VGRO at a Glance
| Feature |
Details |
| Full name |
Vanguard Growth ETF Portfolio |
| Ticker |
VGRO |
| Provider |
Vanguard Canada |
| Inception |
January 2018 |
| MER |
0.24% |
| Asset allocation |
80% equities / 20% bonds |
| Number of holdings |
13,000+ stocks + 18,000+ bonds |
| Distribution frequency |
Quarterly |
| Distribution yield |
~2.2% |
| Exchange |
TSX |
Asset Allocation
| Component |
Allocation |
Underlying ETF |
| US equities |
~33% |
VUN |
| Canadian equities |
~24% |
VCN |
| International developed |
~16% |
VIU |
| Emerging markets |
~7% |
VEE |
| Canadian bonds |
~12% |
VAB |
| Global bonds (ex-CA) |
~8% |
VBG/VBU |
| Period |
VGRO |
VEQT |
Difference |
| 1 year |
~14-18%* |
~18-22%* |
Equities outperform in up years |
| 3 years (annualized) |
~6-8%* |
~8-10%* |
Bonds drag slightly |
| 5 years (annualized) |
~7-9%* |
~9-11%* |
~2% less return for less volatility |
Approximate. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
VGRO in Market Downturns
| Event |
VGRO Drop |
VEQT Drop |
VGRO Advantage |
| COVID crash (Feb-Mar 2020) |
~-22% |
~-28% |
6% less drawdown |
| 2022 rate hike sell-off |
~-12% |
~-10% |
Bonds also fell (unusual) |
In most downturns, VGRO’s 20% bond allocation cushions losses by 5-8%.
Growth of $10,000
| Time Horizon |
VGRO (~7.5%) |
VEQT (~9.5%) |
| 10 years |
$20,610 |
$24,782 |
| 20 years |
$42,479 |
$61,416 |
| 30 years |
$87,550 |
$152,203 |
VGRO vs XGRO
| Feature |
VGRO |
XGRO |
| MER |
0.24% |
0.20% |
| Equity allocation |
80% |
80% |
| Bond allocation |
20% |
20% |
| Canadian equity weight |
~24% |
~19% |
| Provider |
Vanguard |
BlackRock |
| Performance |
Nearly identical |
Nearly identical |
Who Should Buy VGRO
| Profile |
Suitable? |
| 10-20 year time horizon |
✅ Ideal |
| Moderate-to-high risk tolerance |
✅ Yes |
| Want some downside protection |
✅ 20% bonds help |
| RRSP growth portfolio |
✅ Great choice |
| Very aggressive (15+ years) |
⚠️ VEQT may be better |
| Conservative / near retirement |
⚠️ Consider VBAL (60/40) |
| Short-term savings |
❌ Too volatile |