Curt Jacques

Vanguard has expanded its Australian investment range offering four new investment options in global technology and international high yield, with three new ETFs and one unlisted managed fund.

The new funds are designed to work as simple, low‑cost building blocks for investors seeking global technology and income‑focused allocations in diversified portfolios.

The four products being launched today are:

• Vanguard Global Technology Index ETF (ASX:VTEK).
• Vanguard Global Technology Index (Hedged) ETF (ASX:VTKH), a currency hedged version of VTEK
• Vanguard International Shares High Yield ETF (ASX:VIHY)
• Vanguard International Shares High Yield Fund, a managed fund version of VIHY

The global technology funds will track the FTSE All‑World Technology 300 Capped Net Tax Index, which includes approximately 300 stocks across more than 20 countries. The funds will have exposure to leading technology companies such as NVIDIA, Apple, Microsoft, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and ASML Holding.

The new international high-yield funds will track the FTSE All-World ex Australia High Dividend Yield Net Tax Index, an income-focused index which covers approximately 2,200 stocks globally.

Curt Jacques, Head of Product Offer at Vanguard Australia, said the new funds respond to increasing interest from Australian investors in global technology and income‑oriented strategies.

“Our new global technology funds give investors access to large and mid-cap tech leaders across developed and emerging markets, not just the U.S.

“Meanwhile, our international high yield funds give investors access to a diversified, income‑generating portfolio of international companies that complements Vanguard’s Australian Shares High Yield ETF and fund,” he said.

David Ho, Head of Pacific, FTSE Russell says, “We are proud to deepen our global collaboration with Vanguard through the launch of these new funds, supported by our indices that provide diversified exposure to global technology innovation and resilient international income. We look forward to supporting Vanguard as they continue to expand and evolve their offering for investors worldwide.”

The new funds are offered at these management fees, VTEK 0.23%, VTKH 0.26%, VIHY 0.30% with the managed fund 0.36% per annum.

The ETFs will be available for trading on the ASX from 25 March, while the unlisted fund can be accessed via Vanguard Personal Investor also from 25 March.

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Duncan Burns

Vanguard has expanded Australian investors’ access to the world’s largest and most influential equity market, unveiling a new suite of S&P 500® Index funds that provide simple, low‑cost and trusted access to the innovation and long‑term growth of the U.S. economy.

The S&P 500® is recognised as the leading benchmark for large cap U.S. equities, capturing 500 of the country’s largest and most successful listed companies, including tech leaders like Nvidia, Apple and Amazon and major household names like Walmart, JPMorgan Chase and Johnson & Johnson.

Duncan Burns, Asia‑Pacific Head of Investment Management for Vanguard Capital Markets, said the locally domiciled funds give Australian investors an efficient way to access the flagship U.S. stock market index through one of the world’s most trusted investment managers.

“These new Australian‑based S&P 500® funds offer investors a straightforward, low-cost entry point to the world’s largest economy,” Mr Burns said.

“An S&P 500® allocation can also serve as a tactical satellite position within a broadly diversified portfolio, offering targeted exposure to the U.S. stock market.”

Vanguard will launch three options to give investors choice in how they invest in the S&P 500®:

• Vanguard S&P 500 US Shares Index ETF (ASX: V500) — an unhedged ETF.
• Vanguard S&P 500 US Shares Index (Hedged) ETF (ASX: V5AH) — a currency-hedged ETF designed to reduce the impact of foreign exchange movements on returns for Australian investors.
• Vanguard S&P 500 US Shares Index Fund (unlisted) — for investors who prefer to invest through an unlisted fund structure.

“By offering both hedged and unhedged options, as well as ETF and unlisted fund structures, we’re giving investors greater choice in how they access that exposure in a way that suits their goals and preferences,” Mr Burns said.

Hamish Preston, Head of U.S. Equities at S&P Dow Jones Indices, said: “S&P Dow Jones Indices is delighted to license the S&P 500® to Vanguard for its new series of index funds, offering Australian market participants direct exposure to the U.S. equity market.”

“For more than six decades, the S&P 500® has been the premier benchmark for large-cap U.S. equities. S&P DJI’s licensing relationship with Vanguard adds to the S&P 500®’s substantial ecosystem and it provides investors with more ways to gain exposure to U.S. equities.”

V500 and V5AH have management fees of 0.07% p.a. and 0.09% p.a. respectively, while the unlisted managed fund has a management fee of 0.16% p.a.

The ETFs will be available for purchase on the ASX from March 4, while the unlisted managed fund can be accessed via Vanguard’s Personal Investor platform.

Vanguard continues to cement its position as Australia’s largest ETF manager with more than $90 billion of ETF funds under management in the country as at 31 January 2026.

“Our founder Jack Bogle launched the world’s first S&P 500® index fund for retail investors 50 years ago. That same philosophy of broad, low-cost market access underpins the products we’re bringing to Australian investors today,” Mr Burns said.

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Daniel Shrimski

Australian investors channelled a record $51.8 billion into ASX-listed exchange traded funds (ETFs) last year – a 48% increase on the previous ETF inflows record of $34.9 billion set in 2024.

The record 2025 inflows, combined with strong returns on global equities and bond markets, saw the Australian ETF industry’s total assets under management surge by $82.5 billion (34.5%) to $321.6 billion at 31 December 2025 from the $239 billion level at the end of 2024.

Vanguard remained Australia’s largest ETFs assets manager after attracting a record $16 billion (31%) of total Australian investor inflows. As at 31 December 2025 Vanguard was managing $89.6 billion in ETF investors’ assets, and since the start of 2026 this has increased to more than $90 billion.

The Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (VAS) also remained Australia’s largest ETF product. VAS attracted more than $3 billion in investor inflows over 2025, with its assets under management rising to over $22.5 billion. Meanwhile, the Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares Index ETF (VGS) remained Australia’s second-largest ETF product. VGS attracted more than $2.6 billion in investor inflows, which helped to lift its assets under management to over $14 billion.

“The Australian ETFs industry had an incredible year, with investors’ inflows and the industry’s assets under management reaching new heights,” said Daniel Shrimski, Managing Director, Vanguard Investments Australia. “At the end of 2023, when industry assets were around $170 billion, we were talking about when industry assets would exceed $200 billion.

“They did in 2024, and by the end of 2025 they had exceeded $300 billion. So, in just over the last two years alone, the size of the Australian industry has almost doubled. That’s testament to the huge increase in the number of Australians now using ETFs as the core of their investment portfolio.

“Vanguard’s expectations are that the Australian ETFs industry will remain on a strong growth trajectory as more Australians discover their benefits and as more low-cost index-tracking ETF products offering a greater choice of investment strategies are listed on the ASX,” Mr. Shrimski said.

International equity products continued to attract the largest share of investor inflows, with a record $19.9 billion being added over 2025. Australian equity ETFs remained the second-largest assets segment, with investors adding $13.3 billion.

Separately, investors continued to direct record levels of capital into Australian fixed income securities. Around $8.4 billion was added into this segment over 2025.

“2025 was another milestone year for the Australian ETFs industry, and in a highly competitive market Vanguard remains focused on taking a stand for all investors, treating them fairly, and giving them the best chance for investment success,” Mr. Shrimski added.

“We are achieving that by providing investors with ETF products that have been designed to offer a broad range of investment solutions that are available directly to retail investors on the ASX and increasingly via third-party investing platforms and financial advisers.”

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Renae Smith

In a move to help young Australians find new avenues to build wealth, Vanguard today released details of a proposal to increase investment through a new tax-incentivised investment vehicle modelled on successful schemes in the UK, Sweden, Japan and other markets.

Australia’s household wealth is concentrated in housing, superannuation, and relatively high levels of cash savings compared to investments. Global experience shows the proposed scheme — called MyInvestment — could help people move excess household cash into productive investments to build financial resilience and deepen the capital pool in Australia.

“Australians are great savers, evident in the large portion of financial assets they hold in cash, but saving large amounts of cash over time can come at the cost of long-term wealth accumulation”, said Renae Smith, Vanguard Australia’s Chief of Personal Investor.

There is clear appetite from Australians for more accessible and tax-efficient investment options. A national survey^[1] by SEC Newgate for Vanguard found that 72% of Australians support the Federal Government allowing tax-free investment accounts in Australia.

“The financial landscape in Australia is evolving at a rapid pace, and younger Australians have different financial needs than older generations as housing, which has been a traditional mainstay of Australians’ wealth, is increasingly moving out of reach. As young Australians seek effective and secure ways to build wealth beyond the traditional family home, the need to reimagine investment systems has never been more important,” Ms Smith said.

However, Australians continue to face many barriers when it comes to investing – be that a preference for cash over other financial assets like equities, low financial literacy and consumer confidence, and complexity of products in a landscape where simple guidance and advice is lacking.

“We want to start a conversation about a real opportunity to motivate young Australians to move excess cash – which offers limited returns compared to equities – off the sidelines and invest prudently into capital markets,” Ms Smith said.

Unlike superannuation, funds in a MyInvestment account could be accessed at any time and used for a variety of purposes, such as building wealth, buying a home, paying school fees, or covering unexpected expenses. MyInvestment is meant to be a flexible, tax-concessional way to save and invest.

Recent data from the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) shows young Australians of working age, who generally derive their income from labour, will bear a higher tax burden as the tax base narrows. This highlights the need for solutions that address intergenerational fairness and eases the heavy tax burden on young Australians as they embark on their wealth accumulation years^[2].

Modelling prepared by NMG Consulting on behalf of Vanguard projects someone who invests $20,000 per year for 10 years were projected to be $40,000^[3] better off under this regime versus keeping their money in cash.

Proposed features of MyInvestment accounts include:

• Annual contributions: $20,000 annual contribution limit with investments to be made in listed asset classes including equities, fixed income, and property – ensuring the incentive is targeted to the right cohorts of Australians and invests in safe, stable and liquid assets.
• Tax incentivisation: To motivate more Australians to invest, the capital gains and distributions in the vehicle could be tax concessional after 24 months for investors.
• Age eligibility: To ensure this vehicle is directly supporting younger generations to start investing earlier, these accounts could be age gated for Australians 45 years and under.
• Industry access: The vehicle would be accessible to approved financial institutions who offer suitable investment choices.

———–

Notes:
[1] Data is based on a nationally representative sample of over 1,200 Australians aged 18 years and over in April 2025. The survey sample was based on quotas set on gender, age and location. Data weighted to ABS Census population statistics on age, gender, location and occupation.
[2] Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) (2025). 2025-26 Medium-Term Budget Outlook: Beyond the Budget. https://www.pbo.gov.au/publications-and-data/publications/2025-26-Medium-term-budget-outlook [pbo.gov.au]
[3] The assumption of this $40,000 outcome is calculated based on an annual contribution of $20,000 over 10 years, invested in a 60/40 Balanced portfolio made up of 60% shares and 40% fixed income, with asset-level expected returns per annum of 3.2% for cash, 6.4% for direct ETFs and 4.3% for bonds.

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Daniel Shrimski

Share market investors on average achieved at least triple the dollar returns of individuals who chose to keep their cash tied up in savings accounts over the last 30 years, the 2025 Vanguard Index Chart shows.

Released today, the chart shows how a $10,000 investment made across the Australian share market^[1] on 1 July 1995 would have grown to over $143,000 by 30 June this year. This compares with an end balance of less than $34,000 if the same amount had been held exclusively in a cash savings account.

The total return would have been even higher from a $10,000 investment in United States shares^[2] over the same period. It would have grown to more than $214,000 – over $180,000 higher than the total return from cash and more than $70,000 above the total return from Australian shares over the last 30 years.

U.S. shares were the strongest-performing major asset class over the last 30 years, delivering an average return of 10.8% per annum. This compared with a 9.3% per annum average return from Australian shares, 8.3% from international shares^[3] (excluding Australian shares), and 8% from Australian listed property securities^[4]. Australian bonds^[5] returned 5.5%, while cash^[6] was the lowest-returning major asset class, delivering an average total return of just 4.1% per annum.

The total returns for all asset classes assume any income earned over the period was reinvested, and excludes investment acquisition costs, fees, and taxes.

How a $10,000 investment would have grown over 30 years

Source: Vanguard. *Excludes any acquisition costs, fees and taxes, and assumes all income was reinvested. All figures are nominal values and have not been adjusted for inflation. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. The performance of an index is not an exact representation of any particular investment, as you cannot invest directly in an index.

Investing with a marathon mindset

While the Vanguard Index Chart compares the total returns from different asset classes over time, it also demonstrates why it’s important for investors to have a long-term approach to investing.

The measurement period for the 2025 Vanguard Index Chart incorporates a number of significant events that led to major share market corrections, including the dot.com crash in 2000, the Global Financial Crisis over 2008 and 2009, the 2020 COVID crash, and the more recent market volatility associated with the imposition of high U.S. tariffs on some countries.

“Vanguard’s index chart clearly illustrates why investing should be viewed as a marathon, not as a sprint,” said Daniel Shrimski, Managing Director, Vanguard Investments Australia.

“Just like superannuation, investors should be focused on achieving longer-term outcomes rather than on shorter-term investment wins and losses.

“The index chart demonstrates how investment markets have kept rising strongly over time, despite several significant share market corrections, economic downturns, changes in governments and world leaders, wars, natural disasters, and more recently, the impacts stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The most successful investors have a disciplined approach to investing and understand that volatility is typically transient. The best investment results are generally achieved through compound growth over time, not by trying to time when to buy and sell to maximise gains. That’s a futile exercise.”

Avoid chasing asset class returns

Another key learning from the Vanguard Index Chart is that the returns from different asset classes will vary from year to year.

U.S., Australian and international (ex-Australia) shares all delivered double-digit average annual returns to investors over the five years between 1 July 2020 and 30 June 2025.

International shares (ex-Australia) was the best-performing asset class in the 2024-25 financial year ended 30 June, returning 18.6%, followed by U.S. shares (17.4%).

Australian listed property had the next-highest returns over the last financial year, returning 14%, while Australian shares returned 13.2%. Meanwhile, higher interest rates saw Australian bonds deliver an average return of 6.8%, while cash returned 4.4%.

By contrast, Australian listed property was the best-performing asset class in the 2023-24 financial year, returning 24.6%, followed by U.S. shares (24.1%), and international shares (19.9%).

Australian shares had returned a substantially lower 12.5% in 2023-24, while cash returned 4.4%, which was above the 3.7% return from Australian bonds.

“The best and worst performing asset classes in any one financial year rarely mirrors the returns of the previous financial year for a whole range of reasons,” Mr. Shrimski said. “That’s why it’s so important to have a diversified mix of investments that spreads your capital across different asset classes and different regions.

“While share markets have delivered the strongest returns over the longer term, there have been some years when more defensive assets such as bonds, and even cash, have achieved the best returns. It’s all about spreading risk to help smooth out your returns over time.”

Each year, Vanguard’s index chart is downloaded and used by thousands of financial advisers and individual investors as an educational resource to provide a clear picture of the long-term market growth across all major asset classes.

———-

Notes:
[1] The examples of an investment of $10,000 into Australian shares on 1 July 1995 and the corresponding outcomes as of 30 June 2025 expressed are based on the past performance of the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Total Return Index. They assume the $10,000 is fully invested (and remains fully invested). The calculations assume no acquisition costs, fees or taxes, with all distributions reinvested. All results are displayed in nominal dollars i.e. inflation has not been taken into account. An actual investment would be subject to acquisition costs, fees and taxes.
[2] The examples of an investment of $10,000 into U.S. shares on 1 July 1995 and the corresponding outcomes as of 30 June 2025 expressed are based on the past performance of the S&P 500 Total Return Index (in AUD). They assume the $10,000 is fully invested (and remains fully invested). The calculations assume no acquisition costs, fees or taxes, with all distributions reinvested. All results are displayed in nominal dollars i.e. inflation has not been taken into account. An actual investment would be subject to acquisition costs, fees and taxes.
[3] The examples of an investment of $10,000 into international shares on 1 July 1995 and the corresponding outcomes as of 30 June 2025 expressed are based on the past performance of the MSCI World ex-Australia Net Total Return Index AUD Index. They assume the $10,000 is fully invested (and remains fully invested). The calculations assume no acquisition costs, fees or taxes, with all distributions reinvested. All results are displayed in nominal dollars i.e. inflation has not been taken into account. An actual investment would be subject to acquisition costs, fees and taxes.
[4] The examples of an investment of $10,000 into Australian listed property securities on 1 July 1995 and the corresponding outcomes as of 30 June 2025 expressed are based on the past performance of the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Total Return Index. They assume the $10,000 is fully invested (and remains fully invested). The calculations assume no acquisition costs, fees or taxes, with all distributions reinvested. All results are displayed in nominal dollars i.e. inflation has not been taken into account. An actual investment would be subject to acquisition costs, fees and taxes.
[5] The examples of an investment of $10,000 into Australian bonds on 1 July 1995 and the corresponding outcomes as of 30 June 2025 expressed are based on the past performance of the Bloomberg AusBond Composite 0+ Yr Index. They assume the $10,000 is fully invested (and remains fully invested). The calculations assume no acquisition costs, fees or taxes, with all distributions reinvested. All results are displayed in nominal dollars i.e. inflation has not been taken into account. An actual investment would be subject to acquisition costs, fees and taxes.
[6]The examples of an investment of $10,000 into Australian cash on 1 July 1995 and the corresponding outcomes as of 30 June 2025 expressed are based on the past performance of the Bloomberg AusBond Bank Bill Index. They assume the $10,000 is fully invested (and remains fully invested). The calculations assume no acquisition costs, fees or taxes, with all distributions reinvested. All results are displayed in nominal dollars i.e. inflation has not been taken into account. An actual investment would be subject to acquisition costs, fees and taxes.

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Daniel Shrimski

In a new Vanguard report, Core Components of a Successful Retail Investment System, Australia has been identified as one of only a handful of leading OECD countries where there is more money being held in savings accounts than in capital market investments.

Vanguard has proposed a series of retail investment reforms that could drive more Australians to invest their savings and achieve greater financial security.

These reforms include facilitating access to affordable financial advice, introducing tax incentives to boost investment outside of superannuation, improving financial literacy levels, and increasing fee transparency and competition.

Vanguard’s research estimates that if Australian households reallocated just 10% of their excess savings into investments, based on the amount of cash currently being held in Australian savings accounts, this could add as much as $185 billion into capital markets.

Daniel Shrimski, Managing Director, Vanguard Investments Australia, comments, “While Australia stacks up relatively well on a global stage in terms of supporting retail investors, there are key opportunities for Australian policymakers to further improve the investment landscape outside of superannuation.

“Many people are missing out on investment returns by holding too much cash and could significantly improve their long-term financial outcomes by being invested in capital markets.

“Australians hold some 23% of their household financial assets in cash and deposits, yet over the last decade the average annual return from cash has been just 2%. Other investments have produced much higher returns.

“Vanguard’s research provides key insights on the steps needed to motivate more Australians to invest outside of their super, including through new tax incentives and by helping more people to make the best investment decisions.

“We are keen to work with Australian policymakers to help further refine the existing regulatory system in a way that supports retail investor outcomes at all levels.”

Read the full report.

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Rachel White

A new study from Vanguard shows that depending on the complexity of their financial circumstances, Australian retirees could increase their projected annual incomes between 3-51% by incorporating personal and household data into their retirement income strategies, compared to relying on a minimum withdrawal strategy.^[1][2]

The study findings have implications for retirement advice. While individuals have access to the full scope of their personal information, they may lack the financial acumen to optimise their retirement income according to their financial circumstances. Professional advisers, however, could significantly increase expected retirement outcomes using a greater extent of additional personal information, given their retirement planning expertise. Superannuation funds can also play a role, particularly for members who cannot or do not want to engage a financial adviser, but they are currently limited in their ability to access and use personal information at scale.

The study, which aimed to quantify the financial impacts of greater use of personal information on retirement outcomes, modelled three retirement income strategies that incorporated different levels of personal and household data:

1. Minimum withdrawal strategy: Regardless of their personal financial circumstance, a retiree withdraws only the legislated minimum drawdowns from their retirement income account.
2. Superfund best efforts strategy: Guidance from a hypothetical superannuation fund that has limited visibility of a member’s financial picture and does not accurately factor in information such as partner status, age pension eligibility, or assets held outside superannuation.
3. Full information strategy: An optimised strategy that incorporates comprehensive individual and household information.

The study found that the more personal and household data that goes into a retirement income strategy, the better the outcomes, highlighting the financial benefits of considering personal information in retirement income planning. The study shows that that as a person’s financial situation increases in complexity, so too does the potential value a full information strategy bring.

For example, in the study:

• As the complexity in financial situations increased, the full information strategy increased projected annual retirement incomes by 3-51% compared to the minimum withdrawal strategy.
• As the complexity in financial situations increased, the superfunds best efforts strategy increased projected annual retirement incomes by 3-34%, compared to the minimum withdrawal strategy.

Figure 1 below shows four fictional personas to illustrate the impact of incorporating personal information into retirement income strategies.^[3]

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Daniel Shrimski

The pace of growth across Australia’s ETFs industry continued to accelerate over the first half of 2025, with investors adding a record $21.04 billion into ASX-listed exchange traded funds.

This compares with $14.6 billion of ETF investor inflows over the first half of 2024 and the $33.5 billion of total inflows received over the whole of last year and keeps the Australian ETF industry well on track for another record-breaking year.

The record 2025 first-half inflows, combined with the strong gains on global share markets over the six months to 30 June, saw total Australian ETF assets under management surge by $33 billion to a new high of $272.2 billion.

Data released by the ASX and Vanguard shows investors channelled over $7.5 billion into international equity ETFs during the first half, and a further $6.2 billion into Australian equity products. Together these two segments accounted for around 65% of total ETF inflows.

The Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (VAS), which became the first ASX ETF to exceed $20 billion in assets during the half, attracted $1.96 billion in investor inflows. This equated to 31% of the total investor inflows into Australian equity ETFs.

Investors also added almost $2.9 billion into Australian fixed income products over the half, taking advantage of the current bond interest rate returns and diversifying their exposures to equity markets.

Vanguard attracts over $7 billion of inflows

“The first half of 2025 has been spectacular for Vanguard, with our ETF products attracting over $7.1 billion in investor inflows – more than a third of the total industry’s inflows – and our total assets under management rising to over $77 billion,” said Vanguard Investments Australia Managing Director, Daniel Shrimski.

“Our strong inflow numbers continue to reflect the fact that a growing number of Australians are preferring to invest in low-cost, index-tracking ETF products that give them exposure to a broad number of securities.

“I really don’t expect that trend to change over time, despite the proliferation of thematic ETF products on the ASX that focus on specific segments and active products that aim to outperform the broader market through the use of complex trading strategies,” Mr. Shrimski said.

Vanguard expanded its diversified ETFs range during the first half, launching the Vanguard Diversified All Growth Index ETF (VDAL) and the Vanguard Diversified Income ETF (VDIF).

“Our multi-asset ETF portfolios aim to meet the primary portfolio construction needs of investors across a spectrum of risk-return profiles, and these types of one-stop products are rapidly growing in popularity,” Mr. Shrimski added.

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Daniel Shrimski

Vanguard’s Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS) has become the first Australian exchange-traded fund to surpass $20 billion in funds under management, solidifying its position as the country’s largest ETF.

The milestone, reached at the end of May, marks a period of exceptional growth for VAS. Since January 2020, when the fund held $4.9 billion in assets, it has more than quadrupled in size.

“The growth of VAS reflects the increasing confidence Australian investors have in index investing and the Vanguard approach,” said Daniel Shrimski, Managing Director, Vanguard Australia.

“Vanguard’s mission is to give investors the best chance for investment success. We’re incredibly proud to see Australians embrace that mission through our market-leading ETFs and managed funds as well as our low-fee superannuation offer.”

Vanguard is Australia’s number one provider of ETFs, with $74.6 billion in total ETF assets under management, across 31 ETFs, as of 31 May.

Launched in 2009, VAS has long held the title of Australia’s largest ETF. It provides investors with exposure to the top 300 companies listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) for a fee of just 0.07% — that works out to just 70 cents each year for every $1,000 invested. The fee has been reduced over time and is now less than half the rate it was at the start of 2017 (0.15%).

Mr Shrimski said VAS’s remarkable growth reflects both strong market performance and rising interest in ETFs across all age groups.

“The benefits of indexing — transparency, diversification, and low costs — are better understood now, but we’ve still got work to do,” he said.

ETFs have transformed the investment landscape in Australia, offering cost-effective, liquid, and transparent access to diversified portfolios with a single trade.

“ETFs like VAS have democratised investing,” Mr Shrimski added. “They’ve made it possible for everyday Australians to build wealth in a simple, low-cost and effective way.”

“VAS is part of a global movement that began with Vanguard’s founder, Jack Bogle, the pioneer of index investing. His vision was to give investors a fair go — and that legacy lives on in VAS,” Mr Shrimski said.

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Daniel Shrimski

Vanguard Australia, Australia’s leading provider of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), had a record-breaking month in April as investors continued to embrace low-cost index investing.

During April’s market turbulence, Vanguard Australia saw $1.8 billion of net investor inflows to its ETF products, its highest month on record, according to data released by the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX).[1]

“Importantly, while markets were volatile in April, most Vanguard Australia investors stayed the course and didn’t panic. Instead, they kept their money in the market or added to their portfolios,” said Vanguard Investments Australia Managing Director Daniel Shrimski.

The ASX data showed Vanguard remained Australia’s number one provider of ETFs, with net investor inflows of $5.4 billion since the start of the year, the highest of any Australian ETF manager.

The Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (VAS), Australia’s largest ETF with $19.2 billion in assets under management at the end of April, attracted $563.6 million of net inflows last month.

Meanwhile, the Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (VGS) — Australia’s second largest ETF with $10.5 billion in assets under management as of 30 April — had net inflows of $269.4 million.

It’s the second consecutive month of record-breaking ETF inflows for Vanguard. In March, Vanguard’s ETFs saw net inflows of $1.5 billion — the highest monthly inflow prior to April.

Mr Shrimski said investors of all ages were increasingly looking to Vanguard’s index-tracking investment products to build wealth or work towards their financial goals.

“We’ve had a very strong start to the year, and we’re proud that Australians are continuing to embrace Vanguard’s investing philosophy with our low-cost ETFs, managed funds and superannuation,” he said.

During April’s most turbulent week, Vanguard’s Personal Investor platform saw double the typical number of account openings as investors looked to grow their portfolios or begin investing for the first time.

The record month comes as the Vanguard Group, the pioneer of index investing, celebrates its 50th anniversary in May.

“In 1975, our founder Jack Bogle started a new kind of investment firm that put investors first and made simple, low-cost investing accessible to everyone,” Mr Shrimski said.

“Vanguard has been in Australia since 1996, and we launched our first index-tracking managed fund for Australian retail investors in 1998.

“With our ETFs, and now with Vanguard Super, we’re proud to continue Jack Bogle’s legacy by making investing simpler, more accessible and more affordable for Australians.”

Mr Shrimski added that Vanguard now has over 2 million Australians invested in managed funds, ETFs, and Vanguard Super, in addition to being a trusted partner to financial advisers and their clients.

————

[1] Source: ASX Investment Products monthly update, April 2025

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