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VEE Review 2024: Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets All Cap Index ETF

Financial JournalistChristopher Liew, CFA
Christopher Liew is a CFA Charterholder and has held several roles in the finance industry.He’s worked as an investment wholesaler at Sentry and CI Financial, a financial advisor at RBC, and an energy trader at Enmax.He is Alberta-based while he’s in Canada, but spends much of his time working and living in other countries.Christopher speaks English and studied accounting and finance at the University of Alberta.He is one of the founders of Wealth Awesome where he has written articles and created videos for our subscriber base of over 20,000 Canadian investors.

Expertises: finance, investment, stocks, retirement, canada
Vanguard VEE Review
 

Looking to invest in up-and-coming countries? Consider an emerging market ETF as an easy way to get access.

The Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets All Cap Index ETF (VEE) is one of the ETFs that are used in the all-in-one Vanguard ETF portfolio series.

Let’s take a closer look at Vanguard VEE’s ETF here.

Our Verdict
Vanguard VEE ETF
9/10Our Score

Vanguard VEE ETF

Emerging Market ETF

Vanguard VEE is a low-fee solution to invest in emerging markets.

Pros

Cons

What is Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets All Cap Index ETF

VEE is an ETF that seeks to track the performance of a broad emerging market index. Currently, it tracks the performance of the FTSE Emerging Markets All Cap China A Inclusion Index. VEE is primarily geared towards international equities.

VEE uses its fund to directly or indirectly invest in large, mid, and small capitalization stocks of companies in the emerging market.

Vanguard introduced the ETF on November 30, 2011. It pays quarterly dividends to its investors and is managed by the Vanguard Equity Index Group.

VEE is currently trading close to a price of $36.24.

VEE Key Facts

As of June 24, 2022:

  • Ticker Symbol: VEE.TO
  • Exchange: Toronto Stock Exchange
  • Assets Under Management: $1.491 Billion
  • MER: 0.24%
  • 12-Month Trailing Yield: 2.45%
  • Currency Traded: CAD
  • Eligible Accounts: Most registered (TFSA, RRSP, etc) and non-registered available

VEE Management Expense Ratio

VEE has a management fee of 0.23% and a management expense ratio of 0.24%. The MER is significantly lower than what you can get with a mutual fund product offered by large banks.

VEE Dividends

As of May 31, 2022:

  • 12-month trailing yield: 2.45%
  • Distribution yield: 0.77%
  • Dividend schedule: Quarterly

VEE Performance

VEE has been around for awhile, so it has a lot of performance history that you can see:

VEE Review [currentyear]: Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets All Cap Index ETF 1
Source: Vanguard.ca

Showing 30 Nov 2011 – 30 Jun 2022:

Fund TypeMonth EndYTD1YR3YR5YR10YRSince Inception
VEE (Market Price)−2.40%−13.66%−18.49%+0.97%+2.46%+5.08%+ 4.74%
VEE (NAV)−2.28%−13.61%−18.43%+0.98%+2.46%+5.09%+ 4.75%
Benchmark−3.48%−13.61%−17.95%+1.66%+3.01%+5.81%+ 5.77%
Source: Vanguard.ca

Go to the Vanguard website for real-time performance numbers of VEE.

What are the investments inside VEE?

VEE is an ETF that primarily invests in international companies situated in emerging markets. Currently, it seeks to track the performance of the FTSE Emerging Markets All Cap China A Inclusion Index.

The FTSE Emerging Market Index is a market-cap-weighted index. It represents the performance of large-, mid-, and small-market capitalization companies in various emerging markets.

VEE Market Allocation

VEE invests primarily in Asian countries such as China, Taiwan, and India.

As of May 31, 2022:

CountryFundBenchmark
China32.9%33.0%
Taiwan19.0%19.1%
India15.7%15.7%
Brazil6.8%6.8%
Saudi Arabia4.9%4.9%
South Africa4.3%4.3%
Thailand3.0%3.0%
Mexico2.6%2.6%
Malaysia2.0%2.0%
Indonesia2.0%2.0%
Total93.2%93.4%
Source: Vanguard.ca

Incorporated in the US, VWO’s holdings primarily consist of Chinese companies and other emerging markets, including Taiwan, India, Brazil, and others. It is a diversified mix of companies across various sectors that are performing well.

VEE Portfolio Characteristics

Here are some key ratios and statistics for VEE’s stocks and bonds.

As of May 31, 2022:

FundamentalsFund
Number of Stocks5,442
Median Market Cap$27.3 B
Price / Earnings Ratio 10.6 x
Price / Book Ratio 1.8 x
Return on Equity 14.8%
Earnings Growth Rate 12.8%
Source: Vanguard.ca

VEE Market Capitalization

As of May 31, 2022:

CapitalizationFundBenchmark+/- Weight
Large58.15%58.01%+ 0.14%
Medium/Large3.35%3.23%+ 0.12%
Medium16.94%17.59%− 0.65%
Medium/Small8.25%8.52%− 0.27%
Small11.92%12.66%− 0.74%
Total98.61%100.01%− 1.40%
Source: Vanguard.ca

VEE Region exposure

As of May 31, 2022:

RegionFundBenchmark+/- Variance
Emerging Markets99.60%99.60%0.00%
Europe0.40%0.40%0.00%
Pacific0.00%
Other0.00%
Total100.00%100.00%
Source: Vanguard.ca

VEE Sector Weighting

As of May 31, 2022:

SectorFundBenchmark
Technology22.6%22.8%
Financials21.4%21.3%
Consumer Discretionary12.5%12.5%
Basic Materials8.5%8.5%
Industrials8.1%8.1%
Energy6.2%6.2%
Consumer Staples6.0%6.0%
Telecommunications4.3%4.3%
Health Care3.9%3.9%
Utilities3.3%3.3%
Real Estate3.2%3.1%
Total100.0%100.0%
Source: Vanguard.ca

VEE Holdings

As of May 31, 2022:

Holding Name% of Market ValueSector
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.4.96%Semiconductors
Tencent Holdings Ltd.3.70%Consumer Digital Services
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.2.31%Diversified Retailers
Reliance Industries Ltd.1.49%Oil Refining and Marketing
Meituan Dianping Class B1.23%Consumer Digital Services
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. ADR1.20%Semiconductors
Vale SA0.93%Iron and Steel
China Construction Bank Corp. Class H0.93%Banks
Infosys Ltd.0.92%Computer Services
Al Rajhi Bank0.69%Banks
Source: Vanguard.ca

VEE Risk And Volatility

As of June 30, 2022:

Fund TypeR-SquaredBETAALPHAStandard DeviationSharpe Ratio
Fund0.961.02− 0.0913.58%0.13
Benchmark13.01%0.22
Source: Vanguard.ca

Who should buy VEE?

If you have faith in the progress of emerging markets and want exposure in your portfolio, VEE could be an ideal ETF for you to consider.

I would recommend not investing too much into VEE because it is a very volatile fund. A range of between 2-10% of your overall portfolio should be enough to get the diversification you’re seeking.

FAQs

What is the best performing ETF in Canada that is similar to VEE?

The iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets IMI ETF (XEC) was among the top-performing ETFs in Canada that offers exposure to emerging markets, making it somewhat comparable to Vanguard VEE.

XEC, like VEE, aims to track a broad emerging market index, providing diversified exposure to several countries and sectors within the emerging market space.

You should note that the “best performing” tag can change over time due to various market dynamics.

What is the liquidity of Vanguard VEE?

Liquidity refers to how quickly and easily an asset or security can be bought or sold in the market without affecting its price. For ETFs, liquidity can often be gauged by looking at its trading volume and bid-ask spread. Vanguard VEE, being a product of one of the world’s largest investment management firms, generally boasts good liquidity.

Its presence on the Toronto Stock Exchange, combined with its popularity among Canadian investors, ensures that there’s a healthy trading volume most days. This means that investors can typically buy or sell VEE shares without significant price discrepancies or long waiting periods.

Nevertheless, it’s always advisable to check current trading volumes and bid-ask spreads before executing large trades.

How to Buy Vanguard VEE ETF

My favourite and the cheapest ways to buy Vanguard ETFs in Canada are the following:

ImageProduct TitleFeaturesPrice
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To learn more, read my breakdown of the best trading platforms in Canada here.

Conclusion

I think Vanguard VEE is an excellent option for Canadian investors who want more exposure to international emerging markets without the risk of maintaining a portfolio of companies themselves.

Because of the riskiness of the fund, think of Vanguard VEE as the seasoning to your portfolio, and not the main course.

Learn more about the other top emerging market ETFs in Canada here.

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