# Vanguard Explorer Fund Investor Shares (VEXPX): Mutual Fund Facts & Distributions > Markdown mirror of https://www.dividenddata.com/funds/vexpx for AI agents. Same live data as the HTML page, regenerated on the same refresh cycle. Not investment advice. - Issuer: Vanguard · Asset class: Small/Micro Cap Equity - Strategy: Actively Managed · Inception: 1967-12-11 The Vanguard Explorer Fund Investor Shares (VEXPX) concentrates its investments on small and medium-sized companies believed to possess significant growth potential. Owing to its focus on these emerging enterprises, the fund inherently experiences a higher degree of price fluctuation and unpredictability compared to investment vehicles tracking larger, more established corporations. However, to help temper the risks associated with this often-dynamic market sector, the fund employs a multi-manager approach, leveraging the diverse strategies of several investment advisors. Furthermore, its s... ## Key Facts | Metric | Value | |---|---| | Price | $128.91 | | Expense Ratio | 0.39% | | AUM (All Share Classes) | $21.70B | | NAV | $128.91 | | Holdings Count | 742 | | Distribution Yield (TTM) | 6.58% | | Annual Distribution (TTM) | $8.48 /share | | Distribution Frequency | Annual | | 52-Week Range | $110.50 – $139.92 | | Beta | 1.09 | ## Latest Distribution - Amount: $8.4771 /share - Ex-date: 2025-12-23 - Pay date: 2025-12-24 ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What does VEXPX invest in? The Vanguard Explorer Fund Investor Shares (VEXPX) concentrates its investments on small and medium-sized companies believed to possess significant growth potential. Owing to its focus on these emerging enterprises, the fund inherently experiences a higher degree of price fluctuation and unpredictability compared to investment vehicles tracking larger, more established corporations. However, to help temper the risks associated with this often-dynamic market sector, the fund employs a multi-manager approach, leveraging the diverse strategies of several investment advisors. Furthermore, its substantial portfolio breadth, encompassing holdings in over 500 different stocks, contributes to significant diversification. While these measures are designed to reduce exposure to market volatility, they cannot entirely eliminate all investment risk. This fund may serve as an effective supplementary component within a comprehensively diversified, long-term investment portfolio. ### What is the expense ratio of VEXPX? Vanguard Explorer Fund Investor Shares (VEXPX) charges an expense ratio of 0.39%. This is the annual fee deducted from fund assets to cover management and operations. ### How big is VEXPX? Vanguard Explorer Fund Investor Shares (VEXPX) is one share class of a fund that manages $21.70B across all of its share classes (VEXRX reports the same total). Our data does not carry the assets of this share class alone. AUM determines bid-ask liquidity and the fund's vulnerability to closure. Funds below ~$50M are at higher risk of liquidation. ### Is VEXPX actively managed or an index fund? VEXPX is actively managed: the manager selects holdings rather than tracking an index. Active funds typically charge higher expense ratios than index funds (VEXPX's is 0.39%) in exchange for the discretion to over- or under-weight positions. ### When was VEXPX launched? Vanguard Explorer Fund Investor Shares (VEXPX) launched in December 1967 and is managed by Vanguard. ### How has VEXPX performed? VEXPX's total return (price change plus reinvested distributions) is charted at the top of this page. Switch the price chart to Total Return and pick a 1-year, 3-year, 5-year, or 10-year window to read the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over each horizon. ### Does VEXPX pay a dividend? Vanguard Explorer Fund Investor Shares (VEXPX) currently distributes little or no income. Trailing-twelve-month yield is 6.58%. Investors looking for income should consider income-focused alternatives. See the Peers tab. ### How often does VEXPX pay dividends? Vanguard Explorer Fund Investor Shares pays dividends Annual. Each ex-dividend date, record date, and payment date is listed in the dividend history table on this page. ### What is VEXPX's dividend yield? VEXPX's trailing-twelve-month yield is 6.58%, calculated from the sum of dividends over the past year divided by the current price. ### When is VEXPX's next ex-dividend date? The most recently announced ex-dividend date for VEXPX was 2025-12-23. The next ex-date typically follows Annual; once announced it appears at the top of the dividend history table on this page. ### How much will VEXPX's expense ratio cost me over 30 years? On a $10,000 investment compounding at 7% gross return, a 0.39% expense ratio quietly compounds against your balance every year. The Fee Compounding Forecast card above projects the dollar drag for any holding period and assumption you pick. The typical result for a 1.0% expense ratio on a 30-year hold is roughly 25% of the final balance lost to fees. ### How does VEXPX charge its expense ratio? The expense ratio is deducted in tiny daily slices from VEXPX's net asset value (NAV). You never see a bill. The price quoted on every exchange is already net of fees. There's no "fee day" to avoid; the cost is continuous and built into the trading price. ### Why does VEXPX cost more than a fund like VOO? VEXPX is actively managed (current expense ratio 0.39%). Active funds charge more than passive index trackers in exchange for the manager's discretion to over- or under-weight positions. The Cost Verdict card above tells you whether VEXPX's fee is competitive for the active-management cohort. ### Are there cheaper alternatives to VEXPX? The Lower-Fee Alternatives card above lists mutual funds following the same investment strategy as VEXPX (0.39%) but at a lower expense ratio. Each row shows the fee gap, the peer's AUM as a liquidity sanity-check, and a direct link to that fund's analysis page. Cheaper price doesn't automatically mean better. Verify the peer holds what you actually want. ## More on Dividend Data - Overview (HTML): https://www.dividenddata.com/funds/vexpx - Distribution history: https://www.dividenddata.com/funds/vexpx/dividend - Holdings & diversification: https://www.dividenddata.com/funds/vexpx/diversification - Fees & cheaper alternatives: https://www.dividenddata.com/funds/vexpx/expenses - Peer comparison: https://www.dividenddata.com/funds/vexpx/peers Data sourced from primary filings and market data providers; see https://www.dividenddata.com/methodology.