This is a powerful growth-oriented exchange-traded fund (ETF).
It holds more than 300 stocks, many of them high-powered tech stocks.
Why look for a needle when you can buy the haystack?
If you're in the market for a compelling growth stock to invest in before 2025 ends, I'd like to suggest the Vanguard Growth ETF (NYSEMKT: VUG). It's not a standard common stock, though. It's an exchange-traded fund (ETF): a mutual fund-like security that trades like a stock. In many ways, it's better than a single growth stock.
Image source: Getty Images.
Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Learn More »
That's because, if you buy into the wrong growth stock, it may disappoint you. Not every growth stock goes to the moon, after all. Buying into a basket of growth stocks will spread your hard-earned dollars across multiple promising businesses.
Check out the long-term performance of this ETF in the table below. I'm including the performance of an S&P 500 index fund for comparison.
ETF |
5-Year Avg. Annual Return |
10-Year Avg. Annual Return |
15-Year Avg. Annual Return |
---|---|---|---|
SPDR S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: SPY) |
15.98% |
14.65% |
14.64% |
Vanguard Growth ETF |
16.69% |
17.25% |
16.90% |
Source: Morningstar.com, as of Sept. 9, 2025. ETF = exchange-traded fund.
See? It's impressive! That's because it encompasses more than 300 stocks, with much of its assets held in Apple, Nvidia, and Microsoft, as well as the rest of the "Magnificent Seven" stocks. Check out its top holdings.
Stock |
Percent of ETF |
---|---|
Nvidia |
12.64% |
Microsoft |
12.18% |
Apple |
9.48% |
Amazon |
6.72% |
Meta Platforms |
4.62% |
Broadcom |
4.39% |
Alphabet Class A |
3.34% |
Tesla |
2.69% |
Alphabet Class C |
2.67% |
Eli Lilly |
2.01% |
Source: Vanguard.com. As of July 31, 2025. ETF = exchange-traded fund.
An investment in the Vanguard Growth ETF will quickly make you a part-owner of Nvidia, Apple, and lots of other promising technology companies. Do remember that such growth stocks can be volatile. So, for the best results, aim to hang on for many years.
Before you buy stock in Vanguard Index Funds - Vanguard Growth ETF, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Vanguard Index Funds - Vanguard Growth ETF wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $661,694!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,082,963!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 1,067% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 190% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor.
See the 10 stocks »
*Stock Advisor returns as of September 15, 2025
Selena Maranjian has positions in Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Broadcom, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Vanguard Index Funds - Vanguard Growth ETF. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, Tesla, and Vanguard Index Funds - Vanguard Growth ETF. The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.