Vanguard’s S&P 500 ETF (VOO) has already shattered its previous full year high for inflows record, underscoring retail investors’ growing appetite for low-cost, passively managed funds that provide broad market exposure.
VOO, which tracks the S&P 500 index of large-cap stocks, has attracted $50.2 billion in new assets, surpassing the $46.9 billion it drew in 2021, according to etf.com data.
Last week alone, the fund generated $3.9 billion in inflows, a nearly 1% increase in assets under management (AUM).
Currently, VOO ranks among the world’s largest ETFs with $487.2 billion in AUM. The fund’s popularity stems from its low expense ratio of 0.03%, making it an attractive option for cost-conscious investors seeking long-term growth.
SPY Outflows
VOO’s success has come at the expense of its main competitor, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY). Despite being the oldest and most actively traded U.S. listed ETF, SPY has experienced outflows of $7.2 billion this year. However, SPY maintains a larger asset base, with $561.6 billion under management.
“The flows into VOO and out of SPY are not a surprise to me as the former is the most popular S&P 500 ETF among retail investors because of its low expenses and Vanguard name, and SPY’s high trading volume and liquidity are attractive on the institutional side,” said Kent Thune, etf.com research lead, explaining the trend. “Thus, the recent flows reveal that do-it-yourself investors are buying shares and institutional investors are selling or rotating into other areas of the market.”
Note: This story’s fourth paragraph was corrected to note VOO’s 0.03% expense ratio.
Read More: Vanguard’s VOO Breaks Inflow Record, Outpaces Rival SPY