurchase agreement transaction. A reverse repurchase agreement may be considered a borrowing transaction for purposes of the 1940 Act. A reverse repurchase agreement transaction will not be considered to constitute the issuance, by a fund, of a senior security, as that term is defined in Section 18(g) of the 1940 Act, and therefore such transaction will not be subject to the 300% asset coverage requirement otherwise applicable to borrowings by a fund, if the fund covers the transaction in accordance with the requirements described under the heading Borrowing. A fund will enter into reverse repurchase agreements only with parties whose creditworthiness has been reviewed and found satisfactory by the advisor. If the buyer in a reverse repurchase agreement becomes insolvent or files for bankruptcy, a funds use of proceeds from the sale may be restricted while the other party or its trustee or receiver determines if it will honor the funds right to repurchase the securities. If the fund is unable to recover the securities it sold in a reverse repurchase agreement, it would realize a loss equal to the difference between the value of the securities and the payment it received for them.
Securities Lending. A fund may lend its investment securities to qualified institutional investors (typically brokers, dealers, banks, or other financial institutions) who may need to borrow securities in order to complete certain transactions, such as covering short sales, avoiding failures to deliver securities, or completing arbitrage operations. By lending its investment securities, a fund attempts to increase its net investment income through the receipt of interest on the securities lent. Any gain or loss in the market price of the securities lent that might occur during the term of the loan would be for the account of the fund. If the borrower defaults on its obligation to return the securities lent because of insolvency or other reasons, a fund could experience delays and costs in recovering the securities lent or in gaining access to the collateral. These delays and costs could be greater for foreign securities. If a fund is not able to recover the securities lent, the fund may sell the collateral and purchase a replacement investment in the market. The value of the collateral could decrease below the value of the replacement investment by the time the replacement investment is purchased. Cash received as collateral through loan transactions may be invested in other eligible securities. Investing this cash subjects that investment to market appreciation or depreciation. Currently, Vanguard funds that lend securities invest the cash collateral received in one or more Vanguard CMT Funds, which are very low-cost money market funds.
The terms and the structure of the loan arrangements, as well as the aggregate amount of securities loans, must be consistent with the 1940 Act and the rules or interpretations of the SEC thereunder. These provisions limit the amount of securities a fund may lend to 33 1/3% of the funds total assets and require that (1) the borrower pledge and maintain with the fund collateral consisting of cash, an irrevocable letter of credit, or securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S.
B-19
government having at all times not less than 100% of the value of the securities lent; (2) the borrower add to such collateral whenever the price of the securities lent rises (i.e., the borrower marks to market on a daily basis); (3) the loan be made subject to termination by the fund at any time; and (4) the fund receives reasonable interest on the loan (which may include the fund investing any cash collateral in interest-bearing short-term investments), any distribution on the lent securities, and any increase in their market value. Loan arrangements made by a fund will comply with all other applicable regulatory requirements, including the rules of the New York Stock Exchange, which presently require the borrower, after notice, to redeliver the securities within the normal settlement time of three business days. The advisor will consider the creditworthiness of the borrower, among other things, in making decisions with respect to the lending of securities, subject to oversight by the board of trustees. At the present time, the SEC does not object if an investment company pays reasonable negotiated fees in connection with lent securities, so long as such fees are set forth in a written contract and approved by the investment companys trustees. In addition, voting rights pass with the lent securities, but if a fund has knowledge that a material event will occur affecting securities on loan, and in respect to which the holder of the securities will be entitled to vote or consent, the lender must be entitled to call the loaned securities in time to vote or consent. A fund bears the risk that there may be a delay in the return of the securities, which may impair the funds ability to vote on such a matter.
Pursuant to Vanguards securities lending policy, Vanguards fixed income and money market funds are not permitted to, and do not, lend their investment securities.
Tax MattersFederal Tax Discussion. Discussion herein of U.S. federal income tax matters summarizes some of the important, generally applicable U.S. federal tax considerations relevant to investment in a fund based on the IRC, U.S. Treasury regulations, and other applicable authority. These authorities are subject to change by legislative, administrative, or judicial action, possibly with retroactive effect. A shareholder should consult his or her tax professional for information regarding the particular situation and the possible application of U.S. federal, state, local, foreign, and other taxes.
Tax MattersFederal Tax Treatment of Derivatives, Hedging, and Related Transactions. A funds transactions in derivative instruments (including, but not limited to, options, futures, forward contracts, and swap agreements), as well as any of the funds hedging, short sale, securities loan, or similar transactions, may be subject to one or more special tax rules that accelerate income to the fund, defer losses to the fund, cause adjustments in the holding periods of the funds securities, convert long-term capital gains into short-term capital gains, or convert short-term capital losses into long-term capital losses. These rules could therefore affect the amount, timing, and character of distributions to shareholders.
Because these and other tax rules applicable to these types of transactions are in some cases uncertain under current law, an adverse determination or future guidance by the IRS with respect to these rules (which determination or guidance could be retroactive) may affect whether a fund has made sufficient distributions, and otherwise satisfied the relevant requirements, to maintain its qualification as a regulated investment company and avoid a fund-level tax.
Tax MattersFederal Tax Treatment of Futures Contracts. For federal income tax purposes, a fund generally must recognize, as of the end of each taxable year, any net unrealized gains and losses on certain futures contracts, as well as any gains and losses actually realized during the year. In these cases, any gain or loss recognized with respect to a futures contract is considered to be 60% long-term capital gain or loss and 40% short-term capital gain or loss, without regard to the holding period of the contract. Gains and losses on certain other futures contracts (primarily non-U.S. futures contracts) are not recognized until the contracts are closed and are treated as long-term or short-term, depending on the holding period of the contract. Sales of futures contracts that are intended to hedge against a change in the value of securities held by a fund may affect the holding period of such securities and, consequently, the nature of the gain or loss on such securities upon disposition. A fund may be required to defer the recognition of losses on one position, such as futures contracts, to the extent of any unrecognized gains on a related offsetting position held by the fund.
A fund will distribute to shareholders annually any net capital gains that have been recognized for federal income tax purposes on futures transactions. Such distributions will be combined with distributions of capital gains realized on the funds other investments, and shareholders will be advised on the nature of the distributions.
Tax MattersFederal Tax Treatment of Non-U.S. Currency Transactions. Special rules generally govern the federal income tax treatment of a funds transactions in the following: non-U.S. currencies; non-U.S. currency-denominated debt obligations; and certain non-U.S. currency options, futures contracts, forward contracts, and similar instruments. Accordingly, if a fund engages in these types of transactions it may have ordinary income or loss to the extent that such income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the non-U.S. currency concerned. Such ordinary income could
B-20
accelerate fund distributions to shareholders and increase the distributions taxed to shareholders as ordinary income. Any ordinary loss so created will generally reduce ordinary income distributions and, in some cases, could require the recharacterization of prior ordinary income distributions. Net ordinary losses cannot be carried forward by the fund to offset income or gains realized in subsequent taxable years.
Any gain or loss attributable to the non-U.S. currency component of a transaction engaged in by a fund that is not subject to these special currency rules (such as foreign equity investments other than certain preferred stocks) will generally be treated as a capital gain or loss and will not be segregated from the gain or loss on the underlying transaction.
To the extent a fund engages in non-U.S. currency hedging, the fund may elect or be required to apply other rules that could affect the character, timing, or amount of the funds gains and losses. For more information, see Tax MattersFederal Tax Treatment of Derivatives, Hedging, and Related Transactions.
Tax MattersForeign Tax Credit. Foreign governments may withhold taxes on dividends and interest paid with respect to foreign securities held by a fund. Foreign governments may also impose taxes on other payments or gains with respect to foreign securities. If, at the close of its fiscal year, more than 50% of a funds total assets are invested in securities of foreign issuers, the fund may elect to pass through to shareholders the ability to deduct or, if they meet certain holding period requirements, take a credit for foreign taxes paid by the fund. Similarly, if at the close of each quarter of a funds taxable year, at least 50% of its total assets consist of interests in other regulated investment companies, the fund is permitted to elect to pass through to its shareholders the foreign income taxes paid by the fund in connection with foreign securities held directly by the fund or held by a regulated investment company in which the fund invests that has elected to pass through such taxes to shareholders.
Tax MattersPassive Foreign Investment Companies. Each Fund may invest in passive foreign investment companies (PFICs). A foreign company is generally a PFIC if 75% or more of its gross income is passive or if 50% or more of its assets produce passive income. Capital gains on the sale of an interest in a PFIC will be deemed ordinary income regardless of how long the Fund held it. Also, the Fund may be subject to corporate income tax and an interest charge on certain dividends and capital gains earned in respect to PFIC interests, whether or not such amounts are distributed to shareholders. To avoid such tax and interest, a Fund may elect to mark to market its PFIC interests, that is, to treat such interests as sold on the last day of the Funds fiscal year, and to recognize any unrealized gains (or losses, to the extent of previously recognized gains) as ordinary income each year. Distributions from the Fund that are attributable to income or gains earned in respect to PFIC interests are characterized as ordinary income.
Tax MattersReal Estate Mortgage Investment Conduits. If a fund invests directly or indirectly, including through a REIT or other pass-through entity, in residual interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs) or equity interests in taxable mortgage pools (TMPs), a portion of the funds income that is attributable to a residual interest in a REMIC or an equity interest in a TMP (such portion referred to in the IRC as an excess inclusion) will be subject to U.S. federal income tax in all eventsincluding potentially at the fund levelunder a notice issued by the IRS in October 2006 and U.S. Treasury regulations that have yet to be issued but may apply retroactively. This notice also provides, and the regulations are expected to provide, that excess inclusion income of a registered investment company will be allocated to shareholders of the registered investment company in proportion to the dividends received by such shareholders, with the same consequences as if the shareholders held the related interest directly. In general, excess inclusion income allocated to shareholders (1) cannot be offset by net operation losses (subject to a limited exception for certain thrift institutions); (2) will constitute unrelated business taxable income (UBTI) to entities (including a qualified pension plan, an individual retirement account, a 401(k) plan, a Keogh plan, or other tax-exempt entity) subject to tax on UBTI, thereby potentially requiring such an entity, which otherwise might not be required, to file a tax return and pay tax on such income; and (3) in the case of a non-U.S. investor, will not qualify for any reduction in U.S. federal withholding tax. A shareholder will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on such inclusions notwithstanding any exemption from such income tax otherwise available under the IRC. As a result, a fund investing in such interests may not be suitable for charitable remainder trusts. See Tax MattersTax-Exempt Investors.
Tax MattersTax Considerations for Non-U.S. Investors. U.S. withholding and estate taxes and certain U.S. tax reporting requirements may apply to any investments made by non-U.S. investors in Vanguard funds. Temporary tax legislation provided relief from certain U.S. withholding taxes for certain properly reported distributions of qualifying interest income or short-term capital gain made by a fund to its non-U.S. investors, provided the investors furnished valid tax documentation (i.e., Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form W-8) certifying as to their non-U.S. status. This temporary exemption expired for taxable years of a fund beginning after 2014. In December 2015, Congress voted to reinstate retroactively the exemption for taxable years of a fund beginning after 2014 and made the exemption
B-21
permanent for all future years. Because the relief was reinstated retroactively, investors may be able to reclaim the U.S. tax withheld on properly reported qualifying distributions in 2015 directly from the IRS.
A fund is permitted, but is not required, to report any of its distributions as eligible for such relief, and some distributions (e.g., distributions of interest a fund receives from non-U.S. issuers) are not eligible for this relief. For some funds, Vanguard has chosen to report qualifying distributions and apply the withholding exemption to those distributions when made to non-U.S. shareholders who invest directly with Vanguard. For other funds, Vanguard may choose not to apply the withholding exemption to qualifying fund distributions made to direct shareholders, but may provide the reporting to such shareholders. In these cases, a shareholder may be able to reclaim such withholding tax directly from the IRS.
If shareholders hold fund shares (including ETF shares) through a broker or intermediary, their broker or intermediary may apply this relief to properly reported qualifying distributions made to shareholders with respect to those shares. If a shareholders broker or intermediary instead collects withholding tax where the fund has provided the proper reporting, the shareholder may be able to reclaim such withholding tax from the IRS. Please consult your broker or intermediary regarding the application of these rules.
This relief does not apply to any withholding required under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), which generally requires a fund to obtain information sufficient to identify the status of each of its shareholders. If a shareholder fails to provide this information or otherwise fails to comply with FATCA, a fund may be required to withhold under FATCA at a rate of 30% with respect to that shareholder on fund distributions and on the proceeds of the sale, redemption, or exchange of fund shares. Please consult your tax advisor for more information about these rules.
Please be aware that the U.S. tax information contained in this Statement of Additional Information is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of avoiding U.S. tax penalties.
Tax MattersTax-Exempt Investors. Income of a fund that would be UBTI if earned directly by a tax-exempt entity will not generally be attributed as UBTI to a tax-exempt shareholder of the fund. Notwithstanding this blocking effect, a tax-exempt shareholder could realize UBTI by virtue of its investment in a fund if shares in the fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of IRC Section 514(b).
A tax-exempt shareholder may also recognize UBTI if a fund recognizes excess inclusion income derived from direct or indirect investments in residual interests in REMICs or equity interests in TMPs. See Tax MattersReal Estate Mortgage Investment Conduits.
In addition, special tax consequences apply to charitable remainder trusts that invest in a fund that invests directly or indirectly in residual interests in REMICs or equity interests in TMPs. Charitable remainder trusts and other tax-exempt investors are urged to consult their tax advisors concerning the consequences of investing in a fund.
Time Deposits. Time deposits are subject to the same risks that pertain to domestic issuers of money market instruments, most notably credit risk (and, to a lesser extent, income risk, market risk, and liquidity risk). Additionally, time deposits of foreign branches of U.S. banks and foreign branches of foreign banks may be subject to certain sovereign risks. One such risk is the possibility that a sovereign country might prevent capital, in the form of U.S. dollars, from flowing across its borders. Other risks include adverse political and economic developments, the extent and quality of government regulation of financial markets and institutions, the imposition of foreign withholding taxes, and expropriation or nationalization of foreign issuers. However, time deposits of such issuers will undergo the same type of credit analysis as domestic issuers in which a Vanguard fund invests and will have at least the same financial strength as the domestic issuers approved for the fund.
Warrants. Warrants are instruments that give the holder the right, but not the obligation, to buy an equity security at a specific price for a specific period of time. Changes in the value of a warrant do not necessarily correspond to changes in the value of its underlying security. The price of a warrant may be more volatile than the price of its underlying security, and a warrant may offer greater potential for capital appreciation as well as capital loss. Warrants do not entitle a holder to dividends or voting rights with respect to the underlying security and do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuing company. A warrant ceases to have value if it is not exercised prior to its expiration date. These factors can make warrants more speculative than other types of investments.
When-Issued, Delayed-Delivery, and Forward-Commitment Transactions. When-issued, delayed-delivery, and forward-commitment transactions involve a commitment to purchase or sell specific securities at a predetermined price
B-22
or yield in which payment and delivery take place after the customary settlement period for that type of security. Typically, no interest accrues to the purchaser until the security is delivered. When purchasing securities pursuant to one of these transactions, payment for the securities is not required until the delivery date. However, the purchaser assumes the rights and risks of ownership, including the risks of price and yield fluctuations and the risk that the security will not be issued as anticipated. When a fund has sold a security pursuant to one of these transactions, the fund does not participate in further gains or losses with respect to the security. If the other party to a delayed-delivery transaction fails to deliver or pay for the securities, the fund could miss a favorable price or yield opportunity or suffer a loss. A fund may renegotiate a when-issued or forward-commitment transaction and may sell the underlying securities before delivery, which may result in capital gains or losses for the fund. When-issued, delayed-delivery, and forward-commitment transactions will not be considered to constitute the issuance, by a fund, of a senior security, as that term is defined in Section 18(g) of the 1940 Act, and therefore such transaction will not be subject to the 300% asset coverage requirement otherwise applicable to borrowings by the fund, if the fund covers the transaction in accordance with the requirements described under the heading Borrowing.
Regulatory restrictions in India. Shares of Vanguard Energy Fund and Vanguard Precious Metals and Mining Fund have not been, and will not be, registered under the laws of India and are not intended to benefit from any laws in India promulgated for the protection of shareholders. As a result of regulatory requirements in India, shares of the Funds shall not be knowingly offered to (directly or indirectly) or sold or delivered to (within India); transferred to or purchased by; or held by, for, on the account of, or for the benefit of (1) a person resident in India (as defined under applicable Indian law), (2) an overseas corporate body or a person of Indian origin (as defined under applicable Indian law), or (3) any other entity or person disqualified or otherwise prohibited from accessing the Indian securities market under applicable laws, as may be amended from time to time. Investors, prior to purchasing shares of the Funds, must satisfy themselves regarding compliance with these requirements.
SHARE PRICE
Multiple-class funds do not have a single share price. Rather, each class has a share price, called its net asset value, or NAV, that is calculated each business day as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (the Exchange), generally 4 p.m., Eastern time. NAV per share for the Dividend Appreciation Index, Energy, Health Care, and REIT Index Funds is computed by dividing the total assets, minus liabilities, allocated to the share class by the number of Fund shares outstanding for that class. NAV per share for the Dividend Growth and Precious Metals and Mining Funds is computed by dividing the total assets, minus liabilities, of the Fund by the number of Fund shares outstanding. On U.S. holidays or other days when the Exchange is closed, the NAV is not calculated, and the Funds do not sell or redeem shares. However, on those days the value of a Funds assets may be affected to the extent that the Fund holds securities that change in value on those days (such as foreign securities that trade on foreign markets that are open).
The Exchange typically observes the following holidays: New Years Day; Martin Luther King, Jr., Day; Presidents Day (Washingtons Birthday); Good Friday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Thanksgiving Day; and Christmas Day. Although each Fund expects the same holidays to be observed in the future, the Exchange may modify its holiday schedule or hours of operation at any time.
PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES
Purchase of Shares (Other than ETF Shares)
The purchase price of shares of each Fund is the NAV per share next determined after the purchase request is received in good order, as defined in the Funds prospectus.
Exchange of Securities for Shares of a Fund. Shares of a Fund may be purchased in kind (i.e., in exchange for securities, rather than for cash) at the discretion of the Funds portfolio manager. Such securities must not be restricted as to transfer and must have a value that is readily ascertainable. Securities accepted by the Fund will be valued, as set forth in the Funds prospectus, as of the time of the next determination of NAV after such acceptance. All dividend, subscription, or other rights that are reflected in the market price of accepted securities at the time of valuation become the property of the Fund and must be delivered to the Fund by the investor upon receipt from the issuer. A gain or loss for federal income tax purposes, depending upon the cost of the securities tendered, would be realized by the investor upon the exchange. Investors interested in purchasing fund shares in kind should contact Vanguard.
B-23
Redemption of Shares (Other than ETF Shares)
The redemption price of shares of each Fund is the NAV per share next determined after the redemption request is received in good order, as defined in the Funds prospectus.
Each Fund can postpone payment of redemption proceeds for up to seven calendar days. In addition, each Fund can suspend redemptions and/or postpone payments of redemption proceeds beyond seven calendar days (1) during any period that the Exchange is closed or trading on the Exchange is restricted as determined by the SEC; (2) during any period when an emergency exists, as defined by the SEC, as a result of which it is not reasonably practicable for the Fund to dispose of securities it owns or to fairly determine the value of its assets; or (3) for such other periods as the SEC may permit.
The Trust has filed a notice of election with the SEC to pay in cash all redemptions requested by any shareholder of record limited in amount during any 90-day period to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the net assets of a Fund at the beginning of such period.
If Vanguard determines that it would be detrimental to the best interests of the remaining shareholders of a Fund to make payment wholly or partly in cash, the Fund may pay the redemption price in whole or in part by a distribution in kind of readily marketable securities held by the Fund in lieu of cash in conformity with applicable rules of the SEC. Investors may incur brokerage charges on the sale of such securities received in payment of redemptions.
The Funds do not charge redemption fees. Shares redeemed may be worth more or less than what was paid for them, depending on the market value of the securities held by the Funds.
Right to Change Policies
Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to (1) alter, add, or discontinue any conditions of purchase (including eligibility requirements), redemption, exchange, conversion, service, or privilege at any time; (2) accept initial purchases by telephone; (3) freeze any account and/or suspend account services if Vanguard has received reasonable notice of a dispute regarding the assets in an account, including notice of a dispute between the registered or beneficial account owners, or if Vanguard reasonably believes a fraudulent transaction may occur or has occurred; (4) temporarily freeze any account and/or suspend account services upon initial notification to Vanguard of the death of the shareholder until Vanguard receives required documentation in good order; (5) alter, impose, discontinue, or waive any purchase fee, redemption fee, account service fee, or other fees charged to a shareholder or a group of shareholders; and (6) redeem an account or suspend account privileges, without the owners permission to do so, in cases of threatening conduct or activity Vanguard believes to be suspicious, fraudulent, or illegal. Changes may affect any or all investors. These actions will be taken when, at the sole discretion of Vanguard management, Vanguard reasonably believes they are in the best interest of a fund.
Investing With Vanguard Through Other Firms
Each Fund has authorized certain agents to accept on its behalf purchase and redemption orders, and those agents are authorized to designate other intermediaries to accept purchase and redemption orders on the Funds behalf (collectively, Authorized Agents). The Fund will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when an Authorized Agent accepts the order in accordance with the Funds instructions. In most instances, a customer order that is properly transmitted to an Authorized Agent will be priced at the NAV per share next determined after the order is received by the Authorized Agent.
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS
Each Fund is part of the Vanguard group of investment companies, which consists of more than 190 mutual funds. Each fund is a series of a Delaware statutory trust, and through the trusts jointly owned subsidiary, Vanguard, the funds obtain at cost virtually all of their corporate management, administrative, and distribution services. Vanguard also provides investment advisory services on an at-cost basis to several of the Vanguard funds.
Vanguard employs a supporting staff of management and administrative personnel needed to provide the requisite services to the funds and also furnishes the funds with necessary office space, furnishings, and equipment. Each fund (other than a fund of funds) pays its share of Vanguards total expenses, which are allocated among the funds under
B-24
methods approved by the board of trustees of each fund. In addition, each fund bears its own direct expenses, such as legal, auditing, and custodial fees.
The funds officers are also employees of Vanguard.
Vanguard, Vanguard Marketing Corporation (VMC), the funds, and the funds advisors have adopted codes of ethics designed to prevent employees who may have access to nonpublic information about the trading activities of the funds (access persons) from profiting from that information. The codes of ethics permit access persons to invest in securities for their own accounts, including securities that may be held by a fund, but place substantive and procedural restrictions on the trading activities of access persons. For example, the codes of ethics require that access persons receive advance approval for most securities trades to ensure that there is no conflict with the trading activities of the funds.
Vanguard was established and operates under an Amended and Restated Funds Service Agreement. The Amended and Restated Funds Service Agreement provides that each Vanguard fund may be called upon to invest up to 0.40% of its net assets in Vanguard. The amounts that each fund has invested are adjusted from time to time in order to maintain the proportionate relationship between each funds relative net assets and its contribution to Vanguards capital.
As of January 31, 2017, each Fund had contributed capital to Vanguard as follows:
| Capital | Percentage of | Percent of | |
| Contribution to | Funds Average | Vanguards | |
| Vanguard Fund | Vanguard | Net Assets | Capitalization |
| Dividend Appreciation Index Fund | $2,021,000 | 0.01% | 0.81% |
| Dividend Growth Fund | 2,268,000 | 0.01 | 0.91 |
| Energy Fund | 799,000 | 0.01 | 0.32 |
| Health Care Fund | 3,163,000 | 0.01 | 1.27 |
| Precious Metals and Mining Fund | 164,000 | 0.01 | 0.07 |
| REIT Index Fund | 4,523,000 | 0.01 | 1.81 |
Management. Corporate management and administrative services include (1) executive staff, (2) accounting and financial, (3) legal and regulatory, (4) shareholder account maintenance, (5) monitoring and control of custodian relationships, (6) shareholder reporting, and (7) review and evaluation of advisory and other services provided to the funds by third parties.
Distribution. Vanguard Marketing Corporation, 100 Vanguard Boulevard, Malvern, PA 19355, a wholly owned subsidiary of Vanguard, is the principal underwriter for the funds and in that capacity performs and finances marketing, promotional, and distribution activities (collectively, marketing and distribution activities) that are primarily intended to result in the sale of the funds shares. VMC offers shares of each fund for sale on a continuous basis and will use all reasonable efforts in connection with the distribution of shares of the funds. VMC performs marketing and distribution activities at cost in accordance with the conditions of a 1981 SEC exemptive order that permits the Vanguard funds to internalize and jointly finance the marketing, promotion, and distribution of their shares. The funds trustees review and approve the marketing and distribution expenses incurred by the funds, including the nature and cost of the activities and the desirability of each funds continued participation in the joint arrangement.
To ensure that each funds participation in the joint arrangement falls within a reasonable range of fairness, each fund contributes to VMCs marketing and distribution expenses in accordance with an SEC-approved formula. Under that formula, one half of the marketing and distribution expenses are allocated among the funds based upon their relative net assets. The remaining half of those expenses are allocated among the funds based upon each funds sales for the preceding 24 months relative to the total sales of the funds as a group, provided, however, that no funds aggregate quarterly rate of contribution for marketing and distribution expenses shall exceed 125% of the average marketing and distribution expense rate for Vanguard and that no fund shall incur annual marketing and distribution expenses in excess of 0.20% of its average month-end net assets. Each funds contribution to these marketing and distribution expenses helps to maintain and enhance the attractiveness and viability of the Vanguard complex as a whole, which benefits all of the funds and their shareholders.
B-25
VMCs principal marketing and distribution expenses are for advertising, promotional materials, and marketing personnel. Other marketing and distribution activities of an administrative nature that VMC undertakes on behalf of the funds may include, but are not limited to:
-
Conducting or publishing Vanguard-generated research and analysis concerning the funds, other investments, the financial markets, or the economy.
-
Providing views, opinions, advice, or commentary concerning the funds, other investments, the financial markets, or the economy.
-
Providing analytical, statistical, performance, or other information concerning the funds, other investments, the financial markets, or the economy.
-
Providing administrative services in connection with investments in the funds or other investments, including, but not limited to, shareholder services, recordkeeping services, and educational services.
-
Providing products or services that assist investors or financial service providers (as defined below) in the investment decision-making process.
-
Providing promotional discounts, commission-free trading, fee waivers, and other benefits to clients of Vanguard Brokerage Services® who maintain qualifying investments in the funds.
-
Sponsoring, jointly sponsoring, financially supporting, or participating in conferences, programs, seminars, presentations, meetings, or other events involving fund shareholders, financial service providers, or others concerning the funds, other investments, the financial markets, or the economy, such as industry conferences, prospecting trips, due diligence visits, training or education meetings, and sales presentations.
VMC performs most marketing and distribution activities itself. Some activities may be conducted by third parties pursuant to shared marketing arrangements under which VMC agrees to share the costs and performance of marketing and distribution activities in concert with a financial service provider. Financial service providers include, but are not limited to, investment advisors, broker-dealers, financial planners, financial consultants, banks, and insurance companies. Under these cost- and performance-sharing arrangements, VMC may pay or reimburse a financial service provider (or a third party it retains) for marketing and distribution activities that VMC would otherwise perform. VMCs cost- and performance-sharing arrangements may be established in connection with Vanguard investment products or services offered or provided to or through the financial service providers. VMCs arrangements for shared marketing and distribution activities may vary among financial service providers, and its payments or reimbursements to financial service providers in connection with shared marketing and distribution activities may be significant. VMC participates in an offshore arrangement established with a third party to provide marketing, promotional, and other services to qualifying Vanguard funds that are distributed in certain foreign countries on a private-placement basis to government-sponsored and other institutional investors. In exchange for such services, the third party receives an annual base (fixed) fee and may also receive discretionary fees or performance adjustments.
In connection with its marketing and distribution activities, VMC may give financial service providers (or their representatives) (1) promotional items of nominal value that display Vanguards logo, such as golf balls, shirts, towels, pens, and mouse pads; (2) gifts that do not exceed $100 per person annually and are not preconditioned on achievement of a sales target; (3) an occasional meal, a ticket to a sporting event or the theater, or comparable entertainment that is neither so frequent nor so extensive as to raise any question of propriety and is not preconditioned on achievement of a sales target; and (4) reasonable travel and lodging accommodations to facilitate participation in marketing and distribution activities.
VMC, as a matter of policy, does not pay asset-based fees, sales-based fees, or account-based fees to financial service providers in connection with its marketing and distribution activities for the Vanguard funds. VMC policy also prohibits marketing and distribution activities that are intended, designed, or likely to compromise suitability determinations by, or the fulfillment of any fiduciary duties or other obligations that apply to, financial service providers. Nonetheless, VMCs marketing and distribution activities are primarily intended to result in the sale of the funds shares, and as such, its activities, including shared marketing and distribution activities, may influence participating financial service providers (or their representatives) to recommend, promote, include, or invest in a Vanguard fund or share class. In addition, Vanguard or any of its subsidiaries may retain a financial service provider to provide consulting or other services, and that financial service provider also may provide services to investors. Investors should consider the possibility that any of these activities or relationships may influence a financial service providers (or its representatives) decision to recommend, promote, include, or invest in a Vanguard fund or share class. Each financial service provider should consider its
B-26
suitability determinations, fiduciary duties, and other legal obligations (or those of its representatives) in connection with any decision to consider, recommend, promote, include, or invest in a Vanguard fund or share class.
The following table describes the expenses of Vanguard and VMC that are incurred by the Funds on an at-cost basis. Amounts captioned “Management and Administrative Expenses” include a Fund‘s allocated share of expenses associated with the management, administrative, and transfer agency services Vanguard provides to the funds. Amounts captioned “Marketing and Distribution Expenses” include a Fund‘s allocated share of expenses associated with the marketing and distribution activities that VMC conducts on behalf of the Vanguard funds.
As is the case with all mutual funds, transaction costs incurred by the Funds for buying and selling securities are not reflected in the table. Annual Shared Fund Operating Expenses are based on expenses incurred in the fiscal years ended January 31, 2015, 2016, and 2017, and are presented as a percentage of each Fund‘s average month-end net assets.
| Annual Shared Fund Operating Expenses | |||
| (Shared Expenses Deducted From Fund Assets) | |||
| Vanguard Fund | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
| Dividend Appreciation Index Fund | |||
| Management and Administrative Expenses | 0.08% | 0.08% | 0.07% |
| Marketing and Distribution Expenses | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| Dividend Growth Fund | |||
| Management and Administrative Expenses | 0.15% | 0.14% | 0.12% |
| Marketing and Distribution Expenses | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 |
| Energy Fund | |||
| Management and Administrative Expenses | 0.13% | 0.12% | 0.15% |
| Marketing and Distribution Expenses | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| Health Care Fund | |||
| Management and Administrative Expenses | 0.15% | 0.15% | 0.14% |
| Marketing and Distribution Expenses | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| Precious Metals and Mining Fund | |||
| Management and Administrative Expenses | 0.19% | 0.19% | 0.20% |
| Marketing and Distribution Expenses | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 |
| REIT Index Fund | |||
| Management and Administrative Expenses | 0.10% | 0.11% | 0.11% |
| Marketing and Distribution Expenses | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
The Energy Fund’s investment advisor may direct certain security trades, subject to obtaining the best price and execution, to brokers who have agreed to rebate to the Fund part of the commissions generated. Such rebates are used solely to reduce the Fund’s management and administrative expenses and are not reflected in these totals.
Officers and Trustees
Each Vanguard fund is governed by the board of trustees of its trust and a single set of officers. Consistent with the board’s corporate governance principles, the trustees believe that their primary responsibility is oversight of the management of each fund for the benefit of its shareholders, not day-to-day management. The trustees set broad policies for the funds; select investment advisors; monitor fund operations, regulatory compliance, performance, and costs; nominate and select new trustees; and elect fund officers. Vanguard manages the day-to-day operations of the funds under the direction of the board of trustees.
The trustees play an active role, as a full board and at the committee level, in overseeing risk management for the funds. The trustees delegate the day-to-day risk management of the funds to various groups, including portfolio review, investment management, risk management, compliance, legal, fund accounting, and fund financial services. These groups provide the trustees with regular reports regarding investment, valuation, liquidity, and compliance, as well as the risks associated with each. The trustees also oversee risk management for the funds through regular interactions with the funds’ internal and external auditors.
The full board participates in the funds’ risk oversight, in part, through the Vanguard funds’ compliance program, which covers the following broad areas of compliance: investment and other operations; recordkeeping; valuation and pricing;
B-27
communications and disclosure; reporting and accounting; oversight of service providers; fund governance; and codes of ethics, insider trading controls, and protection of nonpublic information. The program seeks to identify and assess risk through various methods, including through regular interdisciplinary communications between compliance professionals and business personnel who participate on a daily basis in risk management on behalf of the funds. The funds chief compliance officer regularly provides reports to the board in writing and in person.
The audit committee of the board, which is composed of Rajiv L. Gupta, JoAnn Heffernan Heisen, F. Joseph Loughrey, Mark Loughridge, and Peter F. Volanakis, each of whom is an independent trustee, oversees management of financial risks and controls. The audit committee serves as the channel of communication between the independent auditors of the funds and the board with respect to financial statements and financial-reporting processes, systems of internal control, and the audit process. Vanguards head of internal audit reports directly to the audit committee and provides reports to the committee in writing and in person on a regular basis. Although the audit committee is responsible for overseeing the management of financial risks, the entire board is regularly informed of these risks through committee reports.
All of the trustees bring to each funds board a wealth of executive leadership experience derived from their service as executives (in many cases chief executive officers), board members, and leaders of diverse public operating companies, academic institutions, and other organizations. In determining whether an individual is qualified to serve as a trustee of the funds, the board considers a wide variety of information about the trustee, and multiple factors contribute to the boards decision. Each trustee is determined to have the experience, skills, and attributes necessary to serve the funds and their shareholders because each trustee demonstrates an exceptional ability to consider complex business and financial matters, evaluate the relative importance and priority of issues, make decisions, and contribute effectively to the deliberations of the board. The board also considers the individual experience of each trustee and determines that the trustees professional experience, education, and background contribute to the diversity of perspectives on the board. The business acumen, experience, and objective thinking of the trustees are considered invaluable assets for Vanguard management and, ultimately, the Vanguard funds shareholders. The specific roles and experience of each board member that factor into this determination are presented on the following pages. The mailing address of the trustees and officers is P.O. Box 876, Valley Forge, PA 19482.
| Principal Occupation(s) | Number of | |||
| Vanguard | and Outside Directorships | Vanguard Funds | ||
| Position(s) | Funds Trustee/ | During the Past Five Years | Overseen by | |
| Name, Year of Birth | Held With Funds | Officer Since | and Other Experience | Trustee/Officer |
| Interested Trustee1 | ||||
| F. William McNabb III | Chairman of the | July 2009 | Mr. McNabb has served as Chairman of the Board of | 197 |
| (1957) | Board, Chief | Vanguard and of each of the investment companies | ||
| Executive Officer, | served by Vanguard, since January 2010; Trustee of | |||
| and President | each of the investment companies served by | |||
| Vanguard, since 2009; Director of Vanguard since | ||||
| 2008; and Chief Executive Officer and President of | ||||
| Vanguard and of each of the investment companies | ||||
| served by Vanguard, since 2008. Mr. McNabb also | ||||
| serves as a Director of Vanguard Marketing | ||||
| Corporation. Mr. McNabb served as a Managing | ||||
| Director of Vanguard from 1995 to 2008. |
1 Mr. McNabb is considered an interested person, as defined in the 1940 Act, because he is an officer of the Trust.
B-28
| Principal Occupation(s) | Number of | |||
| Vanguard | and Outside Directorships | Vanguard Funds | ||
| Position(s) | Funds Trustee/ | During the Past Five Years | Overseen by | |
| Name, Year of Birth | Held With Funds | Officer Since | and Other Experience | Trustee/Officer |
| Independent Trustees | ||||
| Emerson U. Fullwood | Trustee | January 2008 | Mr. Fullwood is the former Executive Chief Staff and | 197 |
| (1948) | Marketing Officer for North America and Corporate | |||
| Vice President (retired 2008) of Xerox Corporation | ||||
| (document management products and services). | ||||
| Previous positions held at Xerox by Mr. Fullwood include | ||||
| President of the Worldwide Channels Group, President | ||||
| of Latin America, Executive Chief Staff Officer of | ||||
| Developing Markets, and President of Worldwide | ||||
| Customer Services. Mr. Fullwood is the Executive in | ||||
| Residence and 20092010 Distinguished Minett | ||||
| Professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology. | ||||
| Mr. Fullwood serves as Lead Director of SPX FLOW, Inc. | ||||
| (multi-industry manufacturing) and also serves as a | ||||
| Director of the University of Rochester Medical Center, | ||||
| Monroe Community College Foundation, the United | ||||
| Way of Rochester, North Carolina A&T University, and | ||||
| Roberts Wesleyan College. | ||||
| Rajiv L. Gupta | Trustee | December 2001 | Mr. Gupta is the former Chairman and Chief Executive | 197 |
| (1945) | Officer (retired 2009) and President (20062008) of | |||
| Rohm and Haas Co. (chemicals). Mr. Gupta serves as a | ||||
| Director of Arconic Inc. (diversified manufacturer), HP | ||||
| Inc. (printer and personal computer manufacturing), | ||||
| and Delphi Automotive PLC (automotive components) | ||||
| and as Senior Advisor at New Mountain Capital. | ||||
| Amy Gutmann | Trustee | June 2006 | Dr. Gutmann has served as the President of the | 197 |
| (1949) | University of Pennsylvania since 2004. She is the | |||
| Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of | ||||
| Political Science, School of Arts and Sciences, and | ||||
| Professor of Communication, Annenberg School for | ||||
| Communication, with secondary faculty appointments | ||||
| in the Department of Philosophy, School of Arts and | ||||
| Sciences, and at the Graduate School of Education, | ||||
| University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Gutmann also serves | ||||
| as a Trustee of the National Constitution Center. | ||||
| Dr. Gutmann is Chair of the Presidential Commission | ||||
| for the Study of Bioethical Issues. | ||||
| JoAnn Heffernan Heisen | Trustee | July 1998 | Ms. Heisen is the former Corporate Vice President | 197 |
| (1950) | of Johnson & Johnson (pharmaceuticals/medical | |||
| devices/consumer products) and a former member of | ||||
| the Executive Committee (1997-2008). During her | ||||
| tenure at Johnson & Johnson, Ms. Heisen held | ||||
| multiple roles, including: Chief Global Diversity Officer | ||||
| (retired 2008), Vice President and Chief Information | ||||
| Officer (1997-2005), Controller (1995-1997), Treasurer | ||||
| (1991-1995), and Assistant Treasurer (1989-1991). Ms. | ||||
| Heisen serves as a Director of Skytop Lodge | ||||
| Corporation (hotels) and the Robert Wood Johnson | ||||
| Foundation and as a member of the Advisory Board of | ||||
| the Institute for Womens Leadership at Rutgers | ||||
| University. | ||||
B-29
| Principal Occupation(s) | Number of | |||
| Vanguard | and Outside Directorships | Vanguard Funds | ||
| Position(s) | Funds Trustee/ | During the Past Five Years | Overseen by | |
| Name, Year of Birth | Held With Funds | Officer Since | and Other Experience | Trustee/Officer |
| F. Joseph Loughrey | Trustee | October 2009 | Mr. Loughrey is the former President and Chief | 197 |
| (1949) | Operating Officer (retired 2009) and Vice Chairman of | |||
| the Board (20082009) of Cummins Inc. (industrial | ||||
| machinery). Mr. Loughrey serves as Chairman of the | ||||
| Board of Hillenbrand, Inc. (specialized consumer | ||||
| services), Oxfam America, and the Lumina Foundation | ||||
| for Education; as a Director of SKF AB (industrial | ||||
| machinery), Hyster-Yale Materials Handling, Inc. (forklift | ||||
| trucks), and the V Foundation for Cancer Research; and | ||||
| as a member of the Advisory Council for the College of | ||||
| Arts and Letters and Chair of the Advisory Board to the | ||||
| Kellogg Institute for International Studies, both at the | ||||
| University of Notre Dame. | ||||
| Mark Loughridge | Lead Independent | March 2012 | Mr. Loughridge is the former Senior Vice President and | 197 |
| (1953) | Trustee | Chief Financial Officer (retired 2013) at IBM | ||
| (information technology services). Mr. Loughridge also | ||||
| served as a fiduciary member of IBMs Retirement Plan | ||||
| Committee (20042013). Previous positions held by Mr. | ||||
| Loughridge at IBM include Senior Vice President and | ||||
| General Manager of Global Financing (20022004), | ||||
| Vice President and Controller (19982002), and a | ||||
| variety of management roles. Mr. Loughridge serves as | ||||
| a Director of The Dow Chemical Company and as a | ||||
| member of the Council on Chicago Booth. | ||||
| Scott C. Malpass | Trustee | March 2012 | Mr. Malpass has served as Chief Investment Officer | 197 |
| (1962) | since 1989 and Vice President since 1996 at the | |||
| University of Notre Dame. Mr. Malpass serves as an | ||||
| Assistant Professor of Finance at the Mendoza College | ||||
| of Business at the University of Notre Dame and is a | ||||
| member of the Notre Dame 403(b) Investment | ||||
| Committee. Mr. Malpass also serves on the boards of | ||||
| TIFF Advisory Services, Inc., and Catholic Investment | ||||
| Services, Inc. (investment advisors); as a member of | ||||
| the board of advisors for Spruceview Capital Partners; | ||||
| as a member of the investment advisory committee | ||||
| of Major League Baseball; and as a member of the | ||||
| Board of Superintendence of the Institute for the | ||||
| Works of Religion. | ||||
| André F. Perold | Trustee | December 2004 | Dr. Perold is the George Gund Professor of Finance | 197 |
| (1952) | and Banking, Emeritus at the Harvard Business School | |||
| (retired 2011). Dr. Perold serves as Chief Investment | ||||
| Officer and Co-Managing Partner of HighVista | ||||
| Strategies LLC (private investment firm). Dr. Perold | ||||
| also serves as an Overseer of the Museum of Fine | ||||
| Arts Boston. | ||||
B-30
| Principal Occupation(s) | Number of | |||
| Vanguard | and Outside Directorships | Vanguard Funds | ||
| Position(s) | Funds’ Trustee/ | During the Past Five Years | Overseen by | |
| Name, Year of Birth | Held With Funds | Officer Since | and Other Experience | Trustee/Officer |
| Peter F. Volanakis | Trustee | July 2009 | Mr. Volanakis is the retired President and Chief | 197 |
| (1955) | Operating Officer (retired 2010) of Corning | |||
| Incorporated (communications equipment) and a | ||||
| former Director of Corning Incorporated (2000–2010) | ||||
| and of Dow Corning (2001–2010). Mr. Volanakis served | ||||
| as a Director of SPX Corporation (multi-industry | ||||
| manufacturing) in 2012 and as an Overseer of the | ||||
| Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at | ||||
| Dartmouth College from 2001 to 2013. Mr. Volanakis | ||||
| serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Colby- | ||||
| Sawyer College and is a Member of the Board of | ||||
| Hypertherm Inc. (industrial cutting systems, software, | ||||
| and consumables). | ||||
| Executive Officers | ||||
| Glenn Booraem | Investment | July 2010 | Mr. Booraem, a Principal of Vanguard, has served as | 197 |
| (1967) | Stewardship | Investment Stewardship Officer of each of the | ||
| Officer | investment companies served by Vanguard, since | |||
| February 2017. Mr. Booraem served as Treasurer | ||||
| (2015–2017), Controller (2010–2015), and Assistant | ||||
| Controller (2001–2010) of each of the investment | ||||
| companies served by Vanguard. | ||||
| Thomas J. Higgins | Chief Financial | September 2008 | Mr. Higgins, a Principal of Vanguard, has served as Chief | 197 |
| (1957) | Officer | Financial Officer of each of the investment companies | ||
| served by Vanguard, since 2008. Mr. Higgins served as | ||||
| Treasurer of each of the investment companies served | ||||
| by Vanguard, from 1998 to 2008. | ||||
| Peter Mahoney | Controller | May 2015 | Mr. Mahoney, a Principal of Vanguard, has served as | 197 |
| (1974) | Controller of each of the investment companies served | |||
| by Vanguard, since May 2015. Mr. Mahoney served as | ||||
| head of International Fund Services at Vanguard from | ||||
| 2008 to 2014. | ||||
| Anne E. Robinson | Secretary | September 2016 | Ms. Robinson has served as General Counsel of | 197 |
| (1970) | Vanguard since September 2016; Secretary of | |||
| Vanguard and of each of the investment companies | ||||
| served by Vanguard, since September 2016; Director | ||||
| and Senior Vice President of Vanguard Marketing | ||||
| Corporation since September 2016; and a Managing | ||||
| Director of Vanguard since August 2016. Ms. Robinson | ||||
| served as Managing Director and General Counsel of | ||||
| Global Cards and Consumer Services at Citigroup from | ||||
| 2014 to 2016. She served as counsel at American | ||||
| Express from 2003 to 2014. | ||||
| Michael Rollings | Treasurer | February 2017 | Mr. Rollings, a Managing Director of Vanguard since | 197 |
| (1963) | June 2016, has served as Treasurer of each of the | |||
| investment companies served by Vanguard, since | ||||
| February 2017. Mr. Rollings served as the Executive | ||||
| Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of | ||||
| MassMutual Financial Group from 2006 to 2016. | ||||
B-31
All but one of the trustees are independent. The independent trustees designate a lead independent trustee. The lead independent trustee is a spokesperson and principal point of contact for the independent trustees and is responsible for coordinating the activities of the independent trustees, including calling regular executive sessions of the independent trustees; developing the agenda of each meeting together with the chairman; and chairing the meetings of the independent trustees. The lead independent trustee also chairs the meetings of the audit, compensation, and nominating committees. The board also has two investment committees, which consist of independent trustees and the sole interested trustee.
The independent trustees appoint the chairman of the board. The roles of chairman of the board and chief executive officer currently are held by the same person; as a result, the chairman of the board is an interested trustee. The independent trustees generally believe that the Vanguard funds chief executive officer is best qualified to serve as chairman and that fund shareholders benefit from this leadership structure through accountability and strong day-to-day leadership.
Board Committees: The Trusts board has the following committees:
n Audit Committee: This committee oversees the accounting and financial reporting policies, the systems of internal controls, and the independent audits of each fund. The following independent trustees serve as members of the committee: Mr. Gupta, Ms. Heisen, Mr. Loughrey, Mr. Loughridge, and Mr. Volanakis. The committee held five meetings during the Funds fiscal year ended January 31, 2017.
n Compensation Committee: This committee oversees the compensation programs established by each fund for the benefit of its trustees. All independent trustees serve as members of the committee. The committee held two meetings during the Funds fiscal year ended January 31, 2017.
n Investment Committees: These committees assist the board in its oversight of investment advisors to the funds and in the review and evaluation of materials relating to the boards consideration of investment advisory agreements with the funds. Each trustee serves on one of two investment committees. Each investment committee held four meetings during the Funds fiscal year ended January 31, 2017.
n Nominating Committee: This committee nominates candidates for election to the board of trustees of each fund. The committee also has the authority to recommend the removal of any trustee. All independent trustees serve as members of the committee. The committee held four meetings during the Funds fiscal year ended January 31, 2017.
The Nominating Committee will consider shareholder recommendations for trustee nominees. Shareholders may send recommendations to Mr. Loughridge, chairman of the committee.
Trustee Compensation
The same individuals serve as trustees of all Vanguard funds and each fund pays a proportionate share of the trustees compensation. The funds also employ their officers on a shared basis; however, officers are compensated by Vanguard, not the funds.
Independent Trustees. The funds compensate their independent trustees (i.e., the ones who are not also officers of the funds) in three ways:
n The independent trustees receive an annual fee for their service to the funds, which is subject to reduction based on absences from scheduled board meetings.
n The independent trustees are reimbursed for the travel and other expenses that they incur in attending board meetings.
n Upon retirement (after attaining age 65 and completing five years of service), the independent trustees who began their service prior to January 1, 2001, receive a retirement benefit under a separate account arrangement. As of January 1, 2001, the opening balance of each eligible trustees separate account was generally equal to the net present value of the benefits he or she had accrued under the trustees former retirement plan. Each eligible trustees separate account will be credited annually with interest at a rate of 7.5% until the trustee receives his or her final distribution. Those independent trustees who began their service on or after January 1, 2001, are not eligible to participate in the plan.
Interested Trustee. Mr. McNabb serves as trustee but is not paid in this capacity. He is, however, paid in his role as an officer of Vanguard.
B-32
Compensation Table. The following table provides compensation details for each of the trustees. We list the amounts paid as compensation and accrued as retirement benefits by the Funds for each trustee. In addition, the table shows the total amount of benefits that we expect each trustee to receive from all Vanguard funds upon retirement and the total amount of compensation paid to each trustee by all Vanguard funds.
| VANGUARD SPECIALIZED FUNDS | ||||
| TRUSTEES’ COMPENSATION TABLE | ||||
| Pension or Retirement | Accrued Annual | Total Compensation | ||
| Aggregate | Benefits Accrued | Retirement | From All Vanguard | |
| Compensation | as Part of the | Benefit at | Funds Paid | |
| Trustee | From the Funds1 | Funds’ Expenses1 | January 1, 20172 | to Trustees3 |
| F. William McNabb III | — | — | — | — |
| Emerson U. Fullwood | $22,852 | — | — | $237,000 |
| Rajiv L. Gupta | 24,138 | — | — | 250,333 |
| Amy Gutmann | 22,852 | — | — | 237,000 |
| JoAnn Heffernan Heisen | 24,138 | $402 | $7,509 | 248,833 |
| F. Joseph Loughrey | 24,138 | — | — | 250,333 |
| Mark Loughridge | 27,129 | — | — | 281,333 |
| Scott C. Malpass | 22,852 | — | — | 230,300 |
| André F. Perold | 22,852 | — | — | 237,000 |
| Peter F. Volanakis | 24,138 | — | — | 250,333 |
| 1 The amounts shown in this column are based on the Trust‘s fiscal year ended January 31, 2017. Each Fund within the Trust is responsible | ||||
| for a proportionate share of these amounts. | ||||
| 2 Each trustee is eligible to receive retirement benefits only after completing at least 5 years (60 consecutive months) of service as a trustee | ||||
| for the Vanguard funds. The annual retirement benefit will be paid in monthly installments, beginning with the month following the trustee’s | ||||
| retirement from service, and will cease after 10 years of payments (120 monthly installments). Trustees who began their service on or after | ||||
| January 1, 2001, are not eligible to participate in the retirement benefit plan. | ||||
| 3 The amounts reported in this column reflect the total compensation paid to each trustee for his or her service as trustee of 198 Vanguard | ||||
| funds for the 2016 calendar year. | ||||
Ownership of Fund Shares
All trustees allocate their investments among the various Vanguard funds based on their own investment needs. The following table shows each trustee’s ownership of shares of each Fund and of all Vanguard funds served by the trustee as of December 31, 2016.
| Aggregate Dollar | |||
| Dollar Range of | Range of Vanguard | ||
| Fund Shares | Fund Shares | ||
| Vanguard Fund | Trustee | Owned by Trustee | Owned by Trustee |
| Dividend Appreciation Index Fund | Emerson U. Fullwood | — | Over $100,000 |
| Rajiv L. Gupta | — | Over $100,000 | |
| Amy Gutmann | — | Over $100,000 | |
| JoAnn Heffernan Heisen | — | Over $100,000 | |
| F. Joseph Loughrey | Over $100,000 | Over $100,000 | |
| Mark Loughridge | — | Over $100,000 | |
| Scott C. Malpass | — | Over $100,000 | |
| F. William McNabb III | — | Over $100,000 | |
| André F. Perold | — | Over $100,000 | |
| Peter F. Volanakis | Over $100,000 | Over $100,000 |
B-33
| Aggregate Dollar | |||
| Dollar Range of | Range of Vanguard | ||
| Fund Shares | Fund Shares | ||
| Vanguard Fund | Trustee | Owned by Trustee | Owned by Trustee |
| Dividend Growth Fund | Emerson U. Fullwood | — | Over $100,000 |
| Rajiv L. Gupta | — | Over $100,000 | |
| Amy Gutmann | — | Over $100,000 | |
| JoAnn Heffernan Heisen | — | Over $100,000 | |
| F. Joseph Loughrey | — | Over $100,000 | |
| Mark Loughridge | — | Over $100,000 | |
| Scott C. Malpass | — | Over $100,000 | |
| F. William McNabb III | — | Over $100,000 | |
| André F. Perold | — | Over $100,000 | |
| Peter F. Volanakis | Over $100,000 | Over $100,000 | |
| Energy Fund | Emerson U. Fullwood | — | Over $100,000 |
| Rajiv L. Gupta | — | Over $100,000 | |
| Amy Gutmann | — | Over $100,000 | |
| JoAnn Heffernan Heisen | $1–$10,000 | Over $100,000 | |
| F. Joseph Loughrey | — | Over $100,000 | |
| Mark Loughridge | — | Over $100,000 | |
| Scott C. Malpass | — | Over $100,000 | |
| F. William McNabb III | — | Over $100,000 | |
| André F. Perold | — | Over $100,000 | |
| Peter F. Volanakis | — | Over $100,000 | |
| Health Care Fund | Emerson U. Fullwood | Over $100,000 | Over $100,000 |
| Rajiv L. Gupta | — | Over $100,000 | |
| Amy Gutmann | — | Over $100,000 | |
| JoAnn Heffernan Heisen | Over $100,000 | Over $100,000 | |
| F. Joseph Loughrey | — | Over $100,000 | |
| Mark Loughridge | — | Over $100,000 | |
| Scott C. Malpass | — | Over $100,000 | |
| F. William McNabb III | Over $100,000 | Over $100,000 | |
| André F. Perold | — | Over $100,000 | |
| Peter F. Volanakis | Over $100,000 | Over $100,000 | |
| Precious Metals and Mining Fund | Emerson U. Fullwood | — | Over $100,000 |
| Rajiv L. Gupta | — | Over $100,000 | |
| Amy Gutmann | — | Over $100,000 | |
| JoAnn Heffernan Heisen | — | Over $100,000 | |
| F. Joseph Loughrey | — | Over $100,000 | |
| Mark Loughridge | — | Over $100,000 | |
| Scott C. Malpass | — | Over $100,000 | |
| F. William McNabb III | — | Over $100,000 | |
| André F. Perold | — | Over $100,000 | |
| Peter F. Volanakis | — | Over $100,000 | |
B-34
| Aggregate Dollar | |||
| Dollar Range of | Range of Vanguard | ||
| Fund Shares | Fund Shares | ||
| Vanguard Fund | Trustee | Owned by Trustee | Owned by Trustee |
| REIT Index Fund | Emerson U. Fullwood | — | Over $100,000 |
| Rajiv L. Gupta | — | Over $100,000 | |
| Amy Gutmann | — | Over $100,000 | |
| JoAnn Heffernan Heisen | — | Over $100,000 | |
| F. Joseph Loughrey | — | Over $100,000 | |
| Mark Loughridge | — | Over $100,000 | |
| Scott C. Malpass | — | Over $100,000 | |
| F. William McNabb III | — | Over $100,000 | |
| André F. Perold | — | Over $100,000 | |
| Peter F. Volanakis | — | Over $100,000 |
As of April 30, 2017, the trustees and officers of the funds owned, in the aggregate, less than 1% of each class of each fund’s outstanding shares.
As of April 30, 2017, the following owned of record 5% or more of the outstanding shares of each class (other than ETF Shares):
Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund—Investor Shares: Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., San Francisco, CA (18.36%), National Financial Services, Jersey City, NJ (18.31%); Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund—Admiral Shares: National Financial Services, Jersey City, NJ (10.29%), Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., San Francisco, CA (5.11%); Vanguard Dividend Growth Fund—Investor Shares: Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., San Francisco, CA (12.37%), National Financial Services, Jersey City, NJ (11.82%); Vanguard Energy Fund—Investor Shares: Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., San Francisco, CA (11.66%), National Financial Services, Jersey City, NJ (7.70%); Vanguard Energy Fund—Admiral Shares: National Financial Services, Jersey City, NJ (8.93%), John Hancock Life Insurance Co. USA, Boston, MA (5.37%); Vanguard Health Care Fund—Investor Shares: Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., San Francisco, CA (15.45%), National Financial Services, Jersey City, NJ (8.43%); Vanguard Precious Metals and Mining Fund—Investor Shares: National Financial Services, Jersey City, NJ (6.80%); Vanguard REIT Index Fund—Investor Shares: Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., San Francisco, CA (17.09%), National Financial Services, Jersey City, NJ (15.26%); Vanguard REIT Index Fund—Admiral Shares: Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., San Francisco, CA (5.77%); Vanguard REIT Index Fund—Institutional Shares: Fidelity Investments Institutional Operations Co., Covington, KY (14.29%), National Financial Services, Jersey City, NJ (7.83%).
Although the Funds do not have information concerning the beneficial ownership of shares held in the names of Depository Trust Company (DTC) participants, as of April 30, 2017, the name and percentage ownership of each DTC participant that owned of record 5% or more of the outstanding ETF Shares of a Fund were as follows:
Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund—ETF Shares: Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (16.06%), National Financial Services LLC (12.28%), Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith (11.72%), Vanguard Marketing Corporation (7.23%), TD Ameritrade Clearing, Inc. (6.37%), Morgan Stanley DW Inc. (6.13%), Pershing LLC (5.16%); Vanguard REIT Index Fund—ETF Shares: Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (11.85%), National Financial Services LLC (9.23%), First Clearing LLC (7.97%), TD Ameritrade Clearing, Inc. (7.63%), JP Morgan Chase Bank, National Association (6.40%), Wells Fargo Bank, National Association (6.30%).
Portfolio Holdings Disclosure Policies and Procedures
Introduction
Vanguard and the boards of trustees of the Vanguard funds (Boards) have adopted Portfolio Holdings Disclosure Policies and Procedures (Policies and Procedures) to govern the disclosure of the portfolio holdings of each Vanguard fund. Vanguard and the Boards considered each of the circumstances under which Vanguard fund portfolio holdings may be disclosed to different categories of persons under the Policies and Procedures. Vanguard and the Boards also considered actual and potential material conflicts that could arise in such circumstances between the interests of Vanguard fund shareholders, on the one hand, and those of the fund’s investment advisor, distributor, or any affiliated person of the fund, its investment advisor, or its distributor, on the other. After giving due consideration to such matters and after the
B-35
exercise of their fiduciary duties and reasonable business judgment, Vanguard and the Boards determined that the Vanguard funds have a legitimate business purpose for disclosing portfolio holdings to the persons described in each of the circumstances set forth in the Policies and Procedures and that the Policies and Procedures are reasonably designed to ensure that disclosure of portfolio holdings and information about portfolio holdings is in the best interests of fund shareholders and appropriately addresses the potential for material conflicts of interest.
The Boards exercise continuing oversight of the disclosure of Vanguard fund portfolio holdings by (1) overseeing the implementation and enforcement of the Policies and Procedures, the Code of Ethics, and the Policies and Procedures Designed to Prevent the Misuse of Inside Information (collectively, the portfolio holdings governing policies) by the chief compliance officer of Vanguard and the Vanguard funds; (2) considering reports and recommendations by the chief compliance officer concerning any material compliance matters (as defined in Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act and Rule 206(4)-7 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940) that may arise in connection with any portfolio holdings governing policies; and (3) considering whether to approve or ratify any amendment to any portfolio holdings governing policies. Vanguard and the Boards reserve the right to amend the Policies and Procedures at any time and from time to time without prior notice at their sole discretion. For purposes of the Policies and Procedures, the term “portfolio holdings” means the equity and debt securities (e.g., stocks and bonds) held by a Vanguard fund and does not mean the cash investments, derivatives, and other investment positions (collectively, other investment positions) held by the fund.
Online Disclosure of Ten Largest Stock Holdings
Each actively managed Vanguard fund generally will seek to disclose the fund’s ten largest stock portfolio holdings and the percentage of the fund’s total assets that each of these holdings represents as of the end of the most recent calendar quarter (quarter-end ten largest stock holdings with weightings) online at vanguard.com, in the “Portfolio” section of the fund’s Portfolio & Management page, 15 calendar days after the end of the calendar quarter. Each Vanguard index fund generally will seek to disclose the fund’s ten largest stock portfolio holdings and the percentage of the fund’s total assets that each of these holdings represents as of the end of the most recent month (month-end ten largest stock holdings with weightings) online at vanguard.com, in the “Portfolio” section of the fund’s Portfolio & Management page, 15 calendar days after the end of the month. In addition, Vanguard funds generally will seek to disclose the fund’s ten largest stock portfolio holdings and the aggregate percentage of the fund’s total assets (and, for balanced funds, the aggregate percentage of the fund’s equity securities) that these holdings represent as of the end of the most recent month (month-end ten largest stock holdings) online at vanguard.com, in the “Portfolio” section of the fund’s Portfolio & Management page, 10 business days after the end of the month. Together, the quarter-end and month-end ten largest stock holdings are referred to as the ten largest stock holdings. Online disclosure of the ten largest stock holdings is made to all categories of persons, including individual investors, institutional investors, intermediaries, third-party service providers, rating and ranking organizations, affiliated persons of a Vanguard fund, and all other persons.
Online Disclosure of Complete Portfolio Holdings
Each actively managed Vanguard fund, unless otherwise stated, generally will seek to disclose the fund’s complete portfolio holdings as of the end of the most recent calendar quarter online at vanguard.com, in the “Portfolio” section of the fund’s Portfolio & Management page, 30 calendar days after the end of the calendar quarter. In accordance with Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act, each of the Vanguard money market funds will disclose the fund’s complete portfolio holdings as of the last business day of the prior month online at vanguard.com, in the “Portfolio” section of the fund’s Portfolio & Management page, no later than the fifth business day of the current month. The complete portfolio holdings information for money market funds will remain available online for at least six months after the initial posting. Vanguard Market Neutral Fund and Vanguard Alternative Strategies Fund generally will seek to disclose the Fund’s complete portfolio holdings as of the end of the most recent calendar quarter online at vanguard.com, in the “Portfolio” section of the Fund’s Portfolio & Management page, 60 calendar days after the end of the calendar quarter. Each Vanguard index fund generally will seek to disclose the fund’s complete portfolio holdings as of the end of the most recent month online at vanguard.com, in the “Portfolio” section of the fund’s Portfolio & Management page, 15 calendar days after the end of the month. Online disclosure of complete portfolio holdings is made to all categories of persons, including individual investors, institutional investors, intermediaries, third-party service providers, rating and ranking organizations, affiliated persons of a Vanguard fund, and all other persons. Vanguard’s Portfolio Review Department will review complete portfolio holdings before disclosure is made and, except with respect to the complete portfolio holdings of the Vanguard money market funds, may withhold any portion of the fund’s complete portfolio holdings from disclosure when deemed to be in the best interests of the fund after consultation with a Vanguard fund’s investment advisor.
B-36
Disclosure of Complete Portfolio Holdings to Service Providers Subject to Confidentiality and Trading Restrictions
Vanguard, for legitimate business purposes, may disclose Vanguard fund complete portfolio holdings at times it deems necessary and appropriate to rating and ranking organizations; financial printers; proxy voting service providers; pricing information vendors; issuers of guaranteed investment contracts for stable value portfolios; third parties that deliver analytical, statistical, or consulting services; and other third parties that provide services (collectively, Service Providers) to Vanguard, Vanguard subsidiaries, and/or the Vanguard funds. Disclosure of complete portfolio holdings to a Service Provider is conditioned on the Service Provider being subject to a written agreement imposing a duty of confidentiality, including a duty not to trade on the basis of any material nonpublic information.
The frequency with which complete portfolio holdings may be disclosed to a Service Provider, and the length of the lag, if any, between the date of the information and the date on which the information is disclosed to the Service Provider, is determined based on the facts and circumstances, including, without limitation, the nature of the portfolio holdings information to be disclosed, the risk of harm to the funds and their shareholders, and the legitimate business purposes served by such disclosure. The frequency of disclosure to a Service Provider varies and may be as frequent as daily, with no lag. Disclosure of Vanguard fund complete portfolio holdings by Vanguard to a Service Provider must be authorized by a Vanguard fund officer or a Principal in Vanguard’s Portfolio Review Department or Legal and Compliance Division. Any disclosure of Vanguard fund complete portfolio holdings to a Service Provider as previously described may also include a list of the other investment positions that make up the fund, such as cash investments and derivatives.
Currently, Vanguard fund complete portfolio holdings are disclosed to the following Service Providers as part of ongoing arrangements that serve legitimate business purposes: Abel/Noser Corporation; Advisor Software, Inc.; Alcom Printing Group Inc.; Apple Press, L.C.; Bloomberg L.P.; Brilliant Graphics, Inc.; Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.; Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.; Canon Business Process Services; FactSet Research Systems Inc.; Innovation Printing & Communications; Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc.; Intelligencer Printing Company; Investment Technology Group, Inc.; Lipper, Inc.; Markit WSO Corporation; McMunn Associates Inc.; Reuters America Inc.; R.R. Donnelley, Inc.; State Street Bank and Trust Company; Trade Informatics LLC; Triune Color Corporation; and Tursack Printing Inc.
Disclosure of Complete Portfolio Holdings to Vanguard Affiliates and Certain Fiduciaries Subject to Confidentiality and Trading Restrictions
Vanguard fund complete portfolio holdings may be disclosed between and among the following persons (collectively, Affiliates and Fiduciaries) for legitimate business purposes within the scope of their official duties and responsibilities, subject to such persons’ continuing legal duty of confidentiality and legal duty not to trade on the basis of any material nonpublic information, as such duties are imposed under the Code of Ethics, the Policies and Procedures Designed to Prevent the Misuse of Inside Information, by agreement, or under applicable laws, rules, and regulations: (1) persons who are subject to the Code of Ethics or the Policies and Procedures Designed to Prevent the Misuse of Inside Information; (2) an investment advisor, distributor, administrator, transfer agent, or custodian to a Vanguard fund; (3) an accounting firm, an auditing firm, or outside legal counsel retained by Vanguard, a Vanguard subsidiary, or a Vanguard fund; (4) an investment advisor to whom complete portfolio holdings are disclosed for due diligence purposes when the advisor is in merger or acquisition talks with a Vanguard fund’s current advisor; and (5) a newly hired investment advisor or sub-advisor to whom complete portfolio holdings are disclosed prior to the time it commences its duties.
The frequency with which complete portfolio holdings may be disclosed between and among Affiliates and Fiduciaries, and the length of the lag, if any, between the date of the information and the date on which the information is disclosed between and among the Affiliates and Fiduciaries, is determined by such Affiliates and Fiduciaries based on the facts and circumstances, including, without limitation, the nature of the portfolio holdings information to be disclosed, the risk of harm to the funds and their shareholders, and the legitimate business purposes served by such disclosure. The frequency of disclosure between and among Affiliates and Fiduciaries varies and may be as frequent as daily, with no lag. Any disclosure of Vanguard fund complete portfolio holdings to any Affiliates and Fiduciaries as previously described may also include a list of the other investment positions that make up the fund, such as cash investments and derivatives. Disclosure of Vanguard fund complete portfolio holdings or other investment positions by Vanguard, Vanguard Marketing Corporation, or a Vanguard fund to Affiliates and Fiduciaries must be authorized by a Vanguard fund officer or a Principal of Vanguard.
B-37
Currently, Vanguard fund complete portfolio holdings are disclosed to the following Affiliates and Fiduciaries as part of ongoing arrangements that serve legitimate business purposes: Vanguard and each investment advisor, custodian, and independent registered public accounting firm identified in each fund’s Statement of Additional Information.
Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings to Broker-Dealers in the Normal Course of Managing a Fund’s Assets
An investment advisor, administrator, or custodian for a Vanguard fund may, for legitimate business purposes within the scope of its official duties and responsibilities, disclose portfolio holdings (whether partial portfolio holdings or complete portfolio holdings) and other investment positions that make up the fund to one or more broker-dealers during the course of, or in connection with, normal day-to-day securities and derivatives transactions with or through such broker-dealers subject to the broker-dealer’s legal obligation not to use or disclose material nonpublic information concerning the fund’s portfolio holdings, other investment positions, securities transactions, or derivatives transactions without the consent of the fund or its agents. The Vanguard funds have not given their consent to any such use or disclosure and no person or agent of Vanguard is authorized to give such consent except as approved in writing by the Boards of the Vanguard funds. Disclosure of portfolio holdings or other investment positions by Vanguard to broker-dealers must be authorized by a Vanguard fund officer or a Principal of Vanguard.
Disclosure of Nonmaterial Information
The Policies and Procedures permit Vanguard fund officers, Vanguard fund portfolio managers, and other Vanguard representatives (collectively, Approved Vanguard Representatives) to disclose any views, opinions, judgments, advice, or commentary, or any analytical, statistical, performance, or other information, in connection with or relating to a Vanguard fund or its portfolio holdings and/or other investment positions (collectively, commentary and analysis) or any changes in the portfolio holdings of a Vanguard fund that occurred after the end of the most recent calendar quarter (recent portfolio changes) to any person if (1) such disclosure serves a legitimate business purpose, (2) such disclosure does not effectively result in the disclosure of the complete portfolio holdings of any Vanguard fund (which can be disclosed only in accordance with the Policies and Procedures), and (3) such information does not constitute material nonpublic information. Disclosure of commentary and analysis or recent portfolio changes by Vanguard, Vanguard Marketing Corporation, or a Vanguard fund must be authorized by a Vanguard fund officer or a Principal of Vanguard.
An Approved Vanguard Representative must make a good faith determination whether the information constitutes material nonpublic information, which involves an assessment of the particular facts and circumstances. Vanguard believes that in most cases recent portfolio changes that involve a few or even several securities in a diversified portfolio or commentary and analysis would be immaterial and would not convey any advantage to a recipient in making an investment decision concerning a Vanguard fund. Nonexclusive examples of commentary and analysis about a Vanguard fund include (1) the allocation of the fund’s portfolio holdings and other investment positions among various asset classes, sectors, industries, and countries; (2) the characteristics of the stock and bond components of the fund’s portfolio holdings and other investment positions; (3) the attribution of fund returns by asset class, sector, industry, and country; and (4) the volatility characteristics of the fund. Approved Vanguard Representatives may, at their sole discretion, deny any request for information made by any person, and may do so for any reason or for no reason. Approved Vanguard Representatives include, for purposes of the Policies and Procedures, persons employed by or associated with Vanguard or a subsidiary of Vanguard who have been authorized by Vanguard’s Portfolio Review Department to disclose recent portfolio changes and/or commentary and analysis in accordance with the Policies and Procedures.
Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings in Accordance with SEC Exemptive Orders
Vanguard’s Fund Financial Services unit may disclose to the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC), Authorized Participants, and other market makers the daily portfolio composition files (PCFs) that identify a basket of specified securities that may overlap with the actual or expected portfolio holdings of the Vanguard funds that offer a class of shares known as Vanguard ETF Shares (ETF Funds), in accordance with the terms and conditions of related exemptive orders (Vanguard ETF Exemptive Orders) issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission, as described in this section.
Unlike the conventional classes of shares issued by ETF Funds, the ETF Shares are listed for trading on a national securities exchange. Each ETF Fund issues and redeems ETF Shares in large blocks, known as “Creation Units.” To purchase or redeem a Creation Unit, an investor must be an “Authorized Participant” or the investor must purchase or
B-38
redeem through a broker-dealer that is an Authorized Participant. An Authorized Participant is a participant in the Depository Trust Company (DTC) that has executed a “Participant Agreement” with Vanguard Marketing Corporation. Each ETF Fund issues Creation Units in exchange for a “portfolio deposit” consisting of a basket of specified securities (Deposit Securities) and a cash payment (Balancing Amount). Each ETF Fund also redeems Creation Units in kind; an investor who tenders a Creation Unit will receive, as redemption proceeds, a basket of specified securities together with a Balancing Amount.
In connection with the creation and redemption process, and in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Vanguard ETF Exemptive Orders, Vanguard makes available to the NSCC (a clearing agency registered with the SEC and affiliated with the DTC), for dissemination to NSCC participants on each business day prior to the opening of trading on the listing exchange, a PCF containing a list of the names and the required number of shares of each Deposit Security for each ETF Fund. In addition, the listing exchange disseminates (1) continuously throughout the trading day, through the facilities of the Consolidated Tape Association, the market value of an ETF Share; and (2) every 15 seconds throughout the trading day, a calculation of the estimated NAV of an ETF Share (expected to be accurate to within a few basis points). Comparing these two figures allows an investor to determine whether, and to what extent, ETF Shares are selling at a premium or at a discount to NAV. ETF Shares are listed on the exchange and traded on the secondary market in the same manner as other equity securities. The price of ETF Shares trading on the secondary market is based on a current bid/offer market.
In addition to making PCFs available to the NSCC, as previously described, Vanguard’s Fund Financial Services unit may disclose the PCF for any ETF Fund to any person, or online at vanguard.com to all categories of persons, if (1) such disclosure serves a legitimate business purpose and (2) such disclosure does not constitute material nonpublic information. Vanguard’s Fund Financial Services unit must make a good faith determination whether the PCF for any ETF Fund constitutes material nonpublic information, which involves an assessment of the particular facts and circumstances. Vanguard believes that in most cases the PCF for any ETF Fund would be immaterial and would not convey any advantage to the recipient in making an investment decision concerning the ETF Fund, if sufficient time has passed between the date of the PCF and the date on which the PCF is disclosed. Vanguard’s Fund Financial Services unit may, at its sole discretion, determine whether to deny any request for the PCF for any ETF Fund made by any person, and may do so for any reason or for no reason. Disclosure of a PCF must be authorized by a Vanguard fund officer or a Principal in Vanguard’s Fund Financial Services unit.
Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings Related Information to the Issuer of a Security for Legitimate Business Purposes
Vanguard, at its sole discretion, may disclose portfolio holdings information concerning a security held by one or more Vanguard funds to the issuer of such security if the issuer presents, to the satisfaction of Vanguard’s Fund Financial Services unit, convincing evidence that the issuer has a legitimate business purpose for such information. Disclosure of this information to an issuer is conditioned on the issuer being subject to a written agreement imposing a duty of confidentiality, including a duty not to trade on the basis of any material nonpublic information. The frequency with which portfolio holdings information concerning a security may be disclosed to the issuer of such security, and the length of the lag, if any, between the date of the information and the date on which the information is disclosed to the issuer, is determined based on the facts and circumstances, including, without limitation, the nature of the portfolio holdings information to be disclosed, the risk of harm to the funds and their shareholders, and the legitimate business purposes served by such disclosure. The frequency of disclosure to an issuer cannot be determined in advance of a specific request and will vary based upon the particular facts and circumstances and the legitimate business purposes, but in unusual situations could be as frequent as daily, with no lag. Disclosure of portfolio holdings information concerning a security held by one or more Vanguard funds to the issuer of such security must be authorized by a Vanguard fund officer or a Principal in Vanguard’s Portfolio Review Department or Legal and Compliance Division.
Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings as Required by Applicable Law
Vanguard fund portfolio holdings (whether partial portfolio holdings or complete portfolio holdings) and other investment positions that make up a fund shall be disclosed to any person as required by applicable laws, rules, and regulations. Examples of such required disclosure include, but are not limited to, disclosure of Vanguard fund portfolio holdings (1) in a filing or submission with the SEC or another regulatory body, (2) in connection with seeking recovery on defaulted bonds in a federal bankruptcy case, (3) in connection with a lawsuit, or (4) as required by court order. Disclosure of portfolio
B-39
holdings or other investment positions by Vanguard, Vanguard Marketing Corporation, or a Vanguard fund as required by applicable laws, rules, and regulations must be authorized by a Vanguard fund officer or a Principal of Vanguard.
Prohibitions on Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings
No person is authorized to disclose Vanguard fund portfolio holdings or other investment positions (whether online at vanguard.com, in writing, by fax, by e-mail, orally, or by other means) except in accordance with the Policies and Procedures. In addition, no person is authorized to make disclosure pursuant to the Policies and Procedures if such disclosure is otherwise unlawful under the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws (as defined in Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act). Furthermore, Vanguards management, at its sole discretion, may determine not to disclose portfolio holdings or other investment positions that make up a Vanguard fund to any person who would otherwise be eligible to receive such information under the Policies and Procedures, or may determine to make such disclosures publicly as provided by the Policies and Procedures.
Prohibitions on Receipt of Compensation or Other Consideration
The Policies and Procedures prohibit a Vanguard fund, its investment advisor, and any other person or entity from paying or receiving any compensation or other consideration of any type for the purpose of obtaining disclosure of Vanguard fund portfolio holdings or other investment positions. Consideration includes any agreement to maintain assets in the fund or in other investment companies or accounts managed by the investment advisor or by any affiliated person of the investment advisor.
INVESTMENT ADVISORY SERVICES
The Trust currently uses three investment advisors:
-
M&G Investment Management Limited (M&G) provides investment advisory services to Vanguard Precious Metals and Mining Fund.
-
Wellington Management Company LLP (Wellington Management) provides investment advisory services to Vanguard Dividend Growth Fund and Vanguard Health Care Fund and for a portion of Vanguard Energy Fund.
-
Vanguard provides investment advisory services to Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund and Vanguard REIT Index Fund and for a portion of Vanguard Energy Fund.
For funds that are advised by independent third-party advisory firms unaffiliated with Vanguard, the board of trustees of each fund hires investment advisory firms, not individual portfolio managers, to provide investment advisory services to such funds. Vanguard negotiates each advisory agreement, which contains advisory fee arrangements, on an arms length basis with the advisory firm. Each advisory agreement is reviewed annually by each funds board of trustees, taking into account numerous factors, which include, without limitation, the nature, extent, and quality of the services provided; investment performance; and the fair market value of the services provided. Each advisory agreement is between the Trust and the advisory firm, not between the Trust and the portfolio manager. The structure of the advisory fee paid to each unaffiliated investment advisory firm is described in the following sections. In addition, each firm has established policies and procedures designed to address the potential for conflicts of interest. Each firms compensation structure and management of potential conflicts of interest are summarized by the advisory firm in the following sections for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2017.
A fund is a party to an investment advisory agreement with each of its independent third-party advisors whereby the advisor manages the investment and reinvestment of the portion of the funds assets that the funds board of trustees determines to assign to the advisor. In this capacity, each advisor continuously reviews, supervises, and administers the investment program for its portion of the funds assets. Hereafter, each portion will be referred to as the advisors Portfolio. Each advisor discharges its responsibilities subject to the supervision and oversight of Vanguards Portfolio Review Group and the officers and trustees of the fund. Vanguards Portfolio Review Group is responsible for recommending changes in a funds advisory arrangements to the funds board of trustees, including changes in the amount of assets allocated to each advisor and recommendations to hire, terminate, or replace an advisor.
B-40
I. Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund and Vanguard REIT Index Fund
Vanguard, through its Equity Index Group, provides investment advisory services on an at-cost basis to Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund and Vanguard REIT Index Fund. The compensation and other expenses of Vanguard’s advisory staff are allocated among the funds utilizing these services.
During the fiscal years ended January 31, 2015, 2016, and 2017, the Funds incurred the following approximate advisory expenses:
| Vanguard Fund | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
| Dividend Appreciation Index Fund | $2,354,000 | $2,257,000 | $2,918,000 |
| REIT Index Fund | 3,018,000 | 3,462,000 | 5,390,000 |
1. Other Accounts Managed
Walter Nejman and Gerard C. O’Reilly co-manage Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund; as of January 31, , the Fund held assets of $28 billion. As of January 31, 2017, Mr. Nejman also co-managed 51 other registered investment companies with total assets of $1.2 trillion and 2 other pooled investment vehicles with total assets of $2.3 billion (none of which had advisory fees based on account performance). As of January 31, 2017, Mr. O’Reilly also co-managed 15 other registered investment companies with total assets of $906 billion and 1 other pooled investment vehicle with total assets of $455 million (none of which had advisory fees based on account performance).
Walter Nejman and Gerard C. O’Reilly co-manage Vanguard REIT Index Fund; as of January 31, , the Fund held assets of $62 billion. As of January 31, 2017, Mr. Nejman also co-managed 51 other registered investment companies with total assets of $1.1 trillion and 2 other pooled investment vehicles with total assets of $2.3 billion (none of which had advisory fees based on account performance). As of January 31, , Mr. O’Reilly also co-managed 15 other registered investment companies with total assets of $871 billion and 1 other pooled investment vehicle with total assets of $455 million (none of which had advisory fees based on account performance).
2. Material Conflicts of Interest
At Vanguard, individual portfolio managers may manage multiple accounts for multiple clients. In addition to mutual funds, these accounts may include separate accounts, collective trusts, and offshore funds. Managing multiple funds or accounts may give rise to potential conflicts of interest including, for example, conflicts among investment strategies and conflicts in the allocation of investment opportunities. Vanguard manages potential conflicts between funds or accounts through allocation policies and procedures, internal review processes, and oversight by trustees and independent third parties. Vanguard has developed trade allocation procedures and controls to ensure that no one client, regardless of type, is intentionally favored at the expense of another. Allocation policies are designed to address potential conflicts in situations where two or more funds or accounts participate in investment decisions involving the same securities.
3. Description of Compensation
All Vanguard portfolio managers are Vanguard employees. This section describes the compensation of the Vanguard employees who manage Vanguard mutual funds. As of January 31, 2017, a Vanguard portfolio manager’s compensation generally consists of base salary, bonus, and payments under Vanguard’s long-term incentive compensation program. In addition, portfolio managers are eligible for the standard retirement benefits and health and welfare benefits available to all Vanguard employees. Also, certain portfolio managers may be eligible for additional retirement benefits under several supplemental retirement plans that Vanguard adopted in the 1980s to restore dollar-for-dollar the benefits of management employees that had been cut back solely as a result of tax law changes. These plans are structured to provide the same retirement benefits as the standard retirement plans.
In the case of portfolio managers responsible for managing multiple Vanguard funds or accounts, the method used to determine their compensation is the same for all funds and investment accounts. A portfolio manager’s base salary is determined by the manager’s experience and performance in the role, taking into account the ongoing compensation benchmark analyses performed by Vanguard’s Human Resources Department. A portfolio manager’s base salary is
B-41
generally a fixed amount that may change as a result of an annual review, upon assumption of new duties, or in response to a market adjustment of the position.
A portfolio managers bonus is determined by a number of factors. One factor is gross, pre-tax performance of the fund relative to expectations for how the fund should have performed, given the Funds investment objective, policies, strategies, and limitations, and the market environment during the measurement period. This performance factor is not based on the amount of assets held in the funds portfolio. For Vanguard Energy Fund, the bonus is based in part on the performance of the Vanguard-managed portion of the Fund relative to a benchmark over a trailing three-year period. The benchmark is derived from certain energy stocks in the MSCI ACWI Energy Index. For Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund and Vanguard REIT Index Fund, the performance factor depends on how closely the portfolio manager tracks the Funds benchmark index over a one-year period. Additional factors include the portfolio managers contributions to the investment management functions within the sub-asset class, contributions to the development of other investment professionals and supporting staff, and overall contributions to strategic planning and decisions for the investment group. The target bonus is expressed as a percentage of base salary. The actual bonus paid may be more or less than the target bonus, based on how well the manager satisfies the objectives previously described. The bonus is paid on an annual basis.
Under the long-term incentive compensation program, all full-time employees receive a payment from Vanguards long-term incentive compensation plan based on their years of service, job level, and if applicable, management responsibilities. Each year, Vanguards independent directors determine the amount of the long-term incentive compensation award for that year based on the investment performance of the Vanguard funds relative to competitors and Vanguards operating efficiencies in providing services to the Vanguard funds.
4. Ownership of Securities
Vanguard employees, including portfolio managers, allocate their investments among the various Vanguard funds or collective investment trusts that may invest in Vanguard funds based on their own individual investment needs and goals. Vanguard employees, as a group, invest a sizable portion of their personal assets in Vanguard funds. As of January 31, 2017, Vanguard employees collectively invested more than $5.4 billion in Vanguard funds or collective investment trusts that may invest in Vanguard funds. F. William McNabb III, Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, and President of Vanguard and the Vanguard funds, invests substantially all of his personal financial assets in Vanguard funds.
As of January 31, 2017, Mr. Nejman and Mr. OReilly did not own any shares of the Funds they managed.
II. Vanguard Energy Fund
The Fund pays Wellington Management a base fee plus or minus a performance adjustment. The base fee, which is paid quarterly, is a percentage of average daily net assets managed by the advisor during the most recent fiscal quarter. The base fee has breakpoints, which means that the percentage declines as assets go up. The performance adjustment, also paid quarterly, is based on the cumulative total return of the Wellington Management Portfolio relative to that of the MSCI ACWI Energy Index over the preceding 36-month period.
During the fiscal years ended January 31, 2015, 2016, and 2017, the Fund incurred aggregate investment advisory fees and expenses of approximately $17,466,000 (before a performance-based increase of $3,515,000), $14,578,000 (before a performance-based increase of $3,071,000), and $14,000,000 (before a performance-based increase of $2,757,000), respectively.
Of the aggregate fees and expenses previously described, the investment advisory expenses paid to Vanguard for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2017, were approximately $272,000 (representing an effective annual rate of less than 0.01%). The investment advisory fee paid to Wellington Management for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2017, was $16,485,000 (representing an effective annual rate of 0.17%).
A. Wellington Management Company LLP (Wellington Management)
Wellington Management is a Delaware limited liability partnership with principal offices at 280 Congress Street, Boston, MA, 02210. Wellington Management is a professional investment counseling firm that provides investment services to investment companies, employee benefit plans, endowments, foundations, and other institutions. Wellington Management and its predecessor organizations have provided investment advisory services for over 80 years. Wellington Management is owned by the partners of Wellington Management Group LLP, a Massachusetts limited liability partnership.
B-42
1. Other Accounts Managed
Gregory J. LeBlanc manages a portion of Vanguard Energy Fund; as of January 31, 2017, the Fund held assets of $10.7 billion. As of January 31, 2017, Mr. LeBlanc also managed 3 other registered investment companies with total assets of $24.4 million (advisory fees not based on account performance), 25 other pooled investment vehicles with total assets of $2.2 billion (advisory fees based on account performance for 8 of these accounts with total assets of $548 million), and 29 other accounts with total assets of $598 million (advisory fees not based on account performance).
2. Material Conflicts of Interest
Individual investment professionals at Wellington Management manage multiple accounts for multiple clients. These accounts may include mutual funds, separate accounts (assets managed on behalf of institutions, such as pension funds, insurance companies, foundations, or separately managed account programs sponsored by financial intermediaries), bank common trust accounts, and hedge funds. Each Wellington Management Portfolios or Funds manager (or managers) listed in the relevant prospectus who is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Wellington Management Portfolio or Fund (Portfolio Manager) generally manages accounts in several different investment styles. These accounts may have investment objectives, strategies, time horizons, tax considerations, and risk profiles that differ from those of the Fund. A Portfolio Manager makes investment decisions for each account, including the relevant Wellington Management Portfolio or Fund, based on the investment objectives, policies, practices, benchmarks, cash flows, tax, and other relevant investment considerations applicable to that account. Consequently, a Portfolio Manager may purchase or sell securities, including IPOs, for one account and not another account, and the performance of securities purchased for one account may vary from the performance of securities purchased for other accounts. Alternatively, these accounts may be managed in a similar fashion to the relevant Wellington Management Portfolio or Fund and thus the accounts may have similar, and in some cases nearly identical, objectives, strategies, and/or holdings to those of the relevant Wellington Management Portfolio or Fund.
A Portfolio Manager or other investment professionals at Wellington Management may place transactions on behalf of other accounts that are directly or indirectly contrary to investment decisions made on behalf of the relevant Wellington Management Portfolio or Fund, or make investment decisions that are similar to those made for the relevant Wellington Management Portfolio or Fund, both of which have the potential to adversely impact the relevant Wellington Management Portfolio or Fund depending on market conditions. For example, an investment professional may purchase a security in one account while appropriately selling that same security in another account. Similarly, a Portfolio Manager may purchase the same security for the relevant Wellington Management Portfolio or Fund and one or more other accounts at or about the same time. In those instances the other accounts will have access to their respective holdings prior to the public disclosure of the relevant Wellington Management Portfolios or Funds holdings. In addition, some of these accounts have fee structures, including performance fees, which are or have the potential to be higher, in some cases significantly higher, than the fees Wellington Management receives for managing the Wellington Management Portfolio or Fund. Mr. LeBlanc, Mr. Kilbride, and Ms. Hynes also manage accounts that pay performance allocations to Wellington Management or its affiliates. Because incentive payments paid by Wellington Management to the Portfolio Manager are tied to revenues earned by Wellington Management and, where noted, to the performance achieved by the manager in each account, the incentives associated with any given account may be significantly higher or lower than those associated with other accounts managed by a given Portfolio Manager. Finally, the Portfolio Manager may hold shares or investments in the other pooled investment vehicles and/or other accounts identified above.
Wellington Managements goal is to meet its fiduciary obligation to treat all clients fairly and provide high-quality investment services to all of its clients. Wellington Management has adopted and implemented policies and procedures, including brokerage and trade allocation policies and procedures, which it believes address the conflicts associated with managing multiple accounts for multiple clients. In addition, Wellington Management monitors a variety of areas, including compliance with primary account guidelines, the allocation of IPOs, and compliance with the firms Code of Ethics, and places additional investment restrictions on investment professionals who manage hedge funds and certain other accounts. Furthermore, senior investment and business personnel at Wellington Management periodically review the performance of Wellington Managements investment professionals. Although Wellington Management does not track the time an investment professional spends on a single account, Wellington Management does periodically assess whether an investment professional has adequate time and resources to effectively manage the investment professionals various client mandates.
B-43
3. Description of Compensation
Wellington Management receives a fee based on the assets under management of the Wellington Management Portfolio as set forth in the Investment Advisory Agreement between Wellington Management and the Trust on behalf of the Fund. Wellington Management pays its investment professionals out of its total revenues, including the advisory fees earned with respect to the Wellington Management Portfolio. The following information relates to the fiscal year ended January 31, 2017.
Wellington Managements compensation structure is designed to attract and retain high-caliber investment professionals necessary to deliver high-quality investment management services to its clients. Wellington Managements compensation of the Portfolio Manager listed in the prospectus who is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the fund (the Portfolio Manager) includes a base salary and incentive components. The base salary for each Portfolio Manager who is a partner (a Partner) of Wellington Management Group LLP, the ultimate holding company of Wellington Management, is generally a fixed amount that is determined by the managing partners of Wellington Management Group LLP. The Portfolio Manager is eligible to receive an incentive payment based on the revenues earned by Wellington Management from the Wellington Management Portfolio and generally each other account managed by the Portfolio Manager. The Portfolio Managers incentive payment relating to the Wellington Management Portfolio is linked to the net pre-tax performance of the Wellington Management Portfolio compared to the MSCI ACWI Energy Index over one-, three-, and five-year periods, with an emphasis on five-year results. Wellington Management applies similar incentive compensation structures (although the benchmarks or peer groups, time periods, and rates may differ) to other accounts managed by the Portfolio Manager, including accounts with performance fees.
Portfolio-based incentives across all accounts managed by an investment professional can, and typically do, represent a significant portion of an investment professionals overall compensation; incentive compensation varies significantly by individual and can vary significantly from year to year. The Portfolio Manager may also be eligible for bonus payments based on his overall contribution to Wellington Managements business operations. Senior management at Wellington Management may reward individuals as it deems appropriate based on other factors. Each Partner is eligible to participate in a Partner-funded tax-qualified retirement plan, the contributions to which are made pursuant to an actuarial formula. Mr. LeBlanc is a Partner.
4. Ownership of Securities
As of January 31, 2017, Mr. LeBlanc owned shares of Vanguard Energy Fund in an amount exceeding $1 million.
B. Vanguard
Vanguard, through its Quantitative Equity Group, provides investment advisory services on an at-cost basis for a portion of Vanguard Energy Fund. The compensation and other expenses of Vanguards advisory staff are allocated among the funds utilizing Vanguards advisory services.
1. Other Accounts Managed
James P. Stetler and Binbin Guo co-manage a portion of Vanguard Energy Fund; as of January 31, 2017, the Fund held assets of $10.7 billion. As of January 31, 2017, Mr. Stetler also co-managed 13 other registered investment companies with total assets of $118 billion (none of which had advisory fees based on account performance). As of January 31, 2017, Mr. Guo also co-managed 15 other registered investment companies with total assets of $120 billion and 1 other pooled investment vehicle with total assets of $163 million (none of which had advisory fees based on account performance).
2. Material Conflicts of Interest
Please refer to Vanguards discussion on page B-41.
3. Description of Compensation
Please refer to Vanguards discussion beginning on page B-41.
4. Ownership of Securities
As of January 31, 2017, Mr. Stetler and Mr. Guo did not own any shares of Vanguard Energy Fund.
B-44
III. Vanguard Precious Metals and Mining Fund
M&G Investment Management Limited (M&G) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Prudential plc (an insurance company based in the United Kingdom and not related to The Prudential Insurance Company of America).
The Fund pays M&G a base fee plus or minus a performance adjustment. The base fee, which is paid quarterly, is a percentage of average daily net assets under management during the most recent fiscal quarter. The base fee has breakpoints, which means that the percentage declines as assets go up. The performance adjustment, also paid quarterly, is based on the cumulative total return of the Fund relative to that of the S&P Global Custom Metals and Mining Index over the preceding 36-month period.
During the fiscal years ended January 31, 2015, 2016, and 2017, the Fund incurred advisory fees of approximately $3,329,000 (before a performance-based decrease of $1,917,000), $2,768,000 (before a performance-based decrease of $444,000), and $3,372,000 (before a performance-based increase of $1,394,000), respectively.
1. Other Accounts Managed
Jamie J. Horvat manages Vanguard Precious Metals and Mining Fund; as of January 31, 2017, the Fund held assets of $2.6 billion. As of January 31, 2017, Mr. Horvat also managed 1 other pooled investment vehicle with total assets of $2.6 billion (advisory fee not based on account performance).
2. Material Conflicts of Interest
At M&G, individual portfolio managers may manage multiple accounts for multiple clients. In addition to mutual funds, these other accounts may include non-U.S. collective investment schemes, insurance companies, and segregated pension funds. M&G manages potential conflicts between funds or with other types of accounts through allocation policies and procedures, internal review processes, and oversight by directors. M&G has developed trade allocation procedures and controls to ensure that no one client, regardless of type, is intentionally favored at the expense of another. Allocation policies are designed to address potential conflicts in situations where two or more funds participate in investment decisions involving the same securities. Investment personnel of the firm or its affiliates may be permitted to be commercially or professionally involved with an issuer of securities. Any potential conflicts of interest from such involvement would be monitored for compliance with the firms Code of Ethics.
3. Description of Compensation
Mr. Horvat is compensated in line with standard M&G practice, which is outlined in this section.
M&G has a strong and integrated set of compensation practices designed to reflect the logic, internally within M&G, of peoples value as well as their outputs. Each component of the remuneration package has a role to play in the effective and appropriate reward of individuals in order to attract, retain, and motivate. M&G believes it is also important to ensure that, in total, the components are coherent and relate appropriately to each other, delivering the reward levels that M&G wants to make available for different levels of performance. The components are as follows:
-
Base pay is used to reward inputs, reflecting the values of peoples knowledge, skills, aptitudes, and track records. It progresses in line with personal growth, general contribution, and potential.
-
Bonus payment levels are closely aligned with outputs, chiefly investment performance but also other results such as asset accumulation. Bonuses are discretionary, variable year-on-year and reflect largely personal and team performance.
Depending on the funds objective, M&G uses either a representative index or a representative group of competitor funds as a benchmark against which to measure performance. In the case of Vanguard Precious Metals and Mining Fund, the performance factor of the fund managers bonus is dependent on the Funds pre-tax performance over one- and three-year periods compared with a representative benchmark index. The actual bonus, which is paid on an annual basis, may be up to a multiple of base salary, depending on the achieved percentile ranking in this peer group over these time periods. -
M&Gs long-term incentive plan, combining phantom equity and options over phantom equity in M&G, is designed to provide a meaningful stake in the future growth of the value of the company to those who have a significant role to play in its growth. The long-term incentive plan consists of phantom shares, normally awarded on an annual basis, with each award having a three-year performance cycle. The value of an award at vesting, and consequently the payment a participant receives, is dependent on its initial value and the change in operating profit for the M&G Retail
B-45
-
business over the performance cycle. While the exit price is based on actual business performance, the shares awarded are phantom shares as M&G is not a listed company.
-
The method used to determine the compensation for portfolio managers who are responsible for the management of multiple accounts is the same for all funds.
In addition, the portfolio managers are eligible for the standard retirement benefits and health benefits generally available to all M&G employees.
M&Gs remuneration package is regularly reviewed by outside consultants to ensure that it is competitive in the London investment management market.
4. Ownership of Securities
As of January 31, 2017, Mr. Horvat did not own any shares of Vanguard Precious Metals and Mining Fund.
IV. Vanguard Dividend Growth Fund and Vanguard Health Care Fund
Vanguard Dividend Growth Fund and Vanguard Health Care Fund each pay Wellington Management a base fee plus or minus a performance adjustment. The base fee, which is paid quarterly, is a percentage of average daily net assets under management during the most recent fiscal quarter. The base fee has breakpoints, which means that the percentage declines as assets go up. The performance adjustment, also paid quarterly, is based on the cumulative total return of the Fund relative to that of the Nasdaq US Dividend Achievers Select Index (for the Dividend Growth Fund) and the MSCI ACWI Health Care Index (for the Health Care Fund) over the preceding 36-month period.
During the fiscal years ended January 31, 2015, 2016, and 2017, Vanguard Dividend Growth Fund incurred advisory fees of approximately $23,949,000 (before a performance-based increase of $6,775,000), $30,211,000 (before a performance-based increase of $10,187,000), and $39,076,000 (before a performance-based increase of $8,332,000), respectively.
During the fiscal years ended January 31, 2015, 2016, and 2017, Vanguard Health Care Fund incurred advisory fees of approximately $57,891,000, $73,289,000 (before a performance-based increase of $8,275,000), and $67,424,000 (before a performance-based increase of $17,703,000), respectively.
1. Other Accounts Managed
Donald J. Kilbride manages Vanguard Dividend Growth Fund; as of January 31, 2017, the Fund held assets of $30.6 billion. As of January 31, 2017, Mr. Kilbride also managed 11 other registered investment companies with total assets of $8.8 billion (advisory fees not based on account performance), 5 other pooled investment vehicles with total assets of $309 million (advisory fees not based on account performance), and 18 other accounts with total assets of $2.6 billion (advisory fees based on account performance for 2 of these accounts with total assets of $358 million).
Jean M. Hynes manages Vanguard Health Care Fund; as of January 31, 2017, the Fund held assets of $43.4 billion. As of January 31, 2017, Ms. Hynes also managed 6 other registered investment companies with total assets of $555 million (advisory fees not based on account performance), 23 other pooled investment vehicles with total assets of $4.2 billion (advisory fees based on account performance for 9 of these accounts with total assets of $1.1 billion), and 25 other accounts with total assets of $2.2 billion (advisory fees based on account performance for 7 of these accounts with total assets of $1.2 billion).
2. Material Conflicts of Interest
Please refer to Wellington Managements discussion beginning on page B-43.
3. Description of Compensation
Wellington Management receives a fee based on the assets under management of each Fund as set forth in the Investment Advisory Agreements between Wellington Management and the Trust on behalf of the Funds. Wellington Management pays its investment professionals out of its total revenues, including the advisory fees earned with respect to the Funds. The following relates to fiscal year ended January 31, 2017.
Wellington Managements compensation structure is designed to attract and retain high-caliber investment professionals necessary to deliver high-quality investment management services to its clients. Wellington Managements
B-46
compensation of each Portfolio Manager listed in the prospectus who is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the fund (the Portfolio Manager) includes a base salary and incentive components. The base salary for each Portfolio Manager who is a partner (a Partner) of Wellington Management Group LLP, the ultimate holding company of Wellington Management, is generally a fixed amount that is determined by the managing partners of Wellington Management Group LLP. Each Portfolio Manager is eligible to receive an incentive payment based on the revenues earned by Wellington Management from the Funds and generally each other account managed by such Portfolio Manager. Each Portfolio Managers incentive payment relating to the Funds is linked to the net pre-tax performance of the Funds compared to the Nasdaq US Dividend Achievers Select Index (for the Dividend Growth Fund) and to the MSCI ACWI Health Care Index (for the Health Care Fund), over one-, three-, and five-year periods, with an emphasis on five-year results. Prior to August 1, 2013, the Portfolio Managers incentive payment relating to the Health Care Fund was linked to the net pre-tax performance of the MSCI ACWI Health Care Index (33.33%), S&P 500 Health Cap (33.33%), and Vanguard Health Competitive Group (33.34%). Wellington Management applies similar incentive compensation structures (although the benchmarks or peer groups, time periods, and rates may differ) to other accounts managed by the Portfolio Managers, including accounts with performance fees.
Portfolio-based incentives across all accounts managed by an investment professional can, and typically do, represent a significant portion of an investment professionals overall compensation; incentive compensation varies significantly by individual and can vary significantly from year to year. The Portfolio Managers may also be eligible for bonus payments based on their overall contribution to Wellington Managements business operations. Senior management at Wellington Management may reward individuals as it deems appropriate based on other factors. Each Partner is eligible to participate in a Partner-funded tax-qualified retirement plan, the contributions to which are made pursuant to an actuarial formula. Mr. Kilbride and Ms. Hynes are Partners.
4. Ownership of Securities
As of January 31, 2017, Mr. Kilbride owned shares of Vanguard Dividend Growth Fund in an amount exceeding $1 million, and Ms. Hynes owned shares of Vanguard Health Care Fund in an amount exceeding $1 million.
Duration and Termination of Investment Advisory Agreements
The current investment advisory agreements with M&G and Wellington Management are renewable for successive one-year periods, only if (1) each renewal is approved by a vote of the Funds board of trustees, including the affirmative votes of a majority of the trustees who are not parties to the contract or interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of any such party, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of considering such approval, or (2) each renewal is specifically approved by a vote of a majority of the Funds outstanding voting securities. An agreement is automatically terminated if assigned, and may be terminated without penalty, at any time either (1) by vote of the board of trustees of the Fund upon thirty (30) days written notice to the advisor, (2) by a vote of a majority of the Funds outstanding voting securities upon 30 days written notice to the advisor, or (3) by the advisor upon ninety (90) days written notice to the Fund.
Vanguard provides at-cost investment advisory services to Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund, Vanguard REIT Index Fund, and a portion of Vanguard Energy Fund pursuant to the terms of the Fifth Amended and Restated Funds Service Agreement. This agreement will continue in full force and effect until terminated or amended by mutual agreement of the Vanguard funds and Vanguard.
B-47
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS
The advisor decides which securities to buy and sell on behalf of a Fund and then selects the brokers or dealers that will execute the trades on an agency basis or the dealers with whom the trades will be effected on a principal basis. For each trade, the advisor must select a broker-dealer that it believes will provide best execution. Best execution does not necessarily mean paying the lowest spread or commission rate available. In seeking best execution, the SEC has said that an advisor should consider the full range of a broker-dealers services. The factors considered by the advisor in seeking best execution include, but are not limited to, the broker-dealers execution capability, clearance and settlement services, commission rate, trading expertise, willingness and ability to commit capital, ability to provide anonymity, financial responsibility, reputation and integrity, responsiveness, access to underwritten offerings and secondary markets, and access to company management, as well as the value of any research provided by the broker-dealer. In assessing which broker-dealer can provide best execution for a particular trade, the advisor also may consider the timing and size of the order and available liquidity and current market conditions. Subject to applicable legal requirements, the advisor may select a broker based partly on brokerage or research services provided to the advisor and its clients, including the Funds. The advisor may cause a Fund to pay a higher commission than other brokers would charge if the advisor determines in good faith that the amount of the commission is reasonable in relation to the value of services provided. The advisor also may receive brokerage or research services from broker-dealers that are provided at no charge in recognition of the volume of trades directed to the broker. To the extent research services or products may be a factor in selecting brokers, services and products may include written research reports analyzing performance or securities, discussions with research analysts, meetings with corporate executives to obtain oral reports on company performance, market data, and other products and services that will assist the advisor in its investment decision-making process. The research services provided by brokers through which a Fund effects securities transactions may be used by the advisor in servicing all of its accounts, and some of the services may not be used by the advisor in connection with the Fund.
During the fiscal years ended January 31, 2015, 2016, and 2017, the Funds paid the following approximate amounts in brokerage commissions:
| Vanguard Fund | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
| Dividend Appreciation Index Fund1 | $ 300,000 | $ 425,000 | $ 283,000 |
| Dividend Growth Fund2 | 2,043,000 | 4,019,000 | 3,715,000 |
| Energy Fund | 5,408,000 | 5,367,000 | 4,923,000 |
| Health Care Fund | 6,188,000 | 8,968,000 | 8,351,000 |
| Precious Metals and Mining Fund3 | 2,480,000 | 595,000 | 1,177,000 |
| REIT Index Fund | 1,872,000 | 2,132,000 | 1,825,000 |
1 The increase in brokerage commissions during the Funds fiscal year ended January 31, 2016, was the result of increased trading and a change in a component of the Index.
2 The increase in brokerage commissions from 2015 to 2016 was the result of an increase in cash flow to the Fund.
3 The decrease in brokerage commissions from 2015 to 2016 was the result of a decline in turnover and a decline in international trading. The increase in brokerage commissions from 2016 to 2017 was the result of market volatility, which can impact the frequency and magnitude of portfolio transactions, and a moderately higher level of turnover within the Fund.
Some securities that are considered for investment by a Fund may also be appropriate for other Vanguard funds or for other clients served by the advisors. If such securities are compatible with the investment policies of a Fund and one or more of an advisors other clients and are considered for purchase or sale at or about the same time, then transactions in such securities may be aggregated by the advisor, and the purchased securities or sale proceeds may be allocated among the participating Vanguard funds and the other participating clients of the advisor in a manner deemed equitable by the advisor. Although there may be no specified formula for allocating such transactions, the allocation methods used, and the results of such allocations, will be subject to periodic review by the Funds board of trustees.
The ability of Vanguard and external advisors to purchase or dispose of investments in regulated industries, certain derivatives markets, certain international markets, and certain issuers that limit ownership by a single shareholder or group of related shareholders, or to exercise rights on behalf of a Fund, may be restricted or impaired because of limitations on the aggregate level of investment unless regulatory or corporate consents or ownership waivers are obtained. As a result, Vanguard and external advisors on behalf of a Fund may be required to limit purchases, sell existing investments, or otherwise restrict or limit the exercise of shareholder rights by the Fund, including voting rights. If a
B-48
Fund is required to limit its investment in a particular issuer, the Fund may seek to obtain economic exposure to that issuer through alternative means, such as through a derivative, which may be more costly than owning securities of the issuer directly.
As of January 31, 2017, each Fund held securities of its “regular brokers or dealers,” as that term is defined in Rule 10b-1 of the 1940 Act, as follows:
| Vanguard Fund | Regular Broker or Dealer (or Parent) | Aggregate Holdings |
| Dividend Appreciation Index Fund | — | — |
| Dividend Growth Fund | Societe Generale | $137,600,000 |
| Energy Fund | Societe Generale | 100,500,000 |
| Health Care Fund | Banc of America Securities LLC | 8,400,000 |
| Barclays Inc. | 36,800,000 | |
| BNP Paribas Securities Corp. | 71,500,000 | |
| HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. | 81,500,000 | |
| RBC Capital Markets | 14,200,000 | |
| Scotia Capital Inc. | 104,800,000 | |
| Wells Fargo Securities, LLC | 64,500,000 | |
| Precious Metals and Mining Fund | — | — |
| REIT Index Fund | — | — |
PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES
The Board of Trustees (the Board) of each Vanguard fund has adopted proxy voting procedures and guidelines to govern proxy voting by the fund. The Board has delegated responsibility for monitoring proxy voting activities to the Proxy Oversight Committee (the Committee), made up of senior officers of Vanguard and subject to the operating procedures and guidelines described below. The Committee reports directly to the Board. Vanguard is subject to these procedures and guidelines to the extent that they call for Vanguard to administer the voting process and implement the resulting voting decisions, and for these purposes the guidelines have also been approved by the Board of Directors of Vanguard.
The overarching objective in voting is simple: to support proposals and director nominees that maximize the value of a fund’s investments—and those of fund shareholders—over the long term. Although the goal is simple, the proposals the funds receive are varied and frequently complex. As such, the guidelines adopted by the Board provide a rigorous framework for assessing each proposal. Under the guidelines, each proposal must be evaluated on its merits, based on the particular facts and circumstances as presented.
For ease of reference, the procedures and guidelines often refer to all funds. However, our processes and practices seek to ensure that proxy voting decisions are suitable for individual funds. For most proxy proposals, particularly those involving corporate governance, the evaluation will result in the same position being taken across all of the funds and the funds voting as a block. In some cases, however, a fund may vote differently, depending upon the nature and objective of the fund, the composition of its portfolio, and other factors.
The guidelines do not permit the Board to delegate voting responsibility to a third party that does not serve as a fiduciary for the funds. Because many factors bear on each decision, the guidelines incorporate factors the Committee should consider in each voting decision. A fund may refrain from voting some or all of its shares or vote in a particular way if doing so would be in the fund’s and its shareholders’ best interests. These circumstances may arise, for example, if the expected cost of voting exceeds the expected benefits of voting, if exercising the vote would result in the imposition of trading or other restrictions, or if a fund (or all Vanguard funds in the aggregate) were to own more than the permissible maximum percentage of a company’s stock (as determined by the company’s governing documents or by applicable law, regulation, or regulatory agreement).
B-49
In evaluating proxy proposals, we consider information from many sources, including, but not limited to, the investment advisor for the fund, the management or shareholders of a company presenting a proposal, and independent proxy research services. We will give substantial weight to the recommendations of the company’s board, absent guidelines or other specific facts that would support a vote against management. In all cases, however, the ultimate decision rests with the members of the Committee, who are accountable to the fund’s Board.
While serving as a framework, the following guidelines cannot contemplate all possible proposals with which a fund may be presented. In the absence of a specific guideline for a particular proposal (e.g., in the case of a transactional issue or contested proxy), the Committee will evaluate the issue and cast the fund’s vote in a manner that, in the Committee’s view, will maximize the value of the fund’s investment, subject to the individual circumstances of the fund.
I. The Board of Directors
A. Election of directors
Good governance starts with a majority-independent board, whose key committees are made up entirely of independent directors. As such, companies should attest to the independence of directors who serve on the Compensation, Nominating, and Audit committees. In any instance in which a director is not categorically independent, the basis for the independence determination should be clearly explained in the proxy statement.
Although the funds will generally support the board’s nominees, the following factors will be taken into account in determining each fund’s vote:
B. Contested director elections
In the case of contested board elections, we will evaluate the nominees’ qualifications, the performance of the incumbent board, and the rationale behind the dissidents’ campaign, to determine the outcome that we believe will maximize shareholder value.
C. Classified boards
The funds will generally support proposals to declassify existing boards (whether proposed by management or shareholders), and will block efforts by companies to adopt classified board structures in which only part of the board is elected each year.
D. Proxy access
We believe that long-term investors may benefit from having proxy access, or the opportunity to place director nominees on a company’s proxy ballot. In our view, this improves shareholders’ ability to participate in director elections while potentially enhancing boards’ accountability and responsiveness to shareholders.
That said, we also believe that proxy access provisions should be appropriately limited to avoid abuse by investors who lack a meaningful long-term interest in the company. As such, we generally believe that a shareholder or group of shareholders representing 3% of a company’s outstanding shares held for at least three years should be able to nominate directors for up to 20% of the seats on the board.
B-50
| Factors For Approval | Factors Against Approval |
| Nominated slate results in board made up of a majority of | Nominated slate results in board made up of a majority of |
| independent directors. | non-independent directors. |
| All members of Audit, Nominating, and Compensation | Audit, Nominating, and/or Compensation committees include |
| committees are independent of management. | non-independent members. |
| Incumbent board member failed to attend at least 75% of meetings | |
| in the previous year. | |
| Actions of committee(s) on which nominee serves are inconsistent with | |
| other guidelines (e.g., excessive equity grants, substantial non-audit | |
| lack of board independence). | |
| Actions of committee(s) on which nominee serves demonstrate serious | |
| failures of governance (e.g., unilaterally acting to significantly reduce | |
| shareholder rights, failure to respond to previous vote results for directors | |
| and shareholder proposals). |
We will review proposals regarding proxy access case by case. The funds will be most likely to support access provisions with the terms described above, but they may support different thresholds based on a company’s other governance provisions, as well as other relevant factors.
II. Approval of Independent Auditors
The relationship between the company and its auditors should be limited primarily to the audit, although it may include certain closely related activities that do not, in the aggregate, raise any appearance of impaired independence. The funds will generally support management’s recommendation for the ratification of the auditor, except in instances in which audit and audit-related fees make up less than 50% of the total fees paid by the company to the audit firm. We will evaluate on a case-by-case basis instances in which the audit firm has a substantial non-audit relationship with the company (regardless of its size relative to the audit fee) to determine whether independence has been compromised.
III. Compensation Issues
A. Stock-based compensation plans
Appropriately designed stock-based compensation plans, administered by an independent committee of the board and approved by shareholders, can be an effective way to align the interests of long-term shareholders with the interests of management, employees, and directors. The funds oppose plans that substantially dilute their ownership interest in the company, provide participants with excessive awards, or have inherently objectionable structural features.
An independent compensation committee should have significant latitude to deliver varied compensation to motivate the company’s employees. However, we will evaluate compensation proposals in the context of several factors (a company’s industry, market capitalization, competitors for talent, etc.) to determine whether a particular plan or proposal balances the perspectives of employees and the company’s other shareholders. We will evaluate each proposal on a case-by-case basis, taking all material facts and circumstances into account.
The following factors will be among those considered in evaluating these proposals:
| Factors For Approval | Factors Against Approval |
| Company requires senior executives to hold a minimum amount | Total potential dilution (including all stock-based plans) exceeds 15% of |
| of company stock (frequently expressed as a multiple of salary). | shares outstanding. |
| Company requires stock acquired through equity awards to be | Annual equity grants have exceeded 2% of shares outstanding. |
| held for a certain period of time. | |
| Compensation program includes performance-vesting awards, | Plan permits repricing or replacement of options without |
| indexed options, or other performance-linked grants. | shareholder approval. |
| Concentration of equity grants to senior executives is limited | Plan provides for the issuance of reload options. |
| (indicating that the plan is very broad-based). | |
| Stock-based compensation is clearly used as a substitute for | Plan contains automatic share replenishment (evergreen) feature. |
| cash in delivering market-competitive total pay. |
B. Bonus plans
Bonus plans, which must be periodically submitted for shareholder approval to qualify for deductibility under Section 162(m) of the IRC, should have clearly defined performance criteria and maximum awards expressed in dollars. Bonus plans with awards that are excessive, in both absolute terms and relative to a comparative group, generally will not be supported.
C. Employee stock purchase plans
The funds will generally support the use of employee stock purchase plans to increase company stock ownership by employees, provided that shares purchased under the plan are acquired for no less than 85% of their market value and that shares reserved under the plan amount to less than 5% of the outstanding shares.
D. Advisory votes on executive compensation (Say on Pay)
In addition to proposals on specific equity or bonus plans, the funds are required to cast advisory votes approving many companies’ overall executive compensation plans (so-called Say on Pay votes). In evaluating these proposals, we consider a number of factors, including the amount of compensation that is at risk, the amount of equity-based
B-51
compensation that is linked to the companys performance, and the level of compensation as compared to industry peers. The funds will generally support pay programs that demonstrate effective linkage between pay and performance over time and that provide compensation opportunities that are competitive relative to industry peers. On the other hand, pay programs in which significant compensation is guaranteed or insufficiently linked to performance will be less likely to earn our support.
E. Executive severance agreements (golden parachutes)
Although executives incentives for continued employment should be more significant than severance benefits, there are instancesparticularly in the event of a change in controlin which severance arrangements may be appropriate. Severance benefits payable upon a change of control AND an executives termination (so-called double trigger plans) are generally acceptable to the extent that benefits paid do not exceed three times salary and bonus. Arrangements in which the benefits exceed three times salary and bonus should be justified and submitted for shareholder approval. We do not generally support guaranteed severance absent a change in control or arrangements that do not require the termination of the executive (so-called single trigger plans).
IV. Corporate Structure and Shareholder Rights
The exercise of shareholder rights, in proportion to economic ownership, is a fundamental privilege of stock ownership that should not be unnecessarily limited. Such limits may be placed on shareholders ability to act by corporate charter or by-law provisions, or by the adoption of certain takeover provisions. In general, the market for corporate control should be allowed to function without undue interference from these artificial barriers.
The funds positions on a number of the most commonly presented issues in this area are as follows:
A. Shareholder rights plans (poison pills)
A companys adoption of a so-called poison pill effectively limits a potential acquirers ability to buy a controlling interest without the approval of the targets board of directors. Such a plan, in conjunction with other takeover defenses, may serve to entrench incumbent management and directors. However, in other cases, a poison pill may force a suitor to negotiate with the board and result in the payment of a higher acquisition premium.
In general, shareholders should be afforded the opportunity to approve shareholder rights plans within a year of their adoption. This provides the board with the ability to put a poison pill in place for legitimate defensive purposes, subject to subsequent approval by shareholders. In evaluating the approval of proposed shareholder rights plans, we will consider the following factors:
B. Increase in authorized shares
The funds are supportive of companies seeking to increase authorized share amounts that do not potentially expose shareholders to excessive dilution. We will generally approve increases of up to 50% of the current share authorization, but will also consider a companys specific circumstances and market practices.
C. Cumulative voting
The funds are generally opposed to cumulative voting under the premise that it allows shareholders a voice in director elections that is disproportionate to their economic investment in the corporation.
B-52
| Factors For Approval | Factors Against Approval |
| Plan is relatively short term (3-5 years). | Plan is long term (>5 years). |
| Plan requires shareholder approval for renewal. | Renewal of plan is automatic or does not require shareholder approval. |
| Plan incorporates review by a committee of independent | Board with limited independence. |
| directors at least every three years (so-called TIDE provisions). | |
| Ownership trigger is reasonable (15-20%). | Ownership trigger is less than 15%. |
| Highly independent, non-classified board. | Classified board. |
| Plan includes permitted-bid/qualified-offer feature (chewable | |
| pill) that mandates a shareholder vote in certain situations. |
D. Supermajority vote requirements
The funds support shareholders ability to approve or reject matters presented for a vote based on a simple majority. Accordingly, the funds will support proposals to remove supermajority requirements and oppose proposals to impose them.
E. Right to call meetings and act by written consent
The funds support shareholders right to call special meetings of the board (for good cause and with ample representation) and to act by written consent. The funds will generally vote for proposals to grant these rights to shareholders and against proposals to abridge them.
F. Confidential voting
The integrity of the voting process is enhanced substantially when shareholders (both institutions and individuals) can vote without fear of coercion or retribution based on their votes. As such, the funds support proposals to provide confidential voting.
G. Dual classes of stock
We are opposed to dual class capitalization structures that provide disparate voting rights to different groups of shareholders with similar economic investments. We will oppose the creation of separate classes with different voting rights and will support the dissolution of such classes.
V. Corporate and Social Policy Issues
Proposals in this category, initiated primarily by shareholders, typically request that the company disclose or amend certain business practices. The Board generally believes that these are ordinary business matters that are primarily the responsibility of management and should be evaluated and approved solely by the corporations board of directors. Often, proposals may address concerns with which the Board philosophically agrees, but absent a compelling economic impact on shareholder value (e.g., proposals to require expensing of stock options), the funds will typically abstain from voting on these proposals. This reflects the belief that regardless of our philosophical perspective on the issue, these decisions should be the province of company management unless they have a significant, tangible impact on the value of a funds investment and management is not responsive to the matter.
VI. Voting in Foreign Markets
Corporate governance standards, disclosure requirements, and voting mechanics vary greatly among the markets outside the United States in which the funds may invest. Each funds votes will be used, where applicable, to advocate for improvements in governance and disclosure by each funds portfolio companies. We will evaluate issues presented to shareholders for each funds foreign holdings in the context with the guidelines described above, as well as local market standards and best practices. The funds will cast their votes in a manner believed to be philosophically consistent with these guidelines, while taking into account differing practices by market. In addition, there may be instances in which the funds elect not to vote, as described below.
Many foreign markets require that securities be blocked or reregistered to vote at a companys meeting. Absent an issue of compelling economic importance, we will generally not subject the fund to the loss of liquidity imposed by these requirements.
The costs of voting (e.g., custodian fees, vote agency fees) in foreign markets may be substantially higher than for U.S. holdings. As such, the fund may limit its voting on foreign holdings in instances in which the issues presented are unlikely to have a material impact on shareholder value.
VII. Voting Shares of a Company that has an Ownership Limitation
Certain companies have provisions in their governing documents that restrict stock ownership in excess of a specified limit. Typically, these ownership restrictions are included in the governing documents of real estate investment trusts, but may be included in other companies governing documents.
B-53
A companys governing documents normally allow the company to grant a waiver of these ownership limits, which would allow a fund (or all Vanguard-advised funds) to exceed the stated ownership limit. Sometimes a company will grant a waiver without restriction. From time to time, a company may grant a waiver only if a fund (or funds) agrees to not vote the companys shares in excess of the normal specified limit. In such a circumstance, a fund may refrain from voting shares if owning the shares beyond the companys specified limit is in the best interests of the fund and its shareholders.
In addition, applicable law may require prior regulatory approval to permit ownership of certain regulated issuers voting securities above certain limits or may impose other restrictions on owners of more than a certain percentage of a regulated issuers voting shares. The Board has authorized the funds to vote shares above these limits in the same proportion as votes cast by the issuers entire shareholder base (i.e., mirror vote) or to refrain from voting excess shares if mirror voting is not practicable. For example, rules administered by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the FRB) generally require that a person seeking to own more than 10% of a bank regulated by the FRB seek prior approval. Vanguard has obtained regulatory approval that allows Vanguard funds to own up to 15% of a class of a banks outstanding voting shares without seeking prior regulatory approval, provided the funds shares in excess of 10% are mirror voted or not voted at all.
These ownership limits may be applied at the individual fund level, across all Vanguard-advised funds, or across all Vanguard funds, regardless of whether they are advised by Vanguard.
VIII. Voting on a Funds Holdings of Other Vanguard Funds
Certain Vanguard funds (owner funds) may, from time to time, own shares of other Vanguard funds (underlying funds). If an underlying fund submits a matter to a vote of its shareholders, votes for and against such matters on behalf of the owner funds will be cast in the same proportion as the votes of the other shareholders in the underlying fund.
IX. The Proxy Voting Group
The Board has delegated the day-to-day operations of the funds proxy voting process to the Proxy Voting Group, which the Committee oversees. Although most votes will be determined, subject to the individual circumstances of each fund, by reference to the guidelines as separately adopted by each of the funds, there may be circumstances when the Proxy Voting Group will refer proxy issues to the Committee for consideration. In addition, at any time, the Board has the authority to vote proxies, when, at the Boards or the Committees discretion, such action is warranted.
The Proxy Voting Group performs the following functions: (1) managing and conducting due diligence of proxy voting vendors; (2) reconciling share positions; (3) analyzing proxy proposals using factors described in the guidelines; (4) determining and addressing potential or actual conflicts of interest that may be presented by a particular proxy; and (5) voting proxies. The Proxy Voting Group also prepares periodic and special reports to the Board, and any proposed amendments to the procedures and guidelines.
X. The Proxy Oversight Committee
The Board, including a majority of the independent trustees, appoints the members of the Committee who are senior officers of Vanguard.
The Committee does not include anyone whose primary duties include external client relationship management or sales. This clear separation between the proxy voting and client relationship functions is intended to eliminate any potential conflict of interest in the proxy voting process. In the unlikely event that a member of the Committee believes he or she might have a conflict of interest regarding a proxy vote, that member must recuse himself or herself from the committee meeting at which the matter is addressed, and not participate in the voting decision.
The Committee works with the Proxy Voting Group to provide reports and other guidance to the Board regarding proxy voting by the funds. The Committee has an obligation to conduct its meetings and exercise its decision-making authority subject to the fiduciary standards of good faith, fairness, and Vanguards Code of Ethics. The Committee shall authorize proxy votes that the Committee determines, at its sole discretion, to be in the best interests of each funds shareholders. In determining how to apply the guidelines to a particular factual situation, the Committee may not take into account any interest that would conflict with the interest of fund shareholders in maximizing the value of their investments.
B-54
The Board may review these procedures and guidelines and modify them from time to time. A summary of the procedures and guidelines is available on Vanguards website at vanguard.com.
You may obtain a free copy of a report that details how the funds voted the proxies relating to the portfolio securities held by the funds for the prior 12-month period ended June 30 by logging on to Vanguards website at vanguard.com or the SECs website at www.sec.gov.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE ETF SHARE CLASS
Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index and Vanguard REIT Index Funds (the ETF Funds) offer and issue an exchange-traded class of shares called ETF Shares. Each ETF Fund issues and redeems ETF Shares in large blocks, known as Creation Units. For Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund, the number of ETF Shares in a Creation Unit is 25,000; and for Vanguard REIT Index Fund, the number of ETF Shares in a Creation Unit is 100,000.
To purchase or redeem a Creation Unit, you must be an Authorized Participant or you must transact through a broker that is an Authorized Participant. An Authorized Participant is a participant in the Depository Trust Company (DTC) that has executed a Participant Agreement with Vanguard Marketing Corporation, the Funds distributor (the Distributor). For a current list of Authorized Participants, contact the Distributor.
Investors that are not Authorized Participants must hold ETF Shares in a brokerage account. As with any stock traded on an exchange through a broker, purchases and sales of ETF Shares will be subject to usual and customary brokerage commissions.
Each ETF Fund issues Creation Units in kind in exchange for a basket of securities that are part ofor soon to be part ofits target index (Deposit Securities). Each ETF Fund also redeems Creation Units in kind; an investor who tenders a Creation Unit will receive, as redemption proceeds, a basket of securities that are part of the Funds portfolio holdings (Redemption Securities). As part of any creation or redemption transaction, the investor will either pay or receive some cash in addition to the securities, as described more fully on the following pages. The ETF Funds reserve the right to issue Creation Units for cash, rather than in kind.
Exchange Listing and Trading
The ETF Shares have been approved for listing on a national securities exchange and will trade on the exchange at market prices that may differ from net asset value (NAV). There can be no assurance that, in the future, ETF Shares will continue to meet all of the exchanges listing requirements. The exchange may, but is not required to, delist a Funds ETF Shares if (1) following the initial 12-month period beginning upon the commencement of trading, there are fewer than 50 beneficial owners of the ETF Shares for 30 or more consecutive trading days; (2) the value of the target index tracked by the ETF Fund is no longer calculated or available; or (3) such other event shall occur or condition exist that, in the opinion of the exchange, makes further dealings on the exchange inadvisable. The exchange will also delist a Funds ETF Shares upon termination of the ETF Share class.
The exchange disseminates, through the facilities of the Consolidated Tape Association, an updated indicative optimized portfolio value (IOPV) for each ETF Fund as calculated by an information provider. The ETF Funds are not involved with or responsible for the calculation or dissemination of the IOPVs, and they make no warranty as to the accuracy of the IOPVs. An IOPV for a Funds ETF Shares is disseminated every 15 seconds during regular exchange trading hours. An IOPV has a securities value component and a cash component. The securities values included in an IOPV are based on the real-time market prices of the Deposit Securities for a Funds ETF Shares. The IOPV is designed as an estimate of an ETF Funds NAV at a particular point in time, but it is only an estimate and should not be viewed as the actual NAV, which is calculated once each day.
Conversions and Exchanges
Owners of conventional shares (i.e., not exchange-traded shares) issued by an ETF Fund may convert those shares to ETF Shares of equivalent value of the same Fund. Please note that investors who own conventional shares through a 401(k) plan or other employer-sponsored retirement or benefit plan generally may not convert those shares to ETF Shares and should check with their plan sponsor or recordkeeper. ETF Shares, whether acquired through a conversion or purchased on the secondary market, cannot be converted to conventional shares by a shareholder. Also, ETF Shares of one fund cannot be exchanged for ETF Shares of another fund.
B-55
Investors that are not Authorized Participants must hold ETF Shares in a brokerage account. Thus, before converting conventional shares to ETF Shares, an investor must have an existing, or open a new, brokerage account. This account may be with Vanguard Brokerage Services® (Vanguard Brokerage) or with any other brokerage firm. To initiate a conversion of conventional shares to ETF Shares, an investor must contact his or her broker.
Vanguard Brokerage does not impose a fee on conversions from Vanguard conventional shares to Vanguard ETF Shares. However, other brokerage firms may charge a fee to process a conversion. Vanguard reserves the right, in the future, to impose a transaction fee on conversions or to limit or terminate the conversion privilege.
Converting conventional shares to ETF Shares is generally accomplished as follows. First, after the broker notifies Vanguard of an investors request to convert, Vanguard will transfer conventional shares from the investors account with Vanguard to the brokers omnibus account with Vanguard (an account maintained by the broker on behalf of all its customers who hold conventional Vanguard fund shares through the broker). After the transfer, Vanguards records will reflect the broker, not the investor, as the owner of the shares. Next, the broker will instruct Vanguard to convert the appropriate number or dollar amount of conventional shares in its omnibus account to ETF Shares of equivalent value, based on the respective NAVs of the two share classes. The ETF Funds transfer agent will reflect ownership of all ETF Shares in the name of the DTC. The DTC will keep track of which ETF Shares belong to the broker, and the broker, in turn, will keep track of which ETF Shares belong to its customers.
Because the DTC is unable to handle fractional shares, only whole shares can be converted. For example, if the investor owned 300.250 conventional shares, and this was equivalent in value to 90.750 ETF Shares, the DTC account would receive 90 ETF Shares. Conventional shares with a value equal to 0.750 ETF Shares (in this example, that would be 2.481 conventional shares) would remain in the brokers omnibus account with Vanguard. The broker then could either (1) take certain internal actions necessary to credit the investors account with 0.750 ETF Shares or (2) redeem the 2.481 conventional shares for cash at NAV and deliver that cash to the investors account. If the broker chose to redeem the conventional shares, the investor would realize a gain or loss on the redemption that must be reported on his or her tax return (unless the shares are held in an IRA or other tax-deferred account). An investor should consult his or her broker for information on how the broker will handle the conversion process, including whether the broker will impose a fee to process a conversion.
The conversion process works differently for investors who opt to hold ETF Shares through an account at Vanguard Brokerage. Investors who convert their conventional shares to ETF Shares through Vanguard Brokerage will have all conventional shares for which they request conversion converted to the equivalent dollar value of ETF Shares. Because no fractional shares will have to be sold, the transaction will not be taxable.
Here are some important points to keep in mind when converting conventional shares of an ETF Fund to ETF Shares:
-
The conversion process can take anywhere from several days to several weeks, depending on the broker. Vanguard generally will process conversion requests either on the day they are received or on the next business day. Vanguard imposes conversion blackout windows around the dates when an ETF Fund declares dividends. This is necessary to prevent a shareholder from collecting a dividend from both the conventional share class currently held and also from the ETF share class to which the shares will be converted.
-
During the conversion process, an investor will remain fully invested in the Funds conventional shares, and the investment will increase or decrease in value in tandem with the NAV of those shares.
-
The conversion transaction is nontaxable except, if applicable, to the very limited extent previously described.
-
During the conversion process, an investor will be able to liquidate all or part of an investment by instructing Vanguard or the broker (depending on whether the shares are held in the investors account or the brokers omnibus account) to redeem the conventional shares. After the conversion process is complete, an investor will be able to liquidate all or part of an investment by instructing the broker to sell the ETF Shares.
Book Entry Only System
ETF Shares issued by the Funds are registered in the name of the DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., and are deposited with, or on behalf of, the DTC. The DTC is a limited-purpose trust company that was created to hold securities of its participants (DTC Participants) and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of transactions among them through electronic book-entry changes in their accounts, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations, and certain other organizations. The DTC is a subsidiary of the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation (DTCC), which is
B-56
owned by certain participants of the DTCCs subsidiaries, including the DTC. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers, and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (Indirect Participants).
Beneficial ownership of ETF Shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants, and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in ETF Shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to herein as Beneficial Owners) is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by the DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants). Beneficial Owners will receive from, or through, the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase of ETF Shares. The laws of some jurisdictions may require that certain purchasers of securities take physical delivery of such securities. Such laws may impair the ability of certain investors to acquire beneficial interests in ETF Shares.
Each ETF Fund recognizes the DTC or its nominee as the record owner of all ETF Shares for all purposes. Beneficial Owners of ETF Shares are not entitled to have ETF Shares registered in their names and will not receive or be entitled to physical delivery of share certificates. Each Beneficial Owner must rely on the procedures of the DTC and any DTC Participant and/or Indirect Participant through which such Beneficial Owner holds its interests to exercise any rights of a holder of ETF Shares.
Conveyance of all notices, statements, and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. The DTC will make available to each ETF Fund, upon request and for a fee, a listing of the ETF Shares of the Fund held by each DTC Participant. The ETF Fund shall obtain from each DTC Participant the number of Beneficial Owners holding ETF Shares, directly or indirectly, through the DTC Participant. The ETF Fund shall provide each DTC Participant with copies of such notice, statement, or other communication, in form, in number, and at such place as the DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that these communications may be transmitted by the DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to the Beneficial Owners. In addition, the ETF Fund shall pay to each DTC Participant a fair and reasonable amount as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.
Share distributions shall be made to the DTC or its nominee as the registered holder of all ETF Shares. The DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall immediately credit the DTC Participants accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in ETF Shares of the appropriate Fund as shown on the records of the DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners of ETF Shares held through such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a street name, and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants.
The ETF Funds have no responsibility or liability for any aspects of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners; for payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in such ETF Shares; for maintenance, supervision, or review of any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests; or for any other aspect of the relationship between the DTC and DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants.
The DTC may determine to discontinue providing its service with respect to ETF Shares at any time by giving reasonable notice to the ETF Funds and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the ETF Funds shall take action either to find a replacement for the DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost or, if such replacement is unavailable, to issue and deliver printed certificates representing ownership of ETF Shares, unless the ETF Funds make other arrangements with respect thereto satisfactory to the exchange.
Purchase and Issuance of ETF Shares in Creation Units
Except for conversions to ETF Shares from conventional shares, the ETF Funds issue and sell ETF Shares only in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load, at their NAV next determined after receipt of an order in proper form on any business day. The ETF Funds do not issue fractional Creation Units.
A business day is any day on which the NYSE is open for business. As of the date of this Statement of Additional Information, the NYSE observes the following U.S. holidays: New Years Day; Martin Luther King, Jr., Day; Presidents Day (Washingtons Birthday); Good Friday; Memorial Day (observed); Independence Day; Labor Day; Thanksgiving Day; and Christmas Day.
B-57
Fund Deposit. The consideration for purchase of a Creation Unit from an ETF Fund generally consists of the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities (Deposit Securities) and an amount of cash (Cash Component) consisting of a purchase balancing amount and a transaction fee (both described in the following paragraphs). Together, the Deposit Securities and the Cash Component constitute the fund deposit.
The purchase balancing amount is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of a Creation Unit and the market value of the Deposit Securities (Deposit Amount). It ensures that the NAV of a fund deposit (not including the transaction fee) is identical to the NAV of the Creation Unit it is used to purchase. If the purchase balancing amount is a positive number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit exceeds the market value of the Deposit Securities), then that amount will be paid by the purchaser to an ETF Fund in cash. If the purchase balancing amount is a negative number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit is less than the market value of the Deposit Securities), then that amount will be paid by an ETF Fund to the purchaser in cash (except as offset by the transaction fee).
Vanguard, through the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC), makes available after the close of each business day a list of the names and the number of shares of each Deposit Security to be included in the next business days fund deposit for each ETF Fund (subject to possible amendment or correction). Each ETF Fund reserves the right to accept a nonconforming fund deposit.
The identity and number of shares of the Deposit Securities required for a fund deposit may change from one day to another to reflect rebalancing adjustments and corporate actions or to respond to adjustments to the weighting or composition of the component securities of the relevant target index.
In addition, each ETF Fund reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of an amount of cashreferred to as cash in lieuto be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. This might occur, for example, if a Deposit Security is not available in sufficient quantity for delivery, is not eligible for transfer through the applicable clearance and settlement system, or is not eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant or the investor for which an Authorized Participant is acting. Trading costs incurred by the ETF Fund in connection with the purchase of Deposit Securities with cash-in-lieu amounts will be an expense of the ETF Fund. However, Vanguard may adjust the transaction fee to protect existing shareholders from this expense.
All questions as to the number of shares of each security in the Deposit Securities and the validity, form, eligibility, and acceptance for deposit of any securities to be delivered shall be determined by the appropriate ETF Fund, and the ETF Funds determination shall be final and binding.
Procedures for Purchasing Creation Units. An Authorized Participant may place an order to purchase Creation Units from an ETF Fund either (1) through the Continuous Net Settlement (CNS) clearing processes of the NSCC as such processes have been enhanced to effect purchases of Creation Units, such processes being referred to herein as the Clearing Process, or (2) outside the Clearing Process. To purchase through the Clearing Process, an Authorized Participant must be a member of the NSCC that is eligible to use the CNS system. Purchases of Creation Units cleared through the Clearing Process will be subject to a lower transaction fee than those cleared outside the Clearing Process.
To initiate a purchase order for a Creation Unit (either through the Clearing Process or outside the Clearing Process) an Authorized Participant must submit an order in proper form to the Distributor and such order must be received by the Distributor prior to the closing time of regular trading on the NYSE (Closing Time) (ordinarily 4 p.m., Eastern time) to receive that days NAV. The date on which an order to purchase (or redeem) Creation Units is placed is referred to as the transmittal date. Authorized Participants must transmit orders using a transmission method acceptable to the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement.
Purchase orders effected outside the Clearing Process are likely to require transmittal by the Authorized Participant earlier on the transmittal date than orders effected using the Clearing Process. Those persons placing orders outside the Clearing Process should ascertain the deadlines applicable to the DTC and the Federal Reserve Bank wire system by contacting the operations department of the broker or depository institution effectuating such transfer of Deposit Securities and Cash Component.
Neither the Trust, the ETF Funds, the Distributor, nor any affiliated party will be liable to an investor who is unable to submit a purchase order by Closing Time, even if the problem is the responsibility of one of those parties (e.g., the Distributors phone or email systems were not operating properly).
B-58
If you are not an Authorized Participant, you must place your purchase order in an acceptable form with an Authorized Participant. The Authorized Participant may request that you make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to the order (e.g., to provide for payments of cash when required).
Placement of Purchase Orders Using the Clearing Process. For purchase orders placed through the Clearing Process, the Participant Agreement authorizes the Distributor to transmit through the transfer agent or index receipt agent to the NSCC, on behalf of an Authorized Participant, such trade instructions as are necessary to effect the Authorized Participants purchase order. Pursuant to such trade instructions to the NSCC, the Authorized Participant agrees to deliver the requisite Deposit Securities and the Cash Component to the appropriate ETF Fund, together with such additional information as may be required by the Distributor.
An order to purchase Creation Units through the Clearing Process is deemed received on the transmittal date if (1) such order is received by the ETF Funds designated agent before Closing Time on such transmittal date and (2) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. Such order will be effected based on the NAV of the ETF Fund next determined on that day. An order to purchase Creation Units through the Clearing Process made in proper form but received after Closing Time on the transmittal date will be deemed received on the next business day immediately following the transmittal date and will be effected at the NAV next determined on that day. The Deposit Securities and the Cash Component will be transferred by the third NSCC business day following the date on which the purchase request is deemed received.
Placement of Purchase Orders Outside the Clearing Process. An Authorized Participant that wishes to place an order to purchase Creation Units outside the Clearing Process must state that it is not using the Clearing Process and that the purchase instead will be effected through a transfer of securities and cash directly through the DTC. An order to purchase Creation Units outside the Clearing Process is deemed received by the Funds designated agent on the transmittal date if (1) such order is received by the Distributor before Closing Time on such transmittal date and (2) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed.
If a fund deposit is incomplete on the third business day after the trade date (the trade date, known as T, is the date on which the trade actually takes place; three business days after the trade date is known as T+3) because of the failed delivery of one or more of the Deposit Securities, an ETF Fund shall be entitled to cancel the purchase order. Alternatively, the ETF Fund may issue Creation Units in reliance on the Authorized Participants undertaking to deliver the missing Deposit Securities at a later date. Such undertaking shall be secured by the delivery and maintenance of cash collateral in an amount determined by the ETF Fund in accordance with the terms of the Participant Agreement.
Rejection of Purchase Orders. Each ETF Fund reserves the absolute right to reject a purchase order. By way of example, and not limitation, an ETF Fund will reject a purchase order if:
-
The order is not in proper form.
-
The Deposit Securities delivered are not the same (in name or amount) as the published basket.
-
Acceptance of the Deposit Securities would have certain adverse tax consequences to the ETF Fund.
-
Acceptance of the fund deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful.
-
Acceptance of the fund deposit would otherwise, at the discretion of the ETF Fund or Vanguard, have an adverse effect on the Fund or any of its shareholders.
-
Circumstances outside the control of the ETF Fund, the Trust, the transfer agent, the custodian, the Distributor, and Vanguard make it for all practical purposes impossible to process the order. Examples include, but are not limited to, natural disasters, public service disruptions, or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions, and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy, and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the aforementioned parties as well as the DTC, the NSCC, or any other participant in the purchase process; and similar extraordinary events.
If the purchase order is rejected, the Distributor shall notify the Authorized Participant that submitted the order. The ETF Funds, the Trust, the transfer agent, the custodian, the Distributor, and Vanguard are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of a fund deposit, nor shall any of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification.
B-59
Transaction Fee on Purchases of Creation Units. Each ETF Fund may impose a transaction fee (payable to the Fund) to compensate the ETF Fund for costs associated with the issuance of Creation Units. The amount of the fee, which may be changed by Vanguard from time to time at its sole discretion, is made available daily to Authorized Participants, market makers, and other interested parties through Vanguards proprietary portal system. An additional charge may be imposed for purchases of Creation Units effected outside the Clearing Process. When an ETF Fund permits (or requires) a purchaser to substitute cash in lieu of depositing one or more Deposit Securities, the purchaser may be assessed an additional charge on the cash-in-lieu portion of the investment. The amount of this charge will be disclosed to investors before they place their orders. The amount will be determined by the ETF Fund at its sole discretion but will not be more than the ETF Funds good faith estimate of the costs it will incur investing the cash in lieu, which may include, if applicable, market-impact costs. The maximum transaction fee on purchases of Creation Units, including any additional charges as described, shall be 2% of the value of the Creation Units.
Redemption of ETF Shares in Creation Units
To be eligible to place a redemption order, you must be an Authorized Participant. Investors that are not Authorized Participants must make appropriate arrangements with an Authorized Participant in order to redeem a Creation Unit.
ETF Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of ETF Shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. Redemption requests received on a business day in good order will receive the NAV next determined after the request is made.
Unless cash redemptions are available or specified for an ETF Fund, an investor tendering a Creation Unit generally will receive redemption proceeds consisting of (1) a basket of Redemption Securities; plus (2) a redemption balancing amount in cash equal to the difference between (x) the NAV of the Creation Unit being redeemed, as next determined after receipt of a request in proper form, and (y) the value of the Redemption Securities; less (3) a transaction fee. If the Redemption Securities have a value greater than the NAV of a Creation Unit, the redeeming investor will pay the redemption balancing amount in cash to the ETF Fund rather than receive such amount from the Fund.
Vanguard, through the NSCC, makes available after the close of each business day a list of the names and the number of shares of each Redemption Security to be included in the next business days redemption basket for each ETF Fund (subject to possible amendment or correction). The basket of Redemption Securities provided to an investor redeeming a Creation Unit may not be identical to the basket of Deposit Securities required of an investor purchasing a Creation Unit. If an ETF Fund and a redeeming investor mutually agree, the Fund may provide the investor with a basket of Redemption Securities that differs from the composition of the redemption basket published through the NSCC.
Each ETF Fund reserves the right to deliver cash in lieu of any Redemption Security for the same reason it might accept cash in lieu of a Deposit Security, as previously discussed, or if the ETF Fund could not lawfully deliver the security or could not do so without first registering such security under federal or state law.
Neither the Trust, the ETF Funds, the Distributor, nor any affiliated party will be liable to an investor who is unable to submit a redemption order by Closing Time, even if the problem is the responsibility of one of those parties (e.g., the Distributors phone or email systems were not operating properly).
Transaction Fee on Redemptions of Creation Units. Each ETF Fund may impose a transaction fee (payable to the Fund) to compensate the ETF Fund for costs associated with the redemption of Creation Units. The amount of the fee, which may be changed by Vanguard from time to time at its sole discretion, is made available daily to Authorized Participants, market makers, and other interested parties through Vanguards proprietary portal system. An additional charge may be imposed for redemptions of Creation Units effected outside the Clearing Process. When an ETF Fund permits (or requires) a redeeming investor to receive cash in lieu of one or more Redemption Securities, the investor will be assessed an additional charge on the cash-in-lieu portion of the redemption. The amount of this charge will be disclosed to investors before they place their orders. The amount will vary as determined by the ETF Fund at its sole discretion but will not be more than the ETF Funds good faith estimate of the costs it will incur by selling portfolio securities to raise the necessary cash, which may include, if applicable, market-impact costs. The maximum transaction fee on redemptions of Creation Units, including any additional charges as described, shall be 2% of the value of the
B-60
Creation Units.
Placement of Redemption Orders Using the Clearing Process. An Authorized Participant may place an order to redeem Creation Units of an ETF Fund either (1) through the CNS clearing processes of the NSCC as such processes have been enhanced to effect redemptions of Creation Units, such processes being referred to herein as the Clearing Process, or (2) outside the Clearing Process. To redeem through the Clearing Process, an Authorized Participant must be a member of the NSCC that is eligible to use the CNS system. Redemptions of Creation Units cleared through the Clearing Process will be subject to a lower transaction fee than those cleared outside the Clearing Process.
An order to redeem Creation Units through the Clearing Process is deemed received on the transmittal date if (1) such order is received by the ETF Funds designated agent before Closing Time on such transmittal date and (2) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. Such order will be effected based on the NAV of an ETF Fund next determined on that day. An order to redeem Creation Units through the Clearing Process made in proper form but received by an ETF Fund after Closing Time on the transmittal date will be deemed received on the next business day immediately following the transmittal date and will be effected at the NAV next determined on that day. The Redemption Securities and the Cash Redemption Amount will be transferred by the third NSCC business day following the date on which the redemption request is deemed received.
Placement of Redemption Orders Outside the Clearing Process. An Authorized Participant that wishes to place an order to redeem a Creation Unit outside the Clearing Process must state that it is not using the Clearing Process and that the redemption instead will be effected through a transfer of ETF Shares directly through the DTC. An order to redeem a Creation Unit of an ETF Fund outside the Clearing Process is deemed received on the transmittal date if (1) such order is received by the ETF Funds designated agent before Closing Time on such transmittal date and (2) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed.
If a redemption order in proper form is submitted to the transfer agent by an Authorized Participant prior to Closing Time on the transmittal date, then the value of the Redemption Securities and the Cash Redemption Amount will be determined by the ETF Fund on such transmittal date.
After the transfer agent has deemed an order for redemption outside the Clearing Process received, the transfer agent will initiate procedures to transfer the Redemption Securities and the Cash Redemption Amount to the Authorized Participant on behalf of the redeeming Beneficial Owner by the third business day following the transmittal date on which such redemption order is deemed received by the transfer agent.
If on T+3 an Authorized Participant has failed to deliver all of the Vanguard ETF Shares it is seeking to redeem, the ETF Fund shall be entitled to cancel the redemption order. Alternatively, the ETF Fund may deliver to the Authorized Participant the full complement of Redemption Securities and cash in reliance on the Authorized Participants undertaking to deliver the missing ETF Shares at a later date. Such undertaking shall be secured by the Authorized Participants delivery and maintenance of cash collateral in accordance with collateral procedures that are part of the Participant Agreement. In all cases the ETF Fund shall be entitled to charge the Authorized Participant for any costs (including investment losses, attorneys fees, and interest) incurred by the ETF Fund as a result of the late delivery or failure to deliver.
Each ETF Fund reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to require or permit a redeeming investor to receive the redemption proceeds in cash. In such cases, the investor would receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its ETF Shares based on the NAV of those shares next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a transaction fee, including a charge for cash redemptions, as previously discussed).
If an Authorized Participant, or a redeeming investor acting through an Authorized Participant, is subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security included in the basket of Redemption Securities, such investor may be paid an equivalent amount of cash in lieu of the security. In addition, each ETF Fund reserves the right to redeem Creation Units partially for cash to the extent that the Fund could not lawfully deliver one or more Redemption Securities or could not do so without first registering such securities under federal or state law.
Suspension of Redemption Rights. The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to an ETF Fund (1) for any period during which the NYSE or listing exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings), (2) for any period during which trading on the NYSE or listing exchange is
B-61
suspended or restricted, (3) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the Funds portfolio securities or determination of its NAV is not reasonably practicable, or (4) in such other circumstances as the SEC permits.
Precautionary Notes
A precautionary note to retail investors: The DTC or its nominee will be the registered owner of all outstanding ETF Shares. Your ownership of ETF Shares will be shown on the records of the DTC and the DTC Participant broker through which you hold the shares. Vanguard will not have any record of your ownership. Your account information will be maintained by your broker, which will provide you with account statements, confirmations of your purchases and sales of ETF Shares, and tax information. Your broker also will be responsible for distributing income and capital gains distributions and for ensuring that you receive shareholder reports and other communications from the fund whose ETF Shares you own. You will receive other services (e.g., dividend reinvestment and average cost information) only if your broker offers these services.
A precautionary note to purchasers of Creation Units: You should be aware of certain legal risks unique to investors purchasing Creation Units directly from the issuing fund.
Because new ETF Shares may be issued on an ongoing basis, a distribution of ETF Shares could be occurring at any time. Certain activities that you perform as a dealer could, depending on the circumstances, result in your being deemed a participant in the distribution in a manner that could render you a statutory underwriter and subject you to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act of 1933 (the 1933 Act). For example, you could be deemed a statutory underwriter if you purchase Creation Units from the issuing fund, break them down into the constituent ETF Shares, and sell those shares directly to customers or if you choose to couple the creation of a supply of new ETF Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for ETF Shares. Whether a person is an underwriter depends upon all of the facts and circumstances pertaining to that persons activities, and the examples mentioned here should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could cause you to be deemed an underwriter.
Dealers who are not underwriters but are participating in a distribution (as opposed to engaging in ordinary secondary-market transactions), and thus dealing with ETF Shares as part of an unsold allotment within the meaning of Section 4(3)(C) of the 1933 Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(3) of the 1933 Act.
A precautionary note to shareholders redeeming Creation Units: An Authorized Participant that is not a qualified institutional buyer as defined in Rule 144A under the 1933 Act will not be able to receive, as part of the redemption basket, restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A.
A precautionary note to investment companies: Vanguard ETF Shares are issued by registered investment companies, and therefore the acquisition of such shares by other investment companies is subject to the restrictions of Section 12(d)(1) of the Investment Company Act of 1940. Vanguard has obtained an SEC exemptive order that allows registered investment companies to invest in the issuing funds beyond the limits of Section 12(d)(1), subject to certain terms and conditions, including the requirement to enter into a participation agreement with Vanguard.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Each Funds Financial Statements for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2017, appearing in the Funds 2017 Annual Reports to Shareholders, and the reports thereon of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, also appearing therein, are incorporated by reference into this Statement of Additional Information. For a more complete discussion of each Funds performance, please see the Funds Annual and Semiannual Reports to Shareholders, which may be obtained without charge.
Dividend Achievers is a trademark of The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. (collectively, with its affiliates, NASDAQ OMX) and has been licensed for use by The Vanguard Group, Inc. Vanguard mutual funds are not sponsored, endorsed, sold, or promoted by NASDAQ OMX and NASDAQ OMX makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in the funds. NASDAQ OMX MAKES NO WARRANTIES AND BEARS NO LIABILITY WITH RESPECT TO THE VANGUARD MUTUAL FUNDS.
SAI 051 052017
B-62
PART C
VANGUARD SPECIALIZED FUNDS
OTHER INFORMATION
| Item 28. Exhibits | |
| (a) | Articles of Incorporation, Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust, filed |
| with Post-Effective Amendment No. 79 on October 15, 2013, is hereby incorporated by | |
| reference. | |
| (b) | By-Laws, filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 72 dated September 30, 2010, are hereby |
| incorporated by reference. | |
| (c) | Instruments Defining Rights of Security Holders, reference is made to Articles III and V of the |
| Registrants Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust, refer to Exhibit (a) | |
| above. | |
| (d) | Investment Advisory Contracts, for M&G Investment Management Limited, with respect to |
| Vanguard Precious Metals and Mining Fund, filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 75 | |
| dated May 29, 2012; for Wellington Management Company LLP, with respect to Vanguard | |
| Energy Fund, filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 71 on July 30, 2010; with respect to | |
| Vanguard Health Care Fund, filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 84 dated May 28, | |
| 2015; and with respect to Vanguard Dividend Growth Fund, filed with Post-Effective | |
| Amendment No. 86 dated May 25, 2016; are hereby incorporated by reference. The Vanguard | |
| Group, Inc., provides investment advisory services to Vanguard REIT Index Fund, Vanguard | |
| Dividend Appreciation Index Fund, and Vanguard Energy Fund at cost pursuant to the Fifth | |
| Amended and Restated Funds Service Agreement, refer to Exhibit (h) below. | |
| (e) | Underwriting Contracts, not applicable. |
| (f) | Bonus or Profit Sharing Contracts, reference is made to the section entitled Management of |
| the Funds in Part B of this Registration Statement. | |
| (g) | Custodian Agreements, for JPMorgan Chase Bank and Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., are |
| filed herewith. | |
| (h) | Other Material Contracts, Fifth Amended and Restated Funds Service Agreement, filed with |
| Post-Effective Amendment No.75 dated May 29, 2012, and Form of Authorized Participant | |
| Agreement, filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 72 dated September 30, 2010, are | |
| hereby incorporated by reference. | |
| (i) | Legal Opinion, not applicable. |
| (j) | Other Opinions, Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, is filed herewith. |
| (k) | Omitted Financial Statements, not applicable. |
| (l) | Initial Capital Agreements, not applicable. |
| (m) | Rule 12b-1 Plan, not applicable. |
| (n) | Rule 18f-3 Plan, is filed herewith. |
| (o) | Reserved. |
| (p) | Codes of Ethics, for The Vanguard Group, Inc., filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 84 |
| dated May 28, 2015, is hereby incorporated by reference. For Wellington Management | |
| Company LLP and M&G Investment Management Limited, are filed herewith. | |
Item 29. Persons Controlled by or under Common Control with Registrant
Registrant is not controlled by or under common control with any person.
C-1
Item 30. Indemnification
The Registrants organizational documents contain provisions indemnifying Trustees and officers against liability incurred in their official capacities. Article VII, Section 2 of the Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust provides that the Registrant may indemnify and hold harmless each and every Trustee and officer from and against any and all claims, demands, costs, losses, expenses, and damages whatsoever arising out of or related to the performance of his or her duties as a Trustee or officer. Article VI of the By-Laws generally provides that the Registrant shall indemnify its Trustees and officers from any liability arising out of their past or present service in that capacity. Among other things, this provision excludes any liability arising by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or the reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the Trustees or officers office with the Registrant.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 (the Securities Act) may be permitted for directors, officers, or persons controlling the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, the Registrant has been informed that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.
Item 31. Business and Other Connections of Investment Advisers
Wellington Management Company LLP (Wellington Management) is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the Advisers Act). The list required by this Item 31 of officers and partners of Wellington Management, together with any information as to any business, profession, vocation, or employment of a substantial nature engaged in by such officers and partners during the past two years, is incorporated herein by reference from Form ADV filed by Wellington Management pursuant to the Advisers Act (SEC File No. 801-15908).
M&G Investment Management Limited (M&G) is an investment adviser registered under the Advisers Act. The list required by this Item 31 of officers and directors of M&G, together with any information as to any business, profession, vocation, or employment of a substantial nature engaged in by such officers and directors during the past two years, is incorporated herein by reference from Form ADV filed by M&G pursuant to the Advisers Act (SEC File No. 801-21981).
The Vanguard Group, Inc. (Vanguard), is an investment adviser registered under the Advisers Act. The list required by this Item 31 of officers and directors of Vanguard, together with any information as to any business, profession, vocation, or employment of a substantial nature engaged in by such officers and directors during the past two years, is incorporated herein by reference from Form ADV filed by Vanguard pursuant to the Advisers Act (SEC File No. 801-11953).
C-2
Item 32. Principal Underwriters
(a) Vanguard Marketing Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Vanguard Group, Inc., is the principal underwriter of each fund within the Vanguard group of investment companies, a family of more than 190 mutual funds.
(b) The principal business address of each named director and officer of Vanguard Marketing Corporation is 100 Vanguard Boulevard, Malvern, PA 19355.
| Name | Positions and Office with Underwriter | Positions and Office with Funds |
| F. William McNabb III | Director and Chairman | Chairman and Chief Executive Officer |
| Glenn W. Reed | Director | None |
| Mortimer J. Buckley | Director and Senior Vice President | None |
| Martha G. King | Director and Senior Vice President | None |
| Chris D. McIsaac | Director and Senior Vice President | None |
| Anne E. Robinson | Director and Senior Vice President | Secretary |
| Karin Risi | Director and Managing Director | None |
| Thomas Rampulla | Director and Senior Vice President | None |
| Michael Rollings | Treasurer | None |
| Natalie Bej | Chief Compliance Officer | Chief Compliance Officer |
| Matthew Benchener | Principal | None |
| Jack Brod | Principal | None |
| James M. Delaplane Jr. | Principal | None |
| Kathleen A. Graham-Kelly | Principal | None |
| Phillip Korenman | Principal | None |
| Mike Lucci | Principal | None |
| Alba E. Martinez | Principal | None |
| Brian McCarthy | Principal | None |
| Frank Satterthwaite | Principal | None |
| Christopher Sicilia | Principal | None |
| Tammy Virnig | Principal | None |
| Salvatore L. Pantalone | Financial and Operations Principal and Treasurer | None |
| Amy M. Laursen | Financial and Operations Principal | None |
| Timothy P. Holmes | Annuity and Insurance Officer | None |
| Jeff Seglem | Annuity and Insurance Officer | None |
| Michael L. Kimmel | Assistant Secretary | None |
| Marc P. Lindsay | Assistant Secretary | None |
| Caroline Cosby | Secretary | None |
(c) Not applicable.
C-3
Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records
The books, accounts, and other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules promulgated thereunder will be maintained at the offices of the Registrant, 100 Vanguard Boulevard, Malvern, PA 19355; the Registrants Transfer Agent, The Vanguard Group, Inc., 100 Vanguard Boulevard, Malvern, PA 19355; the Registrants Custodians, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., 50 Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02110-1548, and JPMorgan Chase Bank, 270 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017-2070; and the Registrants investment advisors at their respective locations identified in Part B of this Registration Statement.
Item 34. Management Services
Other than as set forth in the section entitled Management of the Funds in Part B of this Registration Statement, the Registrant is not a party to any management-related service contract.
Item 35. Undertakings
Not applicable.
C-4
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant hereby certifies that it meets all requirements for effectiveness of this Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the Town of Valley Forge and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, on the 24th day of May, 2017.
| VANGUARD SPECIALIZED FUNDS | |
| BY: | /s/ F. William McNabb III* |
| F. William McNabb III | |
| Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Post-Effective Amendment to the Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated:
| Signature | Title | Date |
| /s/ F. William McNabb III* | Chairman and Chief Executive | May 24, 2017 |
| F. William McNabb III | Officer | |
| /s/ Emerson U. Fullwood* | Trustee | May 24, 2017 |
| Emerson U. Fullwood | ||
| /s/ Rajiv L. Gupta* | Trustee | May 24, 2017 |
| Rajiv L. Gupta | ||
| /s/ Amy Gutmann* | Trustee | May 24, 2017 |
| Amy Gutmann | ||
| /s/ JoAnn Heffernan Heisen* | Trustee | May 24, 2017 |
| JoAnn Heffernan Heisen | ||
| /s/ F. Joseph Loughrey* | Trustee | May 24, 2017 |
| F. Joseph Loughrey | ||
| /s/ Mark Loughridge* | Trustee | May 24, 2017 |
| Mark Loughridge | ||
| /s/ Scott C. Malpass* | Trustee | May 24, 2017 |
| Scott C. Malpass | ||
| /s/ André F. Perold* | Trustee | May 24, 2017 |
| André F. Perold | ||
| /s/ Peter F. Volanakis* | Trustee | May 24, 2017 |
| Peter F. Volanakis | ||
| /s/ Thomas J. Higgins* | Chief Financial Officer | May 24, 2017 |
| Thomas J. Higgins | ||
*By: /s/ Anne E. Robinson
Anne E. Robinson, pursuant to a Power of Attorney filed on October 4, 2016, see File Number 33-32548, Incorporated by Reference.
C-5
| INDEX TO EXHIBITS | |
| Custodian Agreements, JPMorgan Chase Bank | Ex-99.G |
| Custodian Agreements, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. | Ex-99.G |
| Other Opinions, Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm | Ex-99.J |
| Rule 18f-3 Plan | Ex-99.N |
| Codes of Ethics, M&G Investment Management Limited | Ex-99.P |
| Codes of Ethics, Wellington Management Company LLP | Ex-99.P |
C-6
EXHIBIT 1 - AMENDMENT # 27
The following is an amendment (Amendment) to the Global Custody Agreement dated June 25, 2001, as amended from time to time (the Agreement), by and between JPMorgan Chase Bank (previously The Chase Manhattan Bank) (Bank) and each open-end management investment company listed on Exhibit 1 thereto (each a Trust, collectively Customer). This Amendment serves to update the names of the Trusts and certain of their portfolios (each a Fund) listed on Exhibit 1. Bank and Customer hereby agree that all of the terms and conditions as set forth in the Agreement are hereby incorporated by reference with respect to the following Trusts and Funds listed below.
Exhibit 1 is hereby amended as follows:
| Vanguard Admiral Funds |
| Vanguard S&P 500 Growth Index Fund |
| Vanguard S&P 500 Value Index Fund |
| Vanguard S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth Index Fund |
| Vanguard S&P Mid-Cap 400 Index Fund |
| Vanguard S&P Mid-Cap 400 Value Index Fund |
| Vanguard S&P Small-Cap 600 Growth Index Fund |
| Vanguard S&P Small-Cap 600 Index Fund |
| Vanguard S&P Small-Cap 600 Value Index Fund |
| Vanguard Bond Index Funds |
| Vanguard Inflation-Protected Securities Fund |
| Vanguard Intermediate-Term Bond Index Fund |
| Vanguard Long-Term Bond Index Fund |
| Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund |
| Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund |
| Vanguard Total Bond Market II Index Fund |
| Vanguard Chester Funds |
| Vanguard Target Retirement Income Fund |
| Vanguard Target Retirement 2010 Fund |
| Vanguard Target Retirement 2015 Fund |
| Vanguard Target Retirement 2020 Fund |
| Vanguard Target Retirement 2025 Fund |
| Vanguard Target Retirement 2030 Fund |
| Vanguard Target Retirement 2035 Fund |
| Vanguard Target Retirement 2040 Fund |
| Vanguard Target Retirement 2045 Fund |
| Vanguard Target Retirement 2050 Fund |
| Vanguard Target Retirement 2055 Fund |
| Vanguard Target Retirement 2060 Fund |
| Vanguard Institutional Target Retirement 2010 Fund |
| Vanguard Institutional Target Retirement 2015 Fund |
0354738, v0.3 1
| Vanguard Institutional Target Retirement 2020 Fund |
| Vanguard Institutional Target Retirement 2025 Fund |
| Vanguard Institutional Target Retirement 2030 Fund |
| Vanguard Institutional Target Retirement 2035 Fund |
| Vanguard Institutional Target Retirement 2040 Fund |
| Vanguard Institutional Target Retirement 2045 Fund |
| Vanguard Institutional Target Retirement 2050 Fund |
| Vanguard Institutional Target Retirement 2055 Fund |
| Vanguard Institutional Target Retirement 2060 Fund |
| Vanguard Institutional Target Retirement Income Fund |
| Vanguard CMT Funds |
| Vanguard Market Liquidity Fund |
| Vanguard Fixed Income Securities Funds |
| Vanguard GNMA Fund |
| Vanguard High-Yield Corporate Fund |
| Vanguard Long-Term Investment-Grade Fund |
| Vanguard Ultra-Short-Term Bond Fund |
| Vanguard Index Funds |
| Vanguard Growth Index Fund |
| Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth Index Fund |
| Vanguard Mid-Cap Value Index Fund |
| Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund |
| Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund |
| Vanguard Malvern Funds |
| Vanguard Short-Term Inflation- Protected Securities Index Fund |
| Vanguard Scottsdale Funds |
| Vanguard Short-Term Government Bond Index Fund |
| Vanguard Intermediate-Term Government Bond Index Fund |
| Vanguard Long-Term Government Bond Index Fund |
| Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond Index Fund |
| Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond Index Fund |
| Vanguard Long-Term Corporate Bond Index Fund |
| Vanguard Mortgage-Backed Securities Index Fund |
| Vanguard Specialized Funds |
| Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund |
| Vanguard Health Care Fund |
| Vanguard Precious Metals and Mining Fund |
| Vanguard STAR Funds |
| Vanguard LifeStrategy Conservative Growth Fund |
0354738, v0.3 2
| Vanguard LifeStrategy Growth Fund |
| Vanguard LifeStrategy Income Fund |
| Vanguard LifeStrategy Moderate Growth Fund |
| Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund |
| Vanguard Tax-Managed Funds |
| Vanguard Tax-Managed Balanced Fund |
| Vanguard Valley Forge Funds |
| Vanguard Balanced Index Fund |
| Vanguard Variable Insurance Funds |
| Total Bond Market Index Portfolio |
| Vanguard Wellesley Income Fund |
| Vanguard Wellington Fund |
| Vanguard Whitehall Funds |
| Vanguard International Explorer Fund |
| Vanguard World Fund |
| Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury Index Fund |
| Vanguard International Growth Fund |
(Rest of page left intentionally blank)
0354738, v0.3 3
Bank and each following Customer hereby agree that all of the terms and conditions as set forth in the Agreement except for Sections 2.1 and 2.2 are hereby incorporated by reference with respect to the Trusts and Funds listed below limited to their use of account number P 62749 in Vanguard Directly Managed Securities Lending transactions:
| Vanguard Chester Funds |
| Vanguard PRIMECAP Fund |
| Vanguard Explorer Fund |
| Vanguard Explorer Fund |
| Vanguard Fenway Funds |
| Vanguard Equity Income Fund |
| Vanguard PRIMECAP Core Fund |
| Vanguard Horizon Funds |
| Vanguard Capital Opportunity Fund |
| Vanguard Global Equity Fund |
| Vanguard Strategic Equity Fund |
| Vanguard Strategic Small-Cap Equity Fund |
| Vanguard Index Funds |
| Vanguard Extended Market Index Fund |
| Vanguard 500 Index Fund |
| Vanguard Large-Cap Index Fund |
| Vanguard Mid-Cap Index Fund |
| Vanguard Small Cap Growth Index Fund |
| Vanguard Small Cap Value Index Fund |
| Vanguard Value Index Fund |
| Vanguard Institutional Index Funds |
| Vanguard Institutional Index Fund |
| Vanguard Institutional Total Stock Market Index Fund |
| Vanguard Malvern Funds |
| Vanguard Capital Value Fund |
| Vanguard U.S. Value Fund |
| Vanguard Morgan Growth Fund |
| Vanguard Morgan Growth Fund |
| Vanguard Quantitative Funds |
| Vanguard Growth and Income Fund |
| Vanguard Structured Broad Market Fund |
| Vanguard Structured Large-Cap Equity Fund |
0354738, v0.3 4
| Vanguard Scottsdale Funds |
| Vanguard Explorer Value Fund |
| Vanguard Russell 1000 Index Fund |
| Vanguard Russell 1000 Value Index Fund |
| Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth Index Fund |
| Vanguard Russell 2000 Index Fund |
| Vanguard Russell 2000 Value Index Fund |
| Vanguard Russell 2000 Growth Index Fund |
| Vanguard Russell 3000 Index Fund |
| Vanguard Specialized Funds |
| Vanguard Dividend Growth Fund |
| Vanguard Energy Fund |
| Vanguard REIT Index Fund |
| Vanguard Trustees Equity Fund |
| Vanguard Emerging Markets Select Stock Fund |
| Vanguard International Value Fund |
| Vanguard Variable Insurance Funds |
| Vanguard Balanced Portfolio |
| Vanguard Capital Growth Portfolio |
| Vanguard Diversified Value Portfolio |
| Vanguard Equity Income Portfolio |
| Vanguard Equity Index Portfolio |
| Vanguard Growth Portfolio |
| Vanguard Mid-Cap Index Portfolio |
| Vanguard REIT Index Portfolio |
| Vanguard Small Company Growth Portfolio |
| Vanguard International Portfolio |
| Vanguard Whitehall Funds |
| Vanguard Global Minimum Volatility Fund |
| Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index Fund |
| Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth Fund |
| Vanguard Selected Value Fund |
| Vanguard Windsor Funds |
| Vanguard Windsor Fund |
| Vanguard Windsor II Fund |
0354738, v0.3 5
Vanguard World Fund
Vanguard Consumer Discretionary Index Fund
Vanguard Consumer Staples Index Fund
Vanguard Energy Index Fund
Vanguard FTSE Social Index Fund
Vanguard Financials Index Fund
Vanguard Health Care Index Fund
Vanguard Industrials Index Fund
Vanguard Information Technology Index Fund
Vanguard Materials Index Fund
Vanguard Mega Cap Index Fund
Vanguard Mega Cap Growth Index Fund
Vanguard Mega Cap Value Index Fund
Vanguard Telecommunications Services Index Fund
Vanguard U.S. Growth Fund
Vanguard Utilities Index Fund
(Rest of page left intentionally blank)
0354738, v0.3 6
| AGREED TO as of April __, 2015 BY: | |
| JPMorgan Chase Bank | Each Fund Listed on Exhibit 1 |
| By: ___________________ | By: ____________________ |
| Name: _________________ | Name: Jean E. Drabick |
| Title: __________________ | Title: Assistant Treasurer |
0354738, v0.3 7
AMENDED AND RESTATED CUSTODIAN AGREEMENT
THIS AMENDED AND RESTATED AGREEMENT, dated as of June 25, 2001, between certain open-end management investment companies (each investment company a Fund) organized under the laws of the State of Delaware and registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act"), on behalf of certain of their series (each series a Series), and BROWN BROTHERS HARRIMAN & CO., a limited partnership formed under the laws of the State of New York (BBH&Co. or the Custodian),
W I T N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS, each Fund has employed BBH&Co. to act as the Fund's custodian and to provide related services, all as provided herein; WHEREAS, the Securities and Exchange Commission has promulgated amendments to Rule 17f-5 and adopted Rule 17f-7 under the 1940 Act that establish rules regarding the custody of investment company assets held outside the United States; and WHEREAS, BBH&Co. is willing to provide services in connection with such Rules in accordance with the terms of this Amended Custodian Agreement; NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements herein contained, each Fund and BBH&Co. hereby agree, as follows:
1. Appointment of Custodian.
The Fund hereby appoints BBH&Co. as the Fund's custodian, and
BBH&Co. hereby accepts such appointment. All Investments of the Fund delivered to the Custodian or its
agents or Subcustodians shall be dealt with as provided in this Agreement. The duties of the Custodian with
respect to the Fund's Investments shall be set forth expressly in this Agreement and any addenda thereto
which duties are generally comprised of safekeeping and various administrative duties that will be
performed in accordance with Instructions and as reasonably required to effect Instructions.
38362-4 5/24/2017
2. Representations, Warranties and Covenants of the Fund. The Fund hereby represents, warrants
and covenants each of the following:
2.1 This Agreement has been, and at the time of delivery of each Instruction such Instruction will have been, duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Fund. This Agreement does not violate any Applicable Law or conflict with or constitute a default under the Fund's prospectus or other organic document, agreement, judgment, order or decree to which the Fund is a party or by which it or its Investments is bound. The Fund is and will be in compliance with all laws and regulations applicable to its operations, investments or activities.
2.2 By providing an Instruction with respect to the first acquisition of an Investment in a jurisdiction other than the United States of America, the Fund shall be deemed to have confirmed to the Custodian that the Fund has (a) assessed and accepted all material Country or Sovereign Risks and accepted responsibility for their occurrence, (b) made all determinations required to be made by the Fund under the 1940 Act, and (iii) appropriately and adequately disclosed to its shareholders, other investors and all persons who have rights in or to such Investments, all material investment risks, including those relating to the custody and settlement infrastructure or the servicing of securities in such jurisdiction.
2.3 The Fund shall safeguard and shall solely be responsible for the safekeeping of any testkeys, identification codes, passwords, other security devices or statements of account with which the Custodian provides it. In furtherance and not limitation of the foregoing, in the event the Fund utilizes any on-line service offered by the Custodian, the Fund and the Custodian shall be fully responsible for the security of each partys connecting terminal, access thereto and the proper and authorized use thereof and the initiation and application of continuing effective safeguards in respect thereof. Additionally, if the Fund uses any on-line or similar communications service made available by the Custodian, the Fund shall be solely responsible for ensuring the security of its access to the service and for the use of the service, and shall only attempt to access the service and the Custodians computer systems as directed by the Custodian. If the Custodian provides any computer software to the Fund relating to the services described in this Agreement, the Fund will only use the software for the purposes for which the Custodian provided the software to the Fund, and will abide by the license agreement accompanying the software and any other security policies which the Custodian provides to the Fund.
3. Representation and Warranty of BBH&Co. BBH&Co. hereby represents and warrants that this
Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by BBH&Co. and does not and will not
violate any Applicable Law or conflict with or constitute a default under BBH&Co.'s limited partnership
agreement or any agreement, instrument, judgment, order or decree to which BBH&Co. is a party or by
which it is bound. BBH&Co. also warrants that it will comply with all applicable laws and regulations in
performance of its duties under this Agreement.
| 4. |
Instructions. Unless otherwise explicitly indicated herein, the Custodian shall perform its duties |
38362-4 5/24/2017
2
pursuant to Instructions. As used herein, the term Instruction shall mean a directive initiated by the Fund,
acting directly or through its board of directors or trustees, officers or other Authorized Persons, which
directive shall conform to the requirements of this Section 4.
4.1 Authorized Persons. For purposes hereof, an Authorized Person shall be a person or entity
authorized to give Instructions for or on behalf of the Fund by written notices to the Custodian or otherwise
in accordance with procedures delivered to the Custodian. The Custodian may treat any Authorized Person
as having full authority of the Fund to issue Instructions hereunder unless the notice of authorization
contains explicit limitations as to said authority. The Custodian shall be entitled to rely upon the authority
of Authorized Persons until it receives appropriate written notice from the Fund to the contrary.
4.2 Form of Instruction. Each Instruction shall be transmitted by such secured or authenticated
electro-mechanical means as the Custodian shall make available to the Fund from time to time unless the
Fund shall elect to transmit such Instruction in accordance with Subsections 4.2.1 through 4.2.3 of this
Section.
| 4.2.1 Fund Designated Secured-Transmission Method. Instructions may be transmitted |
| through a secured or tested electro-mechanical means identified by the Fund or by an Authorized |
Person entitled to give Instruction and acknowledged and accepted by the Custodian; it being understood that such acknowledgment shall authorize the Custodian to receive and process such means of delivery but shall not represent a judgment by the Custodian as to the reasonableness or security of the method determined by the Authorized Person.
4.2.2 Written Instructions. Instructions may be transmitted in a writing that bears the manual signature of Authorized Persons.
4.2.3 Other Forms of Instruction. Instructions may also be transmitted by another means determined by the Fund or Authorized Persons and acknowledged and accepted by the Custodian (subject to the same limits as to acknowledgements as is contained in Subsection 4.2.1, above) including Instructions given orally or by SWIFT, telex or telefax (whether tested or untested).
When an Instruction is given by means established under Subsections 4.2.1 through 4.2.3, it shall be the
38362-4 5/24/2017
3
responsibility of the Custodian to use reasonable care to adhere to any security or other procedures
established in writing between the Custodian and the Authorized Person with respect to such means of
Instruction, but such Authorized Person shall be solely responsible for determining that the particular means
chosen is reasonable under the circumstances. If the Custodian believes that the means chosen are
unreasonable, it shall promptly notify an Authorized Person. Oral Instructions shall be binding upon the
Custodian only if and when an Authorized Person provides Instructions that conform to the requirements of
this Section 4. Any Oral Instructions shall promptly thereafter be confirmed in writing by an Authorized
Person (which confirmation may bear the facsimile signature of such Person). With respect to telefax
Instructions, the parties agree and acknowledge that receipt of legible Instructions cannot be assured and
that the Custodian cannot verify that authorized signatures on telefax Instructions are original or properly
affixed. If the Custodian determines that a telefax Instruction is illegible, the Custodian shall promptly
contact an Authorized Person and request a legible telefax Instruction. Provided the Custodian has
exercised the standard of care required herein with respect to receipt of Proper Instructions including but
not limited to any applicable security or authorization procedures, the Custodian shall not be liable for
losses or expenses incurred through actions taken in reliance on inaccurately stated or unauthorized telefax
Instructions. The provisions of Section 4A of the Uniform Commercial Code shall apply to Funds
Transfers performed in accordance with Instructions. In the event that a Funds Transfer Services
Agreement is executed between the Fund or an Authorized Person and the Custodian, such an agreement
shall comprise a designation of form of a means of delivering Instructions for purposes of this Section 4.2.
4.3 Completeness and Contents of Instructions. The Authorized Person shall be responsible for
assuring the adequacy and accuracy of Instructions. Particularly, upon any acquisition or disposition or
38362-4 5/24/2017
4
other dealing in the Fund's Investments and upon any delivery and transfer of any Investment or moneys, the
person initiating such Instruction shall give the Custodian an Instruction with appropriate detail, including,
without limitation:
| 4.3.1 |
The transaction date and the date and location of settlement; |
| 4.3.2 |
The specification of the type of transaction; |
| 4.3.4 |
A description of the Investments or moneys in question, including, as appropriate, |
quantity, price per unit, amount of money to be received or delivered and currency information. Where an Instruction is communicated by electronic means, or otherwise where an Instruction contains an identifying number such as a CUSIP, SEDOL or ISIN number, the Custodian shall be entitled to rely on such number as controlling notwithstanding any inconsistency contained in such Instruction, particularly with respect to Investment description. If the Custodian is aware of such an inconsistency in an Instruction, it shall give prompt notice of such inconsistency to an Authorized Person.
4.3.5 The name of the broker or similar entity concerned with execution of the transaction.
If the Custodian shall reasonably determine that an Instruction, including a telefax Instruction, is either
unclear or incomplete, the Custodian shall give prompt notice of such determination to the Fund, and the
Fund shall thereupon amend or otherwise reform such Instruction. In such event, the Custodian shall have
no obligation to take any action in response to the Instruction initially delivered until the redelivery of an
amended or reformed Instruction
4.4 Timeliness of Instructions. In giving an Instruction, the Fund shall take into consideration
delays which may occur due to the involvement of a Subcustodian or agent, differences in time zones, and
other factors particular to a given market, exchange or issuer. When the Custodian has established specific
timing requirements or deadlines with respect to particular classes of Instruction and the Custodian has
notified the Fund of such timing requirements and deadlines, or when an Instruction is received by the
Custodian at such a time that it could not reasonably be expected to have acted on such Instruction due to
time zone differences or other factors beyond its reasonable control, the execution of any Instruction
38362-4 5/24/2017
5
received by the Custodian after such deadline or at such time (including any modification or revocation of a
previous Instruction) shall be at the risk of the Fund.
5. Safekeeping of Fund Assets.
The Custodian shall hold Investments delivered to it or
Subcustodians for the Fund in accordance with the provisions of this Section. The Custodian will identify
the Investments on its books as belonging to each individual Series. The Custodian shall not be responsible
for (a) the safekeeping of Investments not delivered or that are not caused to be issued to it or its
Subcustodians; or, (b) pre-existing faults or defects in Investments that are delivered to the Custodian, or its
Subcustodians. The Custodian or Subcustodian shall give prompt notice to the Fund of any pre-existing
faults or defects that it is aware of. The Custodian is hereby authorized to hold with itself or a
Subcustodian, and to record in one or more accounts, all Investments delivered to and accepted by the
Custodian, any Subcustodian or their respective agents pursuant to an Instruction or in consequence of any
corporate action. Each such account is a “Securities Account” (as such term is defined in the Uniform
Commercial Code as in effect from time to time in the State of New York (the “UCC”)). The Custodian
shall hold Investments for the account of the Fund and shall segregate Investments from assets belonging to
the Custodian and shall cause its Subcustodians to segregate Investments from assets belonging to the
Subcustodian in an account held for the Fund or in an account maintained by the Subcustodian generally for
non-proprietary assets of the Custodian.
The parties acknowledge that the Custodian and Subcustodians each are acting under this
Agreement as a “Securities Intermediary” (as such term is used and defined in the UCC). For the purposes
of this Agreement, the parties hereto acknowledge and agree that (i) any Investment held by the Custodian
38362-4 5/24/2017
6
or any Subcustodian shall constitute a “Financial Asset” (as such term is used and defined in the UCC), (ii)
the Fund may at any time issue one or more “Entitlement Orders” (as such term is used and defined in the
UCC) with respect to the Fund’s Investments, (iii) upon the Custodian’s or Subcustodian’s receipt of an
Investment for the benefit of the Fund, the Custodian or Subcustodian, as the case may be, shall credit to the
Fund a “Security Entitlement” (as such term is used and defined in the UCC), and (iv) the Fund shall have a
Security Entitlement with respect to all Investments held by the Custodian or Subcustodian.
5.1 Use of Securities Depositories. The Custodian may deposit and maintain Investments in any
Securities Depository, either directly or through one or more Subcustodians appointed by the Custodian.
Investments held in a Securities Depository shall be held (a) subject to the agreement, rules, statement of
terms and conditions or other document or conditions effective between the Securities Depository and the
Custodian or the Subcustodian, as the case may be, and (b) in an account for the Fund or in bulk segregation
in an account maintained for the non-proprietary assets of the entity holding such Investments in the
Depository. If market practice or the rules and regulations of the Securities Depository prevent the
Custodian, the Subcustodian or (any agent of either) from holding its client assets in such a separate
account, the Custodian, the Subcustodian or other agent shall as appropriate segregate such Investments for
the benefit of the Fund or for benefit of clients of the Custodian generally on its own books.
5.2 Certificated Assets. Investments which are certificated may be held in registered or bearer
form: (a) in the Custodian's vault; (b) in the vault of a Subcustodian or agent of the Custodian or a
Subcustodian; or (c) in an account maintained by the Custodian, Subcustodian or agent at a Securities
Depository; all in accordance with customary market practice in the jurisdiction in which any Investments
are held.
38362-4 5/24/2017
7
5.3 Registered Assets. Investments which are registered may be registered in the name of the
Custodian, a Subcustodian, or in the name of the Fund or a nominee for any of the foregoing, and may be
held in any manner set forth in paragraph 5.2 above with or without any identification of fiduciary capacity
in such registration.
5.4 Book Entry Assets. Investments which are represented by book-entry may be so held in an
account maintained by the Book-Entry Agent on behalf of the Custodian, a Subcustodian or another agent
of the Custodian, or a Securities Depository.
5.5 Replacement of Lost Investments.
In the event of a loss of Investments for which the
Custodian is responsible under the terms of this Agreement, the Custodian shall promptly replace such
Investment, or in the event that such replacement cannot be effected, the Custodian shall pay to the Fund the
fair market value of such Investment based on the last available price as of the close of business in the
relevant market on the date that a claim was first made to the Custodian with respect to such loss.
6. Administrative Duties of the Custodian. The Custodian shall perform the following administrative
duties with respect to Investments of the Fund.
6.1 Purchase of Investments. Pursuant to Instruction, Investments purchased for the account of the Fund shall be paid for (a) against delivery thereof to the Custodian or a Subcustodian, as the case may be, either directly or through a Clearing Corporation or a Securities Depository (in accordance with the rules of such Securities Depository or such Clearing Corporation), or (b) otherwise in accordance with an Instruction, Applicable Law, generally accepted trade practices, or the terms of the instrument representing such Investment.
6.2 Sale of Investments. Pursuant to Instruction, Investments sold for the account of the Fund shall be delivered (a) against payment therefor in cash, by check or by bank wire transfer, (b) by credit to the account of the Custodian or the applicable Subcustodian, as the case may be, with a Clearing
38362-4 5/24/2017
8
Corporation or a Securities Depository (in accordance with the rules of such Securities Depository or such Clearing Corporation), or (c) otherwise in accordance with an Instruction, Applicable Law, generally accepted trade practices, or the terms of the instrument representing such Investment.
6.3 Delivery in Connection with Borrowings of the Fund or other Collateral and Margin Requirements. Pursuant to Instruction, the Custodian may deliver Investments or cash of the Fund in connection with borrowings and other collateral and margin requirements.
6.4 Futures and Options. If, pursuant to an Instruction, the Custodian shall become a party to an agreement with the Fund and a futures commission merchant regarding margin (Tri-Party Agreement), the Custodian shall (a) receive and retain, to the extent the same are provided to the Custodian, confirmations or other documents evidencing the purchase or sale by the Fund of exchange-traded futures contracts and commodity options, (b) when required by such Tri-Party Agreement, deposit and maintain in an account opened pursuant to such Agreement (Margin Account), segregated either physically or by book-entry in a Securities Depository for the benefit of any futures commission merchant, such Investments as the Fund shall have designated as initial, maintenance or variation "margin" deposits or other collateral intended to secure the Fund's performance of its obligations under the terms of any exchange-traded futures contracts and commodity options; and (c) thereafter pay, release or transfer Investments into or out of the Margin Account in accordance with the provisions of the such Agreement. Alternatively, the Custodian may deliver Investments, in accordance with an Instruction, to a futures commission merchant for purposes of margin requirements in accordance with Rule 17f-6. The Custodian shall in no event be responsible for but shall give prompt notice to the Fund in the event it becomes aware of the acts and omissions of any futures commission merchant to whom Investments are delivered pursuant to this Section; for the sufficiency of Investments held in any Margin Account; or, for the performance of any terms of any exchange-traded futures contracts and commodity options.
6.5 Contractual Obligations and Similar Investments. From time to time, the Fund's Investments may include Investments that are not ownership interests as may be represented by certificate (whether registered or bearer), by entry in a Securities Depository or by book entry agent, registrar or similar agent for recording ownership interests in the relevant Investment. If the Fund shall at any time acquire such Investments, including without limitation deposit obligations, loan participations, repurchase agreements
38362-4 5/24/2017
9
and derivative arrangements, the Custodian shall (a) receive and retain, to the extent the same are provided to the Custodian, confirmations or other documents evidencing the arrangement; and (b) perform on the Fund's account in accordance with the terms of the applicable arrangement, but only to the extent directed to do so by Instruction. The Custodian shall have no responsibility for agreements running to the Fund as to which it is not a party other than to retain, to the extent the same are provided to the Custodian, documents or copies of documents evidencing the arrangement and, in accordance with Instruction, to include such arrangements in reports made to the Fund.
6.6 Exchange of Securities. Unless otherwise directed by Instruction, the Custodian shall: (a) exchange securities held for the account of the Fund for other securities in connection with any reorganization, recapitalization, conversion, split-up, change of par value of shares or similar event, and (b) deposit any such securities in accordance with the terms of any reorganization or protective plan.
6.7 Surrender of Securities. Unless otherwise directed by Instruction, the Custodian may surrender securities: (a) in temporary form for definitive securities; (b) for transfer into the name of an entity allowable under Section 5.3; and (c) for a different number of certificates or instruments representing the same number of shares or the same principal amount of indebtedness.
6.8 Rights, Warrants, Etc. Pursuant to Instruction, the Custodian shall (a) deliver warrants, puts, calls, rights or similar securities to the issuer or trustee thereof, or to any agent of such issuer or trustee, for purposes of exercising such rights or selling such securities, and (b) deposit securities in response to any invitation for the tender thereof.
6.9 Mandatory Corporate Actions.
Unless otherwise directed by Instruction, the Custodian
shall: (a) comply with the terms of all mandatory or compulsory exchanges, calls, tenders, redemptions or similar rights of securities ownership affecting securities held on the Fund’s account and promptly notify the Fund of such action, and (b) collect all stock dividends, rights and other items of like nature with respect to such securities.
6.10 Income Collection.
Unless otherwise directed by Instruction, the Custodian shall collect
any amount due and payable to the Fund with respect to Investments and promptly credit the amount collected to a Principal or Agency Account; provided, however, that the Custodian shall not be responsible for: (a) the collection of amounts due and payable with respect to Investments that are in default, or (b) the
38362-4 5/24/2017
10
collection of cash or share entitlements with respect to Investments that are not registered in the name of the Custodian or its Subcustodians. The Custodian is hereby authorized to endorse and deliver any instrument required to be so endorsed and delivered to effect collection of any amount due and payable to the Fund with respect to Investments.
6.11 Ownership Certificates and Disclosure of the Fund's Interest. The Custodian is hereby authorized to execute on behalf of the Fund ownership certificates, affidavits or other disclosure required under Applicable Law or established market practice in connection with the receipt of income, capital gains or other payments by the Fund with respect to Investments, or in connection with the sale, purchase or ownership of Investments.
6.12 Proxy Materials.
The Custodian shall deliver, or cause to be delivered promptly, to the
Fund proxy forms, notices of meeting, and any other notices or announcements materially affecting or
relating to Investments received by the Custodian or any nominee.
6.13 Tax Reclaim Service.
The Custodian will apply for a reduction of withholding tax and
any refund of any tax paid or tax credits which apply in each applicable market in respect of income payments on Investments for the benefit of the Fund which the Custodian believes may be available to such Fund. Where such reports are available, the Custodian shall periodically report to the Fund concerning the making of applications for a reduction of withholding tax and refund of any tax paid or tax credits which apply in each applicable market in respect of income payments on Investments for the benefit of the Fund. The provision of tax reclaim services by the Custodian is conditional upon the Custodian receiving from the Fund or, where required, the beneficial owner of Investments (a) a declaration of its identity and place of residence and (b) certain other documentation (pro forma copies of which are available from the Custodian). The Custodian shall use reasonable means to advise the Fund of the declarations, documentation and information which the Fund is to provide to the Custodian in order for the Custodian to provide the tax reclaim services described herein. The Fund shall provide to the Custodian such documentation and information as it may require in connection with taxation, and warrants that, when given, this information shall be true and correct in every respect, not misleading in any way, and contain all material information. The Fund undertakes to notify the Custodian immediately if any such information requires updating or amendment. The Custodian shall perform tax reclaim services only with respect to
38362-4 5/24/2017
11
taxation by the revenue authorities of the countries notified to the Fund.
The Fund confirms that the Custodian is authorized to deduct from any cash received or credited to an account any taxes or levies required by any revenue or governmental authority for whatever reasons in respect of the accounts. The Custodian and the Fund shall promptly notify the other regarding any change in the Fund’s tax status with respect to withholding taxes of which it becomes aware. It is acknowledged that the Custodian does not offer tax advice and that the Fund should consult with its tax adviser as to tax matters.
6.14 Other Dealings. The Custodian shall otherwise act as directed by Instruction, including without limitation effecting the free payments of moneys or the free delivery of securities, provided that such Instruction shall indicate the purpose of such payment or delivery and that the Custodian shall record the party to whom such payment or delivery is made.
The Custodian shall attend to all nondiscretionary details in connection with the sale or purchase or
other administration of Investments, except as otherwise directed by an Instruction.
In fulfilling the duties set forth in Sections 6.6 through 6.10 above, the Custodian shall provide
promptly to the Fund all material information pertaining to a corporate action which the Custodian actually
receives. The Custodian shall not be responsible for the completeness or accuracy of such information as
long as the Custodian has shown due diligence in attempting to receive complete and accurate information.
Any advance credit of cash or shares expected to be received as a result of any corporate action shall be
subject to actual collection and may, when the Custodian deems collection unlikely, be reversed by the
Custodian. The Custodian shall notify the Fund at least 48 hours prior to any such reversal.
The Custodian may at any time or times in its discretion appoint (and may at any time remove)
agents (other than Subcustodians) to carry out some or all of the administrative provisions of this
Agreement (Agents), provided, however, that the appointment of such agent shall not relieve the Custodian
of its administrative obligations under this Agreement.
38362-4 5/24/2017
12
7. Cash Accounts, Deposits and Money Movements.
Subject to the terms and conditions set forth
in this Section 7, the Fund hereby authorizes the Custodian to open and maintain, with itself or with
Subcustodians, cash accounts in United States Dollars, in such other currencies as are the currencies of the
countries in which the Fund maintains Investments or in such other currencies as the Fund shall from time to
time request by Instruction.
7.1 Types of Cash Accounts. Cash accounts opened on the books of the Custodian (Principal
Accounts) shall be opened in the name of the Fund. Such accounts collectively shall be a deposit
obligation of the Custodian and shall be subject to the terms of this Section 7 and the general liability
provisions contained in Section 9. Cash accounts opened on the books of a Subcustodian may be opened in
the name of the Fund or the Custodian or in the name of the Custodian for its customers generally (Agency
Accounts). Such deposits shall be obligations of the Subcustodian and shall be treated as an Investment of
the Fund. Accordingly, the Custodian shall be responsible for exercising reasonable care in the
administration of such accounts but shall not be liable for their repayment in the event such Subcustodian,
by reason of its bankruptcy, insolvency or sovereign risk/force majeure, fails to make repayment unless (a)
such Subcustodian is a parent, subsidiary or otherwise affiliated with the Custodian or (b) the Custodian’s
negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct was the direct cause of the Subcustodian failing to make the
repayment or (c) a transaction or other matter between the Custodian and Subcustodian unrelated to the
Funds was the cause of the Subcustodian failing to make repayment. Under (a), (b) or (c) the Custodian
shall be liable for the repayment.
7.2 Payments and Credits with Respect to the Cash Accounts. The Custodian shall make
payments from or deposits to any of said accounts in the course of carrying out its administrative duties,
38362-4 5/24/2017
13
including but not limited to income collection with respect to the Fund's Investments, and otherwise in
accordance with Instructions. The Custodian and its Subcustodians shall be required to credit amounts to
the cash accounts only when moneys are actually received in cleared funds in accordance with banking
practice in the country and currency of deposit. Any credit made to any Principal or Agency Account
before actual receipt of cleared funds shall be provisional and may be reversed by the Custodian in the
event such payment is not actually collected. The Custodian shall provide the Fund with at least 48 hours
notice prior to any such reversal. Unless otherwise specifically agreed in writing by the Custodian or any
Subcustodian, all deposits shall be payable only at the branch of the Custodian or Subcustodian where the
deposit is made or carried.
7.3 Currency and Related Risks. The Fund bears risks of holding or transacting in any currency.
The Custodian shall not be liable for any loss or damage arising from the applicability of any law or
regulation now or hereafter in effect, or from the occurrence of any event, which may delay or affect the
transferability, convertibility or availability of any currency in the country (a) in which such Principal or
Agency Accounts are maintained or (b) in which such currency is issued, and in no event shall the
Custodian be obligated to make payment of a deposit denominated in a currency during the period during
which its transferability, convertibility or availability has been affected by any such law, regulation or event.
The Custodian shall notify the Fund in the event it is aware that the Fund is entering into a transaction that
is, to its knowledge, illegal under local law. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, neither the
Custodian nor any Subcustodian shall be required to repay any deposit made at a foreign branch of either
the Custodian or Subcustodian if such branch cannot repay the deposit due to a cause for which the
Custodian would not be responsible in accordance with the terms of Section 9 of this Agreement unless the
38362-4 5/24/2017
14
Custodian or such Subcustodian expressly agrees in writing to repay the deposit under such circumstances.
All currency transactions in any account opened pursuant to this Agreement are subject to exchange control
regulations of the United States and of the country where such currency is the lawful currency or where the
account is maintained. Any taxes, costs, charges or fees imposed on the convertibility of a currency held by
the Fund shall be for the account of the Fund unless such taxes, costs, charges or fees were due to an error
by the Custodian or Subcustodian.
7.4 Foreign Exchange Transactions. The Custodian shall, subject to the terms of this Section,
settle foreign exchange transactions (including contracts, futures, options and options on futures) on behalf
and for the account of the Fund with such currency brokers or banking institutions, including Subcustodians, as the Fund may direct pursuant to Instructions. The Custodian may act as principal in any foreign exchange transaction with the Fund in accordance with Section 7.4.2 of this Agreement. The
obligations of the Custodian in respect of all foreign exchange transactions (whether or not the Custodian
shall act as principal in such transaction) shall be contingent on the free, unencumbered transferability of the
currency transacted on the actual settlement date of the transaction.
7.4.1 Third Party Foreign Exchange Transactions. The Custodian shall process foreign exchange transactions (including without limitation contracts, futures, options, and options on futures), where any third party acts as principal counterparty to the Fund on the same basis it performs duties as agent for the Fund with respect to any other of the Fund's Investments. Accordingly the Custodian shall only be responsible for delivering or receiving currency on behalf of the Fund in respect of such contracts pursuant to Instructions. The Custodian shall not be responsible for the failure of any counterparty (including any Subcustodian) in such agency transaction to perform its obligations thereunder unless (a) such counterparty is a parent, subsidiary or otherwise affiliated with the Custodian or (b) the Custodian’s negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct was the direct cause of the counterparty failing to perform its obligations or (c) a transaction or other matter between the Custodian and the counterparty unrelated to the Funds was the cause of the counterparty’s failure to perform. Under (a), (b) or (c) , the Custodian shall be liable. The Custodian (a) shall transmit cash and Instructions to and from the currency broker or banking institution with which a foreign exchange contract or option has been executed pursuant hereto, (b) may make free outgoing payments of cash in the form of Dollars or foreign currency without receiving confirmation of a foreign
38362-4 5/24/2017
15
exchange contract or option or confirmation that the countervalue currency completing the foreign exchange contract has been delivered or received or that the option has been delivered or received, and (c) shall hold all confirmations, certificates and other documents and agreements received by the Custodian and evidencing or relating to such foreign exchange transactions in safekeeping. The Fund accepts full responsibility for its use of third-party foreign exchange dealers and for execution of said foreign exchange contracts and options and understands that the Fund shall be responsible for any and all costs and interest charges which may be incurred by the Fund or the Custodian as a result of the failure or delay of third parties to deliver foreign exchange. The Custodian or Subcustodian shall respectively be responsible for any failure or delay of third parties to deliver foreign exchange when either of those parties respectively is a parent, subsidiary or otherwise affiliated with such third party.
7.4.2 Foreign Exchange with the Custodian as Principal. The Custodian may undertake foreign exchange transactions with the Fund as principal as the Custodian and the Fund may agree from time to time. In such event, the foreign exchange transaction will be performed in accordance with the particular agreement of the parties, or in the event a principal foreign exchange transaction is initiated by Instruction in the absence of specific agreement, such transaction will be performed in accordance with the usual commercial terms of the Custodian.
7.5 Delays. If no event of Force Majeure shall have occurred and be continuing and in the event
that a delay shall have been caused by the negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct of the Custodian in
carrying out an Instruction to credit or transfer cash, the Custodian shall be liable to the Fund: (a) with
respect to Principal Accounts, for interest to be calculated at the rate customarily paid on such deposit and
currency by the Custodian on overnight deposits at the time the delay occurs for the period from the day
when the transfer should have been effected until the day it is in fact effected; and, (b) with respect to
Agency Accounts, for interest to be calculated at the rate customarily paid on such deposit and currency by
the Subcustodian on overnight deposits at the time the delay occurs for the period from the day when the
transfer should have been effected until the day it is in fact effected. The Custodian shall not be liable for
delays in carrying out such Instructions to transfer cash which are not due to the Custodian's own
negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct. The Custodian shall make reasonable attempts where possible
to mitigate any such delays.
38362-4 5/24/2017
16
7.6 Advances. If, for any reason in the conduct of its safekeeping duties pursuant to Section
5 hereof or its administration of the Fund's assets pursuant to Section 6 hereof, the Custodian or any
Subcustodian advances monies to facilitate settlement or otherwise for benefit of the Fund (whether or not
any Principal or Agency Account shall be overdrawn either during, or at the end of, any Business Day),
Fund hereby does:
7.6.1 grant to the Custodian a continuing security interest in certain Investments (as mutually agreed from time to time) as security for such Advance, such security interest to be effective only as long as such Advance remain outstanding; and,
7.6.2 agree that the Custodian may secure the resulting Advance by perfecting a security interest in such Investments under Applicable Law.
The Custodian shall promptly notify the Fund of any such Advances and the time at which such Advances must be repaid. Such Advances shall be deemed a loan payable on demand, bearing interest at the rate customarily charged by the Custodian on similar loans.
Neither the Custodian nor any Subcustodian shall be obligated to advance monies to the Fund, and in the event that such Advance occurs, any transaction giving rise to an Advance shall be for the account and risk of the Fund and shall not be deemed to be a transaction undertaken by the Custodian for its own account and risk. If such Advance shall have been made by a Subcustodian or any other person, the Custodian may assign any rights granted to the Custodian hereunder to such Subcustodian or other person. If the Fund shall fail to repay when due the principal balance of an Advance and accrued and unpaid interest thereon, the Custodian or its assignee, as the case may be, shall be entitled to utilize the available cash balance in the applicable Series Agency or Principal Account and to dispose of any agreed upon Investments to the extent necessary to recover payment of all principal of, and interest on, such Advance in full. The Custodian may assign any rights it has hereunder to a Subcustodian or third party. Any security interest in Investments taken hereunder shall be treated as Financial Assets credited to Securities Accounts under Articles 8 and 9 of the UCC. Accordingly, the Custodian shall have the rights and benefits of a secured creditor that is a Securities Intermediary under such Articles 8 and 9.
38362-4 5/24/2017
17
7.7 Integrated Account. For purposes hereof, deposits maintained in all Principal Accounts for
each Series of each Fund (whether or not denominated in Dollars) shall collectively constitute a single and
indivisible current account with respect to that Series' obligations to the Custodian, or its assignee, and
balances in such Principal Accounts shall be available for satisfaction of that Series' obligations under this
Section 7. The Custodian shall further have a right of offset against the balances in any Agency Account
maintained hereunder to the extent that the aggregate of all Principal Accounts is overdrawn.
8. Subcustodians and Securities Depositories. Subject to the provisions hereinafter set forth in
this Section 8, the Fund hereby authorizes the Custodian to utilize Securities Depositories to act on behalf
of the Fund and to appoint from time to time and to utilize Subcustodians. With respect to securities and
funds held by a Subcustodian, either directly or indirectly (including by a Securities Depository or Clearing
Corporation), notwithstanding any provisions of this Agreement to the contrary, payment for securities
purchased and delivery of securities sold may be made prior to receipt of securities or payment,
respectively, and securities or payment may be received in a form, in accordance with (a) governmental
regulations, (b) rules of Securities Depositories and clearing agencies, (c) generally accepted trade practice
in the applicable local market, (d) the terms and characteristics of the particular Investment, or (e) the terms
of Instructions.
8.1 Domestic Subcustodians and Securities Depositories. The Custodian may deposit and/or
maintain, either directly or through one or more agents appointed by the Custodian, Investments of the Fund
in any Securities Depository in the United States, including The Depository Trust Company, provided such
Depository meets applicable requirements of the Federal Reserve Bank or of the Securities and Exchange
38362-4 5/24/2017
18
Commission. The Custodian may, at any time and from time to time, appoint any bank as defined in Section
2(a)(5) of the 1940 Act meeting the requirements of a custodian under Section 17(f) of the 1940 Act and the
rules and regulations thereunder, to act on behalf of the Fund as a Subcustodian for purposes of holding
Investments of the Fund in the United States.
8.2 Foreign Subcustodians and Securities Depositories. Unless instructed otherwise by the
Fund, the Custodian may deposit and/or maintain non-U.S. Investments of the Fund in any non-U.S.
Securities Depository provided such Securities Depository meets the requirements of an "eligible securities
depository" under Rule 17f-7 promulgated under the 1940 Act, or any successor rule or regulation ("Rule
17f-7") or which by order of the Securities and Exchange Commission is exempted therefrom. Prior to the
time that securities are placed with such depository, but subject to the provisions of Section 8.2.5 below, the
Custodian shall have prepared an analysis of the custody risks associated with maintaining assets with the
Securities Depository and shall have established a system to monitor such risks on a continuing basis in
accordance with Subsection 8.2.3 of this Section. Additionally, the Custodian may, at any time and from
time to time, appoint (a) any bank, trust company or other entity meeting the requirements of an "eligible
foreign custodian" under Rule 17f-5 under the 1940 Act or which by order of the Securities and Exchange
Commission is exempted therefrom, or (b) any bank as defined in Section 2(a)(5) of the 1940 Act meeting
the requirements of a custodian under Section 17(f) of the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations
thereunder, to act on behalf of the Fund as a Subcustodian for purposes of holding Investments of the Fund
outside the United States. Such appointment of foreign Subcustodians shall be subject to approval of the
Fund in accordance with Subsections 8.2.1 and 8.2.2 hereof, and the use of non-U.S. Securities
Depositories shall be subject to the terms of Subsections 8.2.3, 8.2.4 and 8.2.5 hereof. An Instruction to
38362-4 5/24/2017
19
open an account in a given country shall comprise authorization of the Custodian to hold assets in such
country in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. The Custodian shall not be required to make
independent inquiry as to the authorization of the Fund to invest in such country.
8.2.1 Board Approval of Foreign Subcustodians. Unless and except to the extent that the Board has delegated to, and the Custodian has accepted delegation of, review of certain matters concerning the appointment of Subcustodians pursuant to Subsection 8.2.2, the Custodian shall, prior to the appointment of any Subcustodian for purposes of holding Investments of the Fund outside the United States, obtain written confirmation of the approval of the Board of Trustees or Directors of the Fund with respect to (a) the identity of a Subcustodian, and (b) the Subcustodian agreement which shall govern such appointment, such confirmation to be signed by an Authorized Person. Each such duly approved Subcustodian shall be listed on the Global Custody Network listing attached hereto as the same may from time to time be amended.
8.2.2 Delegation of Board Review of Subcustodians. From time to time, the Custodian may agree to perform certain reviews of Subcustodians and of Subcustodian Contracts as delegate of the Fund's Board. In such event, the Custodian's duties and obligations with respect to this delegated review will be performed in accordance with the terms of the attached 17f-5 Delegation Schedule to this Agreement.
8.2.3 Monitoring and Risk Assessment of Securities Depositories. Prior to the placement of any assets of the Fund with a Securities Depository, the Custodian: (a) shall provide to the Fund or its authorized representative an assessment of the custody risks associated with maintaining assets with such Securities Depository; and (b) shall have established a system to monitor the custody risks associated with maintaining assets with such Securities Depository on a continuing basis and to promptly notify the Fund or its Investment Adviser of any material changes in such risk. In performing its duties under this subsection, the Custodian shall use reasonable care, prudence and diligence and may rely on such reasonable sources of information as may be available including but not limited to: (i) published ratings; (ii) information supplied by a Subcustodian that is a participant in such Securities Depository; (iii) industry surveys or publications; (iv) information supplied by the depository itself, by its auditors (internal or external) or by the relevant Foreign Financial Regulatory Authority. It is acknowledged that information procured through some or all of these sources may not be independently verifiable by the Custodian and that direct access to Securities Depositories is limited in most circumstances. Accordingly, the Custodian shall not be responsible for errors or omissions in its duties hereunder provided that it has performed its monitoring and assessment duties with reasonable care. The risk assessment shall be provided to the Fund or its Investment Adviser by such means as the Custodian shall reasonably establish. Advice of material change in such assessment may be provided by the Custodian in the manner established as customary between the Fund and the Custodian for transmission of material market information.
8.2.4 Withdrawal of Assets from Eligible Securities Depository. If the Fund or its authorized representative determines that a custody arrangement with an Eligible Securities Depository no longer meets the requirements of Rule 17f-7(a), the Fund or its Investment Adviser shall Instruct the Custodian to remove the Fund's Assets from the Depository as soon as reasonably practicable.
8.2.5 Special Transitional Rule. It is acknowledged that Rule 17f-7 has an effective
38362-4 5/24/2017
20
date of July 1, 2001 and that the Custodian will require a period of time to fully prepare risk assessment information and to establish a risk monitoring system as provided in Subsection 8.2.3. Accordingly, until July 1, 2001, the Custodian shall use reasonable efforts to implement the measures required by Subsection 8.2.3, and shall in the interim provide to the Fund or its Investment Adviser the depository information customarily provided and shall promptly inform the Fund or its Investment Adviser of any material development affecting the custody risks associated with the maintenance of assets with a particular Securities Depository of which it becomes aware in the course of its general duties under this Agreement or from its duties under Subsection 8.2.3 as such duties have been implemented at any given time.
8.3 Responsibility for Subcustodians.
Except as provided in the last sentence of this
Section 8.3, the Custodian shall be liable to the Fund for any loss or damage to the Fund caused by or
resulting from the acts or omissions of any Subcustodian to the extent that such acts or omissions would be
deemed to be negligence, gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith in accordance with the terms of
the relevant subcustodian agreement under the laws, circumstances and practices prevailing in the place
where the act or omission occurred.
The liability of the Custodian in respect of the countries and
subcustodians listed on the attached Subcustodian Liability Appendix to this Agreement, as such Appendix
may be amended from time to time, shall be subject to the additional condition that the Custodian actually
recovers such loss or damage from the Subcustodian.
8.4 New Countries. The Fund shall be responsible for informing the Custodian sufficiently in
advance of a proposed investment which is to be held in a country in which no Subcustodian is authorized
to act in order that the Custodian shall, if it deems appropriate to do so, have sufficient time to establish a
subcustodial arrangement in accordance herewith. In the event, however, the Custodian is unable to
establish such arrangements prior to the time such Investment is to be acquired, the Custodian is authorized
to designate at its discretion a local safekeeping agent, and the use of such local safekeeping agent shall be
at the sole risk of the Fund, and accordingly the Custodian shall be responsible to the Fund for the actions of
such agent if and only to the extent the Custodian shall have recovered from such agent for any damages
38362-4 5/24/2017
21
caused the Fund by such agent. Notwithstanding the above, the Custodian shall be liable to the extent that
(a) such local safekeeping agent is a parent, subsidiary or otherwise affiliated with the Custodian or (b) the
Custodian’s negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct is the direct cause of the local safekeeping agent
failing to make the repayment or (c) a transaction or other matter between the Custodian and the local
safekeeping agent unrelated to the Funds was the cause of the loss or damage. Under (a), (b) or (c) the
Custodian shall be liable.
9. Responsibility of the Custodian.
In performing its duties and obligations hereunder, the
Custodian shall use reasonable care under the facts and circumstances prevailing in the market where
performance is effected. Subject to the specific provisions of this Section, the Custodian shall be liable for
any direct damage incurred by the Fund in consequence of the Custodian's negligence, bad faith or willful
misconduct. The Custodian hereby indemnifies the Fund and agrees to hold the Fund harmless from and
against all claims and liabilities, including counsel fees and taxes, incurred or assessed against the Fund to
the extent that such claim or liability arises from the negligence, gross negligence, bad faith or willful
misconduct on the part of the Custodian itself. If a Fund gives written notice of claim to the Custodian, the
Custodian shall promptly give a written response to the Fund. Not more than 30 days following the date of
such response, unless the Custodian shall not be liable, the Custodian will pay the amount of such claim or
reimburse the Fund for any payment made by the Fund in respect thereof. In no event shall the Custodian
be liable hereunder for any special, indirect, punitive or consequential damages arising out of, pursuant to
or in connection with this Agreement even if the Custodian has been advised of the possibility of such
damages. It is agreed that the Custodian shall have no duty to assess the risks inherent in the Fund's
Investments or to provide investment advice with respect to such Investments and that the Fund as principal
38362-4 5/24/2017
22
shall bear any risks attendant to particular Investments such as failure of counterparty or issuer. The
Custodian shall provide the Fund with its Market Practice Reports in respect of any foreign market where a
Series shall place and maintain Investments. In addition, the Custodian shall provide the Fund with access
to its Global Updates which address topical “market" events.
9.1 Force Majeure The Custodian shall not be responsible for any failure to perform its duties and correspondingly, shall not be liable for any loss, cost, damage or expense attributable to its failure to perform in consequence of a force majeure event. Force Majeure shall mean any circumstance or event which is beyond the reasonable control of the Custodian, a Subcustodian or any agent of the Custodian or a Subcustodian and which adversely affects the performance by the above parties, including any event caused by, arising out of or involving (a) an act of God, (b) accident, fire, water damage or explosion, (c) any third party computer, system or other equipment failure or malfunction caused by any computer virus or the malfunction or failure of any communications medium, (d) any third party interruption of the power supply or other utility service, (e) any strike or other work stoppage, whether partial or total, (f) any delay or disruption resulting from or reflecting the occurrence of any Sovereign Risk, (g) any disruption of, or suspension of trading in, the securities, commodities or foreign exchange markets, whether or not resulting from or reflecting the occurrence of any Sovereign Risk, (h) any encumbrance on the transferability of a currency or a currency position on the actual settlement date of a foreign exchange transaction, whether or not resulting from or reflecting the occurrence of any Sovereign Risk, or (i) any other cause similarly beyond the reasonable control of the Custodian, provided always that this shall not affect the Custodian’s duty to indemnify the Fund for other losses, claims and liabilities for which the Custodian is bound to indemnify the Fund pursuant to Section 9. The Custodian and the Subcustodian shall take reasonable steps to mitigate additional damages. The Custodian shall notify the Fund when it becomes aware of a situation outlined above. The Fund shall not be responsible for temporary delays in the performance of its duties and obligations and correspondingly shall not be liable for any loss, cost, damage or expense attributable to such delay in consequence of a Force Majeure event as described above affecting the Fund’s principal place of business operations or administration; provided always that this shall not affect the Fund’s duty to indemnify the Custodian for losses, claims and liabilities for which the Fund is bound to indemnify the Custodian pursuant to Section 10.
9.2 Limitations of Performance. The Custodian shall not be responsible under this Agreement
for any failure to perform its duties, and shall not be liable hereunder for any loss or damage in association
with such failure to perform, for or in consequence of the following causes:
9.2.1 Country Risk. Country Risk shall mean, with respect to the acquisition, ownership, settlement or custody of Investments in a jurisdiction, all risks relating to, or arising in consequence of, systemic and markets factors affecting the acquisition, payment for or ownership of Investments including (a) the prevalence of crime and corruption, (b) the inaccuracy or unreliability of business and financial information, (c) the instability or volatility of banking and financial systems, or the absence or inadequacy of an infrastructure to support such systems, (d)
38362-4 5/24/2017
23
custody and settlement infrastructure of the market in which such Investments are transacted and held, (e) the acts, omissions and operation of any Securities Depository, (f) the risk of the bankruptcy or insolvency of banking agents, counterparties to cash and securities transactions, registrars or transfer agents, and (g) the existence of market conditions which prevent the orderly execution or settlement of transactions or which affect the value of assets. The Custodian shall provide the Fund with its Market Practice Reports in respect of any foreign market where a Series shall place and maintain Investments. Such Market Practice Report may describe some of the Country Risks outlined above. In addition, the Custodian shall provide the Fund with access to its Global Updates which may describe some timely Country Risks outlined above.
9.2.2 Sovereign Risk. Sovereign Risk shall mean, in respect of any jurisdiction, including the United States of America, where Investments are acquired or held hereunder or under a Subcustody Agreement, (a) any act of war, terrorism, riot, insurrection or civil commotion, (b) the imposition of any investment, repatriation or exchange control restrictions by any Governmental Authority, (c) the confiscation, expropriation or nationalization of any Investments by any Governmental Authority, whether de facto or de jure, (d) any devaluation or revaluation of the currency, (e) the imposition of taxes, levies or other charges affecting Investments, (f) any change in the Applicable Law, or (g) any other economic or political risk incurred or experienced. The Custodian shall provide the Fund with its Market Practice Reports in respect of any foreign market where a Series shall place and maintain Investments. Such Market Practice Report may describe some of the Sovereign Risks outlined above. In addition, the Custodian shall provide the Fund with access to its Global Updates which may describe some timely Sovereign Risks outlined above.
9.3. Limitations on Liability. The Custodian shall not be liable for any loss, claim, damage or
other liability arising from the following causes:
9.3.1 Failure of Third Parties. The failure of any third party including: (a) any issuer of Investments or book-entry or other agent of an issuer; (b) any counterparty with respect to any Investment, including any issuer of exchange-traded or other futures, option, derivative or commodities contract; (c) failure of an Investment Advisor, Foreign Custody Manager or other agent of the Fund; or (d) failure of other third parties similarly beyond the control or choice of the Custodian unless: (a) any such third party is a parent, subsidiary or otherwise affiliated with the Custodian or (b) the Custodians negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct was the direct cause of the failure of the third party or (c) a transaction or other matter between the Custodian and the third party unrelated to the Funds was the cause of the failure of the third party. Under (a), (b) or (c) the Custodian shall be liable for the failure of such third party.
9.3.2 Information Sources. The Custodian may rely upon information received from issuers of Investments or agents of such issuers, information received from Subcustodians and from other commercially reasonable sources such as commercial data bases and the like, but shall not be responsible for specific inaccuracies in such information, provided that the Custodian has relied upon such information in good faith, or for the failure of any commercially reasonable information provider.
9.3.3 Reliance on Instruction. Action by the Custodian or the Subcustodian in accordance with an Instruction, even when such action conflicts with, or is contrary to any provision of, the Fund's declaration of trust, certificate of incorporation or by-laws, Applicable Law, or actions by the trustees, directors or shareholders of the Fund. If the Custodian or Subcustodian is aware of any of the above, it shall promptly contact an officer of the Fund.
9.3.4 Restricted Securities. The limitations inherent in the rights, transferability or
38362-4 5/24/2017
24
similar investment characteristics of a given Investment of the Fund.
10. Indemnification. The Fund hereby indemnifies the Custodian and each Subcustodian, and their
respective agents, nominees and the partners, employees, officers and directors, and agrees to hold each of
them harmless from and against all claims and liabilities, including counsel fees and taxes, incurred or
assessed against any of them in connection with the performance of this Agreement and any Instruction
except to the extent that such claim or liability is the result of the negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct
of the Custodian or Subcustodian. If a Subcustodian or any other person indemnified under the preceding
sentence, gives written notice of claim to the Custodian, the Custodian shall promptly give written notice to
the Fund. Not more than thirty days following the date of such notice, unless the Custodian shall be liable
under Section 8 hereof in respect of such claim, the Fund will pay the amount of such claim or reimburse
the Custodian for any payment made by the Custodian in respect thereof.
11. Reports and Records. The Custodian shall:
11.1 create and maintain records relating to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement;
11.2 make available to the Fund, its auditors, agents and employees, upon reasonable request and during normal business hours of the Custodian, all records maintained by the Custodian pursuant to Section 11.1 above, subject, however, to all reasonable security requirements of the Custodian then applicable to the records of its custody customers generally; and
11.3 make available to the Fund all Electronic Reports; it being understood that the Custodian shall not be liable hereunder for the inaccuracy or incompleteness thereof or for errors in any information included therein except to the extent that such inaccuracy, incompleteness or errors are the result of the Custodian’s negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.
All such reports and records shall, to the extent applicable, be maintained and preserved in
conformity with the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder. The Fund shall examine all records,
38362-4 5/24/2017
25
howsoever produced or transmitted, promptly upon receipt thereof and notify the Custodian promptly of any
discrepancy or error therein. Unless the Fund delivers written notice of any such discrepancy or error
within a reasonable time after its receipt thereof, such records shall be deemed to be true and accurate. It is
understood that the Custodian now obtains and will in the future obtain information on the value of assets
from outside sources which may be utilized in certain reports made available to the Fund. The Custodian
deems such sources to be reliable but it is acknowledged and agreed that the Custodian does not verify nor
represent nor warrant as to the accuracy or completeness of such information and accordingly shall be
without liability in selecting and using such sources and furnishing such information as long as the
Custodian has shown due diligence in attempting to receive complete and accurate information.
| 12. |
Miscellaneous. |
|
12.1 Proxies, etc. The Fund will promptly execute and deliver, upon request, such | |
| proxies, |
powers of attorney or other instruments as may be necessary or desirable for the Custodian to |
provide, or to cause any Subcustodian to provide, custody services.
12.2 Entire Agreement.
Except as specifically provided herein, this Agreement
constitutes the entire agreement between the Fund and the Custodian with respect to the subject matter
hereof. Accordingly, this Agreement supersedes any custody agreement or other oral or written agreements
heretofore in effect between the Fund and the Custodian with respect to the custody of the Fund's
Investments.
12.3 Waiver and Amendment. No provision of this Agreement may be waived,
amended or modified, and no addendum to this Agreement shall be or become effective, or be waived,
38362-4 5/24/2017
26
amended or modified, except by an instrument in writing executed by the party against which enforcement
of such waiver, amendment or modification is sought; provided, however, that an Instruction shall, whether
or not such Instruction shall constitute a waiver, amendment or modification for purposes hereof, be
deemed to have been accepted by the Custodian when it commences actions pursuant thereto or in
accordance therewith.
12.4 GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE
CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, AND BE GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF, THE STATE OF
NEW YORK, WITHOUT GIVING EFFECT TO THE CONFLICTS OF LAW OF SUCH STATE.
12.5 Notices. Notices and other writings contemplated by this Agreement, other than
Instructions, shall be delivered (a) by hand, (b) by first class registered or certified mail, postage prepaid,
return receipt requested, (c) by a nationally recognized overnight courier or (d) by facsimile transmission,
provided that any notice or other writing sent by facsimile transmission shall also be mailed, postage
prepaid, to the party to whom such notice is addressed. All such notices shall be addressed, as follows:
If to the Fund:
Vanguard Group
P.O. Box 2600
Valley Forge, PA 19482
| Attn: | Assistant Treasurer |
| Telephone: | (610) 669-6106 |
| Facsimile | (610) 669-6112 |
If to the Custodian:
Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. 40 Water Street Boston, Massachusetts 02109
Attn: Manager, Investor Services Department Telephone: (617) 772-1818 Facsimile: (617) 772-2263,
38362-4 5/24/2017
27
or such other address as the Fund or the Custodian may have designated in writing to the other.
12.6 Headings. Paragraph headings included herein are for convenience of reference
only and shall not modify, define, expand or limit any of the terms or provisions hereof.
12.7 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts,
each of which shall be deemed an original. This Agreement shall become effective when one or more
counterparts have been signed and delivered by the Fund and the Custodian.
12.8 Confidentiality. The parties hereto agree that each shall treat confidentially the
terms and conditions of this Agreement and all information provided by each party to the other regarding its
business and operations. All confidential information provided by a party hereto shall be used by any other
party hereto solely for the purpose of rendering or obtaining services pursuant to this Agreement and,
except as may be required in carrying out this Agreement, shall not be disclosed to any third party without
the prior consent of such providing party. The foregoing shall not be applicable to any information that is
publicly available when provided or thereafter becomes publicly available other than through a breach of
this Agreement, or that is required to be disclosed by or to any bank examiner of the Custodian or any
Subcustodian, any Regulatory Authority, any auditor of the parties hereto, or by judicial or administrative
process or otherwise by Applicable Law.
12.9 Counsel. In fulfilling its duties hereunder, the Custodian shall be entitled to
receive and act upon the advice of (i) counsel regularly retained by the Custodian in respect of such matters,
(ii) counsel for the Fund or (iii) such counsel as the Fund and the Custodian may agree upon, with respect to
all matters, and the Custodian shall be without liability for any action reasonably taken or omitted pursuant
to such advice (except to the extent that such action was due to the Custodian’s negligence, bad faith or
38362-4 5/24/2017
28
willful misconduct).
| 13. |
Definitions. The following defined terms will have the respective meanings set forth below. |
|
13.1 Advance shall mean any extension of credit by or through the Custodian or by or through | |
| any |
Subcustodian and shall include amounts paid to third parties for the account of the Fund or in discharge |
of any expense, tax or other item payable by the Fund.
13.2 Agency Account shall mean any deposit account opened on the books of a Subcustodian or other banking institution in accordance with Section 7.1.
| 13.3 |
Agent shall have the meaning set forth in the last paragraph of Section 6. |
| 13.4 |
Applicable Law shall mean with respect to each jurisdiction, all (a) laws, statutes, treaties, |
regulations, guidelines (or their equivalents); (b) orders, interpretations, licenses and permits; and (c) judgments, decrees, injunctions, writs, orders and similar actions by a court of competent jurisdiction; compliance with which is required or customarily observed in such jurisdiction.
13.5 Authorized Person shall mean any person or entity authorized to give Instructions on behalf of the Fund in accordance with Section 4.1.
13.6 Book-entry Agent shall mean an entity acting as agent for the issuer of Investments for purposes of recording ownership or similar entitlement to Investments, including without limitation a transfer agent or registrar.
13.7 Clearing Corporation shall mean any entity or system established for purposes of providing securities settlement and movement and associated functions for a given market.
13.8 Delegation Agreement shall mean any separate agreement entered into between the Custodian and the Fund or its authorized representative with respect to certain matters concerning the appointment and administration of Subcustodians delegated to the Custodian pursuant to Rule 17f-5 under the 1940 Act.
13.9 Foreign Custody Manager shall mean the Fund’s foreign custody manager appointed pursuant to Rule 17f-5 under the 1940 Act.
13.10 Foreign Financial Regulatory Authority shall have the meaning given by Section 2(a)(50) of the 1940 Act.
13.11 Funds Transfer Services Agreement shall mean any separate agreement entered into between the Custodian and the Fund or its authorized representative with respect to certain matters concerning the processing of payment orders from Principal Accounts of the Fund.
| 13.12 |
Instruction(s) shall have the meaning assigned in Section 4. |
| 13.13 |
Investment Advisor shall mean any investment advisor as defined in Section 202(a)(11) |
of the Investment Advisors Act of 1940.
| 13.14 |
Investments shall mean any investment asset of the Fund, including without limitation |
38362-4 5/24/2017
29
securities, bonds, notes, and debentures as well as receivables, derivatives, contractual rights or entitlements and other intangible assets.
13.15 Margin Account shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6.4 hereof.
13.16 Principal Account shall mean deposit accounts of the Fund carried on the books of BBH&Co. as principal in accordance with Section 7.
13.17 Safekeeping Account shall mean an account established on the books of the Custodian or any Subcustodian for purposes of segregating the interests of the Fund (or clients of the Custodian or Subcustodian) from the assets of the Custodian or any Subcustodian.
13.18 Securities Depository shall mean a central or book entry system or agency established under Applicable Law for purposes of recording the ownership and/or entitlement to investment securities for a given market that, if a foreign Securities Depository, meets the requirements of an "Eligible Securities Depository" as defined in Rule 17f-7 under the 1940 Act.
13.19 Subcustodian shall mean each foreign bank appointed by the Custodian pursuant to Section 8, but shall not include Securities Depositories.
13.20 Tri-Party Agreement shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6.4 hereof.
13.21 1940 Act shall mean the Investment Company Act of 1940.
14. Compensation. The Fund agrees to pay to the Custodian for its services under this Agreement
such amount as may be agreed upon in writing from time to time (“Fee Schedule”).
15. Several Obligations of the Funds: With respect to any obligations of the Funds and their related
accounts arising hereunder, the Custodian shall look for payment or satisfaction of any such obligation
solely to the assets and property of the Fund and such accounts to which such obligation relates as though
each investment company had separately contracted with the Custodian by separate written instrument with
respect to each Fund and its accounts. The Custodian and each Subcustodian realize that the Fund is
comprised of one or more Series. The Custodian and each Subcustodian agree that it will honor and abide
by any and all Instructions or notices which the Custodian or Subcustodian may receive from time to time
from the Fund with respect to designating, marking, allocating or otherwise attributing securities to or for
the benefit of any one Series.
38362-4 5/24/2017
30
16. Termination. This Agreement may be terminated by either party in accordance with the
provisions of this Section. The provisions of this Agreement and any other rights or obligations incurred or
accrued by any party hereto prior to termination of this Agreement shall survive any termination of this
Agreement.
This Agreement may be terminated as to one or more Funds (but less than all the Funds) by
delivery of an amended List of Funds deleting all such Funds, in which case termination as to the deleted
Funds shall take effect sixty days after the date of such delivery. The execution and delivery of an amended
List of Funds which deletes one or more Funds, shall constitute a termination hereof only with respect to
such deleted Funds, shall be governed by the provisions of Section 16.2 as to the identification of a
successor custodian and the delivery of Investments of the Fund so deleted to such successor custodian, and
shall not affect the obligations of the Custodian hereunder with respect to the other Funds set forth in the
List of Funds, as amended from time to time.
16.1 Notice and Effect. This Agreement may be terminated by either party by written notice effective no sooner than sixty days following the date that notice to such effect shall be delivered to other party at its address set forth in paragraph 12.5 hereof.
16.2 Successor Custodian. In the event of the appointment of a successor custodian, it is agreed that the Investments of the Fund held by the Custodian or any Subcustodian shall be delivered to the successor custodian in accordance with reasonable Instructions. The Custodian agrees to cooperate with the Fund in the execution of documents and performance of other actions necessary or desirable in order to facilitate the succession of the new custodian. If no successor custodian shall be appointed, the Custodian shall in like manner transfer the Fund's Investments in accordance with Instructions.
16.3 Delayed Succession. If no Instruction has been given as of the effective date of termination, Custodian may at any time on or after such termination date and upon ten days written notice to the Fund either (a) deliver the Investments of the Fund held hereunder to the Fund at the address designated for receipt of notices hereunder; or (b) deliver any investments held hereunder to a bank or trust company having a capitalization of $2M USD equivalent and operating under the Applicable law of the jurisdiction where such Investments are located, such delivery to be at the risk of the Fund. In the event that Investments or moneys of the Fund remain in the custody of the Custodian or its Subcustodians after the date of termination owing to the failure of the Fund to issue Instructions with respect to their disposition or owing to the fact that such disposition could not be accomplished in accordance with such Instructions despite diligent efforts of the Custodian,
38362-4 5/24/2017
31
the Custodian shall be entitled to compensation for its services with respect to such Investments and moneys during such period as the Custodian or its Subcustodians retain possession of such items and the provisions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect until disposition in accordance with this Section is accomplished.
38362-4 5/24/2017
32
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties hereto has caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of
the date first above written.
By: /s Robert Snowden
Assistant Treasurer
On behalf of the Funds included on the List of Funds attached hereto
BROWN BROTHERS HARRIMAN & CO.
By: /s Stokley P. Towles
Partner
38362-4 5/24/2017
33
LIST OF FUNDS
SCHEDULE TO THE
CUSTODIAN AGREEMENT
BETWEEN
CERTAIN OPEN-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES (FUNDS)
and BROWN BROTHERS HARRIMAN & CO.
The following is a list of Funds and their Series for which the Custodian serves under an Amended
Custodian Agreement dated as of June 25, 2001 (the "Agreement"):
The following series of Vanguard International Equity Index Funds:
Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fund
Vanguard European Stock Index Fund
Vanguard Pacific Stock Index Fund
The following series of Vanguard Horizon Funds:
Vanguard Global Asset Allocation Fund
Vanguard Global Equity Fund
The following series of Vanguard Tax-Managed Funds
Vanguard Tax-Managed International Fund
The following series of Vanguard Trustees Equity Fund:
Vanguard International Value Fund
Vanguard Variable Insurance Funds-International Portfolio
| IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties hereto has caused this Schedule to be executed in its name | |
| and on behalf of such Funds. | |
| FUNDS | BROWN BROTHERS HARRIMAN & CO. |
| By: /s Robert Snowden | By: /s Stokley P. Towles |
| Name: Robert Snowden | Name: Stokley P. Towles |
| Title: Assistant Treasurer | Title: Partner |
38362-4 5/24/2017
34
LIST OF FUNDS
AMENDED SCHEDULE TO THE CUSTODIAN AGREEMENT BETWEEN
CERTAIN OPEN-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES (FUNDS) and BROWN BROTHERS HARRIMAN & CO.
The following is a list of Funds and their Series for which the Custodian serves under an Amended Custodian Agreement dated as of June 25, 2001 (the Agreement):
The following series of Vanguard Charlotte Funds:
Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund
The following series of Vanguard Explorer Fund:
Vanguard Explorer Fund
The following series of Vanguard Fenway Funds:
Vanguard Equity Income Fund
The following series of Vanguard Horizon Funds:
Vanguard Global Equity Fund
The following series of Vanguard Index Funds:
Vanguard 500 Index Fund
Vanguard Extended Market Index Fund
Vanguard Large-Cap Index Fund
Vanguard Mid-Cap Index Fund
Vanguard Small-Cap Growth Index Fund
Vanguard Small-Cap Value Index Fund
Vanguard Value Index Fund
The following series of Vanguard Institutional Index Funds:
Vanguard Institutional Total Stock Market Index Fund
The following series of Vanguard International Equity Index Funds:
Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fund
Vanguard European Stock Index Fund
Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Index Fund
Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Small-Cap Index Fund
Vanguard Global ex-U.S. Real Estate Index Fund
Vanguard Pacific Stock Index Fund
Vanguard Total World Stock Index Fund
The following series of Vanguard Malvern Funds:
Vanguard Capital Value Fund
Vanguard U.S. Value Fund
The following series of Vanguard Montgomery Funds:
Vanguard Market Neutral Fund
0368459, v0.2
The following series of Vanguard Morgan Growth Fund:
Vanguard Morgan Growth Fund
The following series of Vanguard Specialized Funds:
Vanguard Dividend Growth Fund
Vanguard Energy Fund
Vanguard REIT Index Fund
The following series of Vanguard Tax-Managed Funds:
Vanguard Tax-Managed Capital Appreciation Fund
Vanguard Developed Markets Index Fund
Vanguard Tax-Managed Small-Cap Fund
The following series of Vanguard Trustees Equity Fund:
Vanguard Diversified Equity Fund
Vanguard International Value Fund
Vanguard Alternative Strategies Fund
The following series of Vanguard Valley Forge Funds:
Vanguard Managed Payout Fund
The following series of Vanguard Variable Insurance Funds:
Conservative Allocation Portfolio
Equity Income Portfolio
International Portfolio
Moderate Allocation Portfolio
Total Stock Market Index Portfolio
The following series of Vanguard Whitehall Funds:
Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth Fund
Vanguard Emerging Markets Government Bond Index Fund
The following series of Vanguard Windsor Funds:
Vanguard Windsor Fund
Vanguard Windsor II Fund
0368459, v0.2
The following series of Vanguard World Fund:
Vanguard Consumer Discretionary Index Fund
Vanguard Consumer Staples Index Fund
Vanguard Energy Index Fund
Vanguard Financials Index Fund
Vanguard Health Care Index Fund
Vanguard Industrials Index Fund
Vanguard Information Technology Index Fund
Vanguard Materials Index Fund
Vanguard Mega Cap 300 Index Fund
Vanguard Mega Cap 300 Growth Index Fund
Vanguard Mega Cap 300 Value Index Fund
Vanguard Telecommunication Services Index Fund
Vanguard U.S. Growth Fund
Vanguard Utilities Index Fund
| IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties hereto has caused this Schedule to be executed in its name | |
| and on behalf of such Funds on | ________________________________, 2015. |
| FUNDS | BROWN BROTHERS HARRIMAN & CO. |
| By:___________________ | By:______________________ |
| Name: Jean E. Drabick | Name: |
| Title: Assistant Treasurer | Title: |
0368459, v0.2
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form N-1A of our reports dated March 14, 2017, relating to the financial statements and financial highlights, which appear in Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund, Vanguard Dividend Growth Fund, Vanguard Energy Fund, Vanguard Health Care Fund, Vanguard Precious Metals and Mining Fund and Vanguard REIT Index Fund's (constituting Vanguard Specialized Funds) Annual Reports on Form N- CSR for the year ended January 31, 2017. We also consent to the references to us under the headings Financial Highlights, Financial Statements and Service ProvidersIndependent Registered Public Accounting Firm in such Registration Statement.
| /s/PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP |
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| May 23, 2017 |
VANGUARD FUNDS
MULTIPLE CLASS PLAN
I. INTRODUCTION
This Multiple Class Plan (the Plan) describes seven separate classes of shares that may be offered by investment company members of The Vanguard Group (collectively the Funds, individually a Fund). The Plan explains the separate arrangements for each class, how expenses are allocated to each class, and the conversion features of each class. Each Fund may offer any one or more of the specified classes.
The Plan has been approved by the Board of Directors of The Vanguard Group (Vanguard). In addition, the Plan has been adopted by a majority of the Board of Trustees of each Fund, including a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of each Fund. The classes of shares offered by each Fund are designated in Schedule A hereto, as such Schedule may be amended from time to time.
II. SHARE CLASSES
A Fund may offer any one or more of the following share classes:
Investor Shares
AdmiralShares
Institutional Shares
Institutional Plus Shares
Institutional Select Shares
ETF Shares
Transition Shares
III. DISTRIBUTION, AVAILABILITY AND ELIGIBILITY
Distribution arrangements for all classes are described below. Distribution arrangements vary by Vanguard business line depending on the eligibility of the client segments to whom they market. Vanguard retains sole discretion in determining share class availability, and whether Fund shares shall be offered either directly or through certain financial intermediaries, or on certain financial intermediary platforms. Eligibility requirements for purchasing shares of each class will differ, as follows:
A. Investor Shares
Investor Shares generally will be available to investors who are not permitted to purchase other classes of shares, subject to the eligibility requirements specified in Schedule B hereto, as such Schedule may be amended from time to time. It is expected that the minimum investment amount for
85097, v0.62 1
Investor Shares will be substantially lower than the amount required for any other class of shares. Investor Shares are typically distributed by all Vanguard business lines.
B. Admiral Shares
Admiral Shares generally will be available to individual, institutional, and other investors who meet the eligibility requirements specified in Schedule B hereto, as such Schedule may be amended from time to time. These eligibility requirements may include, but are not limited to the following factors: (i) the total amount invested the Fund; or (ii) any other factors deemed appropriate by a Funds Board of Trustees. Admiral Shares are typically distributed by all Vanguard business lines.
C. Institutional Shares
Institutional Shares generally will be available to institutional and other investors who meet the eligibility requirements specified in Schedule B hereto, as such Schedule may be amended from time to time. It is expected that the minimum investment amount per account for Institutional Shares will be substantially higher than the amounts required for Investor Shares or Admiral Shares. Institutional Shares are typically distributed by Vanguards financial advisory services and institutional business lines.
D. Institutional Plus Shares
Institutional Plus Shares generally will be available to institutional and other investors who meet the eligibility requirements specified in Schedule B hereto, as such Schedule may be amended from time to time. It is expected that the minimum investment amount for Institutional Plus Shares will be substantially higher than the amount required for Institutional Shares. Institutional Plus Shares are typically distributed by Vanguards financial advisory services and institutional business lines.
E. Institutional Select Shares
Institutional Select Shares generally will be available to institutional investors who meet the eligibility requirements specified in Schedule B hereto, as such Schedule may be amended from time to time. It is expected that the minimum investment amount for Institutional Select Shares will be the highest among all Vanguard share classes. Institutional Select Shares are typically distributed by Vanguards institutional business line.
85097, v0.62 2
F. ETF Shares
A Fund will sell ETF Shares to investors that are (or who purchase through) Authorized Participants, and who pay for their ETF shares by depositing a prescribed basket of securities rather than paying cash. An Authorized Participant is an institution, usually a broker-dealer, that is a participant in the Depository Trust Company (DTC) and that has executed a Participant Agreement with the Funds distributor. Additional eligibility requirements may be specified in Schedule B hereto, as such Schedule may be amended from time to time. Investors who are not Authorized Participants may buy and sell ETF shares through various exchanges and market centers. ETF Shares are typically distributed by all Vanguard business lines.
G. Transition Shares
Transition Shares generally will be available solely to Vanguard funds-of-funds that meet the eligibility requirements specified in Schedule B hereto, as such Schedule may be amended from time to time. Transition Shares are only internally distributed.
IV. SERVICE ARRANGEMENTS
All share classes will receive a range of services provided by Vanguard on a per account basis. These account-based services may include transaction processing and shareholder recordkeeping, as well as the mailing of updated prospectuses, shareholder reports, tax statements, confirmation statements, quarterly portfolio summaries, and other items. It is expected that the aggregate amount of account-based services provided to Investor Shares will materially exceed the amount of such services provided to any other class, due to the existence of many more accounts holding Investor Shares. In addition to this difference in the volume of services provided, arrangements will differ among the classes as follows:
A. Investor Shares
Investor Shares generally will receive the most basic level of service from Vanguard. Investor Shares generally will be serviced through a pool of Vanguard client service representatives.
B. Admiral Shares
Admiral Shares will receive a different level of service from Vanguard as compared to Investor Shares. Special client service representatives may be assigned to service Admiral Shares, and holders of such shares may from time to time receive special mailings and unique additional services.
85097, v0.62 3
C. Institutional Shares
Institutional Shares will receive from Vanguard a level of service that differs from the service provided to the holders of shares of other classes. Such services may include special client service representatives who will be assigned to service Institutional Shares. Most holders of Institutional Shares periodically will receive special investment updates from Vanguards investment staff. Holders of Institutional Shares also may receive unique additional services from Vanguard, and generally will be permitted to transact with Vanguard through the National Securities Clearing Corporations FundSERV system and other special servicing platforms for institutional investors.
D. Institutional Plus Shares
Institutional Plus Shares generally will receive a very high level of service from Vanguard as compared to any other share classes. Special client service representatives will be assigned to service Institutional Plus Shares, and most holders of such shares periodically, but more than the holders of all other shares, will receive special updates from Vanguards investment staff. Holders of Institutional Plus Shares may receive unique additional services from Vanguard, and generally will be permitted to transact with Vanguard through the National Securities Clearing Corporations FundSERV system and other special servicing platforms for institutional investors.
E. Institutional Select Shares
Institutional Select Shares generally will receive a customized level of service. Holders of Institutional Select Shares may receive unique additional services from Vanguard, and generally will be permitted to transact with Vanguard through the National Securities Clearing Corporations FundSERV system and other special servicing platforms for institutional investors.
F. ETF Shares
A Fund is expected to maintain only one shareholder of record for ETF
Shares¾DTC or its nominee. Special client service representatives will be assigned to the DTC account, and all transactions on this account will be handled electronically. Due to the nature and purpose of the DTC account, ETF Shares will not receive any special updates from Vanguards investment staff.
G. Transition Shares
The only investors eligible to own Transition Shares are Vanguard funds-of-funds, and it is expected that such funds, because of the nature of Transition Shares, will own the shares only for the brief periods necessary to complete the relevant portfolio transitions. The level of service provided will be commensurate
85097, v0.62 4
with the needs of a fund-of-funds transitioning from one underlying fund to another.
V. CONVERSION FEATURES
A. Self-Directed Conversions
1. Conversion into Investor Shares, Admiral Shares, Institutional Shares Institutional Plus Shares, and Institutional Select Shares. Shareholders may conduct self-directed conversions from one share class into another share class of the same fund for which they are eligible. Self-directed conversions may be initiated by the shareholder; however, depending upon the particular share class and the complexity of the shareholders accounts, such conversions may require the assistance of a Vanguard representative. Shareholders may convert from one share class into another share class provided that following the conversion the shareholder: (i) meets the then applicable eligibility requirements for the share class into which they are converting; and (ii) receives services consistent with such new share class. Any such conversion will occur at the respective net asset values of the share classes next calculated after Vanguards receipt of the shareholders request in good order.
2. Conversion into ETF Shares. Except as otherwise provided, a shareholder may convert Investor Shares, Admiral Shares, or Institutional Shares into ETF Shares of the same fund (if available), provided that: (i) the share class out of which the shareholder is converting and the ETF Shares declare and distribute dividends on the same schedule; (ii) the shares to be converted are not held through an employee benefit plan; and (iii) following the conversion, the shareholder will hold ETF Shares through a brokerage account. Any such conversion will occur at the respective net asset values of the share classes next calculated after Vanguards receipt of the shareholders request in good order. Vanguard or the Fund may charge an administrative fee to process conversion transactions.
B. Automatic Conversions
1. Automatic conversion into Admiral Shares. Vanguard may automatically convert Investor Shares into Admiral Shares of the same fund (if available), provided that following the conversion the shareholder: (i) meets the eligibility requirements for Admiral Shares; and (ii) receives services consistent with Admiral Shares. Any such conversion will occur at the respective net asset values of the share classes next calculated after Vanguards conversion without the imposition of any charge. Such automatic conversions may occur on a periodic, or one-time basis. Automatic conversions may occur at different times due to the differing mechanisms through which an account is funded or meets the required
85097, v0.62 5
investment minimum. Automatic conversions do not apply to certain types of accounts (e.g., accounts held through certain intermediaries, or other accounts as may be excluded by Vanguard management).
2. Automatic conversion into Institutional Shares, Institutional Plus Shares, or Institutional Select Shares. Vanguard may conduct automatic conversions of any share class into either Institutional Shares, Institutional Plus Shares, or Institutional Select Shares in accordance with then-current eligibility requirements.
C. Involuntary Conversions and Cash Outs
1. Cash Outs. If a shareholder in any class of shares no longer meets the eligibility requirements for such shares, the Fund may cash out the shareholders remaining account balance. Any such cash out will be preceded by written notice to the shareholder and will be subject to the Funds normal redemption fees, if any.
2. Conversion of Admiral Shares, Institutional Shares, and Institutional Plus Shares. If a shareholder no longer meets the eligibility requirements for the share class currently held, the Fund may convert the shareholders holdings into the share class for which such shareholder is eligible. Any such conversion will be preceded by written notice to the shareholder, and will occur at the respective net asset values of the share classes without the imposition of any sales load, fee, or other charge.
3. Conversions of Transition Shares. When a Fund that issues Transition Shares has completed the relevant portfolio transition, the Fund will convert the Transition Shares to another share class of the same Fund as appropriate, based on the eligibility requirements of such class as specified in Schedule B hereto, as such Schedule may be amended from time to time.
VI. EXPENSE ALLOCATION AMONG CLASSES
A. Background
Vanguard is a jointly-owned subsidiary of the Funds. Vanguard provides the Funds, on an at-cost basis, virtually all of their corporate management, administrative and distribution services. Vanguard also may provide investment advisory services on an at-cost basis to the Funds. Vanguard was established and operates pursuant to a Funds Service Agreement between itself and the Funds (the Agreement), and pursuant to certain exemptive orders granted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (Exemptive Orders). Vanguards direct and indirect expenses of providing corporate management, administrative and
85097, v0.62 6
distribution services to the Funds are allocated among such funds in accordance with methods specified in the Agreement.1
B. Class Specific Expenses
1. Expenses for Account-Based Services. Expenses associated with Vanguards provision of account-based services to the Funds will be allocated among the share classes of each Fund on the basis of the amount incurred by each such class as follows:
(a) Account maintenance expenses. Expenses associated with the maintenance of investor accounts will be proportionately allocated among each Funds share classes based upon a monthly determination of the costs to service each class of shares. Factors considered in this determination are (i) the percentage of total shareholder accounts represented by each class; (ii) the percentage of total account transactions performed by Vanguard for each class; and (iii) the percentage of new accounts opened for each class.
(b) Expenses of special servicing arrangements.
Expenses relating to any special servicing arrangements for a specific class will be proportionally allocated among each eligible Funds share classes primarily based on their percentage of total shareholder accounts receiving the special servicing arrangements.
(c) Literature production and mailing expenses.
Expenses associated with shareholder reports, proxy materials and other literature will be allocated among each Funds share classes based upon the number of such items produced and mailed for each class.
2. Other Class Specific Expenses. Expenses for the primary benefit of a particular share class will be allocated to that share class. Such expenses would include any legal fees attributable to a particular class.
C. Fund-Wide Expenses
1. Marketing and Distribution Expenses. Each share class will bear marketing and distribution expenses proportionate to the marketing and distribution expenses of the business lines that distribute that share class. Retail and institutional businesses expenses will be allocated based
1 In accordance with the Agreement and Board approved methodologies, the expenses that would otherwise have been allocated to each Vanguard Fund of Funds are reallocated to the approve share class of the underlying funds in the Fund of Funds portfolio on a pro rata basis based on that Fund of Funds relative net assets invested in the underlying funds share class.
85097, v0.62 7
on the percentage of client accounts in each share class serviced by the respective business. Financial advisory service expenses will be apportioned based on the percentage of assets in each share class.
Expenses associated with each share class will be allocated only among the Funds that have such share class according to the Vanguard Modified Formula, with each share class or each Fund treated as if it were a separate Fund. The Vanguard Modified Formula is set forth in the Agreement and in certain of the SEC Exemptive Orders. This allocation has been deemed an appropriate allocation methodology by each Funds Board of Trustees under paragraph (c)(1)(v) of Rule 18f-3 under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
2. Asset Management Expenses. Expenses associated with management of a Funds assets (including all advisory, tax preparation and custody fees) will be allocated among the Funds share classes on the basis of their relative net assets.
3. Other Fund Expenses. Any other Fund expenses not described above will be allocated among the share classes on the basis of their relative net assets.
VII. ALLOCATION OF INCOME, GAINS AND LOSSES
Income, gains and losses will be allocated among each Funds share classes on the basis of their relative net assets. As a result of differences in allocated expenses, it is expected that the net income of, and dividends payable to, each class of shares will vary. Dividends and distributions paid to each class of shares will be calculated in the same manner, on the same day and at the same time.
VIII. VOTING AND OTHER RIGHTS
Each share class will have: (i) exclusive voting rights on any matter submitted to shareholders that relates solely to its service or distribution arrangements; and (ii) separate voting rights on any matter submitted to shareholders in which the interests of one class differ from the interests of the other class; and (iii) in all other respects the same rights, obligations and privileges as each other, except as described in the Plan.
IX. AMENDMENTS
All material amendments to the Plan must be approved by a majority of the Board of Trustees of each Fund, including a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Fund. In addition, any material amendment to the Plan must be approved by the Board of Directors of Vanguard.
85097, v0.62 8
Original Board Approval: July 21, 2000 Last Approved by Board: December 18, 2015
85097, v0.62 9
SCHEDULE A to
VANGUARD FUNDS MULTIPLE CLASS PLAN
Note: Transition Shares, when offered by a Fund, are available for a limited period of time and are then converted into another share class. For this reason, Transition Shares are not shown on Schedule A.
| Vanguard Fund | Share Classes Authorized | |
| Vanguard Admiral Funds | ||
| · | Treasury Money Market Fund | Investor |
| · | S&P 500 Value Index Fund | Institutional, ETF |
| · | S&P 500 Growth Index Fund | Institutional, ETF |
| · | S&P MidCap 400 Index Fund | Institutional, ETF |
| · | S&P MidCap 400 Value Index Fund | Institutional, ETF |
| · | S&P MidCap 400 Growth Index Fund | Institutional, ETF |
| · | S&P SmallCap 600 Index Fund | Institutional, ETF |
| · | S&P SmallCap 600 Value Index Fund | Institutional, ETF |
| · | S&P SmallCap 600 Growth Index Fund | Institutional, ETF |
| Vanguard Bond Index Funds | ||
| · | Short-Term Bond Index Fund | Investor, Admiral, Institutional, |
| Institutional Plus, ETF | ||
| · | Intermediate-Term Bond Index Fund | Investor, Admiral, Institutional, Institutional |
| Plus, ETF | ||
| · | Long-Term Bond Index Fund | Investor, Institutional, Institutional Plus, |
| ETF | ||
| · | Total Bond Market Index Fund | Investor, Admiral, Institutional, Institutional |
| Plus, Institutional Select, ETF | ||
| · | Total Bond Market II Index Fund | Investor, Institutional |
| · | Inflation-Protected Securities Fund | Investor, Admiral, Institutional |
| Vanguard California Tax-Free Funds | ||
| · | Municipal Money Market Fund | Investor |
| · | Intermediate-Term Tax-Exempt Fund | Investor, Admiral |
| · | Long-Term Tax-Exempt Fund | Investor, Admiral |
| Vanguard Charlotte Funds | ||
| · | Total International Bond Index Fund | Investor, Admiral, Institutional, |
| Institutional Select, ETF | ||
85097, v0.62 1
| Vanguard Fund | Share Classes Authorized | |
| Vanguard Chester Funds | ||
| · | PRIMECAP Fund | Investor, Admiral |
| · | Target Retirement Income Fund | Investor |
| · | Target Retirement 2010 Fund | Investor |
| · | Target Retirement 2015 Fund | Investor |
| · | Target Retirement 2020 Fund | Investor |
| · | Target Retirement 2025 Fund | Investor |
| · | Target Retirement 2030 Fund | Investor |
| · | Target Retirement 2035 Fund | Investor |
| · | Target Retirement 2040 Fund | Investor |
| · | Target Retirement 2045 Fund | Investor |
| · | Target Retirement 2050 Fund | Investor |
| · | Target Retirement 2055 Fund | Investor |
| · | Target Retirement 2060 Fund | Investor |
| · | Target Retirement 2065 Fund | Investor |
| · | Institutional Target Retirement Income Fund | Institutional |
| · | Institutional Target Retirement 2010 Fund | Institutional |
| · | Institutional Target Retirement 2015 Fund | Institutional |
| · | Institutional Target Retirement 2020 Fund | Institutional |
| · | Institutional Target Retirement 2025 Fund | Institutional |
| · | Institutional Target Retirement 2030 Fund | Institutional |
| · | Institutional Target Retirement 2035 Fund | Institutional |
| · | Institutional Target Retirement 2040 Fund | Institutional |
| · | Institutional Target Retirement 2045 Fund | Institutional |
| · | Institutional Target Retirement 2050 Fund | Institutional |
| · | Institutional Target Retirement 2055 Fund | Institutional |
| · | Institutional Target Retirement 2060 Fund | Institutional |
| · | Institutional Target Retirement 2065 Fund | Institutional |
| Vanguard Convertible Securities Fund | Investor | |
| Vanguard Explorer Fund | Investor, Admiral | |
| Vanguard Fenway Funds | ||
| · | Equity Income Fund | Investor, Admiral |
| · | Growth Equity Fund | Investor |
| · | PRIMECAP Core Fund | Investor |
| Vanguard Fixed Income Securities Funds | ||
| · | Ultra-Short-Term Bond Fund | Investor, Admiral |
| · | Short-Term Treasury Fund | Investor, Admiral |
| · | Short-Term Federal Fund | Investor, Admiral |
| · | Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund | Investor, Admiral, Institutional |
| · | Intermediate-Term Treasury Fund | Investor, Admiral |
| · | Intermediate-Term Investment-Grade Fund | Investor, Admiral |
| · | GNMA Fund | Investor, Admiral |
| · | Long-Term Treasury Fund | Investor, Admiral |
85097, v0.62 2
| Vanguard Fund | Share Classes Authorized | |
| · | Long-Term Investment-Grade Fund | Investor, Admiral |
| · | High-Yield Corporate Fund | Investor, Admiral |
| Vanguard Horizon Funds | ||
| · | Capital Opportunity Fund | Investor, Admiral |
| · | Global Equity Fund | Investor |
| · | Strategic Equity Fund | Investor |
| · | Strategic Small-Cap Equity Fund | Investor |
| Vanguard Index Funds | ||
| · | 500 Index Fund | Investor, Admiral, Institutional Select, ETF |
| · | Extended Market Index Fund | Investor, Admiral, Institutional, |
| Institutional Plus, Institutional Select, ETF | ||
| · | Growth Index Fund | Investor, Admiral, Institutional, ETF |
| · | Large-Cap Index Fund | Investor, Admiral, Institutional, ETF |
| · | Mid-Cap Growth Index Fund | Investor, Admiral, ETF |
| · | Mid-Cap Index Fund | Investor, Admiral, Institutional, |
| Institutional Plus, ETF | ||
| · | Mid-Cap Value Index Fund | Investor, Admiral, ETF |
| · | Small-Cap Growth Index Fund | Investor, Admiral, Institutional, ETF |
| · | Small-Cap Index Fund | Investor, Admiral, Institutional, |
| Institutional Plus, ETF | ||
| · | Small-Cap Value Index Fund | Investor, Admiral, Institutional, ETF |
| · | Total Stock Market Index Fund | Investor, Admiral, Institutional, Institutional |
| Plus, Institutional Select, ETF | ||
| · | Value Index Fund | Investor, Admiral, Institutional, ETF |
| Vanguard International Equity Index Funds | ||
| · | Emerging Markets Stock Index Fund | Investor, Admiral, Institutional, |
| Institutional Plus | ||
| FTSE Emerging Markets ETF | ETF | |
| · | European Stock Index Fund | Investor, Admiral, Institutional, |
| Institutional Plus | ||
| FTSE Europe ETF | ETF | |
| · | FTSE All-World ex US Index Fund | Investor, Admiral, Institutional, Institutional |
| Plus, ETF | ||
| · | Pacific Stock Index Fund | Investor, Admiral, Institutional, |
| Institutional Plus | ||
| FTSE Pacific ETF | ETF | |
| · | Total World Stock Index Fund | Investor, Institutional, ETF |
| · | FTSE All World ex-US Small-Cap Index Fund | Investor, Institutional, ETF |
| · | Global ex-U.S. Real Estate Index Fund | Investor, Admiral, Institutional, ETF |
85097, v0.62 3
| Vanguard Fund | Share Classes Authorized | |
| Vanguard Malvern Funds | ||
| · | Capital Value Fund | Investor |
| · | Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities | |
| Index Fund | Investor, Admiral, Institutional, ETF | |
| · | U.S. Value Fund | Investor |
| · | Institutional Short-Term Bond Fund | Institutional Plus |
| · | Institutional Intermediate-Term Bond Fund | Institutional Plus |
| · | Core Bond Fund | Investor, Admiral |
| · | Emerging Markets Bond Fund | Investor, Admiral |
| Vanguard Massachusetts Tax-Exempt Funds | ||
| · | Massachusetts Tax-Exempt Fund | Investor |
| Vanguard Money Market Funds | ||
| · | Prime Money Market Fund | Investor, Admiral |
| · | Federal Money Market Fund | Investor |
| Vanguard Morgan Growth Fund | Investor, Admiral | |
| Vanguard Montgomery Funds | ||
| · | Market Neutral Fund | Investor, Institutional |
| Vanguard Municipal Bond Funds | ||
| · | Municipal Money Market Fund | Investor |
| · | Short-Term Tax-Exempt Fund | Investor, Admiral |
| · | Limited-Term Tax-Exempt Fund | Investor, Admiral |
| · | Intermediate-Term Tax-Exempt Fund | Investor, Admiral |
| · | Long-Term Tax-Exempt Fund | Investor, Admiral |
| · | High-Yield Tax-Exempt Fund | Investor, Admiral |
| · | Tax-Exempt Bond Index Fund | Investor, Admiral, ETF |
| Vanguard New Jersey Tax-Free Funds | ||
| · | Municipal Money Market Fund | Investor |
| · | Long-Term Tax-Exempt Fund | Investor, Admiral |
| Vanguard New York Tax-Free Funds | ||
| · | Municipal Money Market Fund | Investor |
| · | Long-Term Tax-Exempt Fund | Investor, Admiral |
| Vanguard Ohio Tax-Free Funds | ||
| · | Long-Term Tax-Exempt Fund | Investor |
| Vanguard Pennsylvania Tax-Free Funds | ||
| · | Municipal Money Market Fund | Investor |
| · | Long-Term Tax-Exempt Fund | Investor, Admiral |
85097, v0.62 4
| Vanguard Fund | Share Classes Authorized | |
| Vanguard Quantitative Funds | ||
| · | Growth and Income Fund | Investor, Admiral |
| Vanguard Scottsdale Funds | ||
| · | Short-Term Government Bond Index Fund | Institutional, Admiral, ETF |
| · | Intermediate-Term Government Bond Index Fund | Institutional, Admiral, ETF |
| · | Long-Term Government Bond Index Fund | Institutional, Admiral, ETF |
| · | Short-Term Corporate Bond Index Fund | Institutional, Admiral, ETF |
| · | Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond Index Fund | Institutional, Admiral, ETF |
| · | Long-Term Corporate Bond Index Fund | Institutional, Admiral, ETF |
| · | Mortgage-Backed Securities Index Fund | Institutional, Admiral, ETF |
| · | Explorer Value Fund | Investor |
| · | Russell 1000 Index Fund | Institutional, ETF |
| · | Russell 1000 Value Index Fund | Institutional, ETF |
| · | Russell 1000 Growth Index Fund | Institutional, ETF |
| · | Russell 2000 Index Fund | Institutional, ETF |
| · | Russell 2000 Value Index Fund | Institutional, ETF |
| · | Russell 2000 Growth Index Fund | Institutional, ETF |
| · | Russell 3000 Index Fund | Institutional, ETF |
| Vanguard Specialized Funds | ||
| · | Energy Fund | Investor, Admiral |
| · | Precious Metals Fund | Investor |
| · | Health Care Fund | Investor, Admiral |
| · | Dividend Growth Fund | Investor |
| · | REIT Index Fund | Investor, Admiral, Institutional, ETF |
| · | Dividend Appreciation Index Fund | Investor, Admiral, ETF |
| Vanguard STAR Funds | ||
| · | LifeStrategy Conservative Growth Fund | Investor |
| · | LifeStrategy Growth Fund | Investor |
| · | LifeStrategy Income Fund | Investor |
| · | LifeStrategy Moderate Growth Fund | Investor |
| · | STAR Fund | Investor |
| · | Total International Stock Index Fund | Investor, Admiral, Institutional, |
| Institutional Plus, Institutional Select, | ||
| ETF | ||
| Vanguard Tax-Managed Funds | ||
| · | Tax-Managed Balanced Fund | Admiral |
| · | Tax-Managed Capital Appreciation Fund | Admiral, Institutional |
| · | Developed Markets Index Fund | Investor, Admiral, Institutional, |
| Institutional Plus | ||
| FTSE Developed Markets ETF | ETF | |
| · | Tax-Managed Small-Cap Fund | Admiral, Institutional |
85097, v0.62 5
| Vanguard Fund | Share Classes Authorized | |
| Vanguard Trustees Equity Fund | ||
| · | International Value Fund | Investor |
| · | Diversified Equity Fund | Investor |
| · | Emerging Markets Select Stock Fund | Investor |
| · | Alternative Strategies Fund | Investor |
| Vanguard Valley Forge Funds | ||
| · | Balanced Index Fund | Investor, Admiral, Institutional |
| · | Managed Payout Fund | Investor |
| Vanguard Variable Insurance Funds | ||
| · | Balanced Portfolio | Investor |
| · | Conservative Allocation Portfolio | Investor |
| · | Diversified Value Portfolio | Investor |
| · | Equity Income Portfolio | Investor |
| · | Equity Index Portfolio | Investor |
| · | Growth Portfolio | Investor |
| · | Total Bond Market Index Portfolio | Investor |
| · | High Yield Bond Portfolio | Investor |
| · | International Portfolio | Investor |
| · | Mid-Cap Index Portfolio | Investor |
| · | Moderate Allocation Portfolio | Investor |
| · | Money Market Portfolio | Investor |
| · | REIT Index Portfolio | Investor |
| · | Short-Term Investment Grade Portfolio | Investor |
| · | Small Company Growth Portfolio | Investor |
| · | Capital Growth Portfolio | Investor |
| · | Total Stock Market Index Portfolio | Investor |
| Vanguard Wellesley Income Fund | Investor, Admiral | |
| Vanguard Wellington Fund | Investor, Admiral | |
| Vanguard Whitehall Funds | ||
| · | Selected Value Fund | Investor |
| · | Mid-Cap Growth Fund | Investor |
| · | International Explorer Fund | Investor |
| · | High Dividend Yield Index Fund | Investor, ETF |
| · | Emerging Markets Government | |
| Bond Index Fund | Investor, Admiral, Institutional, ETF | |
| · | Vanguard Global Minimum Volatility Fund | Investor, Admiral |
| · | International Dividend Appreciation Index Fund | Investor, Admiral, ETF |
| · | International High Dividend Yield Index Fund | Investor, Admiral, ETF |
| Vanguard Windsor Funds | ||
| · | Windsor Fund | Investor, Admiral |
| · | Windsor II | Investor, Admiral |
85097, v0.62 6
| Vanguard Fund | Share Classes Authorized | |
| Vanguard World Fund | ||
| · | Extended Duration Treasury Index Fund | Institutional, Institutional Plus, ETF |
| · | FTSE Social Index Fund | Investor, Institutional |
| · | International Growth Fund | Investor, Admiral |
| · | Mega Cap Index Fund | Institutional, ETF |
| · | Mega Cap Growth Index Fund | Institutional, ETF |
| · | Mega Cap Value Index Fund | Institutional, ETF |
| · | U.S. Growth Fund | Investor, Admiral |
| · | Consumer Discretionary Index Fund | Admiral, ETF |
| · | Consumer Staples Index Fund | Admiral, ETF |
| · | Energy Index Fund | Admiral, ETF |
| · | Financials Index Fund | Admiral, ETF |
| · | Health Care Index Fund | Admiral, ETF |
| · | Industrials Index Fund | Admiral, ETF |
| · | Information Technology Index Fund | Admiral, ETF |
| · | Materials Index Fund | Admiral, ETF |
| · | Telecommunication Services Index Fund | Admiral, ETF |
| · | Utilities Index Fund | Admiral, ETF |
| Original Board Approval: July 21, 2000 | ||
| Last Updated: April 17, 2017 | ||
85097, v0.62 7
SCHEDULE B
to
VANGUARD FUNDS MULTIPLE CLASS PLAN
Vanguard has policies and procedures designed to ensure consistency and compliance with the offering of multiple classes of shares within this Multiple Class Plans eligibility requirements.2 These policies are reviewed and monitored on an ongoing basis in conjunction with Vanguards Compliance Department.
Investor Shares - Eligibility Requirements
Investor Shares generally require a minimum initial investment and ongoing account balance of $3,000 ($50,000 for Vanguard Admiral Treasury Money Market Fund). Retail managed clients and financial intermediary and other institutional clients may hold Investor Shares without restriction in Funds that do not offer Admiral Shares. A Vanguard Fund may, from time to time, establish higher or lower minimum amounts for Investor Shares. Vanguard also reserves the right to establish higher or lower minimum amounts for certain investors or a group of investors.
Admiral Shares Eligibility Requirements
Admiral Shares generally are intended for clients who meet the required minimum initial investment and ongoing account balance of $10,000 for retail clients in index funds and $50,000 for retail clients in actively managed funds. Retail managed clients and external financial intermediary and other institutional clients may hold Admiral Shares of both index and actively managed funds without restriction. Vanguard Funds may, from time to time, establish higher or lower minimum amounts for Admiral Shares and Vanguard reserves the right to establish higher or lower minimum amounts for certain investors or a group of investors. Admiral Share class eligibility also is subject to the following rule:
· Certain Retirement Plans Admiral Shares generally are not available for SIMPLE IRAs, Vanguard Individual 401(k) Plans, and retail serviced Individual 403(b)(7) custodial accounts held directly with Vanguard.
Institutional Shares Eligibility Requirements
Institutional Shares generally require a minimum initial investment and ongoing account balance of $5,000,000. However, Vanguard also reserves the right to establish higher or lower minimum amounts for certain investors or a group of investors. Institutional Share
2 The eligibility of a Vanguard Fund of Funds to invest in a particular share class of an underlying
Vanguard fund is determined by Vanguard and the Board in accordance with the allocation methodology
referenced in Section VI.
85097, v0.62 1
class eligibility also is subject to the following special rules:
· Individual clients. Individual clients may hold Institutional Shares by aggregating up to 3 accounts held by the same client (same tax I.D. number) in a single Fund.
· Financial intermediary clients. Financial intermediaries generally may hold Institutional Shares for the benefit of their underlying clients provided that:
(1) each underlying investor individually meets the investment minimum amount described above; and (2) the financial intermediary agrees to monitor ongoing compliance of the underlying investor accounts with the investment minimum amount; or (3) a sub-accounting arrangement between Vanguard and the financial intermediary allows Vanguard to monitor compliance with the eligibility requirements established by Vanguard.
· Institutional clients. Institutional clients, including but not limited to defined benefit and contribution plan clients, endowments, and foundations may hold Institutional Shares if the total amount aggregated among all accounts held by such client (including accounts held through financial intermediaries) and invested in the Fund is at least $5 million (or such higher minimum required by the individual fund). Such institutional clients must disclose to Vanguard on behalf of their accounts the following: (1) that each account has a common decision-maker; and (2) the total balance in each account held by the client in the Fund.
· Investment by Vanguard Target Retirement Collective Trust. A Vanguard Target Retirement Trust that is a collective trust exempt from regulation under the Investment Company Act and that seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in underlying Vanguard Funds (a TRT) may hold Institutional Shares of an underlying Fund whether or not its investment meets the minimum investment threshold specified above.
· Accumulation Period¾ Accounts funded through regular contributions (e.g. employer sponsored participant contribution plans), whose assets are expected to quickly achieve eligibility levels, may qualify for Institutional Shares upon account creation, rather than undergoing the conversion process shortly after account set-up if Vanguard management determines that the account will become eligible for Institutional Shares within a limited period of time (generally 90 days). The accumulation period eligibility is subject to the discretion of Vanguard management.
85097, v0.62 2
Institutional Plus Shares - Eligibility Requirements
Institutional Plus Shares generally require a minimum initial investment and ongoing account balance of $100,000,000. However, Vanguard also reserves the right to establish higher or lower minimum amounts for certain investors or a group of investors. Institutional Plus Share class eligibility also is subject to the following special rules:
· Individual clients. Individual clients may hold Institutional Plus Shares by aggregating up to 3 accounts held by the same client (same tax I.D. number) in a single Fund. For purposes of this rule, Vanguard management is authorized to permit aggregation of a greater number of accounts in the case of clients whose aggregate assets within the Vanguard Funds are expected to generate substantial economies in the servicing of their accounts.
· Institutional clients. Institutional clients, including but not limited to defined benefit and contribution plan clients, endowments, and foundations may hold Institutional Plus Shares if the total amount aggregated among all accounts held by such client (including accounts held through financial intermediaries) and invested in the Fund is at least $100 million (or such higher or lower minimum required by the individual fund). Such institutional clients must disclose to Vanguard on behalf of their accounts the following: (1) that each account has a common decision-maker; and (2) the total balance in each account held by the client in the Fund.
· Financial intermediary clients. Financial intermediaries generally may hold Institutional Plus Shares for the benefit of their underlying clients provided that:
(1) each underlying investor individually meets the investment minimum amount described above; and (2) the financial intermediary agrees to monitor ongoing compliance of the underlying investor accounts with the investment minimum amount; or (3) a sub-accounting arrangement between Vanguard and the financial intermediary allows Vanguard to monitor compliance with the eligibility requirements established by Vanguard.
· Accumulation Period - Accounts funded through regular contributions e.g. employer sponsored participant contribution plans), whose assets are expected to quickly achieve eligibility levels, may qualify for Institutional Plus Shares upon account creation, rather than undergoing the conversion process shortly after account set-up if Vanguard management determines that the account will become eligible for Institutional Plus Shares within a limited period of time (generally 90 days). The accumulation period eligibility is subject to the discretion of Vanguard management.
· Asset Allocation Models - Vanguard clients with defined asset allocation models whose assets meet eligibility requirements may qualify for 85097, v0.62 3
Institutional Plus Shares if such models comply with policies and procedures that have been approved by Vanguard management.
Institutional Select Shares - Eligibility Requirements
Institutional Select Shares generally require a minimum initial investment and ongoing account balance of $3,000,000,000. However, Vanguard also reserves the right to establish higher or lower minimum amounts for certain investors or a group of investors. Institutional Select Share class eligibility also is subject to the following special rules:
· Institutional clients. Institutional clients, including but not limited to defined benefit and contribution plan clients, endowments, foundations, and Section 529 college savings plans may hold Institutional Select Shares if the total amount aggregated among all accounts held by such client (including accounts held through financial intermediaries) and invested in the Fund is at least $3 billion (or such higher or lower minimum required by the individual fund).
Such institutional clients must disclose to Vanguard on behalf of their accounts the following: (1) that each account has a common decision-maker; and (2) the total balance in each account held by the client in the Fund.
· Financial intermediary clients. Financial intermediaries generally may hold Institutional Select Shares for the benefit of their underlying clients provided that:
(1) each underlying investor individually meets the investment minimum amount described above; and (2) the financial intermediary agrees to monitor ongoing compliance of the underlying investor accounts with the investment minimum amount; or (3) a sub-accounting arrangement between Vanguard and the financial intermediary allows Vanguard to monitor compliance with the eligibility requirements established by Vanguard.
· Accumulation Period - Accounts funded through regular contributions (e.g. employer sponsored participant contribution plans), whose assets are expected to quickly achieve eligibility levels, may qualify for Institutional Select Shares upon account creation, rather than undergoing the conversion process shortly after account set-up, if Vanguard management determines that the account will become eligible for Institutional Select Shares within a limited period of time (generally 90 days). The accumulation period eligibility is subject to the discretion of Vanguard management.
· Investment by Vanguard collective investment trusts with a similar mandate.
A Vanguard collective investment trust exempt from regulation under the Investment Company Act and that seeks to achieve its investment objective by 85097, v0.62 4
investing in an underlying Fund with an index-based mandate may hold Institutional Select Shares of an underlying Fund with a similar index-based mandate whether or not its investment meets the minimum investment threshold specified above.
ETF Shares Eligibility Requirements
The eligibility requirements for ETF Shares will be set forth in the Funds Registration Statement. To be eligible to purchase ETF Shares directly from a Fund, an investor must be (or must purchase through) an Authorized DTC Participant, as defined in Paragraph III.D of the Multiple Class Plan. Investors purchasing ETF Shares from a Fund must purchase a minimum number of shares, known as a Creation Unit. The number of ETF
Shares in a Creation Unit may vary from Fund to Fund, and will be set forth in the relevant prospectus. The value of a Fund's Creation Unit will vary with the net asset value of the Funds ETF Shares, but is expected to be several million dollars. An eligible investor generally must purchase a Creation Unit by depositing a prescribed basket of securities with the Fund, rather than paying cash.
Transition Shares Eligibility Requirements
Transition Shares will be offered only to Vanguard funds-of-funds and only by an underlying fund of a Vanguard fund-of-funds (i) that is receiving assets in kind from one or more funds-of-funds and (ii) that will transition those in-kind assets by selling some or all of them and using the proceeds to purchase different assets. There is no minimum investment amount for Transition Shares.
Original Board Approval: July 21, 2000
Last Approved by Board: January 29, 2016
85097, v0.62 5
January 2017
Reviewed quarterly
Code of Ethics
For internal use only
| James Hudson, Head of Assurance Asset Management Compliance | |
| Contact: | |
| +44 (0) 20 7548 3356 | |
| Owner: | Ross Millar, Interim Compliance Director |
| Last reviewed by | US Monica Parry Morgan Lewis June 2016 (Not G&H) |
| outside counsel | UK Simon Morris - CMC June 2016 |
| Scope: | ||
| Applies to: All staff and most consultants. | ||
| M&G Business Units* | ||
| þFixedIncome | þRealEstate | þCompliance |
| þEquities | þGroup Operations | þHuman Resources |
| þRetail | þFinance | þRisk& Audit |
| þLegal | ||
| *including all constituent international offices unless otherwise clarified | ||
| Related Prudential Policy: N/A | ||
2
1. OVERVIEW
1.1 Structure
The M&G Code of Ethics (the Code) document sets out the following:
-
Why M&G has a Code of Ethics;
-
Personal account dealing requirements;
-
Securities reporting requirements;
-
Personal association requirements; and
-
Gifts and hospitality requirements.
-
Why M&G has a Code of Ethics
Firstly, we are required to have a Code of Ethics by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which regulates M&G Investment Management Ltd (MAGIM) as an Investment Adviser in relation to the US clients of MAGIM. Secondly and more generally, as an Employee of the M&G Group, comprising M&G Limited and its subsidiaries (M&G), you are expected to maintain the highest ethical and professional standards. Amongst other things this means that you should do nothing to gain advantage for yourself to the detriment of M&G or its clients. Where you identify a situation that puts your interests in conflict with those of a client you should:
-
Put the clients interests first; or
-
Declare yourself conflicted and ask someone else who you believe to be not conflicted to deal with the particular matter; or
-
Refer the matter to your senior manager for guidance.
In relation to conflicts of interest, perception is as important as fact. You must therefore take care to ensure that you do not do anything that looks as if it is gaining you or M&G an advantage at the expense of its clients.
If you are involved in the investment process, you must refrain from personal business activity that could conflict with the proper execution and management of our investment business, or that could impair your ability to make impartial decisions with respect to that business. You also must comply with US federal securities laws as set out in the Code (see Appendix 1).
That said, M&G recognises that it is perfectly acceptable for you to receive business hospitality or conduct a personal investment transaction as long as you do so in accordance with the requirements set out in the Code. However, failure to act in accordance with the Code will be regarded as a serious matter and could in certain circumstances result in disciplinary action, including dismissal.
If at any time you realise you have not complied with the requirements of the Code, you should immediately contact Asset Management Compliance or the Retail or M&G Real Estate Compliance teams as appropriate. If you observe another persons behaviour which is not compliant with the Code you must report this. You may choose to report to your Compliance team or in confidence directly to the Director of Compliance,. Nothing in this Code prevents you from making a report to the SEC.
M&G may waive certain provisions of this Code in rare circumstances, and will consider, among other things, whether the person requesting the waiver is an employee or a Connected Person, whether there is any perceived harm to clients, and other factors as appropriate.
1.3 How the Code applies to you
The Code applies to you in full if:
-
You are an M&G, M&G Real Estate or M&G Real Estate Asia Employee;
-
You work in M&G Compliance;
-
You are a Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Approved Person carrying out any controlled function for
3
M&G; or
· You are none of the above but are expected to have an M&G systems log on for more than thirty days.
The Code applies to you in part if:
-
You are a PGDS Employee with access to FODB, Quasar, LatentZero, Thinkfolio, CAMS or PRIME/YARDI Voyager. You are subject to sections 2 and 3 of the Code.
M&G Real Estate staff are subject to the Code but are required to report gifts and hospitality to M&G Real Estate Compliance rather than to Asset Management Compliance. Further guidance should be sought from M&G Real Estate Compliance personnel in London or Singapore. M&G Real Estate Asia staff should also refer to their local Personal Dealing Policy in the first instance for full details of what investments are reportable under the Code.
In addition to the guidance in this Code, Business Units such as M&G Retail, M&G Real Estate and PruCap may, from time to time, implement additional local rules at any of its office locations.
Staff on long-term sick leave or maternity leave are exempt while on leave from the obligation to seek pre-clearance for, or to lodge quarterly or annual reports of personal account dealing provided that they do not have access while on leave to certain systems which contain details of transactions undertaken by M&G on behalf of its clients, which include but are not limited to; FODB, Quasar, LatentZero, Thinkfolio, CAMS and PRIME. The first annual or quarterly report on return to work however must include all transactions undertaken while the person was on long-term sick leave or maternity leave.
1.4 Confirmation of understanding
M&G is required to ensure that each person covered by the Code receives and understands its contents. M&G is also required to review any personal dealing reports submitted by employees under this Code.
This means that when you join M&G you will be requested to complete a declaration on the PTA System, the firms automated Code of Ethics system (PTA System) confirming that you have received and understood those aspects of the Code which apply to you.
Each time an amendment is made to the Code, M&G must ensure that you are issued with a copy of the revised Code, that you acknowledge receipt of the revised Code and that you understand those aspects of the Code which apply to you. To evidence this process you will be requested to complete a declaration on the PTA System confirming that you have received and understood those aspects of the Code which apply to you.
It is imperative that Code of Ethics returns are completed within the given deadlines. Failure to comply with the Code may result in disciplinary action which could have an impact on the level of any discretionary bonus that may be awarded in the future.
1.5 General other policies
Whilst this Code sets out certain matters in relation to your conduct whilst employed by M&G, there are a number of other policies which you should also be aware of and comply with including, but not limited to:
-
The M&G Group Conflicts Policy;
-
The M&G Group Anti-bribery and Corruption Policy;
-
The M&G Public Interest Disclosure Code;
-
The M&G Employment Code of Conduct;
-
The M&G Counter Fraud Policy;
-
The M&G Information Security Code of Practice;
-
The M&G Group AML/CFT Policy; and
-
The M&G U.S. Political Contributions Policy (Pay to Play).
Each of these is available on the M&G Central Risk site:
4
http://thesource.mandg.local/Sites/Teams/CentralRisk/Policies/SitePages/Default.aspx
· The Prudential Group Code of Business Conduct.
This is available on the Prudential Intranet site: http://www.group.local/~/media/Files/Group/Policy%20and%20Procedures/Group%20Governance%20Manual/ Group%20Code%20of%20Business/COBC%20October%20Board%202014%20FINAL%20%20for%20GGM.p df If you require further information on these or other policies you should ask either your line manager or your HR representative. M&G Real Estate Compliance in London or Singapore can advise as to how M&G Group policies apply to Real Estate staff.
1.6 Definitions
Employee
Any person to whom the Code applies, in full or in part.
Beneficial Interest
Generally includes ownership of securities from which a person enjoys some economic benefits which are substantially equivalent to ownership regardless of who is the registered owner. You are considered to have a Beneficial Interest in:
-
Securities which you hold for your own benefit in bearer form, registered in your own name or otherwise, whether or not the securities are owned individually or jointly;
-
Securities held where you have instructed/arranged/influenced others e.g. by your spouse, minor children, or other dependent relatives to hold securities in their name for you; (see also Connected Person section)
-
Securities held by others for your benefit, such as securities held by a Trustee, executor, or administrator or by custodians, brokers, or relatives, or by Share clubs of which you are a member;
-
Securities owned by a partnership of which you are a member, unless that partnership has delegated fund management to an independent manager to whom full discretion is granted;
-
Securities held by a corporation which can be regarded as your personal holding company; and
-
Securities recently purchased by you and awaiting transfer into your name.
Beneficial Interest does not include ownership of securities over which you have a substantial measure of control but in which neither you nor your family have any direct or indirect beneficial interest (i.e. securities held by a Trust of which you are Trustee but not a direct or indirect beneficiary). If you have a financial interest in the success of the account you control, such as a performance-based fee, then you would have a beneficial interest in the account.
Code of Market Conduct
The Code of Market Conduct (published by the FCA) sets out, amongst other matters, behaviours that are likely to constitute market abuse. The full text can be found on the FCA website at http://fshandbook.info/FS/html/FCA/MAR
Connected Person
Anyone whose investment decisions the Employee influences or manages (other than as a customer of M&G).
There is an assumption that people in your household, meaning any person who lives in the same household as you are influenced by you and therefore their holdings and trades will need reporting. Due to German law this assumption does not apply to M&G staff in the German office. Unrelated people in your household such as an employee or people to whom you do not provide financial support, and who do not financially support you, such as your tenant, flat mate, lodger or boarder, do not need to report their trades.
5
If you do not exercise any influence on the investment decisions or have or receive any Beneficial Interest then that person need not be considered a Connected Person.
If as an Employee you have influence over that persons judgment or advise that person as to how to invest his/her property or procure any rights or Beneficial Interest attached to their investments then that person is deemed to be a Connected Person and you will need to seek pre-clearance for any relevant transactions undertaken by the Connected Person. In addition you will also be required to seek to ensure that the Connected Person adheres to the reporting requirements set out in Section 4.
A Connected Person may include:
-
A company in which one or more Employees and/or any Connected Person has an interest in 20% or more of the equity capital or is entitled to exercise or control more than 20% of the voting power;
-
A Trustee of a trust under which an Employee, his/her spouse, child, stepchild or adopted child under the age of 18, or a company as defined above, is a beneficiary or a discretionary object; and
-
A trust of which an Employee or Connected Person is a settlor.
Note: Whether you have influence over or procure any rights or benefits from a Connected Person is dependent on your judgement. The point you must take very seriously as an Employee, is that if it subsequently becomes clear that you did have influence and have exerted it, or have received benefit from the investment, and if the Code has not been complied with then that will be considered as a breach of the Code.
Equities Investment Professional
An Equities Investment Professional (EIP) is a person who works within the Equities Business Unit.
Security
A Security is defined very broadly for the purposes of this Code. It means any ordinary share note, stock, bond, debenture, investment contract or limited partnership interest and includes any rights to acquire or dispose of any security (i.e. options, warrants, futures contracts) and investments in investment funds and hedge funds. Investments in commodity derivatives, currency derivatives, SIPPs, AVCs, FSAVCs and FURBs are to be treated as a Security.
A Security does not include contributions by salary deductions to M&G or Prudential staff pension schemes or any contribution to your AVC accounts linked to either of these schemes. Neither does it include investments in UK authorised Unit Trusts, UK authorised OEICs and unitised savings products not managed by Prudential or M&G and nor does it include any product issued by National Savings and Investments.
A Security does include, but only for reporting purposes, investments in Unit Trusts, OEICs, and unitised savings products managed by Prudential or M&G. Table 1 sets this information out in detail, but if you have any uncertainty as to whether an investment falls within scope, please contact Asset Management Compliance for guidance.
6
| 2. |
PERSONAL ACCOUNT DEALING |
| 2.1 |
General |
This section applies to all Employees. As an Employee you are required to seek pre-clearance from M&G before undertaking a personal account deal.
The next sections set out in detail:
-
What constitutes a personal account deal;
-
What you have to consider before undertaking a personal account deal;
-
What you need to do when undertaking a personal account deal; and
-
What you have to do once you have completed your personal account deal.
-
What constitutes a personal account deal?
-
personal account deal is a transaction undertaken by either you or a Connected Person in an investment
that requires you to seek pre-clearance from M&G before undertaking the transaction see Table 1.
The reason for this requirement is that M&G is required to have procedures to control your personal account dealing so that there is an assurance that these do not:
-
Conflict with investment transactions being undertaken by M&G; and/or
-
Breach any restrictions on dealing which M&G may have in place at that time.
-
What you have to consider before undertaking a personal account deal
Employees and their Connected Persons are strictly prohibited from:
|
Dealing in a security on the M&G Restricted Dealing Lists (RDLs); |
||
|
Dealing when in possession of information which if publicly known would materially impact the price of the security, commonly known as material non-public information (MNPI) or price sensitive information |
||
| (PSI), |
see for example the M&G Real Estate Chinese Wall Policy; |
|
|
Dealing in contravention of The FCAs Code of Market Conduct; |
||
|
Dealing in contravention of US Federal Securities Laws see appendix 1; |
||
|
Undertaking bear or short transactions that is the sale of an investment not already owned; |
||
|
Taking money for conventional options and undertaking sales of traded options unless they are fully covered by stock or cash margin; |
||
|
Trading options on considerations of a short-term nature on Prudential plc. Shares; |
||
|
Acquiring any security in a privatisation or new issue (for example an IPO or an offer for subscription of new shares), though this is subject to two exceptions: |
||
| o |
the application in relation to a privatisation or IPO is made on a public application form which does not show that the applicant is associated with M&G; and |
|
| o |
the offering of new shares by Venture Capital Trusts or Enterprise Investment Schemes, in which M&G would not invest client assets. |
|
|
In these two exceptions pre-clearance is not required. In the case of limited (i.e. non-public) offerings, these are generally permitted but must be pre-cleared. Multiple applications by an individual for privatisations or new issues are prohibited; |
||
|
Buying and selling (or selling and buying) the same securities within 30 calendar days. This includes limit orders. Selling and buying to transfer assets between accounts e.g. Bed and ISA trades is permitted; |
||
7
-
Unless otherwise agreed, seeking and obtaining credit or special dealing facilities with a broker or counterparty; and
-
Spread betting and contracts for difference in financial instruments.
It should be noted that Employees and Connected Persons are discouraged from short term and frequent dealing. Normally M&G would expect investments to be held for a minimum of sixty days and that an employee would have no more than sixty trades in a quarter. If repeated short term trades or an excessive number of trades are identified then the individual concerned may be required to explain to Compliance in writing, with supporting evidence, the reasons for the trades and may in future be required to document those reasons before dealing.
Staff in our international offices are asked to note their local regulatory requirements. E.g. Japan has a six month minimum holding period for securities. (These restrictions are set out in local Compliance manuals).
The ban on spread betting and contracts for difference in financial instruments does not apply to such betting in relation to sporting events but such bets should be placed in an Employees own time and not from the office or using company equipment.
| 2.4 |
What you need to do when undertaking a personal account deal |
| 2.4.1 |
All Employees and Connected Persons other than Equity Investment Professionals |
After considering the matters in the preceding section and having satisfied yourself that in requesting permission to undertake a personal account deal, you will not breach those requirements, you must complete a pre-clearance request using the PTA System.
Your pre-clearance request should as closely replicate your intended trade as possible (specifically the nominal of shares/value of trade). A pre-clearance is required, regardless of the value of your trade.
If the system is not available, manual forms are available from the Asset Management Compliance Team, but these are only to be used in the event of systems failure.
If your transaction is approved you are free to either complete the transaction within 24 hours or to place your instruction, which includes posting it, within 24 hours
(If you do not instruct your broker within 24 hours your preclearance expires and you must obtain a new one.) If you do not obtain a valid preclearance M&G may require you to break your trade or give up any profits.
(In the case of transactions arising from deferred remuneration or from closing SAYE schemes preclearance may be obtained after you have given your instruction, provided that the trade has not been executed. However, if your pre-clearance is denied, or is obtained after your trade has been executed you will be in breach of the Code. )
Any changes to a limit order must be precleared.
If your transaction is greater than the current ISA limit it will be checked against the firms open orders and the firms trades from the previous five days before being approved. This might result in your pre-clearance request being delayed for a short time. If you have any concerns please contact [email protected]
2.4.2 All Equity Investment Professionals
An EIP or Connected Person should not undertake a personal transaction in a financial instrument about which the EIP has made a recommendation until at least two business days after the issue of the formal recommendation. To evidence that a formal recommendation has been made it must be issued on a recognised means of internal communication, i.e. on The Source, or emailed to the wider investment team.
8
For the sake of clarity, a recommendation made at the morning meeting will be deemed to meet this requirement when the minutes of that meeting are issued.
An EIP or Connected Person should not undertake a personal account transaction in the financial instrument if he/she is about to make a recommendation or is aware that another EIP is about to make a recommendation about that company.
2.4.3 Other Restrictions
Employees must refrain from undertaking personal investment transactions with the same individual employee at a broker-dealer firm with whom business is conducted on behalf of certain US clients. A current list of broker accounts which are affected by this can be located on the Dashboard of the PTA system under Documents.
The individuals impacted by this requirement receive separate guidance from Compliance on how to meet their obligations in this area.
2.5 What you have to do once you have completed your personal account deal
When you have instructed your broker and been notified of the execution price you must:
-
Post-clear your trade on the PTA system.
-
Upload a Contract note to the Pre-clearance request.
The PTA system will review this and create a Broker Confirm automatically. You do not need to create a Broker Confirm yourself.
Instructions on how to do this are available on the PTA System.
9
| 3. |
SECURITIES REPORTING |
| 3.1 |
General |
As an Employee you are required to report at defined points in time, using the PTA system, details of certain investment holdings and related transactions as specified in Table 1.
It should be noted that the reporting requirements are extended to encompass those individuals who are considered by you to be a Connected Person.
All Employees are encouraged to keep detailed records of their personal securities holdings and transactions. Compliance may, from time to time, request that the Employee provides a reconciliation of their holdings based on the information provided to Compliance during the period. The types and content of each report are set out in 3.2 and 3.3 below.
You are required to report details of any discretionary managed accounts held in your name or in the name of a connected person. A discretionary account is defined as an account where (i) the portfolio is individually managed by a reputable independent manager to whom full investment discretion is granted (ii) you have no direct or indirect influence or control over the investment decisions (iii) you are not aware of such decisions until after the transactions are effected.
Any such accounts must be reported, however the holdings and transactions within such accounts are not reportable. All other accounts and transactions remain reportable.
3.2 Initial Statement of Investments Held
Upon joining the company as an Employee you are required to complete an on-line declaration to confirm that you have read and understood the M&G Code of Ethics and provide an Initial Statement of accounts and holdings using the PTA System.
You are required to complete this requirement no later than 10 calendar days after becoming an Employee.
The Statement of Investments Held must be current as of a date no more than 45 calendar days prior to the date you became an Employee.
You should note that even if you do not hold any securities which require reporting you are still required to complete the declaration using the PTA System.
You are also required to confirm that you have read and understood the U.S. Political Contributions Policy
(Pay to Play).
3.3 Quarterly Statement of Investments
Within 30 calendar days of each quarter end you are required to complete:
An on-line declaration via the PTA System confirming that the records held on the PTA System of your accounts, holdings and transactions are correct, up-to date and in compliance with the Code of Ethics; each such declaration will be taken to be a submission of a holdings report as required by Rule 204 A 1 (b) ii B.
That you have read, understood and complied with the Code;
That you either have none or have declared all personal associations to Compliance;
10
That you either have not received or have declared all Gifts and Hospitality to Compliance;
And that you have read, understood and complied with the U.S. Political Contributions Policy
(Pay to Play).
3.4 Additional requirement for Equity Dealers and Fund Managers of US-based Clients registered as a CF30 with the FCA
All Equity Dealers and Fund Managers of US-based clients are additionally required to report, at the end of each quarter, all personal trades in ALL (not just M&G) Authorised Unit Trusts and Open Ended Investment Companies irrespective of who the Authorised Fund Manager is.
11
| 4. |
PERSONAL ASSOCIATIONS |
| 4.1 |
General |
|
This section does not apply to PGDS Employees, as per section 1.3. |
|
| A |
conflict of interest may arise when you have a business or personal interest that influences or may appear to |
influence your independent and objective judgement at work.
4.2 Guidelines
M&G, and indeed Prudential, require that if an Employee has a close association with a person or organisation that could compromise impartial business dealings, then this should be declared.
4.3 Criteria
There is no hard definition of what constitutes a close association but it is normally where an Employee is:
-
Actively involved with a company which either seeks or undertakes business with M&G;
-
Actively involved with a company which competes for business where M&G would be a competitor;
-
Actively involved with a business which has an impact on the Employees ability to fulfil their role within M&G;
-
Related to a person who the Employee is able to direct business to, for example:
-
a buyer of print places business with a printer which is owned by the buyers brother;
-
a dealer places orders for an equity with a trader at an investment bank where the trader is the dealers sister;
-
legal advice is sought from a law firm where the wife of the Employee seeking the advice is a senior partner;
-
an IT contract is awarded to a firm where the Employees son is an influential Employee.
-
Connected in any way to a business or person, which if scrutinised by a third party could give the view that the relationship was contrary to what is considered to be acceptable business practice.
If you are in doubt you should contact your Business Unit HEAD .
4.4 What to do
If you consider you have a personal association which meets the criteria you should complete the form at Appendix 2 and submit the form to your Business Unit Risk Coordinator, and then to your Business Unit Head for approval, with a completed copy to Asset Management Compliance.
Any M&G Real Estate personnel should report any relevant personal associations directly to Real Estate Compliance in London or Singapore.
12
5. GIFTS & HOSPITALITY
This section of the Code describes the requirements applicable to M&G personnel in relation to the giving and receiving of gifts & hospitality.
5.1 INTRODUCTION
M&G must always act honestly, fairly and professionally in the best interests of its Clients. Employees must not do anything in relation to Clients, Intermediaries, Counterparties, Service Providers or Other Business Contacts which could cause them to act improperly.
All M&G Employees must act in accordance with:
-
the requirements set out in the Code of Ethics (the Code);
-
the FCAs detailed rules on Inducements set out in the FCAs Conduct of Business Sourcebook (COBS) at section 2.3;
-
the FCAs detailed rules on Adviser Charging set out in COBS at section 6.1A (M&G Employees involved in the provision of retail investment products);
-
the FCAs Finalised Guidance on Supervising retail investment advice: inducements and conflicts of interest (M&G Employees involved in the provision of retail investment products);
-
the Bribery Act 2010;
-
M&Gs Anti-Bribery and Corruption Policy (Link to M&G ABC Policy); and
-
M&Gs Conflicts of Interest Policy.
Section 1.2 of the Code provides further information in relation the compliance obligations of all M&G Employees.
This section of the Code describes the requirements applicable to all M&G Employees in relation to the giving and receiving of Gifts and Hospitality.
Section 5.2 defines the applicable terms and outlines the high level requirements of this Policy.
Section 5.3 covers the giving and receiving of Gifts and Hospitality, as defined below, unconnected to a conference, seminar or other training event.
Section 5.4 covers attendance at seminars, conferences and training events whether provided by M&G or to M&G and related Gifts and Hospitality.
Section 5.5 covers controls, reporting and compliance with the Policy.
M&G Real Estate
For the purposes of this policy, the following are noted:
-
Certain personnel of M&G Real Estate conduct real estate asset management, property management, asset sourcing, leasing and development activities which do not constitute designated investment business directly within scope of FSMA and the FCAs rules
-
It is recognised that physical real estate is a very different asset class from equities or bonds. There is no liquid market as such for physical real estate; there are no quotes. While many properties may be advertised for sale, many are bought or sold off market; through contacts with real estate market participants, M&G Real Estate is often the first port of call for sellers or buyers who know that M&G Real Estate can carry out due diligence and complete
13
-
within agreed (often tight) timeframes. This deal flow is recognised by Clients as being very beneficial to them
-
For such real estate personnel, the maintenance of business relationships with counterparts in the real estate sector through non-extravagant business entertaining is recognised as important. Consequently, to maintain the necessary relationships to retain that deal flow, relevant M&G Real Estate employees may apply for exemptions from certain detailed Hospitality rules where they can be shown to be beneficial to Clients
-
Those exemptions must be submitted in writing for pre-approval by the Head of M&G Real Estate and Real Estate Compliance. (In the case of his/her own Hospitality, the Head of M&G
Real Estate must apply for an exemption to the CEO of the M&G Group.) As with any Hospitality, exemptions must be properly justified and documented and will be subject to monitoring review -
For the avoidance of doubt, activities conducted by all personnel of M&G Real Estate are within scope of the UK Bribery Act, and the monetary limits and approval thresholds set out in this policy apply to all Gifts and Hospitality. Hospitality in particular must be reasonable and proportionate
Fixed Income Private Assets
Considerations similar to those affecting M&G Real Estate arise in Fixed Income in relation to non-MiFID assets, which include not only real estate assets but also a number of private fixed income and infrastructure assets. Consequently exemptions to the Gifts and Hospitality rules may be granted where it can be shown to enhance the quality of the service to the client. Exemptions to the Gifts and Hospitality Rules may be granted if approved by the Head of Fixed Income and by Compliance. (In the case of his/her own Gifts and Hospitality, the Head of Fixed Income must apply for an exemption to the CEO of the M&G Group.) As with any Gifts and Hospitality, exemptions must be properly justified and documented and will be subject to monitoring review.
Non-MIFID jurisdictions
Where M&G is operating in a regulated market which is not subject to MIFID rules on Inducements, exemptions to the policy may be permitted where these reflect local market practices and are in line with local regulation, provided that these do not place M&G in a conflict with its Clients, Service Providers, Intermediaries, Counterparties or Other Business Contacts or with the Code of Ethics. Exemptions to the Hospitality rules may be granted if approved by the Business Unit Head and by Compliance. Contact Compliance for details of countries subject to the MiFID Rules.
14
5.2 DEFINITIONS AND HIGH LEVEL REQUIREMENTS
The definitions below apply to all sections.
| a) |
Definition of Relationship Type - please note that the below definitions apply equally whether the relationship is prospective, current or historic. You should consider what capacity the individual you are dealing with normally interacts with you to define their relationship type. |
| Client | M&G Securities | Any shareholder or unitholder | |||
| (MGSL) | in a UCITS fund or AIF | ||||
| managed by MGSL | |||||
| MAGIM/MAGAIM | Any shareholder, unitholder, | ||||
| limited partner or similar in any | |||||
| fund to | which MAGIM or | ||||
| MAGAIM acts or has acted as | |||||
| investment | manager, | ||||
| alternative | investment | fund | |||
| manager or promoter. | |||||
| The Trustees, Directors or | |||||
| members of any other sort of | |||||
| governing | body of | any | |||
| segregated Client. | |||||
| The day to day administrators | |||||
| of any segregated Client. | |||||
| M&G Real Estate (UK, Europe | and | Any shareholder, unitholder, | |||
| Asia) | limited partner or similar in an | ||||
| AIF or other type of fund | |||||
| operated by an M&G Real | |||||
| Estate company to which any | |||||
| M&G company acts or has | |||||
| acted as investment manager, | |||||
| alternative | investment | fund | |||
| manager | or promoter. E.g. | ||||
| MAP, MEP, UKPF, RESI , | |||||
| ESPIF. | |||||
| The Trustees, Directors or | |||||
| members of any other sort of | |||||
| governing | body of | any | |||
| segregated mandate. | |||||
| The day to day administrators | |||||
| of any segregated Client. | |||||
| M&G Asia Singapore | Because these firms are solely | ||||
| M&G Asia Hong Kong | distributors of the funds and | ||||
| investment expertise of other | |||||
| M&G International | companies in the M&G Group | ||||
| they have no Clients of their | |||||
| own. | |||||
| They should treat Clients of | |||||
| other M&G Group Companies | |||||
15
| as if they were their own | ||
| Clients. | ||
| Prudential Trustee Company Limited Any Client. | ||
| Counterparty | Any regulated firm through which an M&G Group Company buys or | |
| sells or arranges investments of any sort, whether or not they are | ||
| financial instruments. To the extent M&G deals with a company, for | ||
| example in the origination of loans, that company is a Counterparty for | ||
| members of staff who interact with it in that capacity | ||
| Employees | Employees of any M&G Group Company. | |
| Anyone seconded to an M&G Group Company. | ||
| Intermediary | Any regulated or unregulated firm that introduces Clients to any M&G | |
| Group Company. This includes placement agents who are employed | ||
| by an M&G Group Company. | ||
| Service Provider | Any firm or individual that provides services to an M&G Group | |
| Company and that does not also introduce Clients to an M&G Group | ||
| Company. E.g. Solicitors, Accountants, Business/Regulatory/IT | ||
| Consultancies, Third Party Administrators, Media Company. | ||
| Firms or individuals who would otherwise be regarded as Service | ||
| Providers but who do introduce Clients to M&G and in doing so owe a | ||
| duty to act in the best interest of those Clients must be regarded as | ||
| Intermediaries. | ||
| Other Business | Any firm or individual who does not provide services to an M&G Group | |
| Contacts | Company and that does not introduce Clients to an M&G Group | |
| Company but with whom an Employee will meet for business purposes | ||
| e.g. Industry professionals, Press, Investee Companies, other parties | ||
| sharing a mutual contact. | ||
| b) | Definition of Activity | |
| Definitions | ||
| Hospitality | When the type of Hospitality is not specified, includes Connected | |
| Hospitality and Simple Hospitality above de minimis levels. | ||
| Training is not hospitality. Sustenance may be provided during the | ||
| training (not before or after). | ||
| Where M&G pay on behalf of an employee to attend an event this is | ||
| not hospitality. | ||
| Where M&G provide access to an event (e.g. providing tickets to the | ||
| Chelsea Flower Show) even when the other party pays their fair share | ||
| then this access constitutes hospitality. | ||
16
| Connected | Broadly defined as the provision or receipt of: |
| Hospitality | Breakfast, lunch, dinner or a drinks reception or some form of |
| Hospitality connected to a business meeting (e.g. where there is a | |
| proper business agenda), conference, seminar and which is greater | |
| than reasonable sustenance: | |
| HOWEVER, where: | |
| (1) a spouse, partner or family member is invited; and/or | |
| (2) no-one from the firm providing the Hospitality attends; | |
| then the Hospitality (for both the individual and spouse) is treated as a | |
| Gift for the purposes of this policy. | |
| Simple Hospitality | Broadly defined as the provision or receipt either in-house or at a |
| restaurant, cafe etc. of: | |
| Breakfast, lunch, dinner, a drinks reception or some Hospitality | |
| unconnected to a business meeting (e.g. where there is a proper | |
| business agenda), conference, seminar or other training event | |
| HOWEVER, where: | |
| (1) a spouse, partner or family member is invited and/or | |
| (2) no-one from the firm providing the Hospitality attends | |
| then the Hospitality (for both the individual and spouse) is treated as a | |
| Gift for the purposes of this policy. | |
| Gift | Anything above £20 given to a recipient who gives nothing of value in |
| return. This does not include prize draws or competitions. | |
| Promotional Gifts | M&G branded promotional items e.g. pens, notebooks or umbrellas or |
| items of similar low value. | |
| Events | An event includes a concert, arts event, theatre performance, sporting |
| event, a round of golf, etc. |
If you are unclear into which category a firm or individual falls or whether or not something is a Gift, Simple Hospitality or Connected Hospitality, then please discuss with your line manager. If after such discussion you are still unclear then you should ask Compliance for advice.
High Level Requirements
The following high level requirements apply to all Gifts and Hospitality:
-
Gifts or Hospitality given to or received from Intermediaries or Counterparties must be designed to enhance the quality of service to clients and this must be demonstrable and documented;
-
Where the enhancement of the quality of service to the Client is not demonstrable but it is believed that there is an intangible benefit to the Client then both M&G and the Intermediary, Counterparty or Service Provider must pay their true fair shares of the actual cost;
-
Gifts or Hospitality given to or received from Clients, Service Providers or Other Business Contacts must be shown to be beneficial to our business relationship without creating unmanageable conflicts of interest;
17
|
The reported cost of Gifts or Hospitality must represent the actual cost paid or the estimated |
||
| market |
value (whichever is the higher) not the face value of the Gift or Hospitality; |
|
|
Where an Employee is entertained the individual is required to make an honest estimate of the |
||
| cost |
of that Hospitality; good practice is to request confirmation of the cost from the provider of |
|
| the |
Hospitality which should be recorded; |
|
|
Irrespective of who pays for the Gifts or Hospitality, steps must be taken to ensure that the |
||
| frequency |
of Hospitality is not excessive. Consequently, an employee should not meet for |
|
| Simple |
Hospitality with a representative of a Client, Service Provider, Intermediary or |
|
| Counterparty |
in their capacity as such more than once a quarter and no more than four times a |
|
| year. |
. This is in addition to any formal business meetings or training courses where Connected |
|
| Hospitality |
is provided and which do not include any form of Hospitality over £20 per head; |
|
|
The value of a Gift or Hospitality, given or received, must not exceed the limits set out in the |
||
| Policy, |
must be in proportion to the relationship and must not be designed to induce the |
|
| recipient |
to place business with or favour the person giving the Hospitality; |
|
|
Gifts and Hospitality must never be of a nature that could result in adverse publicity for M&G |
||
| and/or |
its Employees; |
|
|
Where Gifts and Hospitality relate to a Service Provider operating under an outsourcing |
||
| contract, |
care must be taken to ensure that staff carrying out their obligations to oversee any of |
|
| the |
outsourced activities are not likely to be influenced in any way; |
|
|
For the avoidance of doubt, Gifts and Hospitality paid for by an individual from their own |
||
| resources |
are covered by this policy except that where a personal friend or family member |
|
| happens |
to work for a Client, Intermediary, Counterparty, Service Provider or Other Business |
|
| Contact |
and there is an exchange of gifts or hospitality that would have occurred in any event |
|
| i.e. |
whether the staff member worked at M&G or not, such Gifts and Hospitality fall outside this |
|
| Policy. |
Employees are reminded of the requirement in Section 4 of the Code to declare close |
|
| personal |
associations which might cause a conflict of interest; |
|
|
Employees must be especially mindful of how any Gift or Hospitality could be perceived when |
||
| the |
Client, Intermediary, Counterparty, Service Provider or Other Business Contact is in the |
|
| process |
of agreeing an investment in M&G funds or contract for services; and |
|
|
Employees must also be mindful that some events may have a greater value to certain |
||
| individuals |
than others and hence donors may attempt to structure their entertainment based on |
|
| the |
knowledge of the recipients interests. |
|
18
5.3 GIFTS AND HOSPITALITY
a) Gifts
The general requirements relating to the giving and receiving of Gifts are as follows:
· Any Gift given or received should be treated in accordance with the sterling limits below or the local currency equivalent, as approved at 1 January each year. Management may impose lower country local limits at their discretion;· The giving or receiving of Gifts in the form of cash or vouchers is strictly prohibited except for prize draws and competitions pre-approved by Compliance;· Where a Gift is received which can be broken down into smaller lots the total value of the Gift as received by the named individual should be recorded. For example, where a manager of a team receives as a Gift a case of wine, they need to consider the total cost of the case of wine, even where they may break the case down into individual bottles and distribute these amongst their team;· M&G branded promotional items e.g. pens, notebooks or umbrellas or items of similar low value
(Promotional Gifts) do not need to be logged separately;
· No Gift or Hospitality should be given to any form of government official (elected or unelected) without pre-clearance from your Business Unit Head and FCPU;· M&G is prohibited from making political donations. You are prohibited from making political Gifts or donations on behalf of M&G; and unless you are a US citizen you may not make a political contribution to any US elected official, candidate for office, or political action committee. Please see the firms Pay to play policy at http://thesource.mandg.local/Sites/Teams/CentralRisk/Policies/Documents/MAGIM%20US%2 0Political%20Contributions%20Policy.pdf· If an Employee provides tickets to a Hospitality event, and the Employee is present when the tickets are used by a third party then this is Hospitality, not a Gift. If the Employee provides tickets only and does not attend, then this is a Gift; and· It is generally not permitted for an employee to make a charitable Gift on behalf of M&G. If in any circumstance you feel the giving of a charitable Gift by M&G to a charity you know to be favoured by a Client, Intermediary, Counterparty or Service Provider would be appropriate without causing a conflict of interest or if you otherwise intend to provide support to a charity in reliance upon M&G (e.g. through the provision via M&G of items to be used as raffle prizes or other promotional consideration) then you must receive pre-clearance from an M&G Limited Director and a designated member of the Compliance team. However, you should first check with the Charity and Community Relations Manager that M&G would wish to support the charity in question.
b) Approval Requirements for Gifts
The Approval requirements for Gifts depend upon:
-
The value of the Gift;
-
Whether the Gift is being given or received; and
-
The type of entity giving or receiving the Gift.
These are summarised in the tables below:
Gift Approval Requirements (Received)
19
| Up | to | and | Over £20 £50 | Over £50- £100 | Over 100 | ||||||||
| including £20 | |||||||||||||
| Does not need to | Recorded on a Gifts | Recorded on a Gifts & | No gifts | may be | |||||||||
| be approved or | & Hospitality | Form | Hospitality Form | and | received | above | |||||||
| recorded | and subject | to - | subject to approval by | this value, except | |||||||||
| approval via | the | your | Business | Unit | for tickets | for | |||||||
| local | line | Head | or | an | M&G | industry | |||||||
| management | BAU | Limited Director and | conferences, | ||||||||||
| process | and | by | the | M&G | Group | seminars, | award | ||||||
| Compliance | Compliance Director or | dinners | etc. | ||||||||||
| appropriate delegates | (where | the | |||||||||||
| participation is for | |||||||||||||
| genuine business | |||||||||||||
| purposes | and | ||||||||||||
| where appropriate | |||||||||||||
| enhances | the | ||||||||||||
| quality of service | |||||||||||||
| to clients.) | |||||||||||||
| Such gifts must be | |||||||||||||
| recorded | on a | ||||||||||||
| Gifts & Hospitality | |||||||||||||
| Form | (as | a | |||||||||||
| business event) | |||||||||||||
| and subject to pre- | |||||||||||||
| approval | by an | ||||||||||||
| M&G | Limited | ||||||||||||
| Director and the | |||||||||||||
| M&G | Group | ||||||||||||
| Compliance | |||||||||||||
| Director | or | ||||||||||||
| appropriate | |||||||||||||
| delegates | |||||||||||||
| Gift Approval Requirements (Given) | |||||||||||||
| Up | to | and | Over £20 £50 | Over £50 - £100 | Over 100 | ||||||||
| including £20 | |||||||||||||
| Does not need to | Recorded on a Gifts | Recorded on a Gifts & | No gifts | may be | |||||||||
| be approved or | & Hospitality | Form | Hospitality Form | and | given above this | ||||||||
| recorded | and subject to pre- | subject to pre-approval | value, except for | ||||||||||
| approval via | the | by an M&G Limited | tickets for industry | ||||||||||
| local | line | Director and the M&G | conferences, | ||||||||||
| management | BAU | Group | Compliance | seminars, | award | ||||||||
| process | and | by | Director or appropriate | dinners etc. (where | |||||||||
| Compliance | delegates | the participation is | |||||||||||
| for | genuine | ||||||||||||
| business | purposes | ||||||||||||
| and | where | ||||||||||||
| appropriate | |||||||||||||
| enhances the quality | |||||||||||||
| of service to clients.) | |||||||||||||
| Such gifts must be | |||||||||||||
| recorded on a Gifts | |||||||||||||
| & Hospitality Form | |||||||||||||
| (as a | business | ||||||||||||
| event) and subject | |||||||||||||
20
| to pre-approval by | ||||||
| an M&G Limited | ||||||
| Director and the | ||||||
| M&G | Group | |||||
| Compliance Director | ||||||
| or | appropriate | |||||
| delegates | ||||||
| NB: Gifts of a total value of more than £100 in aggregate must not be given to or received from | ||||||
| the same individual in a calendar year. | ||||||
| Gift Approvals Requirements by Entity Type | ||||||
| i) | Gifts to or from | Gifts to Clients are subject to stringent conflicts of | ||||
| Clients | interest and anti-bribery considerations. You must | |||||
| not give or accept a Gift which might put you or the | ||||||
| Client into a conflicted situation or which might be | ||||||
| regarded as a bribe. | ||||||
| For example, you must consider why the giving of a | ||||||
| Gift to the Trustee of a segregated fund that we | ||||||
| manage is demonstrably beneficial to M&G while | ||||||
| not causing a conflict of interest for that Trustee. | ||||||
| M&Gs rules on expenses and your departments | ||||||
| local procedures for the approval of customer - | ||||||
| related expenditure must also be followed in all | ||||||
| cases. | ||||||
| ii) | Gifts to or from | The same considerations and limits apply as for | ||||
| Intermediaries | Clients. | |||||
| and | However, in all cases where the Gift is not a | |||||
| Counterparties | Promotional Gift or is valued in excess of £20, the | |||||
| giving or receiving of the Gift must be designed to | ||||||
| demonstrably enhance the quality of service to | ||||||
| Clients, which must be documented on the Gifts & | ||||||
| Hospitality Form. | ||||||
| iii) | Gifts to or from | The same considerations and limits apply as for | ||||
| Service Providers | Clients. | |||||
| or | Other | However, in all cases where the Gift is not a | ||||
| Business | Promotional Gift or is valued in excess of £20 the | |||||
| Contacts | giving of the Gift must be designed to be | |||||
| demonstrably beneficial to our working relationship | ||||||
| with the Service Provider or | Other Business | |||||
| Contact, without giving rise to unmanageable | ||||||
| conflicts of interest. This must be documented on | ||||||
| the Gifts & Hospitality Form. | ||||||
| c) Hospitality | ||||||
| Hospitality provided by M&G above de minimis values set out in the table below must meet the | ||||||
| following requirements: | ||||||
| · | The required approvals are obtained in line with the limits set out below; | |||||
21
-
An M&G host must be present at all M&G - hosted Hospitality events;
-
The cost is reasonable and proportionate taking into account the location of the venue;
-
To ensure that the opportunity for genuine business dialogue to enhance the quality of service to Clients exists the following ratios of Employees to invitees must not be exceeded for Intermediaries and Counterparties:
-
Formal Dinner a minimum of one M&G Employee per 5 guests
-
Drinks or Buffet Reception a minimum of one M&G Employee per 20 guests
-
To ensure that the opportunity for genuine business dialogue that is beneficial to the proper working of our business relationship exists the following ratios of Employees to invitees must not be exceeded for Clients, Service Providers and Other Business Contacts:
-
Formal dinner a minimum of one M&G employee per 5 guests
-
Drinks or Buffet Reception a minimum of one M&G employee per 20 guests
-
The location of the venue must be appropriate for business discussions to take place or the type of event must permit business discussions to take place and for drinks and buffet receptions then the appropriateness must be documented in advance.
-
The cost of Hospitality must represent the actual cost paid or the estimated market value (whichever is the higher) not the face value of tickets of a sporting event or the like.
-
The instigator of a Hospitality event has responsibility for ensuring that the details are recorded and, where necessary, approval is received.
d) Hospitality Approval and Reporting Requirements
The Hospitality approval and recording requirements are as follows for all Relationship Types in 5.2
DEFINITIONS AND HIGH LEVEL REQUIREMENTS:
| Hospitality (given or received) Approval Requirements Per Head Costs including VAT and | ||||||||
| Service | ||||||||
| Type | Up to and including | Over £20 - £100 | Over £100 - £200 per | |||||
| £20 per head | per head | head | ||||||
| | Breakfasts/Coffees | Does not need to be | Will need to be | Will | need | to | be | |
| | Lunches | approved | or | recorded on the | recorded | on | the | |
| | Dinner | recorded | appropriate Gifts | appropriate Gifts | and | |||
| | Drinks receptions | and Hospitality | Hospitality | form | and | |||
| form and approved | approved via the local | |||||||
| via the local line | line management BAU | |||||||
| management BAU | process | and | by | |||||
| process | Compliance | |||||||
You should note that there are additional requirements set out below.
NB:
Hospitality should be pre-approved except in exceptional circumstances e.g. you attend a business meeting and at the meeting are invited to lunch
22
Where post event approval is sought and refused then the Employee must pay the cost from the
Employees personal resources.
Where Hospitality is given or received which is valued at over £200 per head then the balance must be paid from the Employees personal resources to the charity chosen at the beginning of each year by the Charity and Community Relations Manager. Payment will be made via the Charity and Community Relations Manager who will provide regular management information to the relevant compliance team.
In all cases local expense claim procedures must be followed.
Additional requirements apply depending on the type of Hospitality provided and Relationship Type:
| Additional Requirements applying to Hospitality and Relationship Types | |||||
| Simple Hospitality covers breakfasts, coffees, lunches, | |||||
| i) | Simple | dinners and drinks receptions held in-house or in a | |||
| Hospitality | restaurant, cafe bar etc. | ||||
| Simple Hospitality does not cover Hospitality preceding or | |||||
| following on from formal business meetings, which is dealt | |||||
| with below as Connected Hospitality, and it does not cover | |||||
| Events which are dealt with in 5.4 of this Section of the | |||||
| Code. | |||||
| The following additional requirements apply to Simple | |||||
| Hospitality given to or received from Clients, Intermediaries, | |||||
| Counterparties, Connected Parties, Service Providers and | |||||
| Other Business Contacts: | |||||
| Clients: The giving or receiving of | Hospitality must be | ||||
| demonstrably beneficial to our business relationship with the | |||||
| Client without causing a conflict of interest to either party; and | |||||
| Intermediaries and Counterparties: The giving or receiving of | |||||
| Hospitality must be designed to enhance the quality of service | |||||
| to M&Gs Clients. | |||||
| Connected Parties, Service Providers, and Other Business | |||||
| Contacts: | The giving or receiving of Hospitality must be | ||||
| beneficial to our business relationship without creating | |||||
| unmanageable conflicts of interest; | |||||
| ii) | Connected | The limit of 1 permitted Hospitality event per quarter does not | |||
| Hospitality | apply to Connected Hospitality provided that: | ||||
| There is clear link to a formal business meeting, conference, | |||||
| seminar or other training event | |||||
| It is provided in the same location or within reasonable | |||||
| distance of the business meeting, conference, seminar or | |||||
| training event | |||||
| Meets the Hospitality requirements | |||||
| iii) | Sports, | The following additional requirements apply to Hospitality in | |||
| concerts, | the form of sport, concerts, arts events and the like | ||||
| arts, events | depending on the Relationship Type: | ||||
| Intermediaries and Counterparties: If you are invited by an | |||||
23
| Additional Requirements applying to Hospitality and Relationship Types | |
| and the like | Intermediary or Counterparty then you must justify in writing |
| to your Line Manager why your attendance will demonstrably | |
| enhance the quality of service for Clients. Your justification | |
| must set out how this is the case without giving rise to | |
| unmanageable conflicts of interest taking into account the | |
| nature and location of the venue. Only if your Line Manager | |
| approves can you attend the event provided that M&G pays | |
| the true and full cost of your attendance upon receipt of an | |
| invoice. | |
| If the invitation is extended beyond M&G Employees then the | |
| event should be treated as a Gift for both you and the non- | |
| M&G Employee e.g. spouse, partner or Family member with | |
| the total amount subject to the Gift limits set out above. | |
| Clients, Service Providers or Other Business Contacts: If you | |
| are invited by a Client, Service Provider or Other Business | |
| Contact then you must justify in writing to your Line Manager | |
| why your attendance will be beneficial for the business | |
| relationship concerned. Your justification must set out how | |
| this is the case without giving rise to unmanageable conflicts | |
| of interest taking into account the nature and location of the | |
| venue. Only if your Line Manager approves can you attend | |
| the event. | |
| If the invitation is extended beyond M&G Employees then | |
| the event should be treated as a Gift in relation to the | |
| spouse, partner or Family member and may be paid for by | |
| M&G if there is Line Manager approval. | |
| The above applies when you are attending as an Employee. | |
| If an Employee is attending in a purely social capacity then | |
| the cost must be paid from the Employees personal | |
| resources. | |
| The same rules apply if you host such an event. | |
24
5.4 ATTENDANCE AT SEMINARS, CONFERENCES AND TRAINING EVENTS (events) PROVIDED BY
OR TO M&G AND RELATED HOSPITALITY AND GIFTS
This section of the Code describes the requirements as regards travel, accommodation and other costs associated with events and is applicable to:
| i) |
events organised for or by Clients; |
| ii) |
events organised for or by Intermediaries; and |
| iii) |
events organised for or by Counterparties, Service Providers or Other Business Contacts. |
| a) |
General Requirements for Employees |
|
|
When considering hosting an event (especially a Hospitality event) in a country other than one in which a Client, Intermediary, Counterparty or Service Provider resides the Employee must ensure that it can be provided in line with the Hospitality approval limits in 5.3 Gifts and Hospitality. Any proposal to do so must be discussed with Compliance before any arrangements are made. |
||
|
Travel, accommodation and expenses for days without a definite work agenda and which may not be beneficial for the working of the business relationship must be paid for by the M&G Employee out of his own resources and may not be paid for by M&G. It is understood that it can be difficult to calculate an exact split of costs between business and non-business activity. Employees must ensure that they can demonstrate that they have considered this requirement and have used best endeavours to ensure they do not receive Hospitality that is not related to business activity. |
||
|
For example: if an Employee attends a day long business event organised by a Client, which is followed by a second day of social activity, such as Golf, where there is no planned business agenda for discussions which will benefit M&G or its Clients then the cost of the second day must be borne by the Employee. If however, it can be demonstrated that the second day provides benefit to M&G in the proper working of the business relationship with the Client, then M&G may pay the cost. This would still be classed as Simple Hospitality and need to follow both the limits on cost and take place no more than once per quarter. |
||
|
In cases where Hospitality has been received by an M&G Employee that would not be allowable under this Policy, the Employee must repay the provider. |
||
|
Employees can organise their travel arrangements so that, for example, they travel home from a business conference on a Sunday rather than a Friday, in order to spend the weekend in the location of the conference provided that this is not at any additional cost to M&G for the travel arrangements and this is approved by the Employees Line Manager. However, a comparison between the expected cost of the travel arrangements and the actual travel costs must be undertaken and any additional costs (in relation to flights, accommodation etc.) must be met by the Employee. |
||
|
Travel |
||
For Events organised by M&G, M&G may pay travel expenses as follows:
-
For Clients visiting London who live outside of the M25
-
For Clients visiting Singapore who do not reside in Singapore
-
For journeys of more than 1 hour from a Clients place of work to an Infrastructure or Real Estate
Asset or other assets agreed with Compliance. -
M&G will pay for travel in a manner consistent with the M&G Travel Policy
-
The cost of a taxi from the appropriate public transport location to the London or Singapore office or Real Estate or infrastructure location
-
On the receipt of an invoice for any of the above
-
M&G will not pay any toll or enforcement tickets
25
The level of Hospitality, accommodation and travel expenditure must not be such that it could be regarded as able to influence the Client or likely result in the Client acting improperly in relation to its dealings with M&G.
c) Accommodation
For Events organised by M&G, M&G may pay accommodation costs where:
-
The client is visiting M&Gs Head Office in London or Singapore from another country;
-
A training event or conference requires an overnight stay.
The following conditions apply:
-
M&G will not pay accommodation costs for a London based event for anyone living within the M25 or for a non-London based event, to anyone living less than 1 hour from the venue;
-
A standard room only is taken, including incidentals costs up to £20 i.e. water from the mini-bar;
-
Where agreed in advance and on receipt of an invoice; and
M&G may organise a hotel for overnight accommodation for and negotiate a preferential pricing rate which is the price that we record for Reporting purposes.
d) Events
Investment Seminars and Conferences
M&G or Employees may arrange or attend investment seminars, conferences and training events. M&G staff arranging such seminars and conferences must ensure that the Gift and Hospitality limits in Parts 1 and 2 are met. No Hospitality or Gifts should be provided which if offered to Employees would need to be refused under the terms of the Code. Any queries should be referred to your relevant Compliance team.
The table below sets out the requirements relating to attendance at events by Relationship Type. NB: Specific requirements relate to participation/contribution to Seminars and Conferences which are dealt with separately below.
| Requirements relating to Attendance at Investment Seminars and Conferences by | ||
| Relationship Type | ||
| i) Events | Events organised by M&G: | |
| organised for | When Clients attend such events the Gift and Hospitality limits | |
| or by Clients | set out in Parts 1 and 2 apply in terms of pre-clearance and | |
| reporting. | ||
| The events should be designed to give demonstrable benefit to | ||
| the working of our business relationship without creating | ||
| unmanageable conflicts of interest. | ||
| Where Clients are travelling to visit infrastructure or real estate | ||
| assets or other assets agreed between the business and | ||
| Compliance which may be situated outside the country where | ||
| the Client is based, (or to local M&G Real Estate offices as part | ||
26
| Requirements relating to Attendance at Investment Seminars and Conferences by | |||
| Relationship Type | |||
| of such visits) M&G may pay travel expenses as set out above. | |||
| Where Clients are travelling to our London or Singapore | |||
| Regional Head Offices and the Client is not located within | |||
| London or Singapore, M&G may pay travel expenses. | |||
| M&G pays travel expenses and provides in-house lunches for | |||
| the attendance of the Board members of the M&G High Income | |||
| Investment Trust plc and members of the Boards of Charibond | |||
| and NAACIF and the advisory committee of Charifund. It may | |||
| also pay such expenses and provide in-house lunches for the | |||
| advisory committees of other funds it manages. | |||
| The level of Hospitality, accommodation and travel expenditure | |||
| must not be such that it could be regarded as able to influence | |||
| the Client or likely result in the Client acting improperly in | |||
| relation to its dealings with M&G. | |||
| Events organised by Clients: | |||
| Where Employees attend such events then the Gifts and | |||
| Hospitality limits set out in Parts 1 and 2 apply. | |||
| The cost of travel and accommodation must be paid for by | |||
| M&G | |||
| Attendance must be able to demonstrably enhance the quality | |||
| of service to the Client and our business relationship. | |||
| ii) Events | Events organised by Intermediaries: | ||
| organised for | |||
| or | by | The cost of travel and accommodation must be paid for by | |
| Intermediarie | M&G. | ||
| s | Events organised by M&G: | ||
| M&G may pay travel and accommodation expenses to | |||
| Intermediaries as set out in 5.4 (b) and (c). | |||
| iii) Events | Employee attendance at conferences, forums, seminars and | ||
| organised by | research trips (including travel) | ||
| Counterpartie | This section relates to conferences, forums, seminars and | ||
| s or Service | research trips organised by Counterparties or Service | ||
| Providers or | Providers or Other Business Contacts and attended by M&G | ||
| Other | Employees. | ||
| Business | You are permitted to attend these events on the basis that the | ||
| Contacts | event has a definite work agenda i.e. the majority of the day | ||
| will be spent on work related activities and meetings, which | |||
| in turn enhance the quality of service to Clients. | |||
| The cost of travel and accommodation must be paid for by | |||
| M&G. | |||
| Any Hospitality provided above £20 per head must be | |||
| recorded. For example, M&G invest in Company A which has | |||
| global mining interests. As part of a research trip to Company | |||
| As overseas operations an M&G employee may receive basic | |||
| Hospitality during a working day, but should record an evening | |||
| dinner as Connected Hospitality. | |||
27
Requirements relating to Attendance at Investment Seminars and Conferences by Relationship Type
Tickets to such events received from Third parties do not constitute gifts
Sponsored Corporate Hospitality Events
M&G may provide Corporate Sponsorship and Branding to events such as the Chelsea Flower Show. All Hospitality or Gifts provided in association with the sponsored event must meet the requirements as set out in
5.2 DEFINITIONS AND HIGH LEVEL REQUIREMENTS and the Hospitality Reporting and Approvals in 5.3 Gifts and Hospitality or such other requirements as are set by the M&G Limited Board.
Where the Sponsorship package provides M&G with access to the Sponsored event for example, a number of tickets to an Art exhibition are included in the package, the provision of these tickets will either be a Gift, where an M&G Employee or Employees in the ratios set our above will not be present when the tickets are used, or must meet the Hospitality requirements where an Employee will be using the tickets to host a Client, Intermediary, Counterparty or Other Business Contact.
In both scenarios, the requirements in Section 5.2 and 5.3 must be met.
Distribution Agreements
A Distribution Agreement is an arrangement whereby M&G will agree with a third party firm to provide a range of services for a fee. The services provided and how they should be treated will fall into one of the descriptions in the table below and each element of the Distribution Agreement needs to be assessed under the relevant criteria for that component.
M&G will not normally agree Distribution Agreements in respect of retail investment products greater than one year in duration to minimise conflicts of interest.
The detailed requirements below do not generally apply to activities conducted which do not relate to retail investment products, but for the avoidance of doubt individuals involved in participating in and/or organising such activities are required to have consideration to the general requirements of this policy (particularly the guidance related to Seminars and Events above) and of M&Gs Conflicts of Interest Policy.
| Requirements relating to Distribution Agreement Components | ||
| Accommodation | M&G may pay accommodation costs where: | |
| · | The client is visiting M&Gs Head Office in London or | |
| Singapore from another country; | ||
| · | Where a training event or conference requires an overnight | |
| stay, M&G will not pay accommodation costs for a London | ||
| based event for anyone living within the M25 or for a non- | ||
| London based event, to anyone living less than 1 hour from | ||
| the venue; | ||
| · | A standard room only is taken, including incidentals costs up | |
| to £20 i.e water from the mini-bar; | ||
| · | Where agreed in advance and on receipt of an invoice; and | |
| · | M&G may organise a hotel for overnight accommodation for | |
| and negotiate a preferential pricing rate which is the price that | ||
28
| we record for Reporting purposes. | ||
| Training | Training on M&Gs products and on generic business issues may | |
| be provided if it meets the requirements in relation to client benefit | ||
| or business benefit set out in this policy. | ||
| Hospitality during the training event may be provided and does | ||
| not need to be recorded where this is regarded as sustenance or | ||
| is below the £20 per head Hospitality limit in 5.3 Gifts and | ||
| Hospitality. | ||
| However, any Connected Hospitality will need to meet the | ||
| Hospitality Approval Limits in 5.3 Gifts and Hospitality. | ||
| Where M&G is invited to provide training at a venue hosted by a | ||
| third party, M&G may contribute to the costs of hosting the event | ||
| provided such contribution is reasonable and in proportion to | ||
| M&Gs active participation in the event. Payment must be made | ||
| only against an authorised invoice following the event. | ||
| M&G should be prepared to provide training to all Intermediaries | ||
| rather than limiting it to a selection. This can be achieved by | ||
| making appropriate presentations and other training material | ||
| available on the M&G website or via iView. | ||
| Participation | and | M&G or Employees may participate at a Seminar or Conference |
| contribution | to | where the participation is for genuine business purposes and |
| Seminars | and | enhances the quality of service to clients. |
| Conferences | ||
| Where an element of a seminar is classed as training, then this is | ||
| dealt with as per the section on Training above and paid at cost. | ||
| For all other elements of a seminar or conference which are not | ||
| classed as training, M&G are able to pay, at market rates, a | ||
| proportionate contribution based on M&Gs active participation at | ||
| the Seminar or Conference. However, M&G must be able to | ||
| demonstrate that such a contribution would not create potential | ||
| conflicts of interest or impair the organising firms duty to act in | ||
| the best interests of its clients. | ||
| Such contributions should be based on the overall cost of the | ||
| event to the organising firm, the time M&G spends | ||
| participating/presenting at the event and the number of people | ||
| from the organising firm attending the event. | ||
| Costs should cover a portion only of the overall costs incurred by | ||
| the firm organising the Seminar or Conference and if the | ||
| organising firm is an Intermediary they are to pay the significant | ||
| majority of the cost. | ||
| In circumstances where it is not possible to determine the above | ||
| then payment should not be made. | ||
| Promotional | M&G may provide other M&G promotional support, which is | |
| Support | neither training nor marketing assistance to be used at a seminar | |
| or conference. For Example, an M&G branded entrance banner. | ||
29
| M&G may pay at market rate. | ||
| Marketing | M&G may provide supplying draft articles, news items and | |
| Assistance | financial promotions for publication in another firms magazine, | |
| only if in each case any costs paid by the product provider for | ||
| placing the articles and financial promotions are not more than | ||
| market rate, and exclude distribution costs. | ||
| Prize Draws | and | Prizes Draws and Competition prizes can be provided where the |
| Competitions | value of the Prize is within the Gift Limits, the prize is reported as | |
| a Gift and there are clearly defined criteria as to how the prize can | ||
| be won, ensuring that all entrants have an equal chance of | ||
| winning. | ||
| A promotional prize does not need to be M&G related, for | ||
| example a Red Letter Day experience is permissible, however it | ||
| must not have the potential to improperly influence the recipient in | ||
| its dealings with M&G. | ||
30
5.5 CONTROLS
Individuals responsibilities
Individuals are responsible for:
-
Having read, understood and confirmed their understanding of this Code via the Quarterly Code of Ethics declaration; and
-
Ensuring they act in accordance with the Policy at all times.
The name of the person from whom an Employee is receiving, or to whom an Employee is giving, a Gift or Hospitality must be recorded not just the name of the firm.
Business Unit Heads responsibilities
Business Unit Heads are responsible for the adherence by their Business Unit to this Code. They need to ensure that through the receipt of relevant MI they are:
-
Ensuring that processes are operating correctly and that controls are effective;
-
Aware of the activities being undertaken;
-
Analysing the aggregate expenditure on all Gifts and Hospitality across their Business Unit; and
-
Raising any concerns with the relevant Employee, Line Manager and Compliance.
Line Managers responsibilities
Prior to approving a Gift or Hospitality, Line Managers should review the Gifts and Hospitality form request taking the following points into account:
-
Has the Employee clearly justified that the hospitality will be reasonably capable of being able to enhance the quality of service to the client or that it benefits the working relationship between M&G and the firm without creating unmanageable conflicts of interest? This justification should include the rationale for the event, an assessment of end customer benefit or M&G working relationship benefit, attendee selection criteria and an assessment of the cost of the hospitality in line with limits set out in this policy;
-
Whether acceptance or provision of the Gift or Hospitality presents a perceived or actual conflict of interest (as described in this policy and in the M&G Group Conflicts Policy);
-
The frequency of Gifts and Hospitality accepted or provided by the employee from or to the third party concerned in a given period;
-
The frequency of Gifts and Hospitality offered to or by the Client, Intermediary, Counterparty or Service Provider or Other Business Contact in a given period; and
-
Consistency with other line managers, particularly in regard to group events and whether annual leave was used to attend.
Where it is unclear whether or not it is appropriate to approve Gifts or Hospitality the Line Manager should consult with Senior Management. Any decisions made should be documented so that an audit trail is available and consistency can be achieved when similar questions are asked later.
Compliance responsibilities
Compliance is responsible for:
-
Ensuring the approval process has been followed;
-
Checking that the reported value of Gifts/Hospitality given and received meets the limits set;
-
Compliance will carefully review gifts and entertainment received by portfolio managers, analysts, and
31
traders for US registered funds due to recent SEC guidance on the receipt of gifts and entertainment
in connection with the placing of trades for the funds. This scrutiny will apply to gifts and entertainment received from brokers and dealers, whether they do business with the M&G advised US funds or hope to do so.
-
Reviewing the cumulative value and frequency of all Gifts and Hospitality in relation both to M&G Employees and those giving or receiving Gifts and Hospitality to or from M&G; and
-
Providing MI to Boards and their committees as required
Failure to comply
Failure to act in accordance with the Code of Ethics will be regarded as a serious matter and could in certain circumstances result in disciplinary action, including dismissal.
If at any time you realise you have not complied with the requirements of the Code, you should immediately contact Asset Management Compliance or the Retail or M&G Real Estate Compliance teams as appropriate. If you observe another persons behaviour which is not compliant with the Code you must report this. You may choose to report to your Compliance team or in confidence directly to the Compliance Director.
Reporting
Gifts or Hospitality given or received should be reported via the Gifts and Hospitality System within 5 days of the event taking place.
Gifts or Hospitality which are refused because they are considered inappropriate, and/or excessive (e.g. in terms of value and/or frequency), must be reported to Compliance via the Gifts and Hospitality System within 5 days of the event taking place.
Record keeping
M&G is required to retain records of all reportable Gifts and Hospitality provided to third parties. Thus records of all benefits provided to third parties including entertaining, training, travelling and accommodation costs etc. will be retained for a period of seven years. This will normally be satisfied by the proper completion of the monthly expense returns (or appropriate Salesforce record for M&G Retail Sales Teams) or, when an event is organised by the Events Team, by having a full record of attendees and costs. The Gifts and Hospitality form (or Salesforce record for M&G Retail Sales) must be completed and will be retained for at least seven years.
Payments to the M&G approved charity where the maximum Hospitality value has been exceeded or non- approved Hospitality has been refused must be paid within 5 days of the event taking place
Exceptions and amendments to the policy
Exceptions and amendments to the policy may be granted by the Compliance Director. These must be reported to the Board at the next available meeting.
32
6. ADMINISTRATION
6.1 Controls
M&Gs Chief Compliance Officer will arrange for an annual review of this Code to determine that it remains relevant and has been adhered to in the preceding twelve months, and make any recommendations for improvement.
The Chief Compliance Officer will ensure that the Code is subject to proper version control and maintain records to show the issue of new versions to all affected Employees.
6.2 Records
Asset Management Compliance will maintain, on a secure computer file, in accordance with the M&G Information Security Policy, sufficient details of all personal account dealing transactions. Personal Investment Reporting and any other associated documentation provided with these returns will be held in a secure cabinet with access restricted to members of Asset Management Compliance.
A copy of the Code, a record of any violations of the Code, a record of all persons currently or within the past seven years who are or were required to make reports, a copy of each report provided to a fund board of directors, and a record of any decisions to approve the acquisition by investment personnel of IPOs and limited offerings will be maintained.
Records will be securely stored and maintained for a period of seven years, after which time they will be destroyed via a high security certified document destruction company. Records will be maintained in an easily accessible place.
Gifts and Hospitality forms will likewise be securely maintained but by the relevant Compliance Team (Asset Management, Retail, M&G Real Estate and PruCap).
6.3 MI
Management Information in respect of the Code will be supplied to each BU head and to the following Boards and Committees:
- Investment management Committee
- Fixed Income Management Board
- Investment Management Committee
33
| Table 1 Financial instruments and their reporting requirements | ||
| Item | Action | |
| Before dealing | After dealing | |
| 1. Pensions (including SIPPs, FURBs, | Dependent on underlying investments follow appropriate line below. | |
| AVCs, FSAVCs etc.) holding securities | ||
| look through to underlying security. See | ||
| also 4, 5, 6 and 9D for pensions holding | ||
| funds. | ||
| 2. Tax wrappers i.e. PEPs, ISAs, JISAs, | ||
| Child Trust Funds (CTFs), holding | ||
| securities look through to underlying | ||
| security. | ||
| 3. Securities Any Securities (including | Submit a pre- | Enter your post clearance information |
| Equities or Bonds) whether Private, Public | clearance request | onto the PTA System. |
| or Unlisted (and any derivatives thereof), | using the PTA System | |
| (other than individually described in the | and receive approval. | Attach your contract note to the pre- |
| table below), e.g. common equity shares, | clearance request. | |
| preference shares, ETFs, Government | ||
| bonds (and any derivatives thereof), | ||
| corporate bonds, warrants and investment | ||
| trusts. | ||
| For VCT and EIS see item 8, below. | ||
| Shares arising from the Prudential | ||
| Savings Related Share Option Scheme | ||
| (SAYE), SIP, SharePlus, and other share | ||
| based incentive schemes must be | ||
| reported as an initial holding or | ||
| adjustment as soon as the shares are | ||
| registered in the individual employees | ||
| name. Any sales of shares from such | ||
| schemes must be pre-cleared. Any | ||
| decision to take cash instead of shares as | ||
| a result of a Prudential deferred bonus | ||
| plan must also be pre-cleared. Sales | ||
| simply to cover tax liabilities in respect of | ||
| shares received need not be pre-cleared. | ||
| 4. Transactions and holdings in M&G | Nothing | Enter details of new (or existing) holdings |
| Funds NOT through or held in the M&G | as an Initial Holding. | |
| direct book DO need to be reported. | ||
| 5. UK Authorised Unit Trusts and OEICS | Thereafter, any purchases or sales should | |
| where Prudential or any of its affiliates | be referenced using the adjustment | |
| are not involved in the management of | function. | |
| the fund. | ||
| This only applies to Equity Dealers and | ||
| US Client Managers. (For everyone | ||
| else, no reporting necessary, see 10B.) | ||
| 6. Unit Trusts, OEICs (including M&G | ||
| Offshore Funds), SICAVs, etc. which | ||
| are not UK authorised. | ||
| 7. Commodity derivatives (exchange | ||
| traded or OTC), exchange traded | ||
| currency derivatives and Index Trades | ||
| (i.e. Index ETF, Index Exchange Trades | ||
| Commodities). | ||
34
| Item | Action | |
| Before dealing | After dealing | |
| 8. Purchases of new shares as part of an | Nothing | Add as an Initial Holding in the PTA System. |
| IPO, including those relating to VCTs and | ||
| EIS. | Pre-clearance must be obtained to sell. | |
| Sales are treated as sales of equities (See | ||
| For secondary market trades, see item 3, | item 3). | |
| above. | ||
| 9A. The acceptance of an offer to | Nothing | Update your holdings on the PTA System |
| subscribe for securities under a rights | using the adjustment function promptly and | |
| issue or a scrip issue on an existing | no later than the end of each quarter. | |
| holding. | ||
| Please note if you choose to update this at | ||
| 9B. The disposal of such rights in nil-paid | the end of the quarter, you must enter every | |
| form. | adjustment as a separate transaction. | |
| 9C. The acceptance of a take-over offer. | You must NOT aggregate the amount and | |
| 9D. Purchases or sales which are | make a single adjustment. | |
| automatic in nature, including automatic | Pre-clearance must be obtained to sell. | |
| investment plans, regular savings plans | Sales are treated as sales of equities (See | |
| (including regular investments in the | item 3). | |
| Prudential SIP or SharePlus Plan) and | ||
| buy-outs. | ||
| 9E. Part of an automatic dividend or tax | ||
| reclaim reinvestment plan including the | ||
| setting up of such a plan. | ||
| 9F. Tender Offers the acceptance of a | ||
| tender offer in which all existing | ||
| shareholders are treated equally. | ||
| 10A. Contributions by salary deductions | Nothing | Nothing |
| to the staff pension schemes of either | ||
| Prudential or M&G and any contribution | ||
| to your AVC accounts to either of these | ||
| schemes. | ||
| 10B. UK Authorised Unit Trusts and UK | ||
| Authorised OEICS where Prudential or | ||
| any of its affiliates is not involved in the | ||
| management of the fund, and the fund is | ||
| forward rather than historically priced. | ||
| NB: This exemption does not apply to | ||
| Equity Dealers and Fund Managers of US | ||
| based funds see section 3.5 of the | ||
| Code. | ||
| 10C. Unit-Linked funds (including those | ||
| within pensions) invested solely in UK | ||
| Authorised Unit Trusts and UK Authorised | ||
| OEICS (i.e. 10B). | ||
| 10D. Transactions and holdings in | ||
| M&G UK Funds through or held in | ||
| the M&G direct book do not need | ||
| to be reported. | ||
| 10E. Cash ISAs. | ||
35
| Item | Action | |
| Before dealing | After dealing | |
| 10F. Bankers acceptances, bank | Nothing | Nothing |
| certificates of deposit, commercial paper | ||
| and high quality short-term debt | ||
| instruments, including repurchase | ||
| agreements. | ||
| 10G. Any holdings or transactions held | ||
| within (an) account(s) over which you | ||
| have no direct or indirect influence or | ||
| control | ||
| i.e. purely discretionary managed | ||
| account. However, the account | ||
| itself is reportable. | ||
| 10H. M&G LTIP. | ||
| 10I. With profits endowment policies. | ||
| 10J. Prudence bond, or equivalent with | ||
| profits product. | ||
| 10K. Any product issued by the National | ||
| Savings and Investments. | ||
| 10L. Child bonds, but note CTFs are | ||
| covered under item 2. | ||
| 10M. Prudential Savings Related Share | ||
| Option Scheme (SAYE) until you exercise | ||
| your option (thereafter treat as equities). | ||
| 10N. Spread betting on non-financials, | ||
| for example cricket. | ||
| NB Spread betting on Financial Instruments is strictly prohibited | ||
36
PA Dealing Quick Reference Guide
| Transactions | What do I do on the PTA System? |
| Acceptance of takeover offer | Adjustment |
| Automatic Dividend Re- | Adjustment |
| Investment | |
| Automatic investment plans | Adjustment |
| Cash ISA | Nothing |
| NS&I Children Bonds | Nothing |
| Child Trust Funds | Depends what is held in it see list |
| Commodity Derivative | Initial Holding |
| Corporate bonds | Pre-clear, Post Clear, upload contract note |
| Discretionary Account | Account details are reportable |
| Discretionary Account holdings and | Nothing |
| transactions | |
| EIS when buying in a primary market | Initial Holding |
| EIS when trading in a secondary | Pre-clear, Post Clear, upload contract note |
| market | |
| Equity | Pre-clear, Post Clear, upload contract note, unless IPO (see |
| below) | |
| ETF other than index linked (see | Pre-clear, Post Clear, upload contract note |
| below) | |
| ETF Index linked | Initial Holding or adjustment if already an existing holding |
| Exchange traded currency | Nothing |
| derivative | |
| Financial Spread Betting | Strictly Prohibited |
| Government Bonds | Pre-clear, Post Clear, upload contract note |
| Index Trades | Initial Holding or adjustment if already an existing holding |
| Investment Trust | Pre-clear, Post Clear, upload contract note |
| IPO (buy) | Initial Holding |
| IPO (sell) | Pre-clear, Post Clear, upload contract note |
| Private offerings | Pre-clear, Post Clear, upload contract note |
| M&G Funds held directly with M&G | Nothing |
| M&G Funds not held directly with M&G | Initial Holding, or adjustment |
| M&G LTIP | Nothing |
| Regular Savings Plans | Adjustment |
| Rights Issue/Scrip on existing | Adjustment |
| holding | |
| Prudential Savings Related Share | Initial Holding, or adjustment |
| Option Scheme (SAYE) when you | |
| exercise option to hold shares, or | When selling; Pre-clear, Post Clear, upload contract note |
| prior to selling shares | |
| Prudential SIP/SharePlus Plan | Initial Holding, or adjustment |
| When selling; Pre-clear, Post Clear, upload contract note | |
| Sport Spread Betting | Nothing |
| Staff Pension Scheme salary | Nothing |
| deductions | |
| UK Authorised Unit Trust/UK | Nothing, unless you are an Equity Dealer or U.S. Client Manager |
| Authorised OEICS | |
| Non UK Authorised Unit Trusts/ | Initial Holding or adjustment if already an existing holding |
| OEICS/SICAVs | |
| VCT when buying in a primary market | Initial Holding |
| VCT when trading in a secondary | Pre-clear, Post Clear, upload contract note |
| market | |
| With Profits endowment Policies | Nothing |
Please contact the Asset Management Compliance team by emailing [email protected] for more help.
37
Appendix 1:
Federal Securities Laws
The following are considered to be the Federal Securities Laws:
Securities Act of 1933
Often referred to as the truth in securities law, the Securities Act of 1933 has two basic objectives:
Require that investors receive financial and other significant information concerning securities being offered for public sale; and Prohibit deceit, misrepresentations, and other fraud in the sale of securities.
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
With this Act, Congress created the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Act empowers the SEC with broad authority over all aspects of the securities industry. This includes the power to register, regulate, and oversee brokerage firms, transfer agents, and clearing agencies as well as the nations securities self-regulatory organisations (SROs). The various stock exchanges, such as the New York Stock Exchange, and American Stock Exchange are SROs. The National Association of Securities Dealers, which operates the NASDAQ system, is also an SRO.
The Act also identifies and prohibits certain types of conduct in the markets and provides the Commission with disciplinary powers over regulated entities and persons associated with them.
The Act also empowers the SEC to require periodic reporting of information by companies with publicly traded securities.
Trust Indenture Act of 1939
This Act applies to debt securities such as bonds, debentures, and notes that are offered for public sale. Even though such securities may be registered under the Securities Act, they may not be offered for sale to the public unless a formal agreement between the issuer of bonds and the bondholder, known as the trust indenture, conforms to the standards of this Act.
Investment Company Act of 1940
This Act regulates the organisation of companies, including mutual funds, that engage primarily in investing, reinvesting, and trading in securities, and whose own securities are offered to the investing public. The regulation is designed to minimise conflicts of interest that arise in these complex operations. The Act requires these companies to disclose their financial condition and investment policies to investors wh en stock is initially sold and, subsequently, on a regular basis. The focus of this Act is on disclosure to the investing public of information about the fund and its investment objectives, as well as on investment company structure and operations. It is important to remember that the Act does not permit the SEC to directly supervise the investment decisions or activities of these companies or judge the merits of their investments.
Investment Advisers Act of 1940
This law regulates investment advisers. With certain exceptions, this Act requires that firms or sole practitioners compensated for advising others about securities investments must register with the SEC and conform to regulations designed to protect investors. Since the Act was amended in 2010, generally only advisers who have at least $100 million of assets under management or advise a registered investment company must register with the Commission.
38
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
On July 30, 2002, President Bush signed into law the Sarbanes -Oxley Act of 2002, which he characterized as
the most far reaching reforms of American business practices since the time of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
The Act mandated a number of reforms to enhance corporate responsibility, enhance financial disclosures and combat corporate and accounting fraud, and created the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, also known as the PCAOB, to oversee the activities of the auditing profession.
39
| Appendix 2: | |
| Personal Association Form | |
| This form must be completed in full for each reportable Personal Association you have or wish to enter into. | |
| This section to be completed by person declaring Personal Association: | |
| Name of Person declaring Personal Association | Department |
| Position | Telephone |
| Details of the Personal Association and when it commences / is expected to commence | |
| I confirm that the Personal Association detailed above will not influence my behaviours in ensuring that the | |
| interests of M&G and its clients are not compromised. | |
| Signed by person declaring the Personal Association | Date |
| 2. This section to be completed by Business Unit Risk Coordinator (for M&G Real Estate, to be | |
| completed by Real Estate Compliance): | |
| Name of Risk Coordinator | Department |
| Position | Telephone |
| Risk Assessment: Provide details of risks arising from this Personal Association (if none, please explain why) | |
| Risk Mitigation: Provide details of how these risks are mitigated within your Business Unit | |
| Signed by Risk Coordinator | Date |
| 3. This section to be completed by Business Unit Head: | |
| Name of reviewing and approving Business Unit Head | Department |
| Signed by Business Unit Head | Date |
| Please submit the approved copy to Asset Management Compliance. | |
| For M&G Real Estate personnel, original copy will be retained by Real Estate Compliance. | |
40
| Version Control | |||
| Version | Owner | Detail of Change | Date |
| Number | |||
| 2008/01 | AJA | A Draft for circulation to the M&G Board | 26.09.08 |
| 2008/02 | AJA | Updated for comments, version for Training development | 21.10.08 |
| Updated to include further comments from Asset Management | 17.12.08 | ||
| Compliance (Anthony Ashplant, Claire Higgins and Tom Spender). To be | |||
| circulated to MAGIM Board for | |||
| 2008/03 | AJA | final Review and approval. | |
| 2009/01 | AJA | Final version for review by Board 13.02. | 13.02.09 |
| 2009/02 | LE | Final version updated for typos etc. | 16.03.09 |
| 2009/03 | LE | Changes made to Gifts form, Table 2, RFPTD form etc. | 23.06.09 |
| 2009/04 | LE | Numbering put back in. Changed date to 1 July 09 | 09 29.06 |
| Page 16 CEO instead of Director. Amendments to Table 2 Appendix E | 15.09.09 | ||
| 2009/05 | SC | changed | |
| 2010/01 | SC | Changes made to pages 7, 8, 15 and 26 | 10.03.10 |
| 2010/02 | SC | Changes made to pages 7 and 30 | |
| 2010/03 | SC | Changes made to cover and page 25 | |
| 2011/01 | JH | Page 6 Change to Access Person Definition | March 2011 |
| Page 20 Table 2 Section 2 and 3 changed for New Fetter Lane | March 2011 | ||
| JH | employees | ||
| JH | Page 25 Approving Signatures changed on Appendix B | March 2011 | |
| 2011/02 | LK | Page 5 Changes to Section 1.2 and 1.3 | July 2011 |
| Page 6 Changes to Section 1.5 July 2011 | July 2011 | ||
| Page 9 Changes to supervised person wording July 2011 Page 15 | July 2011 | ||
| Footnote added July 2011 | July 2011 | ||
| Page 16 Gifts and Benefit guidance changed July 2011 Page 22 | July 2011 | ||
| Changes to Section 7.2 wording July 2011 Page 27 and 28 | July 2011 | ||
| Changes to Appendix B form July 2011 | July 2011 | ||
| Page 33 Changes to Appendix F form July 2011 | July 2011 | ||
| 2012/01 | LK | Page 6 Grammar amendment | August 2012 |
| Page 6 Paragraph added to 1.4 Confirmation of | |||
| Understanding | August 2012 | ||
| Page 28 Broker details added to Appendix C | August 2012 | ||
| Page 29 Appendix D amended to reflect SEC Rule 204A-1, and to | |||
| reference table 1 | August 2012 | ||
| Page 33 Version control amended to accurately reflect | |||
| page references | August 2012 | ||
| December | |||
| 2012/02 | LK | Page 9 2.3 section I updated | 2012 |
| December | |||
| Page 13 4.4 Personal Association wording clarified Page 17 New | 2012 | ||
| section added at 5.10 to confirm how to report gifts/hospitality | December | ||
| Page 20 6.2 new paragraph added around document filing and | 2012 | ||
| destruction thereafter | December | ||
| 2012 | |||
| 2013/03 | LK | Page 1 Change of version on front cover Page 10 | April 2013 |
| new restriction to PA dealing | April 2013 | ||
| Page 13 New rule added to personal association | |||
| declarations | April 2013 | ||
| Page 15 New text added to gifts & hospitality declarations Page 21 | April 2013 | ||
| Reporting requirements for SIP added to Table 1 | April 2013 | ||
41
| Version | Owner | Detail of Change | Date | |
| Number | ||||
| Page 24 Amendments made to instructions on Appendix B | April 2013 | |||
| Page 26 Updates and re-wording to Appendix C | April 2013 | |||
| Page 30 Appendix F revamped. | April 2013 | |||
| 2013/05 | LK | - | Separate Code of Ethics and appendices for ease of | |
| management | ||||
| - | Changes to Section 5 Gifts & Hospitality to consider | |||
| changes in COBS, brought in as a result of implementing | June 2013 | |||
| RDR, along with the Changes in the Retail Inducements sign- | June 2013 | |||
| off process as a result of the FSA Dear CEO letter on | ||||
| Inducements | ||||
| - | Update Aggregate Value Exemption to £11,520 | |||
| - | Removal of Request for Broker Details on Appendix C | June 2013 | ||
| - | Footnote on Appendix D replaced for clarification | June 2013 | ||
| - | Text updated on Appendix F in order to tighten reporting | June 2013 | ||
| rules. | June 2013 | |||
| 2013/05 | MD | - | References to FSA updated to FCA | |
| - | References to PRUPIM updates to M&G Real Estate | |||
| - | Reference to PRUPIM Compliance Director in section 1.3 | August 2013 | ||
| updated to M&G Real Estate Risk Management & | August 2013 | |||
| Compliance Director | ||||
| - | Slight amendment to reporting requirements at Table 1, | August 2013 | ||
| section 4 | August 2013 | |||
| 2013/06 | NW | September | ||
| - | References to MAGIM Compliance updated to Asset | 2013 | ||
| Management Compliance | ||||
| - | Section 1.5 Added new policy which M&G staff must be | September | ||
| aware of and comply with The M&G Group AML/CFT | 2013 | |||
| Policy | ||||
| - | Change to section 3.1 Applies to all employees, with | September | ||
| exception of some PGDS employees (those with access to | 2013 | |||
| relevant systems) | September | |||
| - | Lucy Kirby Updated to Nicholas Wright | 2013 | ||
| 2013/07 | NW | - | Page 5 Confirmation of understanding of the code will now | December |
| be performed through the PTA System instead of The-i. | 2013 | |||
| - | Page 6 Approving Signatory is no longer needed so has | |||
| been deleted. | ||||
| - | Page 7 assumption of household being connected persons | |||
| - | Page 8 Discretionary Accounts no longer need to be | |||
| reported. | ||||
| - | Page 9 Buying and selling the same securities within 7 | |||
| business days is only permitted if doing so to transfer assets | ||||
| between accounts (bed and ISA trades) | ||||
| - | Page 9 &10 PA dealing pre-clearance procedure has | |||
| changed to reflect the introduction of the PTA system | ||||
| - | New starters Initial statement of holdings shall be made using | |||
| the PTA system rather than on an Appendix C. | ||||
| - | Quarterly statements shall be made using the PTA system | |||
| rather than on an Appendix D. | ||||
| - | Quarterly declarations shall be made using the PTA system | |||
| rather than on The-i. | ||||
| - | Annual Statements of holdings will no longer be required. | |||
| - | Table 1 has been edited to reflect the introduction of the PTA | |||
| system. | ||||
| 2014/01 | NW | - | Table 1 Reporting requirements amended comply with the | Feb 2014 |
| new Code of Ethics system | ||||
| - | Page 22 New Page added PA Dealing Quick Reference | Feb 2014 | ||
| Guide has been added to assist staff with PA Dealing | ||||
| queries. | Feb 2014 | |||
| - | References of MAGIM updated to reflect the new entity | |||
| MAGAIM | ||||
| 2014/02 | NW | Mar 2014 | ||
| - | Amendment to Table 1 | |||
| 2014/03 | NW | - | Updated Aggregate Value Exemption from £11,520 | April 2014 |
| £11,880 | ||||
42
| Version | Own | Detail of Change | Date | |
| Number | er | |||
| 2014/04 | NW | May 2014 | ||
| - | Appendix E Personal Association form re-designed | |||
| 2014/05 | NW | - | Page 3 M&G have the discretion to waive a breach having | Sept 2014 |
| considered all the circumstances. | ||||
| - | Page 4 M&G is required to review any personal dealing reports | Sept 2014 | ||
| submitted by employees. | ||||
| - | Page 4 Thinkfolio added to the list of sensitive systems. | Sept 2014 | ||
| - | Page 5 Further guidance on beneficial interest. | Sept 2014 | ||
| - | Page 5 Updated Aggregate Value Exemption from | Sept 2014 | ||
| £11,880 to £15,000 for consistency with new ISA limit. | ||||
| - | Page 6 Further guidance on connected person. | Sept 2014 | ||
| - | Page 7 Clarification provided regarding the purchase of | Sept 2014 | ||
| shares through a privatisation or new issue. | ||||
| - | Page 8 Further guidance on frequent dealing. | Sept 2014 | ||
| 2014/06 | NW | Nov 2014 | ||
| - | Table 1 Prudential Share Plus plan added | |||
| 2015/01 | NW | - | References to STP removed from Code. | Jan 2015 |
| - | Section 1.3 M&G Real Estate Asia subject to the Code. | Jan 2015 | ||
| - | Section 1.6 Exemption for German office staff from | Jan 2015 | ||
| reporting certain connected persons holdings and | ||||
| - | transactions. | Jan 2015 | ||
| Table 1, Item 3 Explicit language regarding reporting of | ||||
| - | private securities. | Jan 2015 | ||
| Table 1, Item 4 and 10E M&G Funds no longer | ||||
| - | reportable if held directly with M&G Direct book. | Jan 2015 | ||
| Table1, Item 9F Clarification regarding Tender offers. | ||||
| 2015/02 | LK | - | Section 4 Update to Personal Association to clarify reporting | Feb 2015 |
| requirements. Form also updated. | ||||
| - | Section 1.2 Text inserted for the Florida Mandate | Feb 2015 | ||
| - | Section 2.4.3 New section to detail restrictions arising from a U.S. | Feb 2015 | ||
| Mandate | ||||
| - | Table 1 Item 7 Additional example added (ETC) | Feb 2015 | ||
| 2015/03 | LK | - | Section 2.3 Change to minimum holding period from 7 to 30 days. | Jul 2015 |
| This is also referenced in Item 8 of Table 1. | ||||
| - | Section 1.5 M&G U.S. Political Contributions Policy (Pay to Play) | Jul 2015 | ||
| added to the list of policies that employees must be aware of. | ||||
| - | Section 1.6 Removal of the Aggregate Value Exemption definition | Jul 2015 | ||
| - | Section 2.4.1 Refer to the current ISA limit as a term, rather than a | Jul 2015 | ||
| specific figure. | ||||
| - | Section 2.4.1 To provide reference to the open orders test on trades | Jul 2015 | ||
| valued above the ISA limit. | ||||
| - | Section 1.3 To add a reference to YARDI Voyager as a sensitive | Jul 2015 | ||
| system. | ||||
| - | Section 2.4.1 Update to confirm pre-clearance requirements for | Jul 2015 | ||
| changes to limit order trades. | ||||
| - | Section 2.3 Update to confirm pre-clearance requirements for | Jul 2015 | ||
| private offerings. | ||||
| - | Table 1, Item 3 Update to clarify pre-clearance requirements for | Jul 2015 | ||
| share based incentive schemes. | ||||
| - | Section 1.6 text adjustment to provide reasoning behind employees | Jul 2015 | ||
| in the German office not being required to report connected persons | ||||
| accounts. | ||||
| - | Version Control Update to Version Control to give better | Jul 2015 | ||
| understanding to the reason for the change to section 2.4.3 in the | ||||
| February version of the Code. | ||||
| - | Section 1.6 Add flat mate to the list of examples of non-connected | Jul 2015 | ||
| person accounts. | ||||
| - | Section 3.2 Updates to the initial certification requirements. | Jul 2015 | ||
| - | Section 3.3 Updates to the quarterly certification requirements. | Jul 2015 | ||
| - | Sections 5.9 and 5.10 Text updated to clarify the reporting | Jul 2015 | ||
| requirements of rejected and declined gifts and hospitality. | ||||
43
| 2015/04 | LK | - | Section 1.2 Sentence added to ensure compliance with US federal | |
| securities laws, and to clarify reporting requirements of non- | ||||
| compliance with the Code of Ethics | ||||
| - | Section 1.6, Security UK authorized OEIC added for clarity, | |||
| - | Section 2.4.1 New paragraph added to highlight the importance of a | |||
| pre-clearance request closely replicating the intended trade | ||||
| - | Section 2.4.3 To remove the reference to a US client and to remove | |||
| the names of the brokers used for US clients | ||||
| - | Section 3.1 To include the SEC requirement for the reporting of | |||
| discretionary accounts. | ||||
| - | Section 5 Gifts & Hospitality section entirely updated to reflect | |||
| guidance from the FCA around inducements | ||||
| - | Section 6.4 Updated to correctly reference the administration | |||
| controls | ||||
| - | Table 1 Government Bonds updated within the table to correctly | |||
| reference the reporting requirements. This is a requirement under | ||||
| COBS 11.7 (government bonds are deemed a designated | ||||
| investment and are therefore reportable) | ||||
| - | Table 1 various other updates to provide clarity and consistency. | |||
| - | PA Dealing Quick Reference Guide various updates to provide | |||
| clarity and consistency | ||||
| - | Appendix 1 Updated to reflect the amendments to the Investment | |||
| Advisors Act | ||||
| 2015/05 | JH | - | New Gifts & Hospitality Policy | Nov 2015 |
| 2015/06 | LK | - | Removal of reference to discretionary accounts in section 2.2 | Dec 2015 |
| - | Additional clarity around the definition and reporting requirements of | |||
| discretionary accounts, section 3.1 | ||||
| - | Items 3 and 8 in Table 1 updated to clarify the reporting requirements | |||
| of IPOs in VCTs and EIS. | ||||
| - | EIS reporting requirements updated in PTA Quick Reference Guide | |||
| - | VCT reporting requirements updated in PTA Quick Reference Guide | |||
| 2016/01 | KP | - | Version control references updated to ensure consistency in format | July 2016 |
| 2016/02 | JH | - | A number of minor clarifications to both PA dealing and G&H rules | July 2016 |
| 2016/03 | DS | - | Section 2.3 - Clarification to the language of buying and selling of | October 2016 |
| securities within 30 days; including limit orders | ||||
| - | Section 2.3 - Recognition of overseas minimum holding period | |||
| requirements. | ||||
| - | Section 5.3 Update of gift approval requirements for business | |||
| events (e.g. tickets for industry conferences, seminars, award dinners | ||||
| etc.) | ||||
| 2016/04 | DS | - | Section 5.2 Clarification to G&H policy regarding G&H paid for by | November |
| an individual from their own resources. | 2016 | |||
| - | Section 5.5 - To allow for exceptions without Board resolutions | |||
| - | Section 6.3 Confirmation of MI reporting to relevant Committees | |||
| and Boards | ||||
| 2017/01 | DS | - | Section 2.4 Confirmation of Blackout period | January 2017 |
| - | General updates for consistency (e.g. update to scope of Code, M&G | |||
| Group Compliance Directors title, and page numbers) | ||||
44
Serious News for Serious Traders! Try StreetInsider.com Premium Free!
You May Also Be Interested In
- Village Farms advances Delta 2 greenhouse cannabis expansion
- Village Farms launches Pink Kush cured resin vape in Canada
- Village Farms starts cultivation at phase II Netherlands facility
Create E-mail Alert Related Categories
SEC FilingsRelated Entities
VanguardSign up for StreetInsider Free!
Receive full access to all new and archived articles, unlimited portfolio tracking, e-mail alerts, custom newswires and RSS feeds - and more!



Tweet
Share

