Vanguard Mega Cap Growth Index Fund is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 as an open-end investment company, or mutual fund. The fund offers two classes of shares: ETF Shares and Institutional Shares. Each of the share classes has different eligibility and minimum purchase requirements, and is designed for different types of investors. ETF Shares are listed for trading on NYSE Arca; they can be purchased and sold through a broker.
In July 2024, the board of trustees approved a change in the fund’s fiscal year end from August 31, to September 30. Financial results for the current period are presented as of the fund’s new fiscal year end, September 30, 2024, and for the period from September 1, through September 30, 2024, where applicable.
| A. | The following significant accounting policies conform to generally accepted accounting principles for U.S. investment companies. The fund consistently follows such policies in preparing its financial statements. |
1. Security Valuation: Securities are valued as of the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time) on the valuation date. Equity securities are valued at the latest quoted sales prices or official closing prices taken from the primary market in which each security trades; such securities not traded on the valuation date are valued at the mean of the latest quoted bid and asked prices. Securities for which market quotations are not readily available, or whose values have been affected by events occurring before the fund’s pricing time but after the close of the securities’ primary markets, are valued by methods deemed by the valuation designee to represent fair value and subject to oversight by the board of trustees. Investments in Vanguard Market Liquidity Fund are valued at that fund's net asset value.
2. Futures Contracts: The fund uses index futures contracts to a limited extent, with the objectives of maintaining full exposure to the stock market, maintaining liquidity, and minimizing transaction costs. The fund may purchase futures contracts to immediately invest incoming cash in the market, or sell futures in response to cash outflows, thereby simulating a fully invested position in the underlying index while maintaining a cash balance for liquidity. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts are imperfect correlation between changes in market values of stocks held by the fund and the prices of futures contracts, and the possibility of an illiquid market. Counterparty risk involving futures is mitigated because a regulated clearinghouse is the counterparty instead of the clearing broker. To further mitigate counterparty risk, the fund trades futures contracts on an exchange, monitors the financial strength of its clearing brokers and clearinghouse, and has entered into clearing agreements with its clearing brokers. The clearinghouse imposes initial margin requirements to secure the fund’s performance and requires daily settlement of variation margin representing changes in the market value of each contract. Any securities pledged as initial margin for open contracts are noted in the Schedule of Investments.
Futures contracts are valued at their quoted daily settlement prices. The notional amounts of the contracts are not recorded in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Fluctuations in the value of the contracts are recorded in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities as an asset (liability) and in the Statement of Operations as unrealized appreciation (depreciation) until the contracts are closed, when they are recorded as realized gains (losses) on futures contracts.
During the period ended September 30, 2024, the fund’s average investments in long and short futures contracts represented less than 1% and 0% of net assets, respectively, based on the average of the notional amounts at each quarter-end during the period.
3. Swap Contracts: The fund has entered into equity swap contracts to earn the total return on selected reference stocks or indexes in the fund’s target index. Under the terms of the swaps, the fund receives the total return on the referenced stock (i.e., receiving the increase or paying the decrease in value of the selected reference stock and receiving the equivalent of any dividends in respect of the selected referenced stock) over a specified period of time, applied to a notional amount that represents the value of a designated number of shares of the selected reference stock at the beginning of the equity swap contract. The fund also pays a floating rate that is based on short-term interest rates, applied to the notional amount. At the same time, the fund generally invests an amount approximating the notional amount of the swap in high-quality temporary cash investments.
A risk associated with all types of swaps is the possibility that a counterparty may default on its obligation to pay net amounts due to the fund. The fund’s maximum amount subject to counterparty risk is the unrealized appreciation on the swap contract. The fund mitigates its counterparty risk by entering into swaps only with a diverse group of prequalified counterparties, monitoring their financial strength, entering into master netting arrangements with its counterparties, and requiring its counterparties to transfer collateral as security for their performance. In the absence of a default, the collateral pledged or received by the fund cannot be repledged, resold, or rehypothecated. In the event of a counterparty’s default (including bankruptcy), the fund may terminate any swap contracts with that counterparty, determine the net amount owed by either party in accordance with its master netting arrangements, and sell or retain any collateral held up to the net amount owed to the fund under the master netting arrangements. The swap contracts contain provisions whereby a counterparty may terminate open contracts if the fund’s net assets decline below a certain level, triggering a payment by the fund if the fund is in a net liability position at the time of the termination. The payment amount would be reduced by any collateral the fund has pledged. Any securities pledged as collateral for open contracts are noted in the Schedule of Investments. The value of collateral received or pledged is compared daily to the value of the swap contracts exposure with each counterparty, and any difference, if in excess of a specified minimum transfer amount, is adjusted and settled within two business days.
The notional amounts of swap contracts are not recorded in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Swaps are valued daily based on market quotations received from independent pricing services or recognized dealers and the change in value is recorded in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities as an asset (liability) and in the Statement of Operations as unrealized appreciation (depreciation) until periodic payments are made or the termination of the swap, at which time realized gain (loss) is recorded.
During the period ended September 30, 2024, the fund’s average amounts of investments in total return swaps represented less than 1% of net assets, based on the average of notional amounts at each quarter-end during the period.
The fund had no open total return swap contracts at September 30, 2024.
