A $14.5 Billion Small Cap Fund Holds 700 Stocks You’ve Never Heard Of

Small-cap stocks occupy a strange place in most portfolios. They deliver the highest long-term returns of any major asset class, yet vanish from investor attention for years at a time. When large-cap tech dominates headlines and the S&P 500 (NYSEARCA:SPY) feels like the only game in town, small-cap exposure becomes the portfolio position investors forget they own. Vanguard Russell 2000 Index Fund ETF Shares (NASDAQ:VTWO) delivers diversified small-cap exposure at a cost so low it practically disappears.

The Small-Cap Diversification Role

VTWO tracks the Russell 2000 Index with over 700 individual positions spread across smaller U.S. companies. This broad diversification comes at minimal cost – the fund charges just 0.07% annually, among the lowest in the small-cap category. With $14.5 billion in assets, the fund balances sufficient liquidity with tight index tracking, making it accessible for investors of all sizes.

The return engine comes from exposure to companies in their growth phase. Small-cap stocks generate returns through business expansion, market share gains, and eventual acquisition by larger competitors. VTWO spreads this exposure across healthcare, industrials, financials, and technology, with no single holding exceeding 2% of the portfolio. This diversification reduces company-specific volatility while preserving the asset class return profile.

Performance Reality Check

Small caps have struggled in recent years as mega-cap tech dominated returns. VTWO’s 17.32% gain over the past year demonstrates this challenge – while positive, it trails the concentration-driven rally in large caps powered by AI infrastructure spending. The ten-year picture tells a similar story, with VTWO’s 218.63% return falling well short of the NASDAQ-100 (NASDAQ:QQQ)’s surge past 500%. This underperformance isn’t a fund failure but reflects small caps’ structural sensitivity to the rising rate environment that began in 2022.

VTWO tracks its benchmark with minimal slippage thanks to its rock-bottom expense ratio. The fund’s 28.01% five-year return demonstrates how Vanguard’s cost advantage compounds over time. Compared to iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSEARCA:IWM), VTWO’s lower fees translate into measurable outperformance – every basis point matters when tracking the same index over years.

The Volatility Tax

Small-cap volatility demands conviction from long-term holders. VTWO experienced significant drawdown during market stress, plunging to $73.06 in April 2025 before recovering to current levels near $107. That 46.9% swing illustrates the emotional challenge of small-cap investing – this volatility is precisely what creates the return premium over full market cycles, but only for investors who can maintain their positions through the turbulence.

The fund also carries concentration in emerging sectors like quantum computing and biotech through holdings in companies like IonQ and BridgeBio Pharma. These positions add growth potential but increase portfolio sensitivity to sector-specific shocks.

VTWO works best as a 10-20% portfolio allocation for investors who want small-cap exposure without individual stock risk, accept multi-year underperformance cycles, and can tolerate 30-40% drawdowns during market stress.