Vanguard adds to its ETF roster

The Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Small-Cap Exchange Traded Fund (VSS), which seeks to track the performance of the FTSE Global Small-Cap ex-US Index, began trading today, The Vanguard Group Inc. of Malvern, Pa., announced. The launch brings the number of Vanguard’s ETFs to 39, with aggregate assets topping $44 billion. The ETF holds about 2,100 securities and has an expense ratio of 0.38%. It is the only international small-cap ETF in the marketplace to cover both developed and emerging international markets. “Many advisers are committed to providing international exposure within their clients’ portfolios, but until now a low-cost index option with developed and emerging market small-cap exposure was not available,” Martha Papariello, a principal of Vanguard Financial Advisor Services, said in a statement.