UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM N-CSR

 

CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT

OF

REGISTERED MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES

 

Investment Company Act file number : 811-07443

 

Name of Registrant: Vanguard Whitehall Funds

 

Address of Registrant:

P.O. Box 2600

 

Valley Forge, PA 19482

 

 

 

Name and address of agent for service:

Heidi Stam, Esquire

 

P.O. Box 876

 

Valley Forge, PA 19482

 

 

 

 

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (610) 669-1000

 

Date of fiscal year end: October 1

 

Date of reporting period: November 1, 2006–October 31, 2007

 

Item 1: Reports to Shareholders

 

 


 


>

Vanguard Selected Value Fund returned 10.2% for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2007, beating its benchmark index but lagging the average return of peer mutual funds.

 

>

The fund faced a market that turned from favoring value stocks in the first half of the year to favoring growth stocks in the second half.

 

>

Almost all sectors contributed to the fund’s return; financials detracted from performance.

 

 

 

Contents

 

 

 

Your Fund’s Total Returns

1

Chairman’s Letter

2

Advisors’ Report

7

Fund Profile

10

Performance Summary

11

Financial Statements

13

Your Fund’s After-Tax Returns

23

About Your Fund’s Expenses

24

Glossary

26

 

 

 

 

 

Please note: The opinions expressed in this report are just that—informed opinions. They should not be considered promises or advice. Also, please keep in mind that the information and opinions cover the period through the date on the cover of this report. Of course, the risks of investing in your fund are spelled out in the prospectus.

 

Your Fund’s Total Returns

 

 

 

 

Fiscal Year Ended October 31, 2007

 

 

 

Ticker

Total

 

Symbol

Returns

Vanguard Selected Value Fund

VASVX

10.2%

Russell Midcap Value Index

 

9.7

Average Mid-Cap Value Fund 1

 

12.9

 

 

Your Fund’s Performance at a Glance

 

 

 

October 31, 2006–October 31, 2007

 

 

Distributions Per Share

 

Starting

Ending

Income

Capital

 

Share Price

Share Price

Dividends

Gains

Vanguard Selected Value Fund

$21.38

$22.11

$0.320

$1.050

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Derived from data provided by Lipper Inc.

 

 

1


 

Chairman’s Letter

 

Dear Shareholder,

Over the past six months, the stock market’s preferences turned away from the value stocks, and the small-and mid-capitalization stocks, favored by Vanguard Selected Value Fund. Even so, the fund posted a respectable 10.2% total return for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2007.

The fund bested its market benchmark, the Russell Midcap Value Index. But it lagged the average return of peer mutual funds, in part because of relatively lighter exposure to utility and materials stocks.

If you own the Selected Value Fund in a taxable account, you may wish to review our report on the fund’s after-tax returns on page 23.

Stocks rode a bumpy path to impressive results

Despite some volatility, the U.S. stock market produced strong results during the fund’s fiscal year. Ongoing problems with low-quality mortgage loans (an unpleasant postscript to the housing downturn) rattled the market in the spring and summer, and continued to make investors skittish through the close of the fiscal period. At the end of October, crude oil prices touched historic highs, while the U.S. dollar dipped to record lows versus other major currencies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

Still, the broad U.S. stock market returned an impressive 15.3% for the 12 months. In a reversal of earlier trends, large-cap stocks outperformed small-caps, and growth stocks outperformed value stocks.

International companies performed even better than domestic issues. Stocks in emerging markets fared particularly well, followed by European and Pacific region stocks (Japan was a notable laggard). The weak U.S. dollar boosted foreign stock returns for U.S.-based investors.

Bond investors converged on high-quality issues

As troubles in the subprime credit market rippled ever farther, fixed income investors sought the relative safety of U.S. Treasury bonds. This “flight to quality” drove prices for Treasuries higher and yields lower, and widened the spread between Treasury yields and the much-higher yields demanded by investors for riskier bonds.

Declines in Treasury yields were steepest at the short end of the maturity spectrum, aided by the actions of the Federal Reserve Board. The central bank lowered the target for short-term interest rates to 4.50% in two separate rate cuts (a half-percentage-point in September and a quarter-point on October 31). The yield of the 3-month Treasury bill finished the fiscal period at 3.92%, after spending much of the year near 5%; the 10-year Treasury note ended at 4.47%.

 

 

Market Barometer

 

 

 

 

Average Annual Total Returns

 

Periods Ended October 31, 2007

 

One Year

Three Years

Five Years

Stocks

 

 

 

Russell 1000 Index (Large-caps)

15.0%

13.8%

14.5%

Russell 2000 Index (Small-caps)

9.3

13.7

18.7

Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 Index (Entire market)

15.3

14.2

15.3

MSCI All Country World Index ex USA (International)

33.0

27.4

26.4

 

 

 

 

Bonds

 

 

 

Lehman U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (Broad taxable market)

5.4%

3.9%

4.4%

Lehman Municipal Bond Index

2.9

3.7

4.5

Citigroup 3-Month Treasury Bill Index

5.0

4.1

2.9

 

 

 

 

CPI

 

 

 

Consumer Price Index

3.5%

3.1%

2.9%

 

 

 

 

3

For the year, the broad taxable bond market returned 5.4%. Returns from tax-exempt bonds were lower, as these issues did not benefit from the late-summer rally in Treasuries.

Most stock sectors produced strong double-digit gains

Almost every sector contributed to the Selected Value Fund’s return for the fiscal year. Six sectors posted double-digit returns, ranging from 12% from the utilities sector to 42% from energy. The health care and consumer discretionary sectors produced smaller gains. Only the financials group had negative returns for the fund. (Selected Value owned no stocks in the telecommunication services sector.)

 

Keep in mind, however, that the fund’s primary focus is not on sectors but on individual stocks that appear to be undervalued but poised for a rebound. During the past year, in fact, Selected Value’s top ten performers represented almost every sector.

 

These stocks include MasterCard, an information technology company that is a major provider of credit-card processing services; it led with a 157% return. The other top contributors included two aerospace and defense companies, Goodrich and L-3 Communications (industrials); tobacco company Carolina Group (consumer staples); Triad Hospitals and Coventry Health Care (health care); integrated oil company Murphy Oil (energy); Reliant Energy (utilities);

 

 

Expense Ratios 1

 

 

Your fund compared with its peer group

 

 

 

 

Average

 

 

Mid-Cap

 

Fund

Value Fund

Selected Value Fund

0.42%

1.45%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Fund expense ratio reflects the fiscal year ended October 31, 2007. Peer-group expense ratio is derived from data provided by Lipper Inc. and captures information through year-end 2006.

 

4

toolmaker Stanley Works (consumer discretionary); and papermaker Domtar (materials).

The negative performance of the fund’s financials stocks isn’t very surprising, given the troubles in the subprime mortgage market and related stresses. The fund nevertheless bested the index sector’s return, in part because the advisors were able to identify some of the group’s better performers, such as Annaly Capital Management, a real estate investment trust that invests in mortgage securities that are backed by government agencies and have almost no credit risk.

 

A rocky start still shadows the fund’s long-term record

Over the past ten years, the Selected Value Fund has posted an average annual return of 8.8%, well above the average for the broad domestic stock market but below that of the fund’s benchmark index. A hypothetical investment of $25,000 made in Selected Value at the start of the period would have grown to a bit more than $58,000 by October 31, 2007.

It’s important, of course, to take such an extended view of a fund’s performance. Prudent investing in stocks requires a long-term horizon. But a ten-year record can both reveal and conceal. In the case of Selected Value, the fund’s subpar early years continue to weigh down its long-term performance, as shown in the table below.

 

 

Total Returns

 

Ten Years Ended October 31, 2007

 

 

Average

 

Annual Return

Selected Value Fund

8.8%

Russell Midcap Value Index

11.7

Average Mid-Cap Value Fund 1

11.1

 

The figures shown represent past performance, which is not a guarantee of future results. (Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data cited. For performance data current to the most recent month-end, visit our website at www.vanguard.com/performance.) Note, too, that both investment returns and principal value can fluctuate widely, so an investor’s shares, when sold, could be worth more or less than their original cost.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Derived from data provided by Lipper Inc.

 

5

While we don’t ordinarily focus on selective periods, it’s worth noting that the fund’s performance has been significantly better since March 1999, when James P. Barrow, a founding partner of Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, took over as manager. For example, from March 31, 1999, through October 31, 2007, the fund posted an average annual return of 13.4%, compared with 12.6% for the benchmark index.

The fund’s more recent results include the work of Donald Smith & Co., which began managing a portion of Selected Value’s assets in 2005. Both advisors have a value orientation and a long-term perspective; Donald Smith & Co. complements Barrow, Hanley by searching for stocks that are priced at particularly steep discounts.

Given our advisors’ talent, experience, and dedication, we are confident about Selected Value’s long-term performance prospects in the coming years.

Selected Value can play a role in a diversified long-term portfolio

The Selected Value Fund lives up to its name by being, indeed, selective: The fund held only 63 stocks in its portfolio at the fiscal year-end. Because of its concentrated focus, the fund is best employed not in isolation, but as one element of a portfolio that includes other stock holdings in its mix.

A prudent portfolio—and one that can be effective over the long-term periods that are best for measuring stock investing success—is balanced among stocks, bonds, and short-term investments, while also being diversified within each of these asset groups. We believe that the Selected Value Fund can be a useful part of such a diversified portfolio.

 

Thank you for entrusting your assets to Vanguard.

 

Sincerely,

 


 

John J. Brennan

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

November 15, 2007

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

Advisors’ Report

 

During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2007, Vanguard Selected Value Fund returned 10.2%. This performance reflected the combined efforts of your fund’s two independent advisors. The use of multiple advisors provides exposure to distinct, yet complementary, investment approaches, enhancing the fund’s diversification.

The advisors, the amount and percentage of fund assets each manages, and a brief description of their investment strategies are presented in the table below. The advisors have also provided a discussion of the investment environment that existed during the fiscal year and of how their portfolio position reflects this assessment. These comments were prepared on November 19, 2007.

 

Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, Inc.

 

Portfolio Managers:

James P. Barrow, Founding Partner Mark Giambrone, Principal

 

During the past fiscal year, the market advanced nicely overall. But it is difficult to discuss the last 12 months without focusing on the recent volatility related to housing and illiquidity in the financial markets.

We have kept the portfolio substantially underweighted in the financials sector and have avoided areas such as homebuilders, brokers, and mortgage lenders or originators. This stance has proven to be prudent and, although the market has sold down financials indiscriminately, we are

 

Vanguard Selected Value Fund Investment Advisors

 

 

 

 

 

Fund Assets Managed

 

Investment Advisor

%

$ Million

Investment Strategy

Barrow, Hanley,

76

3,786

Conducts fundamental research on individual

Mewhinney & Strauss, Inc.

 

 

stocks exhibiting traditional value characteristics:

 

 

 

price/earnings and price/book ratios below the

 

 

 

market average and dividend yields above the

 

 

 

market average.

Donald Smith & Co., Inc.

22

1,084

Fundamental research on the lowest price-to-

 

 

 

tangible-book-value companies. Research focuses

 

 

 

on underlying quality of book value and assets,

 

 

 

and on long-term earnings potential.

Cash Investments 1

2

121

 

 

 

 

1 These short-term reserves are invested by Vanguard in equity index products to simulate investment in stocks. Each advisor may also maintain a modest cash position.

 

7

maintaining our underweighted position while beginning to look for opportunities. Other significant underweightings—in utilities and materials—also seem suitable to us, as these sectors appear either to be overvalued or to display valuations incorporating unsustainable moves in commodity prices. We continue to believe these underweighted positions are appropriate, although we are aware that continued weakness in the dollar could propel commodity prices higher irrespective of supply/demand fundamentals.

We are significantly invested in the health care and consumer discretionary sectors. Although our health care positions have detracted from performance during calendar 2007, we feel that they continue to represent opportunity and expect them to add to performance over our investment time horizon of three to four years. In overweighting consumer discretionary stocks, we do not ignore the current concerns about the housing market or consumer spending, but seek to take advantage of the price level of some very good businesses that have little or limited exposure to the housing sector.

We continue to find businesses displaying valuation characteristics below those of the market but fundamental characteristics superior to the market averages. These opportunities should enhance our portfolio’s performance over the longer term.

 

Donald Smith & Co., Inc.

 

Portfolio Managers:

Donald G. Smith, Chief Investment Officer

Richard L. Greenberg, CFA, Senior Vice President

 

At the end of October 2007, the portion of the Selected Value Fund that we manage continued to meet our criteria for a concentrated portfolio of low price-to-tangible-book-value stocks with attractive long-term earnings potential. On average, these holdings currently sell at 117% of tangible book value and 10 times “normalized earnings.” In contrast, stocks in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index sell at more than 5x tangible book value and 18x normalized earnings.

The three largest industry weightings are insurance (17.9%), utilities (17.5%), and technology (17.3%). The insurance and utilities industries should be relatively immune from a slowing of the U.S. economy. The two insurance companies we own, Unum and CNA, have conservative investment portfolios that should suffer less than most from the subprime-mortgage fallout. Flextronics is our largest technology holding, delivered in exchange for our Solectron stock in a recently completed acquisition. At 10x next year’s earnings, Flextronics remains a cheap stock, so we have decided to maintain the position for now.

 

 

 

8

Other tech holdings include the depressed semiconductor companies Qimonda, Semiconductor Manufacturing, Spansion, and Micron, which currently are selling at prices below book value and close to their lows. Eventually, we would expect a better supply/demand balance and higher memory-chip prices to lead to a recovery in these stocks.

We eliminated two positions (Tech Data, Magna International) and scaled back two others (Domtar, Reliant) in stocks that have done well. New positions were initiated or added to in several insurance companies (IPC Holdings, Unum, American National), a utility (Pinnacle West), and an out-of-favor retailer with large real estate values (Dillard’s), as well as in the semiconductor stocks named earlier.

In general, our universe of low price-to-book value stocks has not kept up with the market. The third calendar quarter was particularly difficult, with our target group of stocks declining roughly 16% while the S&P 500 stocks gained about 2%. Large liquidations by some of the quantitative hedge funds, which tend to emphasize value stocks, exacerbated the decline in our universe.

We have been correctly cautious toward financial companies and homebuilders that appeared vulnerable to the unwinding of the housing/subprime mortgage bubble. Our lack of holdings in the top-performing energy group, where we see little value, has hurt relative performance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9

Fund Profile

As of October 31, 2007

 

 

Portfolio Characteristics

 

 

 

 

Comparative

Broad

 

Fund

Index 1

Index 2

Number of Stocks

63

484

4,870

Median Market Cap

$6.1B

$8.1B

$36.8B

Price/Earnings Ratio

16.2x

17.3x

18.2x

Price/Book Ratio

1.8x

2.0x

2.9x

Yield

2.1%

2.0%

1.7%

Return on Equity

13.3%

13.0%

18.9%

Earnings Growth Rate

16.9%

15.6%

21.3%

Foreign Holdings

7.9%

0.0%

0.0%

Turnover Rate

33%

Expense Ratio

0.42%

Short-Term Reserves

5.8%

 

 

Sector Diversification (% of equity exposure)

 

 

Comparative

Broad

 

Fund

Index 1

Index 2

Consumer Discretionary

17.8%

13.7%

10.1%

Consumer Staples

6.4

7.1

8.3

Energy

8.5

7.2

11.3

Financials

21.8

29.6

19.3

Health Care

9.6

2.2

11.7

Industrials

14.9

10.2

11.7

Information Technology

7.4

7.3

16.7

Materials

1.6

7.0

3.9

Telecommunication Services

0.1

2.0

3.4

Utilities

11.9

13.7

3.6

 

 

Volatility Measures 3

 

 

Fund Versus

Fund Versus

 

Comparative Index 1

Broad Index 2

R-Squared

0.82

0.69

Beta

0.82

0.86

 

 

Ten Largest Holdings 4 (% of total net assets)

 

 

 

Pinnacle West Capital Corp.

electric utilities

3.9%

Murphy Oil Corp.

integrated oil and gas

3.1

Annaly Capital Management Inc. REIT

mortgage REITs

2.7

L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc.

aerospace and defense

2.7

Coventry Health Care Inc.

managed health care

2.6

Carolina Group

tobacco

2.6

El Paso Corp.

oil and gas storage and transportation

2.5

Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd.

hotels resorts and cruise lines

2.4

Goodrich Corp.

aerospace and defense

2.3

Reynolds American Inc.

tobacco

2.2

Top Ten

 

27.0%

 

 

Investment Focus

 


 

 

1 Russell Midcap Value Index.

2 Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 Index.

3 For an explanation of R-squared , beta , and other terms used here, see the Glossary on page 26.

4 “Ten Largest Holdings” excludes any temporary cash investments and equity index products.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10

Performance Summary

 

All of the returns in this report represent past performance, which is not a guarantee of future results that may be achieved by the fund. (Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data cited. For performance data current to the most recent month-end, visit our website at www.vanguard.com/performance.) Note, too, that both investment returns and principal value can fluctuate widely, so an investor’s shares, when sold, could be worth more or less than their original cost. The returns shown do not reflect taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the sale of fund shares.

 

Cumulative Performance: October 31, 1997–October 31, 2007

Initial Investment of $25,000

 


 

 

 

Average Annual Total Returns

Final Value

 

Periods Ended October 31, 2007

of a $25,000

 

One Year

Five Years

Ten Years

Investment

Selected Value Fund 1

10.15%

18.49%

8.79%

$58,031

Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 Index

15.28

15.31

7.44

51,238

Russell Midcap Value Index

9.73

20.36

11.69

75,534

Average Mid-Cap Value Fund 2

12.87

18.66

11.07

71,445

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Total returns do not reflect the 1% fee assessed on redemptions after March 23, 2005, of shares held for less than one year, or the 1% fee assessed until March 23, 2005, on shares purchased on or after August 7, 2001, and held for less than five years. Nor do they include the account service fee that may be applicable to certain accounts with balances below $10,000.

2 Derived from data provided by Lipper Inc.

 

 

11

 

Fiscal-Year Total Returns (%): October 31, 1997–October 31, 2007

 


 

Average Annual Total Returns: Periods Ended September 30, 2007

This table presents average annual total returns through the latest calendar quarter—rather than through the end of the fiscal period. Securities and Exchange Commission rules require that we provide this information.

 

 

Inception Date

One Year

Five Years

Ten Years

Selected Value Fund 1

2/15/1996

12.05%

18.55%

8.08%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Total returns do not reflect the 1% fee assessed on redemptions after March 23, 2005, of shares held for less than one year, or the 1% fee assessed until March 23, 2005, on shares purchased on or after August 7, 2001, and held for less than five years. Nor do they include the account service fee that may be applicable to certain accounts with balances below $10,000.

Note: See Financial Highlights table on page 17 for dividend and capital gains information.

 

 

 

12

Financial Statements

 

Statement of Net Assets

As of October 31, 2007

 

The fund provides a complete list of its holdings four times in each fiscal year, at the quarter-ends. For the second and fourth fiscal quarters, the lists appear in the fund’s semiannual and annual reports to shareholders. For the first and third fiscal quarters, the fund files the lists with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Form N-Q. Shareholders can look up the fund’s Forms N-Q on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Forms N-Q may also be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room (see the back cover of this report for further information).

 

 

 

 

Market

 

 

 

Value

 

 

Shares

($000)

Common Stocks (91.5%) 1

 

 

Consumer Discretionary (16.5%)

 

 

 

Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd.

2,755,400

118,152

 

The Stanley Works

1,861,900

107,152

 

Advance Auto Parts, Inc.

2,814,400

96,027

 

Idearc Inc.

3,166,700

85,438

*

Hanesbrands Inc.

2,599,800

80,698

 

Sherwin-Williams Co.

1,096,100

70,063

 

Family Dollar Stores, Inc.

2,541,100

64,417

^

Dillard's Inc.

2,451,900

56,467

 

Whirlpool Corp.

659,800

52,243

 

Service Corp. International

3,345,600

48,411

*

Office Depot, Inc.

2,297,900

43,109

*

Dana Corp.

2,976,400

439

 

 

 

822,616

Consumer Staples (5.8%)

 

 

 

Carolina Group

1,519,800

130,368

 

Reynolds American Inc.

1,721,600

110,923

 

UST, Inc.

923,400

49,236

 

 

 

290,527

Energy (7.7%)

 

 

 

Murphy Oil Corp.

2,069,800

152,399

 

El Paso Corp.

7,180,100

126,800

 

Venture Production PLC

3,500,000

57,893

 

Overseas Shipholding Group Inc.

472,900

35,184

 

Marathon Oil Corp.

209,300

12,376

 

 

 

384,652

Financials (20.0%)

 

 

 

Commercial Banks (2.3%)

 

 

2

The South Financial Group, Inc.

3,811,700

78,750

 

National City Corp.

1,500,000

36,375

 

 

 

 

 

Diversified Financial Services (1.0%)

 

 

 

CIT Group Inc.

1,446,800

50,985

 

 

 

 

 

Insurance (7.8%)

 

 

 

Willis Group Holdings Ltd.

2,215,800

93,795

 

 

 

 

 

Market

 

 

 

Value

 

 

Shares

($000)

 

Unum Group

3,537,900

82,575

 

Axis Capital Holdings Ltd.

1,938,300

77,028

 

CNA Financial Corp.

1,687,200

66,864

 

XL Capital Ltd. Class A

329,800

23,729

 

IPC Holdings Ltd.

548,300

16,400

 

American National Insurance Co.

121,211

15,673

 

American Financial Group, Inc.

404,600

12,098

 

 

 

 

 

Real Estate Investment Trusts (5.5%)

 

 

 

Annaly Capital Management Inc. REIT

7,946,900

135,813

2

First Industrial Realty Trust REIT

2,706,300

110,282

 

American Financial Realty Trust REIT

3,969,700

26,756

 

 

 

 

 

Thrifts & Mortgage Finance (3.4%)

 

 

 

People's United Financial Inc.

6,231,197

110,791

 

New York Community Bancorp, Inc.

3,004,700

55,917

 

Hudson City Bancorp, Inc.

330,000

5,168

 

 

 

998,999

Health Care (8.7%)

 

 

*

Coventry Health Care Inc.

2,185,200

131,789

 

Hillenbrand Industries, Inc.

1,703,375

94,060

 

Omnicare, Inc.

2,795,700

82,473

 

Quest Diagnostics, Inc.

1,433,100

76,212

*

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International

3,410,400

49,621

 

 

 

434,155

Industrials (13.7%)

 

 

 

L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc.

1,209,400

132,599

 

Goodrich Corp.

1,635,800

113,950

 

Avery Dennison Corp.

1,651,900

95,645

 

Air France KLM ADR

2,433,200

92,875

 

Ryder System, Inc.

1,659,900

79,426

 

ITT Industries, Inc.

1,148,900

76,884

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13

 

 

 

Market

 

 

 

Value

 

 

Shares

($000)

 

Pitney Bowes, Inc.

1,307,700

52,360

 

Briggs & Stratton Corp.

1,838,700

41,389

 

 

 

685,128

Information Technology (6.5%)

 

 

*

Computer Sciences Corp.

1,709,400

99,812

*

Flextronics International Ltd.

7,647,234

94,137

*

Qimonda AG ADR

5,381,964

51,990

 

MasterCard, Inc. Class A

198,800

37,683

*

Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. ADR

4,626,200

26,924

*

Spansion Inc. Class A

1,292,500

9,112

*

Micron Technology, Inc.

524,425

5,512

 

 

 

325,170

Materials (1.5%)

 

 

*

Domtar Corp.

8,333,500

71,501

 

 

 

 

Utilities (11.1%)

 

 

 

Pinnacle West Capital Corp.

4,826,500

194,991

 

Xcel Energy, Inc.

4,798,100

108,197

 

MDU Resources Group, Inc.

3,594,800

101,230

 

CenterPoint Energy Inc.

4,538,500

76,065

*

Reliant Energy, Inc.

2,646,200

72,823

 

 

 

553,306

Total Common Stocks

 

 

(Cost $3,816,076)

 

4,566,054

Temporary Cash Investments (8.3%) 1

 

 

Money Market Fund (8.1%)

 

 

3

Vanguard Market Liquidity Fund, 4.955%

399,885,455

399,885

3

Vanguard Market Liquidity Fund, 4.955%—Note G

4,800,000

4,800

 

 

 

Face

Market

 

Amount

Value

 

($000)

($000)

U.S. Agency Obligation (0.2%)

 

 

4 Federal Home Loan Bank

 

 

5 4.511%, 1/23/08

10,000

9,896

Total Temporary Cash Investments

 

 

(Cost $414,583)

 

414,581

Total Investments (99.8%)

 

 

(Cost $4,230,659)

 

4,980,635

Other Assets and Liabilities (0.2%)

 

 

Other Assets—Note C

 

35,250

Liabilities—Note G

 

(25,343)

 

 

9,907

Net Assets (100%)

 

 

Applicable to 225,740,000 outstanding

 

 

$.001 par value shares of beneficial

 

 

interest (unlimited authorization)

 

4,990,542

Net Asset Value Per Share

 

$22.11

 

 

At October 31, 2007, net assets consisted of: 6

 

Amount

Per

 

($000)

Share

Paid-in Capital

3,844,016

$17.03

Undistributed Net

 

 

Investment Income

59,069

.26

Accumulated Net

 

 

Realized Gains

333,246

1.48

Unrealized Appreciation

 

 

Investment Securities

749,976

3.32

Futures Contracts

4,235

.02

Net Assets

4,990,542

$22.11

 

 

See Note A in Notes to Financial Statements.

* Non-income-producing security.

^ Part of security position is on loan to broker-dealers. See Note G in Notes to Financial Statements.

1 The fund invests a portion of its cash reserves in equity markets through the use of index futures contracts. After giving effect to futures investments, the fund's effective common stock and temporary cash investment positions represent 93.9% and 5.9%, respectively, of net assets. See Note E in Notes to Financial Statements.

2 Considered an affiliated company of the fund as the fund owns more than 5% of the outstanding voting securities of such company. See Note I in Notes to Financial Statements.

3 Affiliated money market fund available only to Vanguard funds and certain trusts and accounts managed by Vanguard. Rate shown is the 7-day yield.

4 The issuer operates under a congressional charter; its securities are neither issued nor guaranteed by the U.S. government. If needed, access to additional funding from the U.S. Treasury (beyond the issuer's line of credit) would require congressional action.

5 Securities with a value of $9,896,000 have been segregated as initial margin for open futures contracts.

6 See Note E in Notes to Financial Statements for the tax-basis components of net assets.

ADR—American Depositary Receipt.

REIT—Real Estate Investment Trust.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14

Statement of Operations

 

 

 

Year Ended

 

October 31, 2007

 

($000)

Investment Income

 

Income

 

Dividends 1,2

79,989

Interest 2

27,917

Security Lending

609

Total Income

108,515

Expenses

 

Investment Advisory Fees—Note B

 

Basic Fee

11,003

Performance Adjustment

(950)

The Vanguard Group—Note C

 

Management and Administrative

9,860

Marketing and Distribution

1,045

Custodian Fees

64

Auditing Fees

24

Shareholders’ Reports

56

Trustees’ Fees and Expenses

6

Total Expenses

21,108

Expenses Paid Indirectly—Note D

(406)

Net Expenses

20,702

Net Investment Income

87,813

Realized Net Gain (Loss)

 

Investment Securities Sold 2

355,554

Futures Contracts

16,191

Foreign Currencies

(11)

Realized Net Gain (Loss)

371,734

Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation)

 

Investment Securities

(20,089)

Futures Contracts

(1,158)

Foreign Currencies

Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation)

(21,247)

Net Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting from Operations

438,300

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Dividends are net of foreign withholding taxes of $249,000.

2 Dividend income, interest income, and realized net gain (loss) from affiliated companies of the fund were $6,454,000, $27,373,000, and $13,977,000 respectively.

 

 

15

Statement of Changes in Net Assets

 

 

 

Year Ended October 31,

 

2007

2006

 

($000)

($000)

Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets

 

 

Operations

 

 

Net Investment Income

87,813

69,379

Realized Net Gain (Loss)

371,734

232,577

Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation)

(21,247)

400,832

Net Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting from Operations

438,300

702,788

Distributions

 

 

Net Investment Income

(65,559)

(57,290)

Realized Capital Gain 1

(215,117)

(167,917)

Total Distributions

(280,676)

(225,207)

Capital Share Transactions—Note H

 

 

Issued

1,140,416

838,408

Issued in Lieu of Cash Distributions

248,158

197,996

Redeemed 2

(881,899)

(894,260)

Net Increase (Decrease) from Capital Share Transactions

506,675

142,144

Total Increase (Decrease)

664,299

619,725

Net Assets

 

 

Beginning of Period

4,326,243

3,706,518

End of Period 3

4,990,542

4,326,243

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Includes fiscal 2007 and 2006 short-term gain distributions totaling $25,199,000 and $48,400,000, respectively. Short-term gain distributions are treated as ordinary income dividends for tax purposes.

2 Net of redemption fees of $1,189,000 and $1,774,000.

3 Net Assets—End of Period includes undistributed net investment income of $59,069,000 and $44,653,000.

 

 

16

Financial Highlights

 

 

 

Year Ended October 31,

For a Share Outstanding

 

 

 

 

 

Throughout Each Period

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period

$21.38

$18.99

$16.76

$14.10

$11.27

Investment Operations

 

 

 

 

 

Net Investment Income

.40

.35

.30

.26

.25

Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss)

 

 

 

 

 

on Investments 1

1.70

3.18

2.19

2.66

2.82

Total from Investment Operations

2.10

3.53

2.49

2.92

3.07

Distributions

 

 

 

 

 

Dividends from Net Investment Income

(.32)

(.29)

(.26)

(.26)

(.24)

Distributions from Realized Capital Gains

(1.05)

(.85)

Total Distributions

(1.37)

(1.14)

(.26)

(.26)

(.24)

Net Asset Value, End of Period

$22.11

$21.38

$18.99

$16.76

$14.10

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Return 2

10.15%

19.38%

14.96%

20.94%

27.74%

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ratios/Supplemental Data

 

 

 

 

 

Net Assets, End of Period (Millions)

$4,991

$4,326

$3,707

$1,925

$1,265

Ratio of Total Expenses to

 

 

 

 

 

Average Net Assets 3

0.42%

0.45%

0.51%

0.60%

0.78%

Ratio of Net Investment Income to

 

 

 

 

 

Average Net Assets

1.74%

1.75%

1.81%

1.78%

2.05%

Portfolio Turnover Rate

33%

37%

28%

35%

40%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Includes increases from redemption fees of $.01, $.01, $.01, $.01, and $.01.

2 Total returns do not reflect the 1% fee assessed on redemptions after March 23, 2005, of shares held for less than one year; the 1% fee assessed until March 23, 2005, on shares purchased on or after August 7, 2001, and held for less than five years; or the account service fee that may be applicable to certain accounts with balances below $10,000.

3 Includes performance-based investment advisory fee increases (decreases) of (0.02%), (0.05%), (0.02%), 0.01%, and 0.11%. See accompanying Notes , which are an integral part of the Financial Statements .

 

 

71

Notes to Financial Statements

 

Vanguard Selected Value Fund is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 as an open-end investment company, or mutual fund. The fund files reports with the SEC under the company name Vanguard Whitehall Funds.

 

A. The following significant accounting policies conform to generally accepted accounting principles for U.S. mutual funds. 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 materially 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 board of trustees to represent fair value. Investments in Vanguard Market Liquidity Fund are valued at that fund’s net asset value. Temporary cash investments acquired over 60 days to maturity are valued using the latest bid prices or using valuations based on a matrix system (which considers such factors as security prices, yields, maturities, and ratings), both as furnished by independent pricing services. Other temporary cash investments are valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value.

 

2. Futures Contracts: The fund uses index futures contracts to a limited extent, with the objective of maintaining full exposure to the stock market while maintaining liquidity. The fund may purchase or sell futures contracts to achieve a desired level of investment, whether to accommodate portfolio turnover or cash flows from capital share transactions. 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.

 

Futures contracts are valued at their quoted daily settlement prices. The aggregate principal amounts of the contracts are not recorded in the Statement of Net Assets. Fluctuations in the value of the contracts are recorded in the Statement of Net Assets 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 futures gains (losses).

 

3. Federal Income Taxes: The fund intends to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company and distribute all of its taxable income. Accordingly, no provision for federal income taxes is required in the financial statements.

 

4. Distributions: Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date.

 

5. Security Lending: The fund may lend its securities to qualified institutional borrowers to earn additional income. Security loans are required to be secured at all times by collateral at least equal to the market value of securities loaned. The fund invests cash collateral received in Vanguard Market Liquidity Fund, and records a liability for the return of the collateral, during the period the securities are on loan. Security lending income represents the income earned on investing cash collateral, less expenses associated with the loan.

 

6. Other: Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date. Interest income includes income distributions received from Vanguard Market Liquidity Fund and is accrued daily. Security transactions are accounted for on the date securities are bought or sold. Costs used to determine realized gains (losses) on the sale of investment securities are those of the specific securities sold. Fees assessed on redemptions of capital shares are credited to paid-in capital.

 

18

B. Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, Inc., and Donald Smith & Co., Inc., each provide investment advisory services to a portion of the fund for fees calculated at an annual percentage rate of average net assets managed by the advisor. The basic fee of Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, Inc., is subject to quarterly adjustments based on performance for the preceding three years relative to the Russell Midcap Value Index. The basic fee of Donald Smith & Co., Inc., is subject to quarterly adjustments based on performance since July 31, 2005, relative to the MSCI Investable Market 2500 Index.

 

The Vanguard Group manages the cash reserves of the fund on an at-cost basis.

 

For the year ended October 31, 2007, the aggregate investment advisory fee represented an effective annual basic rate of 0.22% of the fund’s average net assets before a decrease of $950,000 (0.02%) based on performance.

 

C. The Vanguard Group furnishes at cost corporate management, administrative, marketing, and distribution services. The costs of such services are allocated to the fund under methods approved by the board of trustees. The fund has committed to provide up to 0.40% of its net assets in capital contributions to Vanguard. At October 31, 2007, the fund had contributed capital of $429,000 to Vanguard (included in Other Assets), representing 0.01% of the fund’s net assets and 0.43% of Vanguard’s capitalization. The fund’s trustees and officers are also directors and officers of Vanguard.

 

D. The fund has asked its investment advisors to direct certain security trades, subject to obtaining the best price and execution, to brokers who have agreed to rebate to the fund part of the commissions generated. Such rebates are used solely to reduce the fund’s management and administrative expenses. The fund’s custodian bank has also agreed to reduce its fees when the fund maintains cash on deposit in the non-interest-bearing custody account. For the year ended October 31, 2007, these arrangements reduced the fund’s management and administrative expenses by $376,000 and custodian fees by $30,000. The total expense reduction represented an effective annual rate of 0.01% of the fund’s average net assets.

 

E. Distributions are determined on a tax basis and may differ from net investment income and realized capital gains for financial reporting purposes. Differences may be permanent or temporary. Permanent differences are reclassified among capital accounts in the financial statements to reflect their tax character. Temporary differences arise when certain items of income, expense, gain, or loss are recognized in different periods for financial statement and tax purposes; these differences will reverse at some time in the future. Differences in classification may also result from the treatment of short-term gains as ordinary income for tax purposes.

 

The fund used a tax accounting practice to treat a portion of the price of capital shares redeemed during the year as distributions from net investment income and realized capital gains. Accordingly, the fund has reclassified $7,827,000 from undistributed net investment income, and $32,582,000 from accumulated net realized gains, to paid-in capital.

 

For tax purposes, at October 31, 2007, the fund had $99,145,000 of ordinary income and $302,533,000 of long-term capital gains available for distribution.

 

At October 31, 2007, the cost of investment securities for tax purposes was $4,230,659,000. Net unrealized appreciation of investment securities for tax purposes was $749,976,000, consisting of unrealized gains of $976,139,000 on securities that had risen in value since their purchase and $226,163,000 in unrealized losses on securities that had fallen in value since their purchase.

 

19

At October 31, 2007, the aggregate settlement value of open futures contracts expiring in December 2007 and the related unrealized appreciation (depreciation) were:

 

 

 

 

 

($000)

 

Number

Aggregate

Unrealized

 

of Long

Settlement

Appreciation

Futures Contracts

Contracts

Value

(Depreciation)

E-mini S&P 500 Index

838

65,150

1,824

S&P 500 Index

147

57,143

2,411

 

Unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on open futures contracts is required to be treated as realized gain (loss) for tax purposes.

 

F. During the year ended October 31, 2007, the fund purchased $1,709,150,000 of investment securities and sold $1,461,311,000 of investment securities, other than temporary cash investments.

 

G. The market value of securities on loan to broker-dealers at October 31, 2007, was $4,606,000, for which the fund received cash collateral of $4,800,000.

 

H. Capital shares issued and redeemed were:

 

 

 

Year Ended October 31,

 

2007

2006

 

Shares

Shares

 

(000)

(000)

Issued

51,661

42,799

Issued in Lieu of Cash Distributions

11,806

10,487

Redeemed

(40,102)

(46,100)

Net Increase (Decrease) in Shares Outstanding

23,365

7,186

 

 

I. Certain of the fund’s investments are in companies that are considered to be affiliated companies of the fund because the fund owns more than 5% of the outstanding voting securities of the company. Transactions during the period in securities of these companies were as follows:

 

 

 

 

Current Period Transactions

 

 

Oct. 31, 2006

 

Proceeds from

 

Oct. 31, 2007

 

Market

Purchases

Securities

Dividend

Market

 

Value

at Cost

Sold

Income

Value

 

($000)

($000)

($000)

($000)

($000)

First Industrial Realty Trust REIT

54,810

63,016

3,384

110,282

Tech Data Corp.

144,435

15,541

161,167

—-

—-

The South Financial Group, Inc.

85,848

15,464

2,641

78,750

Winnebago Industries, Inc.

61,497

2,362

59,869

429

 

346,590

 

 

6,454

189,032

 

 

 

20

J. In June 2006, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Interpretation No. 48 (“FIN 48”), “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes.” FIN 48 establishes the minimum threshold for recognizing, and a system for measuring, the benefits of tax-return positions in financial statements, and is effective for the fund’s fiscal year beginning November 1, 2007. Management has analyzed the fund’s tax positions taken on federal income tax returns for all open tax years (tax years ended October 31, 2004–2007) for purposes of implementing FIN 48, and has concluded that as of October 31, 2007, no provision for income tax would be required in the fund’s financial statements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

21

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

To the Trustees of Vanguard Whitehall Funds and the Shareholders of Vanguard Selected Value Fund:

 

In our opinion, the accompanying statement of net assets and the related statements of operations and of changes in net assets and the financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Vanguard Selected Value Fund (the “Fund”) at October 31, 2007, the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. These financial statements and financial highlights (hereafter referred to as “financial statements”) are the responsibility of the Fund’s management; our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits. We conducted our audits of these financial statements in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits, which included confirmation of securities at October 31, 2007 by correspondence with the custodian and broker, and by agreement to the underlying ownership records for Vanguard Market Liquidity Fund, provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

 

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

 

December 6, 2007

 

 


Special 2007 tax information (unaudited) for Vanguard Selected Value Fund

This information for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2007, is included pursuant to provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.

The fund distributed $219,110,000 as capital gain dividends (from net long-term capital gains) to shareholders during the fiscal year.

The fund distributed $63,265,000 of qualified dividend income to shareholders during the fiscal year.

For corporate shareholders, 57.1% of investment income (dividend income plus short-term gains, if any) qualifies for the dividends-received deduction.

 

 

22

Your Fund’s After-Tax Returns

 

This table presents returns for your fund both before and after taxes. The after-tax returns are shown in two ways: (1) assuming that an investor owned the fund during the entire period and paid taxes on the fund’s distributions, and (2) assuming that an investor paid taxes on the fund’s distributions and sold all shares at the end of each period.

 

Calculations are based on the highest individual federal income tax and capital gains tax rates in effect at the times of the distributions and the hypothetical sales. State and local taxes were not considered. After-tax returns reflect any qualified dividend income, using actual prior-year figures and estimates for 2007. (In the example, returns after the sale of fund shares may be higher than those assuming no sale. This occurs when the sale would have produced a capital loss. The calculation assumes that the investor received a tax deduction for the loss.)

 

Please note that your actual after-tax returns will depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown. Also note that if you own the fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information does not apply to you. Such accounts are not subject to current taxes.

 

Finally, keep in mind that a fund’s performance—whether before or after taxes—does not guarantee future results.

 

 

Average Annual Total Returns: Selected Value Fund 1

 

 

 

Periods Ended October 31, 2007

 

 

 

 

One

Five

Ten

 

Year

Years

Years

Returns Before Taxes

10.15%

18.49%

8.79%

Returns After Taxes on Distributions

9.01

17.68

7.95

Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares

7.72

16.05

7.30

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Total returns do not reflect the 1% fee assessed on redemptions after March 23, 2005, of shares held for less than one year, or the 1% fee assessed until March 23, 2005, on shares purchased on or after August 7, 2001, and held for less than five years. Nor do they include the account service fee that may be applicable to certain accounts with balances below $10,000.

 

 

23

About Your Fund’s Expenses

 

As a shareholder of the fund, you incur ongoing costs, which include costs for portfolio management, administrative services, and shareholder reports (like this one), among others. Operating expenses, which are deducted from a fund’s gross income, directly reduce the investment return of the fund.

 

A fund’s expenses are expressed as a percentage of its average net assets. This figure is known as the expense ratio. The following examples are intended to help you understand the ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in your fund and to compare these costs with those of other mutual funds. The examples are based on an investment of $1,000 made at the beginning of the period shown and held for the entire period.

 

The table below illustrates your fund’s costs in two ways:

 

• Based on actual fund return. This section helps you to estimate the actual expenses that you paid over the period. The “Ending Account Value” shown is derived from the fund’s actual return, and the third column shows the dollar amount that would have been paid by an investor who started with $1,000 in the fund. You may use the information here, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period.

 

To do so, simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number given for your fund under the heading “Expenses Paid During Period.”

 

• Based on hypothetical 5% yearly return. This section is intended to help you compare your fund’s costs with those of other mutual funds. It assumes that the fund had a yearly return of 5% before expenses, but that the expense ratio is unchanged. In this case—because the return used is not the fund’s actual return—the results do not apply to your investment. The example is useful in making comparisons because the Securities and Exchange Commission requires all mutual funds to calculate expenses based on a 5% return. You can assess your fund’s costs by comparing this hypothetical example with the hypothetical examples that appear in shareholder reports of other funds.

 

Six Months Ended October 31, 2007

 

 

 

 

Beginning

Ending

Expenses

 

Account Value

Account Value

Paid During

Selected Value Fund

4/30/2007

10/31/2007

Period 1

Based on Actual Fund Return

$1,000.00

$988.82

$2.11

Based on Hypothetical 5% Yearly Return

1,000.00

1,023.09

2.14

 

Note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight and help you compare ongoing costs only and do not reflect transaction costs incurred by the fund for buying and selling securities. Further, the expenses do not include the 1% fee on redemptions of shares held for less than one year, nor do they include the account service fee described in the prospectus. If such fees were applied to your account, your costs would be higher. Your fund does not carry a “sales load.”

 

1 The calculations are based on expenses incurred in the most recent six-month period. The fund's annualized six-month expense ratio for that period is 0.42%. The dollar amounts shown as “Expenses Paid” are equal to the annualized expense ratio multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent six-month period, then divided by the number of days in the most recent 12-month period.

 

24

The calculations assume no shares were bought or sold during the period. Your actual costs may have been higher or lower, depending on the amount of your investment and the timing of any purchases or redemptions.

 

You can find more information about the fund’s expenses, including annual expense ratios, in the Financial Statements section of this report. For additional information on operating expenses and other shareholder costs, please refer to your fund’s current prospectus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

25

Glossary

 

Beta . A measure of the magnitude of a fund’s past share-price fluctuations in relation to the ups and downs of a given market index. The index is assigned a beta of 1.00. Compared with a given index, a fund with a beta of 1.20 typically would have seen its share price rise or fall by 12% when the index rose or fell by 10%. A fund’s beta should be reviewed in conjunction with its R-squared (see definition below). The lower the R-squared, the less correlation there is between the fund and the index, and the less reliable beta is as an indicator of volatility.

 

Earnings Growth Rate . The average annual rate of growth in earnings over the past five years for the stocks now in a fund.

 

Equity Exposure . A measure that reflects a fund’s investments in stocks and stock futures. Any holdings in short-term reserves are excluded.

 

Expense Ratio . The percentage of a fund’s average net assets used to pay its annual administrative and advisory expenses. These expenses directly reduce returns to investors.

 

Foreign Holdings . The percentage of a fund represented by stocks or depositary receipts of companies based outside the United States.

 

Inception Date . The date on which the assets of a fund (or one of its share classes) are first invested in accordance with the fund’s investment objective. For funds with a subscription period, the inception date is the day after that period ends. Investment performance is measured from the inception date.

 

Median Market Cap . An indicator of the size of companies in which a fund invests; the midpoint of market capitalization (market price x shares outstanding) of a fund’s stocks, weighted by the proportion of the fund’s assets invested in each stock. Stocks representing half of the fund’s assets have market capitalizations above the median, and the rest are below it.

 

Price/Book Ratio . The share price of a stock divided by its net worth, or book value, per share. For a fund, the weighted average price/book ratio of the stocks it holds.

 

Price/Earnings Ratio . The ratio of a stock’s current price to its per-share earnings over the past year. For a fund, the weighted average P/E of the stocks it holds. P/E is an indicator of market expectations about corporate prospects; the higher the P/E, the greater the expectations for a company’s future growth.

 

R-Squared . A measure of how much of a fund’s past returns can be explained by the returns from the market in general, as measured by a given index. If a fund’s total returns were precisely synchronized with an index’s returns, its R-squared would be 1.00. If the fund’s returns bore no relationship to the index’s returns, its R-squared would be 0.

 

Return on Equity . The annual average rate of return generated by a company during the past five years for each dollar of shareholder’s equity (net income divided by shareholder’s equity). For a fund, the weighted average return on equity for the companies whose stocks it holds.

 

Short-Term Reserves . The percentage of a fund invested in highly liquid, short-term securities that can be readily converted to cash.

 

Turnover Rate . An indication of the fund’s trading activity. Funds with high turnover rates incur higher transaction costs and may be more likely to distribute capital gains (which may be taxable to investors). The turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, which have minimal impact on costs.

 

Yield . A snapshot of a fund’s income from interest and dividends. The yield, expressed as a percentage of the fund’s net asset value, is based on income earned over the past 30 days and is annualized, or projected forward for the coming year. The index yield is based on the current annualized rate of income provided by securities in the index.

26

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The People Who Govern Your Fund

 

The trustees of your mutual fund are there to see that the fund is operated and managed in your best interests since, as a shareholder, you are a part owner of the fund. Your fund’s trustees also serve on the board of directors of The Vanguard Group, Inc., which is owned by the Vanguard funds and provides services to them on an at-cost basis.

 

A majority of Vanguard’s board members are independent, meaning that they have no affiliation with Vanguard or the funds they oversee, apart from the sizable personal investments they have made as private individuals.

 

Our independent board members bring distinguished backgrounds in business, academia, and public service to their task of working with Vanguard officers to establish the policies and oversee the activities of the funds. Among board members’ responsibilities are selecting investment advisors for the funds; monitoring fund operations, performance, and costs; reviewing contracts; nominating and selecting new trustees/directors; and electing Vanguard officers.

 

Each trustee serves a fund until its termination; or until the trustee’s retirement, resignation, or death; or otherwise as specified in the fund’s organizational documents. Any trustee may be removed at a shareholders’ meeting by a vote representing two-thirds of the net asset value of all shares of the fund together with shares of other Vanguard funds organized within the same trust. The table on these two pages shows information for each trustee and executive officer of the fund. The mailing address of the trustees and officers is P.O. Box 876, Valley Forge, PA 19482.

 

 

Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, and Trustee

 

 

John J. Brennan 1

 

Born 1954

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive

Trustee since May 1987;

Officer, and Director/Trustee of The Vanguard Group, Inc., and of each of the investment

Chairman of the Board and

companies served by The Vanguard Group.

Chief Executive Officer

 

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

 

 

 

Independent Trustees

 

 

 

Charles D. Ellis

 

Born 1937

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: Applecore Partners (pro bono ventures

Trustee since January 2001

in education); Senior Advisor to Greenwich Associates (international business strategy

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

consulting); Successor Trustee of Yale University; Overseer of the Stern School of Business

 

at New York University; Trustee of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research.

 

 

Rajiv L. Gupta

 

Born 1945

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: Chairman, President, and

Trustee since December 2001 2

Chief Executive Officer of Rohm and Haas Co. (chemicals); Board Member of

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

the American Chemistry Council; Director of Tyco International, Ltd. (diversified

 

manufacturing and services) since 2005; Trustee of Drexel University and of the

 

Chemical Heritage Foundation.

 

 

Amy Gutmann

 

Born 1949

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: President of the University of

Trustee since June 2006

Pennsylvania since 2004; Professor in the School of Arts and Sciences, Annenberg School

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

for Communication, and Graduate School of Education of the University of Pennsylvania

 

since 2004; Provost (2001–2004) and Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Politics and

 

the University Center for Human Values (1990–2004), Princeton University; Director of

 

Carnegie Corporation of New York since 2005 and of Schuylkill River Development

 

Corporation and Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce since 2004.

 

JoAnn Heffernan Heisen

 

Born 1950

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: Corporate Vice President and

Trustee since July 1998

Chief Global Diversity Officer since 2006, Vice President and Chief Information

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

Officer (1997–2005), and Member of the Executive Committee of Johnson &

 

Johnson (pharmaceuticals/consumer products); Director of the University Medical

 

Center at Princeton and Women’s Research and Education Institute.

 

 

André F. Perold

 

Born 1952

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: George Gund Professor of Finance

Trustee since December 2004

and Banking, Harvard Business School; Senior Associate Dean, Director of Faculty

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

Recruiting, and Chair of Finance Faculty, Harvard Business School; Director and Chairman

 

of UNX, Inc. (equities trading firm) since 2003; Chair of the Investment Committee of

 

HighVista Strategies LLC (private investment firm) since 2005.

 

 

Alfred M. Rankin, Jr.

 

Born 1941

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: Chairman, President, Chief Executive

Trustee since January 1993

Officer, and Director of NACCO Industries, Inc. (forklift trucks/housewares/lignite); Director

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

of Goodrich Corporation (industrial products/aircraft systems and services).

 

 

 

 

J. Lawrence Wilson

 

Born 1936

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: Retired Chairman and Chief Executive

Trustee since April 1985

Officer of Rohm and Haas Co. (chemicals); Director of Cummins Inc. (diesel engines) and

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

AmerisourceBergen Corp. (pharmaceutical distribution); Trustee of Vanderbilt University

 

and of Culver Educational Foundation.

 

 

Executive Officers 1

 

 

 

Thomas J. Higgins

 

Born 1957

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: Principal of The Vanguard Group, Inc.;

Treasurer since July 1998

Treasurer of each of the investment companies served by The Vanguard Group.

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

 

 

 

 

 

Heidi Stam

 

Born 1956

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: Managing Director of The Vanguard

Secretary since July 2005

Group, Inc., since 2006; General Counsel of The Vanguard Group since 2005; Secretary of

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

The Vanguard Group, and of each of the investment companies served by The Vanguard

 

Group, since 2005; Principal of The Vanguard Group (1997–2006).

 

Vanguard Senior Management Team

 

 

 

 

 

 

R. Gregory Barton

Kathleen C. Gubanich

F. William McNabb, III

Ralph K. Packard

Mortimer J. Buckley

Paul A. Heller

Michael S. Miller

George U. Sauter

 

Founder

 

John C. Bogle

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, 1974–1996

 

 

 

1 Officers of the funds are “interested persons” as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940.

2 December 2002 for Vanguard Equity Income Fund, Vanguard Growth Equity Fund, the Vanguard Municipal Bond Funds, and the Vanguard State Tax-Exempt Funds.

More information about the trustees is in the Statement of Additional Information , available from The Vanguard Group.

 

 

 


 

P.O. Box 2600

 

Valley Forge, PA 19482-2600

 

Connect with Vanguard® > www.vanguard.com

 

 

Fund Information > 800-662-7447

Vanguard , Connect with Vanguard , and the ship logo are

 

trademarks of The Vanguard Group, Inc.

Direct Investor Account Services > 800-662-2739

 

 

 

Institutional Investor Services > 800-523-1036

All other marks are the exclusive property of their

 

respective owners.

Text Telephone for People

 

With Hearing Impairment > 800-952-3335

 

 

All comparative mutual fund data are from Lipper Inc.

 

or Morningstar, Inc., unless otherwise noted.

 

 

 

 

 

You can obtain a free copy of Vanguard’s proxy voting

This material may be used in conjunction

guidelines by visiting our website, www.vanguard.com,

with the offering of shares of any Vanguard

and searching for “proxy voting guidelines,” or by

fund only if preceded or accompanied by

calling Vanguard at 800-662-2739. The guidelines are

the fund’s current prospectus.

also available from the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov.

 

In addition, you may obtain a free report on how your

 

fund voted the proxies for securities it owned during

 

the 12 months ended June 30. To get the report, visit

 

either www.vanguard.com or www.sec.gov.

 

 

 

 

 

You can review and copy information about your fund

 

at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C.

 

To find out more about this public service, call the SEC

 

at 202-551-8090. Information about your fund is also

 

available on the SEC’s website, and you can receive

 

copies of this information, for a fee, by sending a

 

request in either of two ways: via e-mail addressed to

 

publicinfo@sec.gov or via regular mail addressed to the

 

Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange

 

Commission, Washington, DC 20549-0102.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

© 2007 The Vanguard Group, Inc.

 

All rights reserved.

 

Vanguard Marketing Corporation, Distributor.

 

 

 

Q9340 122007

 

 

 

 


 


 

 

 

>

Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth Fund returned 26.4% for the 12 months ended October 31, 2007. The fund’s return surpassed that of its benchmark by a significant margin and the average return of peer funds slightly.

 

>

Despite some rough patches, the broad stock market posted solid results. In a reversal from recent trends, growth stocks outpaced their value-oriented counterparts.

 

>

The advisors’ stock choices in the health care, information technology, and consumer discretionary sectors provided the largest contributions to the fund’s gains. Energy and materials stocks were among the fund’s weakest performers.

 

 

 

Contents

 

 

 

Your Fund’s Total Returns

1

Chairman’s Letter

2

Advisors’ Report

7

Fund Profile

10

Performance Summary

11

Financial Statements

13

Your Fund’s After-Tax Returns

23

About Your Fund’s Expenses

24

Glossary

26

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please note: The opinions expressed in this report are just that—informed opinions. They should not be considered promises or advice. Also, please keep in mind that the information and opinions cover the period through the date on the cover of this report. Of course, the risks of investing in your fund are spelled out in the prospectus.

 

Your Fund’s Total Returns

 

 

 

Fiscal Year Ended October 31, 2007

 

 

 

Ticker

Total

 

Symbol

Returns

Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth Fund

VMGRX

26.4%

Russell Midcap Growth Index

 

19.7

Average Mid-Cap Growth Fund 1

 

26.1

 

 

Your Fund’s Performance at a Glance

 

 

 

 

October 31, 2006–October 31, 2007

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Distributions Per Share

 

Starting

Ending

Income

Capital

 

Share Price

Share Price

Dividends

Gains

Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth Fund

$19.12

$20.90

$0.044

$2.675

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Derived from data provided by Lipper Inc.

 

 

1

 


 

Chairman’s Letter

 

Dear Shareholder,

Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth Fund returned 26.4% for the 12 months ended October 31, 2007. Your fund surpassed the return of its benchmark index by nearly 7 percentage points. It bested the average return of its peers by a much slimmer margin. The success of the fund was fueled by the advisors’ strong stock selections in the health care, information technology, and consumer discretionary sectors.

If you hold shares of the Mid-Cap Growth Fund in a taxable account, you may want to review our report on the fund’s after-tax returns on page 23.

Stocks rode a bumpy path to impressive results

Despite some volatility, the U.S. stock market produced strong results during the fund’s fiscal year. Ongoing problems with low-quality mortgage loans (an unpleasant postscript to the housing downturn) rattled financial markets in the spring and summer, and continued to make investors skittish through the close of the fiscal period. At the end of October, crude oil prices touched historic highs, while the U.S. dollar dipped to record lows versus other major currencies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

Still, the broad U.S. stock market returned an impressive 15.3%. Large-capitalization stocks outperformed small-caps, and growth stocks outperformed value stocks—both continuing recent months’ reversals of longer-term trends.

International companies performed even better than domestic issues. Stocks in emerging markets fared particularly well, followed by those in the European and Pacific regions (Japan was a notable laggard). The weak U.S. dollar boosted foreign stock returns for U.S.-based investors.

 

Bond investors converged on high-quality issues

As troubles in the subprime credit markets rippled across the financial markets, bond investors sought the relative safety of U.S. Treasury bonds. This “flight to quality” drove prices for Treasuries higher and yields lower, and widened the spread between Treasury yields and the much higher yields demanded by investors for riskier bonds. Declines in Treasury yields were steepest at the short end of the maturity spectrum, aided by the actions of the Federal Reserve Board. The central bank lowered the target for short-term interest rates to 4.50% in two separate rate cuts (half a percentage point in September and a quarter-point on

 

 

Market Barometer

 

 

Average Annual Total Returns

 

Periods Ended October 31, 2007

 

One Year

Three Years

Five Years

Stocks

 

 

 

Russell 1000 Index (Large-caps)

15.0%

13.8%

14.5%

Russell 2000 Index (Small-caps)

9.3

13.7

18.7

Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 Index (Entire market)

15.3

14.2

15.3

MSCI All Country World Index ex USA (International)

33.0

27.4

26.4

 

 

 

 

Bonds

 

 

 

Lehman U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (Broad taxable market)

5.4%

3.9%

4.4%

Lehman Municipal Bond Index

2.9

3.7

4.5

Citigroup 3-Month Treasury Bill Index

5.0

4.1

2.9

 

 

 

 

CPI

 

 

 

Consumer Price Index

3.5%

3.1%

2.9%

 

 

 

 

 

3

October 31). The yield of the 3-month Treasury bill finished the fiscal period at 3.92%, after spending much of the year near 5%. The 10-year Treasury note ended at 4.47%.

For the year, the broad taxable bond market returned 5.4%. Returns from tax-exempt bonds were lower, as these issues did not benefit from the late-summer rally in Treasuries.

Advisors identified pockets of strength that produced excellent returns

The Mid-Cap Growth Fund’s impressive fiscal-year return surpassed both the results for its benchmark and its peer-fund average. It earned positive returns in all nine of the sectors in which it invested, with eight producing double-digit returns. The fund’s performance was roughly equal in both six-month periods of the fiscal year.

Despite a challenging investment environment in the U.S. equity markets, the advisors made strong stock choices in several sectors. Their efforts were most productive in the consumer discretionary, health care, and information technology sectors, which together made up roughly 60% of the fund’s assets on average. The fund’s holdings in each of these outperformed those of the corresponding benchmark sectors.

 

Although concerns about the strength of consumer spending caused by higher energy prices, tighter credit, and a weak dollar grew during the period, the fund’s consumer discretionary stocks fared quite well in certain subsectors—particularly casinos and hotels and providers of education services. The advisors were also successful in their efforts to identify health care companies that seemed to offer prospects of above-average earnings growth, yet were reasonably priced. Numerous sector holdings, especially biotech firms and equipment makers, turned in excellent results, and the overall return for the fund’s holdings was roughly twice that of the corresponding index sector. In information technology, the advisors held several internet software and electronic equipment companies that generated superb returns.

On the negative side, the fund’s comparatively small holdings in the energy and materials sectors were laggards. The fund did not hold several of the benchmark’s strongly performing oil and gas drillers and equipment and service providers, which hurt relative performance. The fund was also notably underweighted in materials, so it missed out on the strong performance of steel makers, mining companies, and other producers of industrial commodities, which profited from the growing global demand for metals.

 

 

 

 

4

The wealth of experience that your fund’s advisors—Chartwell Investment Partners, L.P., and William Blair & Company, L.L.C.—provide helped steer the fund toward its success this period. The fund’s low expense ratio is another important factor, as it enables you to keep a larger portion of the fund’s returns.

To learn more about the fund’s positioning and performance during the period, see the Advisors’ Report on page 7.

The fund’s long-term record has been impressive

The Mid-Cap Growth Fund reaches its ten-year milestone on December 31. Although its performance over shorter time periods has included fits and spells of outstanding and poor performance, its overall average annual return of 13.1% has been—on an absolute and relative basis—excellent.

As you’ll see in the table below, the fund’s average annual return since inception was well over four percentage points ahead of that of its benchmark and the average return of its peers. A hypothetical investment of $10,000 in the Mid-Cap Growth Fund at the fund’s inception would have grown to $33,416 by October 31, 2007. This end result stands substantially above the comparable ending values of investments compounded at the return of the fund’s benchmark and its peer-group average.

 

Expense Ratios 1

 

 

Your fund compared with its peer group

 

 

 

 

Average

 

 

Mid-Cap

 

Fund

Growth Fund

Mid-Cap Growth Fund

0.56%

1.56%

 

 

Total Returns

 

December 31, 1997, 2 Through October 31, 2007

 

 

Average

 

Annual Return

Mid-Cap Growth Fund

13.1%

Russell Midcap Growth Index

8.2

Average Mid-Cap Growth Fund 3

8.7

 

The figures shown represent past performance, which is not a guarantee of future results. (Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data cited. For performance data current to the most recent month-end, visit our website at www.vanguard.com/performance.) Note, too, that both investment returns and principal value can fluctuate widely, so an investor’s shares, when sold, could be worth more or less than their original cost.

 

 

1 Fund expense ratio reflects the 12 months ended October 31, 2007. Peer-group expense ratio is derived from data provided by Lipper Inc. and captures information through year-end 2006.

2 Fund’s inception date.

3 Derived from data provided by Lipper Inc.

 

 

5

Don’t let unpredictable markets throw your plan off course

One of the great—and frustrating—things about the stock market is that no one can accurately predict its future direction. Even more vexing perhaps is that past performance isn’t of much value in foretelling the future. So what should prudent investors do?

A hallmark of successful long-term investors is that they don’t get wrapped up in today’s headlines, performance-chasing, or attempts to predict what tomorrow’s “hot” stocks will be. Rather, these investors select carefully considered, balanced portfolios of stock, bond, and money market funds that are appropriate for their unique risk tolerance, circumstances, and goals. Once they have selected such a portfolio, they steadfastly resist the urge to make changes in the face of short-term volatility, regardless of market conditions.

 

As one part of a well-rounded stock portfolio, the Mid-Cap Growth Fund offers access to a skilled team of advisors at a low cost. The fund can help you gain exposure to a dynamic part of the U.S. stock market and help you move toward your investing goals.

 

Thank you for your ongoing confidence in Vanguard.

 

Sincerely,

 


 

John J. Brennan

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

November 15, 2007

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

Advisors’ Report

 

During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2007, Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth Fund returned 26.4%. This performance reflected the combined efforts of your fund’s two independent advisors. The use of multiple advisors provides exposure to distinct, yet complementary, investment approaches, enhancing the fund’s diversification.

The advisors, the amount and percentage of fund assets each manages, and a brief description of their investment strategies are presented in the table below. The advisors have also prepared a discussion of the investment environment that existed during the fiscal year and of how their portfolio positioning reflects this assessment. These comments were prepared on November 19, 2007.

 

William Blair & Company, L.L.C.

 

Portfolio Managers:

Harvey H. Bundy, CFA, Principal

 

Robert C. Lanphier, Principal

David Ricci, CFA, Principal

 

The U.S. mid-capitalization growth market—as measured by the Russell Midcap Growth Index—climbed 19.7% over the 12-month period ended October 31. The five-year bull market continued in the face of deteriorating housing fundamentals and escalating concerns over the health of consumer credit going forward. Strong global growth and slowing, but positive, earnings growth outside of financials and consumer discretionary stocks enabled the market to move higher

 

 

Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth Investment Advisors

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fund Assets Managed

 

Investment Advisor

%

$ Million

Investment Strategy

William Blair &

48

619

Uses a fundamental investment approach in pursuit of

Company, L.L.C.

 

 

superior long-term investment results from growth-

 

 

 

oriented companies with leadership positions and

 

 

 

strong market presence.

Chartwell Investment

48

618

Uses a bottom-up, fundamental, research-driven stock-

Partners, L.P.

 

 

selection strategy focusing on companies with

 

 

 

sustainable growth, strong management teams,

 

 

 

competitive positions, and outstanding product and

 

 

 

service offerings. These companies should continually

 

 

 

demonstrate growth in earnings per share.

Cash Investments 1

4

52

 

 

 

 

1 These short-term reserves are invested by Vanguard in equity index products to simulate investment in stocks. Each advisor may also maintain a modest cash position.

 

7

over the year. In this slowing earnings-growth environment, growth stocks outpaced their value stock peers by 10 percentage points over the period, as the Russell Midcap Value Index returned 9.7%. Mid- and large-cap stocks outperformed small-cap stocks.

Over the 12 months, there was a significant divergence between the industrial side of the economy and the consumer side—a dynamic that has played out in sector returns in recent quarters. As crude oil prices jumped from around $60 per barrel to approaching $100 over the period, energy stocks benefited and outperformed all other sectors in the mid-cap growth space. Industrials turned in the next-strongest return, partly because of their role in the strong global economy. On the other hand, the financials sector underperformed because of its exposure to real estate and consumer lending. However, the weakest performers were the consumer discretionary and consumer staples sectors, which were weighed down by the effects of the current housing market and credit-quality issues.

Our successes over the fiscal period were primarily the result of solid stock selection across most sectors. Within health care, our subportfolio benefited from fundamental strength in Express Scripts’ pharmacy benefit-manager business. Some strong financials and consumer discretionary choices allowed the subportfolio to outperform its benchmark in these sectors. Within financials, IntercontinentalExchange witnessed rapid growth in its electronic energy exchange. And two postsecondary education companies, Strayer Education and DeVry, also turned in strong results in an otherwise weak consumer environment.

Stock selection in the industrials sector hurt our subportfolio’s performance, as did an underweighting, or no exposure at all, to some of the traditional cyclical industries, including machinery as well as construction and engineering, which performed well. One industrials holding, Robert Half International, weakened in the face of growing concern over future employment trends.

As always, we continue to build our subportfolio from a bottom-up perspective. That said, our process has led us to trim our health care weighting because of buyouts in this sector. We decreased the sector’s weighting by nearly 600 basis points and redeployed those assets into new holdings across financials, consumer staples, energy, and industrials.

Looking forward, we expect the slowdown in corporate earnings growth to increase investors’ appetites for companies that can increase earnings despite the macro environment of the day. If this turns out to be the case, we would expect it to be conducive to our quality-growth style of investing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8

Chartwell Investment Partners, L.P.

 

Portfolio Managers:

Edward N. Antoian, CFA, CPA, Managing Partner

 

Mark J. Cunneen, CPA, Partner

 

U.S. equity markets were characterized by heightened volatility over the last 12 months. Nonetheless, most major averages ended the period with substantial gains. Early in the period, strong corporate earnings—supported by a healthy economy—created a solid foundation for securities markets around the globe. Midway through the period, Asian markets underwent a correction, and the U.S. residential mortgage sector began to show the first signs of weakness. Late in the period, markets rallied yet again, propelled by further strength in corporate earnings and accelerated merger-and-acquisition activity. By fiscal-year-end, markets were faltering amid deepening concerns about credit conditions and the outlook for reduced economic growth, especially in the United States.

In the current economic environment, we are being cautious with our investments in consumer-oriented companies and in the financials arena. We see better opportunities in areas such as business services, which focuses on growth opportunities in outsourcing, and capital spending, which deals mainly with manufacturing and aerospace.

 

In the present volatile economic landscape of declining interest rates and inflationary pressures, our fundamental approach to growth investing continues to find favor, perhaps more so than at any other time in the recent past. The returns of growth stocks have substantially exceeded their value counterparts for the last 12 months. Also, the August market sell-off caused great stress for many investment strategies that use a combination of quantitative algorithms and financial leverage to enhance returns.

Looking ahead, we remain committed to our long-standing focus on fundamentals and a bottom-up approach to investing. We continue to evaluate investment opportunities that meet our hurdles for growth in sales and profits across a full range of business sectors. At the same time, we remain optimistic about the potential for attractive long-term rewards from investing in mid-cap growth stocks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9

Fund Profile

As of October 31, 2007

 

 

Portfolio Characteristics

 

 

 

 

Comparative

Broad

 

Fund

Index 1

Index 2

Number of Stocks

119

550

4,870

Median Market Cap

$5.0B

$8.3B

$36.8B

Price/Earnings Ratio

27.9x

23.3x

18.2x

Price/Book Ratio

4.7x

4.3x

2.9x

Yield

0.3%

0.8%

1.7%

Return on Equity

19.6%

18.7%

18.9%

Earnings Growth Rate

32.0%

25.4%

21.3%

Foreign Holdings

1.5%

0.0%

0.0%

Turnover Rate

70%

Expense Ratio

0.56%

Short-Term Reserves

2.8%

 

 

Sector Diversification (% of equity exposure)

 

 

Comparative

Broad

 

Fund

Index 1

Index 2

Consumer Discretionary

16.5%

17.6%

10.1%

Consumer Staples

2.3

4.3

8.3

Energy

9.1

11.6

11.3

Financials

9.0

8.1

19.3

Health Care

11.2

12.2

11.7

Industrials

19.8

16.1

11.7

Information Technology

27.7

19.8

16.7

Materials

2.7

4.7

3.9

Telecommunication

 

 

 

Services

1.5

2.3

3.4

Utilities

0.2

3.3

3.6

 

 

Volatility Measures 3

 

 

Fund Versus

Fund Versus

 

Comparative Index 1

Broad Index 2

R-Squared

0.92

0.80

Beta

1.02

1.26

 

 

Ten Largest Holdings 4 (% of total net assets)

 

 

 

Life Time Fitness, Inc.

leisure facilities

2.1%

Precision Castparts Corp.

aerospace and defense

2.0

Paychex, Inc.

data processing and outsourced services

1.9

Affiliated Managers Group, Inc.

asset management and custody banks

1.9

Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp.

information technology consulting and other services

1.7

Activision, Inc.

home entertainment software

1.7

McDermott International, Inc.

industrial conglomerate

1.6

FTI Consulting, Inc.

diversified commercial and professional services

1.6

Fastenal Co.

trading companies and distributors

1.5

Pharmaceutical Product Development, Inc.

life sciences tools and services

1.5

Top Ten

 

17.5%

 

 

Investment Focus

 


 

 

1 Russell Midcap Growth Index.

2 Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 Index.

3 For an explanation of R-squared , beta , and other terms used here, see the Glossary on page 26.

4 “Ten Largest Holdings” excludes any temporary cash investments and equity index products.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10

Performance Summary

 

All of the returns in this report represent past performance, which is not a guarantee of future results that may be achieved by the fund. (Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data cited. For performance data current to the most recent month-end, visit our website at www.vanguard.com/performance.) Note, too, that both investment returns and principal value can fluctuate widely, so an investor’s shares, when sold, could be worth more or less than their original cost. The returns shown do not reflect taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the sale of fund shares.

 

Cumulative Performance: December 31, 1997–October 31, 2007

Initial Investment of $10,000

 


 

 

 

Average Annual Total Returns

 

 

Periods Ended October 31, 2007

Final Value

 

One

Five

Since

of a $10,000

 

Year

Years

Inception 1

Investment

Mid-Cap Growth Fund 2

26.39%

18.51%

13.05%

$33,416

Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 Index

15.28

15.31

7.02

19,485

Russell Midcap Growth Index

19.72

19.21

8.19

21,677

Average Mid-Cap Growth Fund 3

26.07

17.18

8.72

22,759

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Performance for the fund and its comparative standards is calculated since the fund’s inception: December 31, 1997.

2 Total returns do not include the account service fee that may be applicable to certain accounts with balances below $10,000.

3 Derived from data provided by Lipper Inc.

 

 

11

 

Fiscal-Year Total Returns (%): December 31, 1997–October 31, 2007

 


 

Average Annual Total Returns: Periods Ended September 30, 2007

This table presents average annual total returns through the latest calendar quarter—rather than through the end of the fiscal period. Securities and Exchange Commission rules require that we provide this information.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since

 

Inception Date

One Year

Five Years

Inception

Mid-Cap Growth Fund 1

12/31/1997

26.41%

18.43%

12.83%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Total returns do not include the account service fee that may be applicable to certain accounts with balances below $10,000. Note: See Financial Highlights table on page 18 for dividend and capital gains information.

 

 

12

Financial Statements

 

Statement of Net Assets

As of October 31, 2007

 

The fund provides a complete list of its holdings four times in each fiscal year, at the quarter-ends. For the second and fourth fiscal quarters, the lists appear in the fund’s semiannual and annual reports to shareholders. For the first and third fiscal quarters, the fund files the lists with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Form N-Q. Shareholders can look up the fund’s Forms N-Q on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Forms N-Q may also be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room (see the back cover of this report for further information).

 

 

 

 

Market

 

 

 

Value

 

 

Shares

($000)

Common Stocks (93.8%) 1

 

 

Consumer Discretionary (15.5%)

 

 

*^

Life Time Fitness, Inc.

442,167

26,813

*

Gaylord Entertainment Co.

259,395

14,132

 

Strayer Education, Inc.

73,853

13,771

 

PetSmart, Inc.

448,315

13,427

*

Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc.

368,154

12,285

*

GameStop Corp. Class A

203,860

12,073

*

O’Reilly Automotive, Inc.

319,364

10,545

*

Scientific Games Corp.

289,860

10,478

 

International Game Technology

222,610

9,708

*

Morningstar, Inc.

126,069

9,382

*

Penn National Gaming, Inc.

151,610

9,362

 

Phillips-Van Heusen Corp.

173,870

8,311

*

Tractor Supply Co.

190,742

7,904

*

Urban Outfitters, Inc.

287,095

7,255

 

Polo Ralph Lauren Corp.

105,210

7,239

 

National CineMedia Inc.

249,555

6,718

*

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.

196,600

5,928

*

Discovery Holding Co. Class A

170,120

4,850

 

DeVry, Inc.

87,570

4,789

*

IAC/InterActiveCorp

90,310

2,661

*

Marvel Entertainment, Inc.

88,215

2,182

 

 

 

199,813

Consumer Staples (2.1%)

 

 

*

Hansen Natural Corp.

206,680

14,054

 

Whole Foods Market, Inc.

181,350

8,984

*

Bare Escentuals, Inc.

174,570

4,312

 

 

 

27,350

Energy (8.5%)

 

 

*

Grant Prideco, Inc.

351,895

17,299

 

Smith International, Inc.

241,851

15,974

*

Ultra Petroleum Corp.

197,780

14,015

*

Forest Oil Corp.

211,710

10,287

 

Range Resources Corp.

202,315

9,090

*

Superior Energy Services, Inc.

240,415

8,915

*

National Oilwell Varco Inc.

121,380

8,890

*

Southwestern Energy Co.

142,765

7,385

 

 

 

 

 

Market

 

 

 

Value

 

 

Shares

($000)

 

XTO Energy, Inc.

101,238

6,720

*^

Cal Dive International, Inc.

469,820

6,216

*

Exterran Holdings, Inc.

52,955

4,459

*

Complete Production Services, Inc.

26,770

533

 

 

 

109,783

Financials (8.3%)

 

 

*

Affiliated Managers Group, Inc.

190,215

25,023

 

Lazard Ltd. Class A

257,990

12,951

*

Nasdaq Stock Market Inc.

201,520

9,411

 

Jones Lang LaSalle Inc.

84,970

8,100

*

Philadelphia Consolidated Holding Corp.

182,170

7,433

 

Assurant, Inc.

123,020

7,189

*

IntercontinentalExchange Inc.

38,430

6,848

 

Digital Realty Trust, Inc. REIT

152,310

6,700

 

National Financial Partners Corp.

119,040

6,508

*

The Blackstone Group L.P.

235,965

6,001

 

BOK Financial Corp.

108,670

5,927

*

CB Richard Ellis Group, Inc.

183,945

4,485

 

 

 

106,576

Health Care (10.5%)

 

 

 

Pharmaceutical Product Development, Inc.

455,438

19,238

*

IDEXX Laboratories Corp.

126,936

15,458

*

Gen-Probe Inc.

184,180

12,896

 

C.R. Bard, Inc.

140,879

11,779

*

Healthways, Inc.

192,882

11,708

*

DaVita, Inc.

166,605

10,861

*

Covance, Inc.

126,770

10,459

*

Henry Schein, Inc.

164,730

9,867

 

Allergan, Inc.

138,250

9,343

*

Hologic, Inc.

112,760

7,660

 

Brookdale Senior Living Inc.

154,860

5,713

*

ResMed Inc.

132,104

5,473

 

IMS Health, Inc.

176,365

4,446

 

 

 

134,901

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13

 

 

 

Market

 

 

 

Value

 

 

Shares

($000)

Industrials (18.7%)

 

 

 

Aerospace & Defense (3.6%)

 

 

 

Precision Castparts Corp.

172,800

25,887

 

Rockwell Collins, Inc.

161,132

12,054

*

BE Aerospace, Inc.

164,495

8,177

 

 

 

 

 

Air Freight & Logistics (1.3%)

 

 

 

Expeditors International of Washington, Inc.

221,860

11,237

 

C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc.

110,955

5,539

 

 

 

 

 

Commercial Services & Supplies (4.8%)

 

 

*

FTI Consulting, Inc.

378,200

20,536

 

Robert Half International, Inc.

319,395

9,611

*

IHS Inc. Class A

149,020

9,396

*

Corrections Corp. of America

286,815

8,114

*

Stericycle, Inc.

137,120

7,998

*

RSC Holdings Inc.

415,925

6,052

 

 

 

 

 

Construction & Engineering (0.4%)

 

 

*

Quanta Services, Inc.

148,795

4,910

 

 

 

 

 

Electrical Equipment (2.8%)

 

 

 

Ametek, Inc.

275,660

12,956

 

Rockwell Automation, Inc.

125,320

8,632

 

Roper Industries Inc.

111,070

7,865

*

General Cable Corp.

98,415

7,085

 

 

 

 

 

Industrial Conglomerates (1.6%)

 

 

*

McDermott International, Inc.

347,035

21,190

 

 

 

 

 

Machinery (1.6%)

 

 

 

Harsco Corp.

215,345

13,054

 

Oshkosh Truck Corp.

143,875

7,798

 

 

 

 

 

Trading Companies & Distributors (2.6%)

 

 

 

Fastenal Co.

448,211

19,936

 

MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. Class A

269,980

13,151

 

 

 

241,178

Information Technology (25.9%)

 

 

 

Communications Equipment (2.1%)

 

 

*

F5 Networks, Inc.

453,730

16,348

*

Comverse Technology, Inc.

314,230

6,044

*

Riverbed Technology, Inc.

130,215

4,400

 

 

 

 

 

Computers & Peripherals (1.8%)

 

 

*

Network Appliance, Inc.

381,540

12,015

 

Seagate Technology

231,980

6,458

*

SanDisk Corp.

111,575

4,954

 

 

 

 

 

Market

 

 

 

Value

 

 

Shares

($000)

 

Electronic Equipment & Instruments (3.7%)

 

 

 

Jabil Circuit, Inc.

706,415

15,350

*

FLIR Systems, Inc.

213,378

14,806

 

Amphenol Corp.

250,495

11,089

*

Trimble Navigation Ltd.

151,530

6,319

 

 

 

 

 

Internet Software & Services (2.3%)

 

 

*

j2 Global Communications, Inc.

348,377

11,737

*

VistaPrint Ltd.

231,980

11,035

*

VeriSign, Inc.

222,360

7,580

 

 

 

 

 

IT Services (7.0%)

 

 

 

Paychex, Inc.

601,427

25,128

*

Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp.

527,260

21,860

*

VeriFone Holdings, Inc.

306,495

15,150

*

Iron Mountain, Inc.

418,950

14,550

 

Global Payments Inc.

176,210

8,381

*

Global Cash Access, Inc.

288,205

2,879

*

Gartner, Inc. Class A

116,200

2,545

 

 

 

 

 

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment (4.3%)

 

 

*

Silicon Laboratories Inc.

335,665

14,669

 

Microchip Technology, Inc.

298,124

9,889

 

Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.

261,045

7,077

 

National Semiconductor Corp.

260,100

6,539

 

Intersil Corp.

208,080

6,313

*

MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc.

83,354

6,103

*

FormFactor Inc.

113,032

4,421

 

 

 

 

 

Software (4.7%)

 

 

*

Activision, Inc.

923,434

21,839

*

Autodesk, Inc.

212,960

10,414

 

FactSet Research Systems Inc.

139,655

9,848

*

MICROS Systems, Inc.

133,565

9,593

*

Business Objects S.A. ADR

141,065

8,451

 

 

 

333,784

Materials (2.4%)

 

 

 

Ecolab, Inc.

303,720

14,326

*

RTI International Metals, Inc.

133,095

10,405

 

Airgas, Inc.

130,893

6,606

 

 

 

31,337

Telecommunication Services (1.4%)

 

 

*

American Tower Corp. Class A

279,315

12,340

*^

Clearwire Corp.

276,035

5,667

 

 

 

18,007

 

 

 

 

 

14

 

 

Market

 

 

Value

 

Shares

($000)

Exchange-Traded Fund (0.5%)

 

 

2 ^ Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF

82,700

6,687

Total Common Stocks

 

 

(Cost $1,007,612)

 

1,209,416

Temporary Cash Investments (7.4%) 1

 

 

Money Market Fund (7.1%)

 

 

3 Vanguard Market Liquidity Fund, 4.955%

74,488,234

74,488

3 Vanguard Market Liquidity Fund, 4.955%—Note G

16,586,900

16,587

 

 

91,075

 

Face

 

 

Amount

 

 

($000)

 

U.S. Agency Obligation (0.3%)

 

 

4 Federal Home Loan Bank

 

 

5 4.548%, 2/1/08

4,000

3,954

Total Temporary Cash Investments

 

 

(Cost $95,015)

 

95,029

Total Investments (101.2%)

 

 

(Cost $1,102,627)

 

1,304,445

Other Assets and Liabilities (–1.2%)

 

 

Other Assets—Note C

 

17,999

Liabilities—Note G

 

(33,747)

 

 

(15,748)

Net Assets (100%)

 

 

Applicable to 61,649,785 outstanding

 

 

$.001 par value shares of beneficial

 

 

interest (unlimited authorization)

 

1,288,697

Net Asset Value Per Share

 

$20.90

 

At October 31, 2007, net assets consisted of: 6

 

Amount

Per

 

($000)

Share

Paid-in Capital

1,019,870

$16.54

Undistributed Net Investment Income

1,704

.03

Accumulated Net Realized Gains

63,603

1.03

Unrealized Appreciation

 

 

Investment Securities

201,818

3.27

Futures Contracts

1,702

.03

Net Assets

1,288,697

$20.90

 

See Note A in Notes to Financial Statements .

*

Non-income-producing security.

^

Part of security position is on loan to broker-dealers. See Note G in Notes to Financial Statements .

1 The fund invests a portion of its cash reserves in equity markets through the use of index futures contracts. After giving effect to futures investments, the fund’s effective common stock and temporary cash investment positions represent 97.1% and 4.1%, respectively, of net assets. See Note E in Notes to Financial Statements .

2 Considered an affiliated company of the fund as the issuer is another member of The Vanguard Group.

3 Affiliated money market fund available only to Vanguard funds and certain trusts and accounts managed by Vanguard. Rate shown is the 7-day yield.

4 The issuer operates under a congressional charter; its securities are neither issued nor guaranteed by the U.S. government. If needed, access to additional funding from the U.S. Treasury (beyond the issuer’s line of credit) would require congressional action.

5 Securities with a value of $3,954,000 have been segregated as initial margin for open futures contracts.

6 See Note E in Notes to Financial Statements for the tax-basis components of net assets.

ADR—American Depositary Receipt.

REIT— Real Estate Investment Trust.

 

15

Statement of Operations

 

 

 

Year Ended

 

October 31, 2007

 

($000)

Investment Income

 

Income

 

Dividends 1

4,262

Interest 1

3,484

Security Lending

158

Total Income

7,904

Expenses

 

Investment Advisory Fees—Note B

 

Basic Fee

2,302

Performance Adjustment

279

The Vanguard Group—Note C

 

Management and Administrative

2,492

Marketing and Distribution

234

Custodian Fees

8

Auditing Fees

25

Shareholders’ Reports

26

Trustees’ Fees and Expenses

2

Total Expenses

5,368

Expenses Paid Indirectly—Note D

(53)

Net Expenses

5,315

Net Investment Income

2,589

Realized Net Gain (Loss)

 

Investment Securities Sold 1

72,276

Futures Contracts

2,188

Realized Net Gain (Loss)

74,464

Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation)

 

Investment Securities

149,138

Futures Contracts

765

Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation)

149,903

Net Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting from Operations

226,956

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Dividend income, interest income, and realized net gain (loss) from affiliated companies of the fund were $82,000, $3,277,000, and $0, respectively.

 

 

 

16

Statement of Changes in Net Assets

 

 

 

Year Ended October 31,

 

2007

2006

 

($000)

($000)

Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets

 

 

Operations

 

 

Net Investment Income

2,589

1,799

Realized Net Gain (Loss)

74,464

127,742

Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation)

149,903

(44,202)

Net Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting from Operations

226,956

85,339

Distributions

 

 

Net Investment Income

(1,834)

(177)

Realized Capital Gain 1

(111,529)

Total Distributions

(113,363)

(177)

Capital Share Transactions—Note H

 

 

Issued

526,218

344,941

Issued in Lieu of Cash Distributions

105,477

163

Redeemed

(249,311)

(199,378)

Net Increase (Decrease) from Capital Share Transactions

382,384

145,726

Total Increase (Decrease)

495,977

230,888

Net Assets

 

 

Beginning of Period

792,720

561,832

End of Period 2

1,288,697

792,720

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Includes fiscal 2007 short-term gain distributions totaling $7,296,000. Short-term gain distributions are treated as ordinary income dividends for tax purposes.

2 Net Assets—End of Period includes undistributed net investment income of $1,704,000 and $1,244,000.

 

 

17

Financial Highlights

 

 

For a Share Outstanding

Year Ended October 31,

Throughout Each Period

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period

$19.12

$16.58

$14.28

$14.22

$10.34

Investment Operations

 

 

 

 

 

Net Investment Income (Loss)

.044

.055

.00

(.01)

(.01)

Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss)

 

 

 

 

 

on Investments

4.455

2.490

2.30

.07

3.89

Total from Investment Operations

4.499

2.545

2.30

.06

3.88

Distributions

 

 

 

 

 

Dividends from Net Investment Income

(.044)

(.005)

Distributions from Realized Capital Gains

(2.675)

Total Distributions

(2.719)

(.005)

Net Asset Value, End of Period

$20.90

$19.12

$16.58

$14.28

$14.22

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Return

26.39%

15.35%

16.11%

0.42%

37.52%

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ratios/Supplemental Data

 

 

 

 

 

Net Assets, End of Period (Millions)

$1,289

$793

$562

$442

$247

Ratio of Total Expenses to

 

 

 

 

 

Average Net Assets 1

0.56%

0.50%

0.44%

0.45%

0.63%

Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss)

 

 

 

 

 

to Average Net Assets

0.27%

0.26%

0.01%

(0.05%)

(0.18%)

Portfolio Turnover Rate

70%

159%

80%

102%

106%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Includes performance-based investment advisory fee increases (decreases) of 0.03% for 2007, (0.04%) for 2006, (0.09%) for 2005, (0.05%) for 2004, and (0.06%) for 2003.

See accompanying Notes , which are an integral part of the Financial Statements .

 

 

18

Notes to Financial Statements

 

Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth Fund is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 as an open-end investment company, or mutual fund. The fund files reports with the SEC under the company name Vanguard Whitehall Funds.

 

A. The following significant accounting policies conform to generally accepted accounting principles for U.S. mutual funds. 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 materially 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 board of trustees to represent fair value. Investments in Vanguard Market Liquidity Fund are valued at that fund’s net asset value. Temporary cash investments acquired over 60 days to maturity are valued using the latest bid prices or using valuations based on a matrix system (which considers such factors as security prices, yields, maturities, and ratings), both as furnished by independent pricing services. Other temporary cash investments are valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value.

 

2. Futures Contracts: The fund uses index futures contracts to a limited extent, with the objective of maintaining full exposure to the stock market while maintaining liquidity. The fund may purchase or sell futures contracts to achieve a desired level of investment, whether to accommodate portfolio turnover or cash flows from capital share transactions. 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.

 

Futures contracts are valued at their quoted daily settlement prices. The aggregate principal amounts of the contracts are not recorded in the Statement of Net Assets . Fluctuations in the value of the contracts are recorded in the Statement of Net Assets 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 futures gains (losses).

 

3. Federal Income Taxes: The fund intends to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company and distribute all of its taxable income. Accordingly, no provision for federal income taxes is required in the financial statements.

 

4. Distributions: Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date.

 

5. Security Lending: The fund may lend its securities to qualified institutional borrowers to earn additional income. Security loans are required to be secured at all times by collateral at least equal to the market value of securities loaned. The fund invests cash collateral received in Vanguard Market Liquidity Fund, and records a liability for the return of the collateral, during the period the securities are on loan. Security lending income represents the income earned on investing cash collateral, less expenses associated with the loan.

 

6. Other: Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date. Interest income includes income distributions received from Vanguard Market Liquidity Fund and is accrued daily. Security transactions are accounted for on the date securities are bought or sold. Costs used to determine realized gains (losses) on the sale of investment securities are those of the specific securities sold.

 

 

19

B. Chartwell Investment Partners, L.P., and William Blair & Company, L.L.C., each provide investment advisory services to a portion of the fund for fees calculated at an annual percentage rate of average net assets managed by the advisor. The basic fee for Chartwell Investment Partners is subject to quarterly adjustments based on performance since January 31, 2006, relative to the Russell Midcap Growth Index. The basic fee for William Blair & Company, L.L.C. is subject to quarterly adjustments based on performance since July 31, 2006, relative to the Russell Midcap Growth Index.

 

The Vanguard Group manages the cash reserves of the fund on an at-cost basis.

 

For the year ended October 31, 2007, the aggregate investment advisory fee represented an effective annual basic rate of 0.24% of the fund’s average net assets before an increase of $279,000 (0.03%) based on performance.

 

C. The Vanguard Group furnishes at cost corporate management, administrative, marketing, and distribution services. The costs of such services are allocated to the fund under methods approved by the board of trustees. The fund has committed to provide up to 0.40% of its net assets in capital contributions to Vanguard. At October 31, 2007, the fund had contributed capital of $101,000 to Vanguard (included in Other Assets), representing 0.01% of the fund’s net assets and 0.10% of Vanguard’s capitalization. The fund’s trustees and officers are also directors and officers of Vanguard.

 

D. The fund has asked its investment advisors to direct certain security trades, subject to obtaining the best price and execution, to brokers who have agreed to rebate to the fund part of the commissions generated. Such rebates are used solely to reduce the fund’s management and administrative expenses. The fund’s custodian bank has also agreed to reduce its fees when the fund maintains cash on deposit in the non-interest-bearing custody account. For the year ended October 31, 2007, these arrangements reduced the fund’s management and administrative expenses by $52,000 and custodian fees by $1,000. The total expense reduction represented an effective annual rate of 0.01% of the fund’s average net assets.

 

E. Distributions are determined on a tax basis and may differ from net investment income and realized capital gains for financial reporting purposes. Differences may be permanent or temporary. Permanent differences are reclassified among capital accounts in the financial statements to reflect their tax character. Temporary differences arise when certain items of income, expense, gain, or loss are recognized in different periods for financial statement and tax purposes; these differences will reverse at some time in the future. Differences in classification may also result from the treatment of short-term gains as ordinary income for tax purposes. The fund’s tax-basis capital gains and losses are determined only at the end of each fiscal year.

 

The fund used a tax accounting practice to treat a portion of the price of capital shares redeemed during the year as distributions from net investment income and realized capital gains. Accordingly, the fund has reclassified $295,000 from undistributed net investment income, and $9,611,000 from accumulated net realized gains, to paid-in capital.

 

For tax purposes, at October 31, 2007, the fund had $38,663,000 of ordinary income and $30,339,000 of long-term capital gains available for distribution.

 

At October 31, 2007, the cost of investment securities for tax purposes was $1,103,646,000. Net unrealized appreciation of investment securities for tax purposes was $200,799,000, consisting of unrealized gains of $227,018,000 on securities that had risen in value since their purchase and $26,219,000 in unrealized losses on securities that had fallen in value since their purchase.

 

20

At October 31, 2007, the aggregate settlement value of open futures contracts expiring in December 2007 and the related unrealized appreciation (depreciation) were:

 

 

 

 

 

($000)

 

 

Aggregate

Unrealized

 

Number of

Settlement

Appreciation

Futures Contracts

Long Contracts

Value

(Depreciation)

S&P MidCap 400 Index

44

20,066

998

E-mini S&P MidCap

136

12,405

269

E-mini NASDAQ 100

224

10,091

435

 

Unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on open futures contracts is required to be treated as realized gain (loss) for tax purposes.

 

F. During the year ended October 31, 2007, the fund purchased $883,881,000 of investment securities and sold $631,924,000 of investment securities, other than temporary cash investments.

 

G. The market value of securities on loan to broker-dealers at October 31, 2007, was $15,809,000, for which the fund received cash collateral of $16,587,000.

 

H. Capital shares issued and redeemed were:

 

 

 

Year Ended October 31,

 

2007

2006

 

Shares

Shares

 

(000)

(000)

Issued

27,357

18,499

Issued in Lieu of Cash Distributions

6,062

9

Redeemed

(13,225)

(10,943)

Net Increase (Decrease) in Shares Outstanding

20,194

7,565

 

 

I. In June 2006, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Interpretation No. 48 (“FIN 48”), “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes.” FIN 48 establishes the minimum threshold for recognizing, and a system for measuring, the benefits of tax-return positions in financial statements, and is effective for the fund’s fiscal year beginning November 1, 2007. Management has analyzed the fund’s tax positions taken on federal income tax returns for all open tax years (tax years ended October 31, 2004–2007) for purposes of implementing FIN 48, and has concluded that as of October 31, 2007, no provision for income tax would be required in the fund’s financial statements.

 

 

 

 

21

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

To the Trustees of Vanguard Whitehall Funds and the Shareholders of Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth Fund:

 

In our opinion, the accompanying statement of net assets and the related statements of operations and of changes in net assets and the financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth Fund (the “Fund”) at October 31, 2007, the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. These financial statements and financial highlights (hereafter referred to as “financial statements”) are the responsibility of the Fund’s management; our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits. We conducted our audits of these financial statements in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits, which included confirmation of securities at October 31, 2007 by correspondence with the custodian and broker, and by agreement to the underlying ownership records for Vanguard Market Liquidity Fund, provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

 

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

 

December 6, 2007

 

 


Special 2007 tax information (unaudited) for Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth Fund

This information for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2007, is included pursuant to provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.

 

The fund distributed $109,841,000 as capital gain dividends (from net long-term capital gains) to shareholders during the fiscal year.

 

The fund distributed $1,878,000 of qualified dividend income to shareholders during the fiscal year.

 

For corporate shareholders, 8.9% of investment income (dividend income plus short-term gains, if any) qualifies for the dividends-received deduction.

 

22

Your Fund’s After-Tax Returns

 

This table presents returns for your fund both before and after taxes. The after-tax returns are shown in two ways: (1) assuming that an investor owned the fund during the entire period and paid taxes on the fund’s distributions, and (2) assuming that an investor paid taxes on the fund’s distributions and sold all shares at the end of each period.

 

Calculations are based on the highest individual federal income tax and capital gains tax rates in effect at the times of the distributions and the hypothetical sales. State and local taxes were not considered. After-tax returns reflect any qualified dividend income, using actual prior-year figures and estimates for 2007. (In the example, returns after the sale of fund shares may be higher than those assuming no sale. This occurs when the sale would have produced a capital loss. The calculation assumes that the investor received a tax deduction for the loss.)

 

Please note that your actual after-tax returns will depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown. Also note that if you own the fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information does not apply to you. Such accounts are not subject to current taxes.

 

Finally, keep in mind that a fund’s performance—whether before or after taxes—does not guarantee future results.

 

 

Average Annual Total Returns: Mid-Cap Growth Fund 1

 

 

 

Periods Ended October 31, 2007

 

 

 

 

One

Five

Since

 

Year

Years

Inception 2

Returns Before Taxes

26.39%

18.51%

13.05%

Returns After Taxes on Distributions

23.61

17.98

11.66

Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares

19.51

16.19

10.93

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Total returns do not include the account service fee that may be applicable to certain accounts with balances below $10,000.

2 December 31, 1997.

 

 

23

About Your Fund’s Expenses

 

As a shareholder of the fund, you incur ongoing costs, which include costs for portfolio management, administrative services, and shareholder reports (like this one), among others. Operating expenses, which are deducted from a fund’s gross income, directly reduce the investment return of the fund.

 

A fund’s expenses are expressed as a percentage of its average net assets. This figure is known as the expense ratio. The following examples are intended to help you understand the ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in your fund and to compare these costs with those of other mutual funds. The examples are based on an investment of $1,000 made at the beginning of the period shown and held for the entire period.

 

The table below illustrates your fund’s costs in two ways:

 

• Based on actual fund return. This section helps you to estimate the actual expenses that you paid over the period. The “Ending Account Value” shown is derived from the fund’s actual return, and the third column shows the dollar amount that would have been paid by an investor who started with $1,000 in the fund. You may use the information here, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period.

 

To do so, simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number given for your fund under the heading “Expenses Paid During Period.”

 

• Based on hypothetical 5% yearly return. This section is intended to help you compare your fund’s costs with those of other mutual funds. It assumes that the fund had a yearly return of 5% before expenses, but that the expense ratio is unchanged. In this case—because the return used is not the fund’s actual return—the results do not apply to your investment. The example is useful in making comparisons because the Securities and Exchange Commission requires all mutual funds to calculate expenses based on a 5% return. You can assess your fund’s costs by comparing this hypothetical example with the hypothetical examples that appear in shareholder reports of other funds.

 

Six Months Ended October 31, 2007

 

 

 

 

Beginning

Ending

Expenses

 

Account Value

Account Value

Paid During

Mid-Cap Growth Fund

4/30/2007

10/31/2007

Period 1

Based on Actual Fund Return

$1,000.00

$1,128.51

$2.95

Based on Hypothetical 5% Yearly Return

1,000.00

1,022.43

2.80

 

Note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight and help you compare ongoing costs only and do not reflect transaction costs incurred by the fund for buying and selling securities. Further, the expenses do not include the account service fee described in the prospectus. If such a fee were applied to your account, your costs would be higher. Your fund does not charge transaction fees, such as purchase or redemption fees, nor does it carry a “sales load.”

 

 

1 The calculations are based on expenses incurred in the most recent six-month period. The fund’s annualized six-month expense ratio for that period is 0.55%. The dollar amounts shown as “Expenses Paid” are equal to the annualized expense ratio multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent six-month period, then divided by the number of days in the most recent 12-month period.

 

24

The calculations assume no shares were bought or sold during the period. Your actual costs may have been higher or lower, depending on the amount of your investment and the timing of any purchases or redemptions.

 

You can find more information about the fund’s expenses, including annual expense ratios, in the Financial Statements section of this report. For additional information on operating expenses and other shareholder costs, please refer to your fund’s current prospectus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

25

Glossary

 

Beta . A measure of the magnitude of a fund’s past share-price fluctuations in relation to the ups and downs of a given market index. The index is assigned a beta of 1.00. Compared with a given index, a fund with a beta of 1.20 typically would have seen its share price rise or fall by 12% when the index rose or fell by 10%. A fund’s beta should be reviewed in conjunction with its R-squared (see definition below). The lower the R-squared, the less correlation there is between the fund and the index, and the less reliable beta is as an indicator of volatility.

 

Earnings Growth Rate . The average annual rate of growth in earnings over the past five years for the stocks now in a fund.

 

Equity Exposure . A measure that reflects a fund’s investments in stocks and stock futures. Any holdings in short-term reserves are excluded.

 

Expense Ratio . The percentage of a fund’s average net assets used to pay its annual administrative and advisory expenses. These expenses directly reduce returns to investors.

 

Foreign Holdings . The percentage of a fund represented by stocks or depositary receipts of companies based outside the United States.

 

Inception Date . The date on which the assets of a fund (or one of its share classes) are first invested in accordance with the fund’s investment objective. For funds with a subscription period, the inception date is the day after that period ends. Investment performance is measured from the inception date.

 

Median Market Cap . An indicator of the size of companies in which a fund invests; the midpoint of market capitalization (market price x shares outstanding) of a fund’s stocks, weighted by the proportion of the fund’s assets invested in each stock. Stocks representing half of the fund’s assets have market capitalizations above the median, and the rest are below it.

 

Price/Book Ratio . The share price of a stock divided by its net worth, or book value, per share. For a fund, the weighted average price/book ratio of the stocks it holds.

 

Price/Earnings Ratio . The ratio of a stock’s current price to its per-share earnings over the past year. For a fund, the weighted average P/E of the stocks it holds. P/E is an indicator of market expectations about corporate prospects; the higher the P/E, the greater the expectations for a company’s future growth.

 

R-Squared . A measure of how much of a fund’s past returns can be explained by the returns from the market in general, as measured by a given index. If a fund’s total returns were precisely synchronized with an index’s returns, its R-squared would be 1.00. If the fund’s returns bore no relationship to the index’s returns, its R-squared would be 0.

 

Return on Equity . The annual average rate of return generated by a company during the past five years for each dollar of shareholder’s equity (net income divided by shareholder’s equity). For a fund, the weighted average return on equity for the companies whose stocks it holds.

 

Short-Term Reserves . The percentage of a fund invested in highly liquid, short-term securities that can be readily converted to cash.

 

Turnover Rate . An indication of the fund’s trading activity. Funds with high turnover rates incur higher transaction costs and may be more likely to distribute capital gains (which may be taxable to investors). The turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, which have minimal impact on costs.

 

Yield . A snapshot of a fund’s income from interest and dividends. The yield, expressed as a percentage of the fund’s net asset value, is based on income earned over the past 30 days and is annualized, or projected forward for the coming year. The index yield is based on the current annualized rate of income provided by securities in the index.

 

26

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This page intentionally left blank.

 

 

 

 

 

The People Who Govern Your Fund

 

The trustees of your mutual fund are there to see that the fund is operated and managed in your best interests since, as a shareholder, you are a part owner of the fund. Your fund’s trustees also serve on the board of directors of The Vanguard Group, Inc., which is owned by the Vanguard funds and provides services to them on an at-cost basis.

 

A majority of Vanguard’s board members are independent, meaning that they have no affiliation with Vanguard or the funds they oversee, apart from the sizable personal investments they have made as private individuals.

 

Our independent board members bring distinguished backgrounds in business, academia, and public service to their task of working with Vanguard officers to establish the policies and oversee the activities of the funds. Among board members’ responsibilities are selecting investment advisors for the funds; monitoring fund operations, performance, and costs; reviewing contracts; nominating and selecting new trustees/directors; and electing Vanguard officers.

 

Each trustee serves a fund until its termination; or until the trustee’s retirement, resignation, or death; or otherwise as specified in the fund’s organizational documents. Any trustee may be removed at a shareholders’ meeting by a vote representing two-thirds of the net asset value of all shares of the fund together with shares of other Vanguard funds organized within the same trust. The table on these two pages shows information for each trustee and executive officer of the fund. The mailing address of the trustees and officers is P.O. Box 876, Valley Forge, PA 19482.

 

 

Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, and Trustee

 

 

John J. Brennan 1

 

Born 1954

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive

Trustee since May 1987;

Officer, and Director/Trustee of The Vanguard Group, Inc., and of each of the investment

Chairman of the Board and

companies served by The Vanguard Group.

Chief Executive Officer

 

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

 

 

 

Independent Trustees

 

 

 

Charles D. Ellis

 

Born 1937

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: Applecore Partners (pro bono ventures

Trustee since January 2001

in education); Senior Advisor to Greenwich Associates (international business strategy

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

consulting); Successor Trustee of Yale University; Overseer of the Stern School of Business

 

at New York University; Trustee of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research.

 

 

Rajiv L. Gupta

 

Born 1945

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: Chairman, President, and

Trustee since December 2001 2

Chief Executive Officer of Rohm and Haas Co. (chemicals); Board Member of

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

the American Chemistry Council; Director of Tyco International, Ltd. (diversified

 

manufacturing and services) since 2005; Trustee of Drexel University and of the

 

Chemical Heritage Foundation.

 

 

Amy Gutmann

 

Born 1949

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: President of the University of

Trustee since June 2006

Pennsylvania since 2004; Professor in the School of Arts and Sciences, Annenberg School

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

for Communication, and Graduate School of Education of the University of Pennsylvania

 

since 2004; Provost (2001–2004) and Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Politics and

 

the University Center for Human Values (1990–2004), Princeton University; Director of

 

Carnegie Corporation of New York since 2005 and of Schuylkill River Development

 

Corporation and Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce since 2004.

 

JoAnn Heffernan Heisen

 

Born 1950

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: Corporate Vice President and

Trustee since July 1998

Chief Global Diversity Officer since 2006, Vice President and Chief Information

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

Officer (1997–2005), and Member of the Executive Committee of Johnson &

 

Johnson (pharmaceuticals/consumer products); Director of the University Medical

 

Center at Princeton and Women’s Research and Education Institute.

 

 

André F. Perold

 

Born 1952

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: George Gund Professor of Finance

Trustee since December 2004

and Banking, Harvard Business School; Senior Associate Dean, Director of Faculty

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

Recruiting, and Chair of Finance Faculty, Harvard Business School; Director and Chairman

 

of UNX, Inc. (equities trading firm) since 2003; Chair of the Investment Committee of

 

HighVista Strategies LLC (private investment firm) since 2005.

 

 

Alfred M. Rankin, Jr.

 

Born 1941

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: Chairman, President, Chief Executive

Trustee since January 1993

Officer, and Director of NACCO Industries, Inc. (forklift trucks/housewares/lignite); Director

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

of Goodrich Corporation (industrial products/aircraft systems and services).

 

 

 

 

J. Lawrence Wilson

 

Born 1936

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: Retired Chairman and Chief Executive

Trustee since April 1985

Officer of Rohm and Haas Co. (chemicals); Director of Cummins Inc. (diesel engines) and

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

AmerisourceBergen Corp. (pharmaceutical distribution); Trustee of Vanderbilt University

 

and of Culver Educational Foundation.

 

 

Executive Officers 1

 

 

 

Thomas J. Higgins

 

Born 1957

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: Principal of The Vanguard Group, Inc.;

Treasurer since July 1998

Treasurer of each of the investment companies served by The Vanguard Group.

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

 

 

 

 

 

Heidi Stam

 

Born 1956

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: Managing Director of The Vanguard

Secretary since July 2005

Group, Inc., since 2006; General Counsel of The Vanguard Group since 2005; Secretary of

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

The Vanguard Group, and of each of the investment companies served by The Vanguard

 

Group, since 2005; Principal of The Vanguard Group (1997–2006).

 

Vanguard Senior Management Team

 

 

 

 

 

 

R. Gregory Barton

Kathleen C. Gubanich

F. William McNabb, III

Ralph K. Packard

Mortimer J. Buckley

Paul A. Heller

Michael S. Miller

George U. Sauter

 

Founder

 

John C. Bogle

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, 1974–1996

 

 

 

1 Officers of the funds are “interested persons” as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940.

2 December 2002 for Vanguard Equity Income Fund, Vanguard Growth Equity Fund, the Vanguard Municipal Bond Funds, and the Vanguard State Tax-Exempt Funds.

More information about the trustees is in the Statement of Additional Information , available from The Vanguard Group.

 

 

 


 

P.O. Box 2600

 

Valley Forge, PA 19482-2600

 

Connect with Vanguard® > www.vanguard.com

 

 

Fund Information > 800-662-7447

Vanguard , Connect with Vanguard , and the ship logo

 

are trademarks of The Vanguard Group, Inc.

Direct Investor Account Services > 800-662-2739

 

 

 

Institutional Investor Services > 800-523-1036

All other marks are the exclusive property of their

 

respective owners.

Text Telephone for People

 

With Hearing Impairment > 800-952-3335

 

 

All comparative mutual fund data are from Lipper Inc.

 

or Morningstar, Inc., unless otherwise noted.

 

 

 

 

 

You can obtain a free copy of Vanguard’s proxy voting

This material may be used in conjunction

guidelines by visiting our website, www.vanguard.com,

with the offering of shares of any Vanguard

and searching for “proxy voting guidelines,” or by

fund only if preceded or accompanied by

calling Vanguard at 800-662-2739. The guidelines are

the fund’s current prospectus.

also available from the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov.

 

In addition, you may obtain a free report on how your

 

fund voted the proxies for securities it owned during

 

the 12 months ended June 30. To get the report, visit

 

either www.vanguard.com or www.sec.gov.

 

 

 

 

 

You can review and copy information about your fund

 

at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C.

 

To find out more about this public service, call the SEC

 

at 202-551-8090. Information about your fund is also

 

available on the SEC’s website, and you can receive

 

copies of this information, for a fee, by sending a

 

request in either of two ways: via e-mail addressed to

 

publicinfo@sec.gov or via regular mail addressed to the

 

Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange

 

Commission, Washington, DC 20549-0102.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

© 2007 The Vanguard Group, Inc.

 

All rights reserved.

 

Vanguard Marketing Corporation, Distributor.

 

 

 

Q3010 122007

 

 

 

 


 


 

>

For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2007, Vanguard International Explorer Fund returned 27.2%, slightly ahead of its benchmark index but behind its peer group.

 

>

The fund’s greatest gains came from the industrial, financial, and energy sectors, where companies are benefiting from strong growth in emerging markets.

 

>

International stocks continued to outperform domestic issues over the 12-month period, and the dollar’s ongoing weakness further enhanced offshore gains for U.S. investors.

 

 

 

 

 

Contents

 

 

 

Your Fund’s Total Returns

1

Chairman’s Letter

2

Advisor’s Report

7

Fund Profile

10

Performance Summary

12

Financial Statements

14

Your Fund’s After-Tax Returns

25

About Your Fund’s Expenses

26

Trustees Approve Advisory Agreement

28

Glossary

29

 

 

 

 

 

Please note: The opinions expressed in this report are just that—informed opinions. They should not be considered promises or advice. Also, please keep in mind that the information and opinions cover the period through the date on the cover of this report. Of course, the risks of investing in your fund are spelled out in the prospectus.

 

Your Fund’s Total Returns

 

 

 

 

Fiscal Year Ended October 31, 2007

 

 

 

Ticker

Total

 

Symbol

Returns

Vanguard International Explorer Fund

VINEX

27.2%

S&P/Citigroup EM EPAC Index 1

 

27.0

Average International Small-Cap Fund 2

 

33.3

 

 

Your Fund’s Performance at a Glance

 

 

 

 

October 31, 2006–October 31, 2007

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Distributions Per Share

 

Starting

Ending

Income

Capital

 

Share Price

Share Price

Dividends

Gains

Vanguard International Explorer Fund

$21.50

$24.70

$0.580

$1.650

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Standard & Poor’s/Citigroup Extended Market Europe & Pacific Index.

2 Derived from data provided by Lipper Inc.

 

 

1


 

Chairman’s Letter

 

Dear Shareholder,

 

During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2007, international stocks continued their ascendancy over domestic issues. For the year, Vanguard International Explorer Fund returned 27.2%—slightly ahead of its benchmark index, but behind its peer group of small-capitalization international funds. The weak U.S. dollar boosted foreign stock returns for U.S.-based investors.

Most of International Explorer’s gains came from Europe, where the largest portion of its assets is invested, though the fund’s exposure to soaring emerging markets added significantly to its gains. The industrials, financials, and energy sectors were among the fund’s healthiest performers, with oil, gas, and construction and engineering stocks producing strong returns. On the other hand, returns from Japan were poor, in large part because of the weak performance of many Japanese banks.

Please note that at the fiscal year-end, the fund remained closed to new investors. Existing shareholders may continue to make additional purchases.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

Stocks rode a bumpy path to impressive results

The turmoil that hit stock markets during the summer arose in the arena of U.S. housing finance. Years of extending home loans to U.S. buyers with weak credit came home to roost, ruffling balance sheets across the United States and Europe, where many financial institutions invested heavily in income-oriented products based on these mortgages. Skittish investors also had to contend with soaring crude oil prices, which touched historic highs at the end of the fiscal year, and a U.S. dollar that dipped to record lows versus other major currencies.

 

Still, the broad U.S. stock market returned an impressive 15.3%, while gains were significantly larger in Europe and emerging markets, which benefit from a falling dollar. In the United States, large-capitalization stocks outperformed small-caps, and growth stocks outperformed value stocks—both continuing the recent months’ reversals of longer-term trends. In most markets around the globe, top performances came from stocks in the energy, materials, and industrials sectors, which have benefited from rapid industrialization in emerging markets economies.

 

 

Market Barometer

 

 

Average Annual Total Returns

 

Periods Ended October 31, 2007

 

One Year

Three Years

Five Years

Stocks

 

 

 

MSCI All Country World Index ex USA (International)

33.0%

27.4%

26.4%

Russell 1000 Index (Large-caps)

15.0

13.8

14.5

Russell 2000 Index (Small-caps)

9.3

13.7

18.7

Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 Index (Entire market)

15.3

14.2

15.3

 

 

 

 

Bonds

 

 

 

Lehman U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (Broad taxable market)

5.4%

3.9%

4.4%

Lehman Municipal Bond Index

2.9

3.7

4.5

Citigroup 3-Month Treasury Bill Index

5.0

4.1

2.9

 

 

 

 

CPI

 

 

 

Consumer Price Index

3.5%

3.1%

2.9%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3

Bond investors converged on high-quality issues

As troubles in the subprime credit markets rippled across the financial markets, bond investors sought the relative safety of U.S. Treasury bonds. This “flight to quality” drove prices for Treasuries higher and yields lower, and widened the spread between Treasury yields and the much higher yields demanded by investors for riskier bonds. Declines in Treasury yields were steepest at the short end of the maturity spectrum, aided by the actions of the Federal Reserve Board. The central bank lowered the target for short-term interest rates to 4.50% in two separate rate cuts (a half-percentage-point in September and a quarter-point on October 31). The yield of the 3-month Treasury bill finished the fiscal period at 3.92%, after spending much of the year near 5%; the 10-year Treasury note ended at 4.47%.

For the year, the broad taxable bond market returned 5.4%. Returns from tax-exempt bonds were lower, as these issues did not benefit from the late-summer rally in Treasuries.

The fund’s return was helped by gains in emerging markets

During the 2007 fiscal year, Vanguard International Explorer Fund benefited from the sound stock selections of its advisor, Schroder Investment Management North

 

 

Expense Ratios 1

 

 

Your fund compared with its peer group

 

 

 

 

Average

 

 

International

 

Fund

Small-Cap Fund

International Explorer Fund

0.35%

1.71%

 

 

Total Returns

 

Ten Years Ended October 31, 2007

 

 

Average

 

Annual Return

International Explorer Fund

18.5%

S&P/Citigroup EM EPAC Index

12.7

Average International Small-Cap Fund 2

15.2

 

The figures shown represent past performance, which is not a guarantee of future results. (Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data cited. For performance data current to the most recent month-end, visit our website at www.vanguard.com/performance.) Note, too, that both investment returns and principal value can fluctuate widely, so an investor’s shares, when sold, could be worth more or less than their original cost.

 

 

 

 

1 Fund expense ratio reflects the 12 months ended October 31, 2007. Peer-group expense ratio is derived from data provided by Lipper Inc. and captures information through year-end 2006.

2 Derived from data provided by Lipper Inc.

 

4

America Inc. The advisor’s stock-picking acumen helped to generate a robust return of 27.2% across industry sectors and geographic regions. The advisor seeks small-cap companies that are poised for rapid earnings growth and trade at attractive valuations.

The fund enjoyed notable success in emerging markets, while moderating somewhat its exposure to global weak spots such as Japan. At the end of the fiscal period, the fund was weighted more heavily in Asian emerging markets than the benchmark index. Returns for the region’s emerging markets were stellar. Overall, the Japanese market was the weakest among developed countries, and Japanese banks were among the fund’s poorest performers.

The fund’s focus on small-cap stocks typically produces a portfolio with exposure to an exceptionally wide range of companies, such as Saft Groupe (+67%), a French battery manufacturer; Sika (+54%), the Swiss firm that produces specialty chemicals; and South Korea’s Samsung (+177%). These holdings were mixed in the portfolio with other strongly performing firms, notably banks in emerging Asian countries such as Thailand and Indonesia, and energy firms in the United Kingdom and Europe.

 

In addition to the firms mentioned above, other major contributors to the fund’s overall return included the Singapore Exchange (+283%) and Hochtief (+114%), an international construction services provider. Major detractors included Saab (–18%) and Transcom WorldWide (–20%), the call-center provider in Europe.

Over the long term, your fund has outperformed

Over the past ten years, your fund has produced an average annual return nearly six percentage points better than that of its primary benchmark, and well above the average return for its peers.

To put that distinction in dollar terms: A hypothetical investment of $25,000 in the fund ten years ago would have grown to $136,973 over the ensuing years. The same investment compounded at the average return among international small-cap funds would have produced $33,637 less.

Schroder’s skill in selecting stocks and markets deserves much of the credit for the fund’s competitive long-term returns. Another factor in the fund’s favor: Vanguard’s traditionally low costs, which allow shareholders to keep more of the fund’s return in their pockets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5

International exposure helps to diversify your holdings

As long-term investors know, there is no way to predict what will happen in the stock and bond markets day to day, much less year to year. The best way to approach long-term investing is to select an appropriate, diversified mix of stock, bond, and money market mutual funds that fits your goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance.

Because the global economy is increasingly interdependent, what happens in one country or region is likely to influence what occurs elsewhere. In the latter half of 2007, international markets showed that they were not immune from the turmoil that swept through the U.S. markets. Overall, however, international stocks weathered the shock better.

By combining domestic stock funds with international funds, as well as bond and money market funds, you can do much to insulate your portfolio from sometimes unpredictable and capricious markets.

The International Explorer Fund can add diversification to your portfolio and help you move toward your long-term investment goals.

 

Thank you for investing with Vanguard.

 

Sincerely,

 


 

John J. Brennan

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

November 16, 2007

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

Advisor’s Report

 

Over the 12 months ended October 31, 2007, Vanguard International Explorer Fund returned 27.2%, compared with a 27.0% rise in the S&P/Citigroup EM EPAC Index, a broad measure of the performance of smaller non-U.S. stocks.

The investment environment

Taking the 12-month period as a whole, smaller companies continued to generate excellent returns and outpace larger-cap benchmarks. The S&P/Citigroup EM EPAC Index rose 27.0%, compared with a 24.9% gain for the MSCI EAFE Index. However, the weakness of the dollar has played a significant role in the absolute returns (smaller companies were up 16.1% in local currencies), and there have been striking performance disparities in the major regions. A good example is Asia, where the returns of smaller Japanese companies fell while the Pacific ex-Japan small-cap index rose over 65% in dollar terms.

In general, it has been a supportive environment for global equity markets. Growth has remained robust, with a slowdown in the United States offset by buoyancy in emerging markets and steady expansion in Europe. Despite commodity price pressures, underlying inflationary pressures have been subdued, and corporate earnings growth and reasonable valuations have allowed equities to shrug off the impact of rising interest rates, notably in Europe.

 

While smaller companies performed better than their larger peers over the fiscal year as a whole, there was a notable change in the trend in the last three months of the period. Amid the volatility engendered by credit-market issues, there has been a significant reversal of small-cap outperformance in all the major regions. Smaller stocks reacted relatively poorly in the sell-off in July and August, and have lagged in the subsequent bounce as investors have, naturally, sought the perceived safety of larger, more liquid stocks. There has also been a sector factor at play; smaller companies tend to be represented in greater numbers in sectors such as consumer cyclicals and industrials, and less so in more defensive sectors such as utilities and telecommunication services.

Our successes and shortfalls

The index-matching performance of the period masks some big underlying divergences between the fund and the index. The fund’s notable successes were in smaller markets in Asia and in emerging markets, not to mention our sole stock in Canada, which was up over 80% for the year. In Asia, significant contributions came from our construction/infrastructure exposure in Korea, Hong Kong companies directly benefiting from buoyant domestic conditions in China, and overall stock selection in Singapore.

 

 

 

7

The fund also benefited from our allocation decisions among the major regions, most notably the underweighting in Japan, and from our allocation to higher-growth companies in smaller Asian markets and emerging markets.

Stock selection in Japan and continental Europe hurt the fund’s performance. The main disappointments in Japan stemmed from our choices in consumer cyclicals, notably specialist retailers, and among industrials and information technology stocks. The only consolation has been our underweighting of the financial sector. In Europe, the main shortfalls involve the industrials sector, where larger, more internationally exposed exporters have been favored over smaller and more domestically oriented stocks.

The fund’s positioning

Whatever the full ramifications of the turmoil in the credit markets, there is a risk of declining economic activity in 2008. Although it has been wrong to bet against the resilience of the consumer in the United States and the United Kingdom, a drop in housing prices for the first time since the early 1990s represents a significant new pressure on both economies. The implication is that there will be slower growth, accompanied by further pain in the credit markets that have supported asset prices over recent years.

 

Such an outcome obviously would have implications for certain stocks and sectors (we remain underweight in consumer cyclicals and financials, for example), but we would point to two countervailing forces that may limit the risks for international equities in the aggregate, and for quality growth equities in particular—namely, a proactive monetary response by central banks and the high level of liquidity in Asia and emerging markets that is in search of investment opportunities. As investors deploy this capital, they are likely to become more choosy in their investment strategies, increasingly focus on quality, and diversify out of the U.S. dollar.

In this environment, we see little reason to change the positioning of the fund. We maintain a focus on visible growth companies offering sustainable and superior returns on investment. In regional terms, the overweighting in smaller, high-growth Asian markets remains supported by strong growth momentum. The pressure for regional asset prices and currencies to rise is intensifying, favoring the Asian consumer and helping to keep inflation under control. We recognize the risks that a slower global economy might have on the region’s export performance, and we remain focused on companies serving burgeoning consumer demand and infrastructure needs.

 

 

 

 

8

We continue to be cautious about consumer spending in the United Kingdom. Real estate and consumption cycles look vulnerable, which has been underscored by recent events in the credit markets. The country’s low savings ratio, a trade deficit, sluggish household incomes, and high levels of primarily mortgage debt could not contrast more starkly with the situation in Asia.

The rest of Europe is not affected by the structural issues hampering the United Kingdom, but headwinds are building, given the strength of the Euro and a rise in interest rates of 200 basis points over the last two years. Overall monetary conditions are the tightest they have been for five years. This has already had an impact on the peripheral economies, where real exchange rates have risen strongly. On a more positive note, with recent data on the core economies much more mixed, interest rates should rise no further. We continue to find opportunities among individual stocks.

 

Such has been the underperformance by Japanese small-caps over the last two years that Japan is now the only country where smaller companies are more cheaply valued than larger ones, and the premium valuation for these stocks compared with those in other regions has practically disappeared. However, we hesitate to change our cautious stance. With the help of a competitive currency and sustained external demand (particularly from emerging markets), Japan’s exporters are doing well, although 2008 is likely to be tougher. However, domestically oriented companies, which form the bulk of the small-cap universe, continue to suffer because of low consumer confidence and stagnant household disposable incomes.

 

Matthew F. Dobbs, Senior Vice President

Schroder Investment Management

North America Inc.

November 19, 2007

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9

Fund Profile

As of October 31, 2007

 

 

Portfolio Characteristics

 

 

 

 

Comparative

 

Fund

Index 1

Number of Stocks

225

4,388

Turnover Rate

45%

Expense Ratio

0.35%

Short-Term Reserves

1.8%

 

 

Volatility Measures 2

 

 

Fund Versus

 

Comparative Index 1

R-Squared

0.94

Beta

1.02

 

 

Sector Diversification (% of equity exposure)

 

 

Comparative

 

Fund

Index 1

Consumer Discretionary

11.9%

17.0%

Consumer Staples

4.2

4.5

Energy

6.5

5.6

Financials

19.1

19.2

Health Care

2.9

7.4

Industrials

36.4

20.8

Information Technology

6.5

9.8

Materials

8.4

10.6

Telecommunication Services

0.0

1.3

Utilities

4.1

3.8

 

 

Ten Largest Holdings 3 (% of total net assets)

 

 

 

Rheinmetall AG

industrial conglomerate

1.8%

Saft Groupe SA

electrical components and equipment

1.7

Sika Finanz AG (Bearer)

specialty chemicals

1.6

YIT Oyj

construction and engineering

1.6

Niko Resources Ltd.

oil and gas exploration and production

1.6

Swedish Match AB

tobacco

1.5

Samsung Corp.

trading companies and distributors

1.4

MTU Aero Engines Holdings AG

aerospace and defense

1.4

DCC PLC

industrial conglomerate

1.4

Babis Vovos International

real estate management and development

1.3

Top Ten

 

15.3%

 

 

Allocation by Region (% of equity exposure)

 


 

 

1 S&P/Citigroup EM EPAC Index.

2 For an explanation of R-squared , beta , and other terms used here, see the Glossary on page 29.

3 “Ten Largest Holdings” excludes any temporary cash investments and equity index products.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10

Market Diversification (% of equity exposure)

 

 

 

Comparative

 

 

Fund

Index 1

Europe

 

 

 

United Kingdom

17.0%

19.6%

 

Germany

8.6

8.6

 

Switzerland

6.3

7.2

 

France

6.1

9.8

 

Italy

5.3

3.7

 

Sweden

5.0

2.6

 

Greece

4.3

1.0

 

Netherlands

3.2

3.6

 

Finland

2.1

1.6

 

Spain

1.9

4.6

 

Belgium

1.5

1.3

 

Austria

1.4

0.6

 

Ireland

1.4

0.9

 

Other European Markets

0.8

2.9

 

Subtotal

64.9%

68.0%

Pacific

 

 

 

Japan

14.5%

16.4%

 

Singapore

3.5

1.3

 

Australia

2.3

6.5

 

Hong Kong

1.6

2.0

 

Other Pacific Markets

0.0

0.2

 

Subtotal

21.9%

26.4%

Emerging Markets

 

 

 

South Korea

4.3%

4.8%

 

China

3.6

0.4

 

Indonesia

2.0

0.0

 

Other Emerging Markets

1.7

0.4

 

Subtotal

11.6%

5.6%

North America

 

 

 

Canada

1.6%

0.0%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 S&P/Citigroup EM EPAC Index.

 

 

11

Performance Summary

 

All of the returns in this report represent past performance, which is not a guarantee of future results that may be achieved by the fund. (Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data cited. For performance data current to the most recent month-end, visit our website at www.vanguard.com/performance.) Note, too, that both investment returns and principal value can fluctuate widely, so an investor’s shares, when sold, could be worth more or less than their original cost. The returns shown do not reflect taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the sale of fund shares.

 

Cumulative Performance: October 31, 1997–October 31, 2007

Initial Investment of $25,000

 


 

 

 

Average Annual Total Returns

Final Value

 

Periods Ended October 31, 2007

of a $25,000

 

One Year

Five Years

Ten Years

Investment

International Explorer Fund 1

27.18%

31.14%

18.54%

$136,973

MSCI All Country World Index ex USA

32.97

26.39

10.75

69,404

S&P/Citigroup EM EPAC Index

27.02

30.17

12.70

82,609

Average International Small-Cap Fund 2

33.32

30.64

15.25

103,336

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Total returns do not reflect the 2% fee assessed on redemptions of shares purchased on or after June 27, 2003, and held for less than two months, or the account service fee that may be applicable to certain accounts with balances below $10,000.

2 Derived from data provided by Lipper Inc.

 

 

 

12

Fiscal-Year Total Returns (%): October 31, 1997–October 31, 2007

 


 

Average Annual Total Returns: Periods Ended September 30, 2007

This table presents average annual total returns through the latest calendar quarter—rather than through the end of the fiscal period. Securities and Exchange Commission rules require that we provide this information.

 

 

 

Inception Date

One Year

Five Years

Ten Years

International Explorer Fund 1

11/4/1996

24.42%

30.18%

17.43%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Total returns do not reflect the 2% fee assessed on redemptions of shares purchased on or after June 27, 2003, and held for less than two months, or the account service fee that may be applicable to certain accounts with balances below $10,000.

Note: See Financial Highlights table on page 20 for dividend and capital gains information.

 

 

 

13

Financial Statements

 

Statement of Net Assets

As of October 31, 2007

 

The fund provides a complete list of its holdings four times in each fiscal year, at the quarter-ends. For the second and fourth fiscal quarters, the lists appear in the fund’s semiannual and annual reports to shareholders. For the first and third fiscal quarters, the fund files the lists with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Form N-Q. Shareholders can look up the fund’s Forms N-Q on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Forms N-Q may also be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room (see the back cover of this report for further information).

 

 

 

 

Market

 

 

 

Value

 

 

Shares

($000)

Common Stocks (98.0%)

 

 

Australia (2.3%)

 

 

 

Just Group Ltd.

3,254,735

17,263

 

Sonic Healthcare Ltd.

820,379

13,230

 

James Hardie Industries NV

1,844,838

11,232

 

Computershare Ltd.

1,200,000

9,676

^

Iluka Resources Ltd.

2,300,000

9,412

 

Transurban Group

1,000,000

6,807

 

Lion Nathan Ltd.

730,706

6,355

 

 

 

73,975

Austria (1.4%)

 

 

*

Austriamicrosystems AG

270,000

14,678

 

Mayr-Melnhof Karton AG

100,000

11,917

 

Schoeller-Bleckmann Oilfield Equipment AG

98,715

10,055

*^

Kapsch TrafficCom AG

160,000

8,459

 

 

 

45,109

Belgium (1.5%)

 

 

 

Compagnie Nationale a Portefeuille

255,000

18,328

 

Sofina SA

130,000

15,845

 

Fluxys D Shares

4,000

14,791

 

 

 

48,964

Brazil (0.2%)

 

 

 

Lojas Americanas SA Pfd.

500,000

5,819

 

 

 

 

Canada (1.5%)

 

 

 

Niko Resources Ltd.

451,178

50,532

 

 

 

 

China (3.5%)

 

 

*^

China Everbright Ltd.

5,540,000

24,917

*

China Eastern Airlines Corp. Ltd.

20,020,000

21,790

 

Shenzhen Expressway Co. Ltd.

19,400,000

20,170

 

China Resources Land Ltd.

5,412,000

13,692

 

 

 

 

Market

 

 

 

Value

 

 

Shares

($000)

 

Jiangsu Expressway Co. Ltd.H Shares

11,000,000

12,726

*^

China Foods Ltd.

10,414,000

7,968

*

KWG Property Holding, Ltd.

3,731,000

7,028

^

The Guangshen Railway Co., Ltd.

6,800,000

5,805

 

 

 

114,096

 

Denmark (0.2%)

 

 

^

Trygvesta A/S

100,000

7,966

 

 

 

 

 

Finland (2.1%)

 

 

 

YIT Oyj

1,650,000

51,050

^

F-Secure Oyj

2,600,000

10,221

 

Cargotec Corp.

63,520

3,940

 

Teleste Oyj

200,000

2,687

 

 

 

67,898

 

France (6.0%)

 

 

1 ^

Saft Groupe SA

1,150,000

56,702

 

Nexity

550,000

36,716

^

Groupe Bourbon SA

500,021

35,435

*^

Alten

500,000

19,791

 

Cegereal

221,305

10,844

^

Altamir Amboise

529,598

8,268

*^

Store Promesses

359,476

7,353

 

Virbac SA

65,865

6,281

 

Les Nouveaux Constructeurs SA

226,779

5,191

*

Carrere Group

240,000

5,148

 

Sword Group

32,995

1,844

*

Altamir Aboise Call Warrants Exp. 9/19/08

494,155

222

 

 

 

193,795

 

Germany (8.4%)

 

 

^

Rheinmetall AG

650,000

58,007

 

MTU Aero Engines Holdings AG

748,685

45,655

 

Aareal Bank AG

800,000

41,459

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14

 

 

 

Market

 

 

 

Value

 

 

Shares

($000)

 

Demag Cranes AG NPV Registered

600,000

34,593

 

IDS Scheer AG

900,000

21,818

 

Bilfinger Berger AG

215,000

19,171

 

Grenkeleasing AG

412,300

17,801

*

Thielert AG

500,000

12,770

*

Steico AG

351,482

8,503

 

Interhyp AG

65,000

5,632

1

cash.life AG

428,000

5,433

 

HCI Capital AG

96,630

2,135

 

 

 

272,977

Greece (4.2%)

 

 

*

Babis Vovos International

1,300,000

43,619

 

Postal Savings Bank

1,500,000

30,757

*

Symrise AG

1,000,000

29,788

 

Fourlis SA

650,000

26,205

*

Jumbo SA

181,509

6,586

 

 

 

136,955

Hong Kong (1.5%)

 

 

 

Hopewell Holdings Ltd.

4,398,000

22,789

 

Dah Sing Financial Group

1,206,400

11,481

 

CNPC Hong Kong Limited

10,690,000

8,717

 

Hong Kong Aircraft & Engineering Co., Ltd.

275,200

6,996

 

 

 

49,983

India (0.4%)

 

 

 

Infrastructure Development Finance Co Ltd.

 

 

*

Warrants Exp. 01/20/10

2,500,000

12,287

 

 

 

 

Indonesia (1.9%)

 

 

 

PT Bank Central Asia Tbk

47,924,500

38,933

 

PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia Tbk

27,000,000

23,314

 

 

 

62,247

Ireland (1.4%)

 

 

 

DCC PLC

1,620,000

44,593

 

 

 

 

Italy (5.2%)

 

 

 

ACEA SpA

2,000,000

39,716

^

Compagnie Industriali Riunite SpA

9,500,000

39,470

 

Azimut Holding SpA

2,250,000

38,796

^

Italmobiliare SpA

170,000

20,937

 

Antichi Pellettieri SpA

1,200,000

16,531

 

Italmobiliare SpA Non-Convertible Risp.

165,000

13,855

 

 

 

169,305

Japan (14.3%)

 

 

 

Obic Co., Ltd.

68,200

13,699

^

Chugoku Marine Paints, Ltd.

997,000

13,545

 

Exedy Corp.

396,400

13,065

^

Union Tool Co.

343,200

12,768

 

 

 

 

Market

 

 

 

Value

 

 

Shares

($000)

 

Tsuruha Holdings, Inc.

348,700

12,048

^

Sato Corp.

617,300

11,971

 

Nissan Chemical Industries, Ltd.

869,000

11,949

^

MISUMI Group Inc.

686,600

11,619

 

Aica Kogyo Co., Ltd.

1,118,100

11,443

^

Sysmex Corp.

267,400

10,953

^

Sumida Corp.

628,700

10,756

^

Musashi Seimitsu Industry Co., Ltd.

329,700

10,635

^

Nichicon Corp.

885,100

10,560

 

Nifco Inc.

442,100

10,344

 

The Tokyo Tomin Bank, Ltd.

310,300

10,328

^

Amano Corp.

812,200

10,183

^

OSG Corp.

790,000

9,994

 

KOA Corp.

920,700

9,620

 

Tsumura & Co.

525,400

9,388

 

Ushio Inc.

450,600

9,300

 

Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co., Ltd.

442,200

9,102

 

Nippon Sanso Corp.

1,015,000

9,017

 

Japan Aviation Electronics Industry, Ltd.

579,000

8,932

^

Kissei Pharmaceutical Co.

470,000

8,585

 

Dowa Mining Co., Ltd.

731,000

8,564

^

Inaba Denki Sangyo Co., Ltd.

227,500

8,481

^

JSP Corp.

757,900

8,420

 

Lintec Corp.

420,700

8,251

 

Nitta Corp.

374,200

8,011

 

Nishimatsuya Chain Co., Ltd.

578,000

7,794

 

NAFCO Co., Ltd.

369,400

7,706

^

Arisawa Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

744,600

7,489

*

Daihatsu Deisel MFG, Co., Ltd.

402,000

7,259

^

Furukawa-Sky Aluminum Corp.

2,213,000

7,165

^

Trusco Nakayama Corp.

484,900

7,131

 

H.I.S Co., Ltd.

373,000

7,088

 

Shinmaywa Industries, Ltd.

1,503,000

7,056

 

Nippon Thompson Co., Ltd.

816,000

6,908

 

The Hiroshima Bank, Ltd.

1,205,000

6,547

 

Chiyoda Co., Ltd.

416,500

6,178

 

Sumitomo Osaka Cement Co., Ltd.

2,303,000

5,772

 

Tsutsumi Jewerly Co., Ltd.

251,300

5,497

 

Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

387,000

5,385

 

Ryosan Co., Ltd.

208,800

5,205

^

Daido Steel Co., Ltd.

756,000

5,159

 

ARCS Co. Ltd.

295,000

4,406

*^

Honeys Co., Ltd.

150,100

4,321

 

ICOM Inc.

160,700

4,204

 

 

 

 

 

 

15

 

 

 

Market

 

 

 

Value

 

 

Shares

($000)

 

Nissin Healthcare Food

 

 

 

Service Co. Ltd.

326,500

3,996

^

ALPHA Corp.

201,000

3,980

^

Sanie-International Co., Ltd.

171,200

3,535

^

Nidec Copal Corp.

253,000

3,156

^

eAccess Ltd.

4,840

3,068

 

Kureha Chemical

 

 

 

Industry Co.

652,000

2,985

 

Nishio Rent All Co. Ltd.

187,000

2,779

 

Fujikura Kasei Co., Ltd.

295,800

2,694

 

Nagase & Co., Ltd.

235,000

2,628

 

DC Co., Ltd.

519,000

2,617

 

Bank of Okinawa, Ltd

75,800

2,614

^

The Minato Bank, Ltd.

1,109,000

2,529

 

AUCNET Inc.

120,000

2,487

*

INTELLIGENCE, Ltd.

704

1,616

*

Dowa Mining Co., Ltd.

 

 

 

Rights Exp. 1/29/10

2,300,000

1,328

 

Hard Off Corp. Co., Ltd.

209,000

1,076

 

Thine Electronics Inc.

600

722

 

 

 

463,611

Netherlands (3.1%)

 

 

 

Fugro NV

392,000

34,457

 

Koninklijke Ten Cate NV

574,219

23,588

*

Smartrac NV

303,845

19,054

 

Macintosh Retail Group NV

332,201

11,137

 

Arcadis NV

123,000

10,031

 

Eriks Group NV

50,000

4,174

 

 

 

102,441

Norway (0.6%)

 

 

*

Stepstone ASA

3,500,000

18,528

 

 

 

 

Philippines (0.2%)

 

 

 

Aboitiz Equity

 

 

 

Ventures Inc.

45,000,000

7,618

 

 

 

 

Singapore (3.4%)

 

 

^

Yanlord Land Group Ltd.

8,555,000

23,334

 

ComfortDelGro Corp. Ltd.

15,318,000

20,573

 

Singapore Exchange Ltd.

1,769,000

19,384

 

Sembcorp Industries Ltd.

4,375,000

18,071

 

SMRT Corp. Ltd.

13,388,000

16,421

 

Suntec REIT

10,421,000

13,135

 

 

 

110,918

South Korea (4.2%)

 

 

 

Samsung Corp.

503,069

46,558

 

Kumkang Korea

 

 

 

Chemical Co., Ltd.

48,060

35,577

 

Hite Brewery Co., Ltd.

160,600

24,050

 

Yuhan Corp.

57,839

12,378

 

Daegu Bank

624,290

11,065

*

CJ CheilJedang Corp.

19,035

6,308

 

 

 

135,936

 

 

 

 

Market

 

 

 

Value

 

 

Shares

($000)

Spain (1.9%)

 

 

^

Red Electrica de

 

 

 

Espana SA

750,000

42,165

 

Enagas SA

700,000

19,900

 

 

 

62,065

Sweden (4.9%)

 

 

 

Swedish Match AB

2,150,000

48,180

 

Saab AB

1,425,000

32,418

 

Oriflame Cosmetics SA

390,000

23,626

*^

Transcom WorldWide SA

2,700,000

22,575

 

Munters AB

1,900,000

22,560

^

D. Carnegie & Co. AB

520,000

11,544

 

 

 

160,903

Switzerland (6.2%)

 

 

 

Sika Finanz AG (Bearer)

26,000

51,551

 

Helvetia Patria Holding AG

90,000

32,712

 

BKW FMB Energie AG

250,000

30,077

 

Bank Sarasin & Cie AG

3,912

18,492

 

Geberit AG

130,000

17,584

 

Schweizerhall Holding AG

98,825

17,333

 

Jelmoli Holding AG

4,800

12,546

 

Kuoni Reisen Holding AG

 

 

 

(Registered)

19,748

9,887

 

Mobilezone Holding AG

1,300,000

8,673

*

Arpida Ltd.

91,953

1,975

 

 

 

200,830

Taiwan (0.3%)

 

 

2

Catcher Technology

 

 

 

Warrants Exp. 11/29/10

1,636,789

11,227

 

 

 

 

Thailand (0.5%)

 

 

 

Bank of Ayudhya PLC

 

 

 

(Foreign) 17,708,100

 

15,341

 

 

 

 

United Kingdom (16.7%)

 

 

 

Babcock International

 

 

 

Group PLC

2,928,840

35,814

 

WS Atkins PLC

1,200,000

30,337

 

SIG PLC

1,300,000

28,754

 

Carillion PLC

3,000,000

25,514

 

Findel PLC

1,600,000

23,691

 

Meggitt PLC

3,111,964

22,159

 

J.D. Wetherspoon PLC

1,775,000

20,090

*

Imperial Energy Corp. PLC

670,000

19,228

 

Inchcape PLC

1,860,000

18,274

 

Balfour Beatty PLC

1,700,000

17,609

 

Amec PLC

1,000,000

17,425

 

Alfred McAlpine Group PLC

1,398,635

16,323

 

The Go-Ahead Group PLC

280,000

15,754

 

Forth Ports PLC

380,000

14,619

 

Speedy Hire PLC

640,000

14,535

 

National Express Group PLC

500,000

13,752

*

Premier Oil PLC

481,503

12,454

 

 

16

 

 

 

Market

 

 

 

Value

 

 

Shares

($000)

 

William Hill PLC

900,000

11,625

 

Quintain Estates &

 

 

 

Development PLC

900,000

11,548

 

Headlam Group PLC

900,000

10,480

 

John Wood Group PLC

1,200,000

10,458

 

Shaftesbury PLC

850,000

9,980

 

Venture Production PLC

600,000

9,925

 

Ultra Electronics

 

 

 

Holdings PLC

375,000

9,784

 

Whatman PLC

2,201,504

9,746

*

Invensys PLC

1,350,000

9,216

*

Leo Capital PLC

6,150,108

9,092

 

Chrysalis Group PLC

3,500,000

8,108

 

Intermediate Capital

 

 

 

Group PLC

225,000

7,783

 

BPP Holdings PLC

600,000

7,620

 

Homeserve PLC

200,000

7,514

 

The Future Network PLC

7,200,000

7,010

 

Derwent London PLC

200,000

6,944

*

AEA Technology PLC

2,559,950

6,303

*

CSR PLC

450,000

6,069

 

Nestor Healthcare

 

 

 

Group PLC

3,020,445

5,941

 

Alexon Group PLC

1,700,000

5,823

 

Goldshield Group PLC

1,050,601

5,767

 

RM PLC

1,000,000

4,248

 

Eco Animal Health

 

 

 

Group PLC

1,112,700

4,207

 

Paragon Group Cos. PLC

700,000

3,468

*

Stagecoach Group PLC–

 

 

 

B Shares

2,000,000

2,620

*

I-Mate PLC

2,100,000

2,214

*

Concateno PLC

769,231

2,197

 

Devro PLC

638,646

1,194

 

Carter & Carter Group PLC

129,770

223

 

Erinaceous Group PLC

252,920

129

*

Pinnacle Staffing

 

 

 

Group PLC

723,983

72

 

 

 

543,640

Total Common Stocks

 

 

(Cost $2,177,384)

 

3,189,559

 

 

 

Market

 

 

Value

 

Shares

($000)

Temporary Cash Investments (6.2%)

 

 

3 Vanguard Market Liquidity Fund, 4.955%

57,128,309

57,128

3 Vanguard Market Liquidity Fund, 4.955%—Note G

143,885,310

143,885

Total Temporary Cash Investments

 

 

(Cost $201,013)

 

201,013

Total Investments (104.2%)

 

 

(Cost $2,378,397)

 

3,390,572

Other Assets and Liabilities (–4.2%)

 

 

Other Assets—Note C

 

27,437

Security Lending Collateral

 

 

Payable to Brokers—Note G

 

(143,885)

Other Liabilities

 

(21,720)

 

 

(138,168)

Net Assets (100%)

 

 

Applicable to 131,675,444 outstanding

 

 

$.001 par value shares of beneficial

 

 

interest (unlimited authorization)

 

3,252,404

Net Asset Value Per Share

 

$24.70

 

 

At October 31, 2007, net assets consisted of: 4

 

Amount

Per

 

($000)

Share

Paid-in Capital

1,833,099

$13.92

Undistributed Net Investment Income

33,506

.25

Accumulated Net Realized Gains

373,500

2.84

Unrealized Appreciation

 

 

Investment Securities

1,012,175

7.69

Foreign Currencies

124

Net Assets

3,252,404

$24.70

 

 

 

 

See Note A in Notes to Financial Statements .

*

Non-income-producing security.

^

Part of security position is on loan to broker-dealers. See Note G in Notes to Financial Statements .

1 Considered an affiliated company of the fund as the fund owns more than 5% of the outstanding voting securities of such company. See Note I in Notes to Financial Statements .

2 Security exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933. Such securities may be sold in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers. At October 31, 2007, the value of this security represented 0.3% of net assets.

3 Affiliated money market fund available only to Vanguard funds and certain trusts and accounts managed by Vanguard. Rate shown is the 7-day yield.

4 See Note E in Notes to Financial Statements for the tax-basis components of net assets.

REIT—Real Estate Investment Trust.

 

 

17

Statement of Operations

 

 

 

Year Ended

 

October 31, 2007

 

($000)

Investment Income

 

Income

 

Dividends 1

64,256

Interest 2

4,521

Security Lending

3,459

Total Income

72,236

Expenses

 

Investment Advisory Fees—Note B

 

Basic Fee

5,699

Performance Adjustment

The Vanguard Group—Note C

 

Management and Administrative

3,429

Marketing and Distribution

450

Custodian Fees

1,242

Auditing Fees

27

Shareholders’ Reports

36

Trustees’ Fees and Expenses

4

Total Expenses

10,887

Expenses Paid Indirectly—Note D

(55)

Net Expenses

10,832

Net Investment Income

61,404

Realized Net Gain (Loss)

 

Investment Securities Sold

407,600

Foreign Currencies

(658)

Realized Net Gain (Loss)

406,942

Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation)

 

Investment Securities

246,881

Foreign Currencies

128

Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation)

247,009

Net Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting from Operations

715,355

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Dividends are net of foreign withholding taxes of $4,457,000.

2 Dividend income, interest income, and realized net gain (loss) from affiliated companies of the fund were $1,504,000, $4,521,000, and $1,343,000, respectively.

 

 

18

Statement of Changes in Net Assets

 

 

 

Year Ended October 31,

 

2007

2006

 

($000)

($000)

Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets

 

 

Operations

 

 

Net Investment Income

61,404

63,890

Realized Net Gain (Loss)

406,942

223,249

Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation)

247,009

360,364

Net Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting from Operations

715,355

647,503

Distributions

 

 

Net Investment Income

(71,880)

(46,929)

Realized Capital Gain 1

(204,486)

(158,384)

Total Distributions

(276,366)

(205,313)

Capital Share Transactions—Note H

 

 

Issued

336,342

274,427

Issued in Lieu of Cash Distributions

243,650

181,737

Redeemed 2

(434,727)

(360,598)

Net Increase (Decrease) from Capital Share Transactions

145,265

95,566

Total Increase (Decrease)

584,254

537,756

Net Assets

 

 

Beginning of Period

2,668,150

2,130,394

End of Period 3

3,252,404

2,668,150

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Includes fiscal 2007 and 2006 short-term gain distributions totaling $3,098,000 and $45,755,000, respectively. Short-term gain distributions are treated as ordinary income dividends for tax purposes.

2 Net of redemption fees of $71,000 and $96,000.

3 Net Assets—End of Period includes undistributed net investment income of $33,506,000 and $49,835,000.

 

 

19

Financial Highlights

 

 

For a Share Outstanding

Year Ended October 31,

Throughout Each Period

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period

$21.50

$17.99

$14.64

$11.89

$8.11

Investment Operations

 

 

 

 

 

Net Investment Income

.48

.52

.37

.273 1

.14 1

Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss)

 

 

 

 

 

on Investments

4.95

4.74

3.51

2.544

3.70

Total from Investment Operations

5.43

5.26

3.88

2.817

3.84

Distributions

 

 

 

 

 

Dividends from Net Investment Income

(.58)

(.40)

(.24)

(.067)

(.06)

Distributions from Realized Capital Gains

(1.65)

(1.35)

(.29)

Total Distributions

(2.23)

(1.75)

(.53)

(.067)

(.06)

Net Asset Value, End of Period

$24.70

$21.50

$17.99

$14.64

$11.89

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Return 2

27.18%

31.31%

27.04%

23.79%

47.70%

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ratios/Supplemental Data

 

 

 

 

 

Net Assets, End of Period (Millions)

$3,252

$2,668

$2,130

$1,577

$420

Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets 3

0.35%

0.44%

0.50%

0.57%

0.73%

Ratio of Net Investment Income to

 

 

 

 

 

Average Net Assets

1.99%

2.56%

2.17%

1.96%

1.52%

Portfolio Turnover Rate

45%

32%

38%

21%

60%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Calculated based on average shares outstanding.

2 Total returns do not reflect the 2% fee assessed on redemptions of shares purchased on or after June 27, 2003, and held for less than two months, or the account service fee that may be applicable to certain accounts with balances below $10,000.

3 Includes performance-based investment advisory fee increases (decreases) of 0.00%, 0.02%, 0.02%, 0.00% , and 0.00%. See accompanying Notes , which are an integral part of the Financial Statements .

 

 

20

Notes to Financial Statements

 

Vanguard International Explorer Fund is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 as an open-end investment company, or mutual fund. The fund files reports with the SEC under the company name Vanguard Whitehall Funds. The fund invests in securities of foreign issuers, which may subject it to investment risks not normally associated with investing in securities of United States corporations.

 

A. The following significant accounting policies conform to generally accepted accounting principles for U.S. mutual funds. 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 at their fair values calculated according to procedures adopted by the board of trustees. These procedures include obtaining quotations from an independent pricing service, monitoring news to identify significant market- or security-specific events, and evaluating changes in the values of foreign market proxies (for example, ADRs, futures contracts, or exchange-traded funds) between the time the foreign markets close and the fund’s pricing time. When fair-value pricing is employed, the prices of securities used by a fund to calculate its net asset value may differ from quoted or published prices for the same securities. Investments in Vanguard Market Liquidity Fund are valued at that fund’s net asset value.

 

2. Foreign Currency: Securities and other assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars using exchange rates obtained from an independent third party as of the fund’s pricing time on the valuation date. Realized gains (losses) and unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investment securities include the effects of changes in exchange rates since the securities were purchased, combined with the effects of changes in security prices. Fluctuations in the value of other assets and liabilities resulting from changes in exchange rates are recorded as unrealized foreign currency gains (losses) until the assets or liabilities are settled in cash, at which time they are recorded as realized foreign currency gains (losses).

 

3. Federal Income Taxes: The fund intends to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company and distribute all of its taxable income. Accordingly, no provision for federal income taxes is required in the financial statements.

 

4. Distributions: Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date.

 

5. Security Lending: The fund may lend its securities to qualified institutional borrowers to earn additional income. Security loans are required to be secured at all times by collateral at least equal to the market value of securities loaned. The fund invests cash collateral received in Vanguard Market Liquidity Fund, and records a liability for the return of the collateral, during the period the securities are on loan. Security lending income represents the income earned on investing cash collateral, less expenses associated with the loan.

 

6. Other: Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date. Interest income includes income distributions received from Vanguard Market Liquidity Fund and is accrued daily. Security transactions are accounted for on the date securities are bought or sold. Costs used to determine realized gains (losses) on the sale of investment securities are those of the specific securities sold. Fees assessed on redemptions of capital shares are credited to paid-in capital.

 

21

B. Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. provides investment advisory services to the fund for a fee calculated at an annual percentage rate of average net assets. The basic fee is subject to quarterly adjustments based on the fund’s performance for the preceding three years relative to the S&P/Citigroup Extended Market Europe & Pacific Index. For the year ended October 31, 2007, the investment advisory fee represented an effective annual basic rate of 0.18% of the fund’s average net assets, with no adjustment required based on performance.

 

C. The Vanguard Group furnishes at cost corporate management, administrative, marketing, and distribution services. The costs of such services are allocated to the fund under methods approved by the board of trustees. The fund has committed to provide up to 0.40% of its net assets in capital contributions to Vanguard. At October 31, 2007, the fund had contributed capital of $264,000 to Vanguard (included in Other Assets), representing 0.01% of the fund’s net assets and 0.26% of Vanguard’s capitalization. The fund’s trustees and officers are also directors and officers of Vanguard.

 

D. The fund has asked its investment advisor to direct certain security trades, subject to obtaining the best price and execution, to brokers who have agreed to rebate to the fund part of the commissions generated. Such rebates are used solely to reduce the fund’s management and administrative expenses. The fund’s custodian bank has also agreed to reduce its fees when the fund maintains cash on deposit in the non-interest-bearing custody account. For the year ended October 31, 2007, these arrangements reduced the fund’s management and administrative expenses by $51,000 and custodian fees by $4,000.

 

E. Distributions are determined on a tax basis and may differ from net investment income and realized capital gains for financial reporting purposes. Differences may be permanent or temporary. Permanent differences are reclassified among capital accounts in the financial statements to reflect their tax character. Temporary differences arise when certain items of income, expense, gain, or loss are recognized in different periods for financial statement and tax purposes; these differences will reverse at some time in the future. Differences in classification may also result from the treatment of short-term gains as ordinary income for tax purposes.

 

During the year ended October 31, 2007, the fund realized net foreign currency losses of $658,000, which decreased distributable net income for tax purposes; accordingly, such losses have been reclassified from accumulated net realized gains to undistributed net investment income. Certain of the fund’s investments are in securities considered to be “passive foreign investment companies,” for which any unrealized appreciation and/or realized gains are required to be included in distributable net income for tax purposes. During the year ended October 31, 2007, the fund realized gains on sales of “passive foreign investment companies” of $1,286,000, which have been included in current and prior periods’ taxable income; accordingly, such gains have been reclassified from accumulated net realized gains to undistributed net investment income. Unrealized appreciation on the fund’s passive foreign investment company holdings at October 31, 2007, was $35,382,000, of which $17,388,000 has been distributed and is reflected in the balance of undistributed net investment income.

 

The fund used a tax accounting practice to treat a portion of the price of capital shares redeemed during the year as distributions from net investment income and realized capital gains. Accordingly, the fund has reclassified $6,481,000 from undistributed net investment income, and $32,597,000 from accumulated net realized gains, to paid-in capital.

 

For tax purposes, at October 31, 2007, the fund had $108,156,000 of ordinary income and $337,230,000 of long-term capital gains available for distribution.

 

22

At October 31, 2007, the cost of investment securities for tax purposes was $2,413,779,000. Net unrealized appreciation of investment securities for tax purposes was $976,793,000, consisting of unrealized gains of $1,076,815,000 on securities that had risen in value since their purchase and $100,022,000 in unrealized losses on securities that had fallen in value since their purchase.

 

F. During the year ended October 31, 2007, the fund purchased $1,344,085,000 of investment securities and sold $1,387,903,000 of investment securities other than temporary cash investments.

 

G. The market value of securities on loan to broker-dealers at October 31, 2007, was $136,380,000, for which the fund received cash collateral of $143,885,000.

 

H. Capital shares issued and redeemed were:

 

 

Year Ended October 31,

 

2007

2006

 

Shares

Shares

 

(000)

(000)

Issued

14,921

13,898

Issued in Lieu of Cash Distributions

11,691

10,250

Redeemed

(19,063)

(18,420)

Net Increase (Decrease) in Shares Outstanding

7,549

5,728

 

I. Certain of the fund’s investments are in companies that are considered to be affiliated companies of the fund because the fund owns more than 5% of the outstanding voting securities of the company. Transactions during the period in securities of these companies were as follows:

 

 

 

Current Period Transactions

 

 

Oct. 31, 2006

 

Proceeds from

 

Oct. 31, 2007

 

Market

Purchases

Securities

Dividend

Market

 

Value

at Cost

Sold

Income

Value

 

($000)

($000)

($000)

($000)

($000)

cash.life AG

NA 1

2,763

170

300

5,433

Saft Groupe SA

NA 1

12,921

7,179

1,204

56,702

 

 

 

 

1,504

62,135

 

 

J. In June 2006, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Interpretation No. 48 (“FIN 48”), “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes.” FIN 48 establishes the minimum threshold for recognizing, and a system for measuring, the benefits of tax-return positions in financial statements, and is effective for the fund’s fiscal year beginning November 1, 2007. Management has analyzed the fund’s tax positions taken on federal income tax returns for all open tax years (tax years ended October 31, 2004–2007) for purposes of implementing FIN 48, and has concluded that as of October 31, 2007, no provision for income tax would be required in the fund’s financial statements.

 

 

1 At October 31, 2006, the issuer was not an affiliated company of the fund.

 

 

23

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

To the Trustees of Vanguard Whitehall Funds and the Shareholders of Vanguard International Explorer Fund:

 

In our opinion, the accompanying statement of net assets and the related statements of operations and of changes in net assets and the financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Vanguard International Explorer Fund (the “Fund”) at October 31, 2007, the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. These financial statements and financial highlights (hereafter referred to as “financial statements”) are the responsibility of the Fund’s management; our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits. We conducted our audits of these financial statements in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits, which included confirmation of securities at October 31, 2007 by correspondence with the custodian and broker, and by agreement to the underlying ownership records for Vanguard Market Liquidity Fund, provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

 

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

 

December 6, 2007

 

 


Special 2007 tax information (unaudited) for Vanguard International Explorer Fund

 

This information for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2007, is included pursuant to provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.

 

The fund distributed $230,801,000 as capital gain dividends (from net long-term capital gains) to shareholders during the fiscal year.

 

The fund distributed $36,501,000 of qualified dividend income to shareholders during the fiscal year.

 

The fund will pass through to shareholders foreign source income of $68,837,000 and foreign taxes paid of $4,581,000. The pass-through of foreign taxes paid will affect only shareholders on the dividend record date in December 2007. Shareholders will receive more detailed information along with their Form 1099-DIV in January 2008.

 

24

Your Fund’s After-Tax Returns

 

This table presents returns for your fund both before and after taxes. The after-tax returns are shown in two ways: (1) assuming that an investor owned the fund during the entire period and paid taxes on the fund’s distributions, and (2) assuming that an investor paid taxes on the fund’s distributions and sold all shares at the end of each period.

 

Calculations are based on the highest individual federal income tax and capital gains tax rates in effect at the times of the distributions and the hypothetical sales. State and local taxes were not considered. After-tax returns reflect any qualified dividend income, using actual prior-year figures and estimates for 2007. (In the example, returns after the sale of fund shares may be higher than those assuming no sale. This occurs when the sale would have produced a capital loss. The calculation assumes that the investor received a tax deduction for the loss.)

 

Please note that your actual after-tax returns will depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown. Also note that if you own the fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information does not apply to you. Such accounts are not subject to current taxes.

 

Finally, keep in mind that a fund’s performance—whether before or after taxes—does not guarantee future results.

 

Average Annual Total Returns: International Explorer Fund 1

 

 

 

Periods Ended October 31, 2007

 

 

 

 

One

Five

Ten

 

Year

Years

Years

Returns Before Taxes

27.18%

31.14%

18.54%

Returns After Taxes on Distributions

25.09

29.95

16.15

Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares

19.32

27.47

15.15

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Total returns do not reflect the 2% fee assessed on redemptions of shares purchased on or after June 27, 2003, and held for less than two months, or the account service fee that may be applicable to certain accounts with balances below $10,000.

 

 

25

About Your Fund’s Expenses

 

As a shareholder of the fund, you incur ongoing costs, which include costs for portfolio management, administrative services, and shareholder reports (like this one), among others. Operating expenses, which are deducted from a fund’s gross income, directly reduce the investment return of the fund.

 

A fund’s expenses are expressed as a percentage of its average net assets. This figure is known as the expense ratio. The following examples are intended to help you understand the ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in your fund and to compare these costs with those of other mutual funds. The examples are based on an investment of $1,000 made at the beginning of the period shown and held for the entire period.

 

The table below illustrates your fund’s costs in two ways:

 

• Based on actual fund return. This section helps you to estimate the actual expenses that you paid over the period. The “Ending Account Value” shown is derived from the fund’s actual return, and the third column shows the dollar amount that would have been paid by an investor who started with $1,000 in the fund. You may use the information here, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period.

 

To do so, simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number given for your fund under the heading “Expenses Paid During Period.”

 

• Based on hypothetical 5% yearly return. This section is intended to help you compare your fund’s costs with those of other mutual funds. It assumes that the fund had a yearly return of 5% before expenses, but that the expense ratio is unchanged. In this case—because the return used is not the fund’s actual return—the results do not apply to your investment. The example is useful in making comparisons because the Securities and Exchange Commission requires all mutual funds to calculate expenses based on a 5% return. You can assess your fund’s costs by comparing this hypothetical example with the hypothetical examples that appear in shareholder reports of other funds.

 

 

Six Months Ended October 31, 2007

 

 

 

 

Beginning

Ending

Expenses

 

Account Value

Account Value

Paid During

International Explorer Fund

4/30/2007

10/31/2007

Period 1

Based on Actual Fund Return

$1,000.00

$1,057.36

$1.66

Based on Hypothetical 5% Yearly Return

1,000.00

1,023.59

1.63

 

 

1 The calculations are based on expenses incurred in the most recent six-month period. The fund’s annualized six-month expense ratio for that period is 0.32%. The dollar amounts shown as “Expenses Paid” are equal to the annualized expense ratio multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent six-month period, then divided by the number of days in the most recent 12-month period.

 

26

Note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight and help you compare ongoing costs only and do not reflect transaction costs incurred by the fund for buying and selling securities. Further, the expenses do not include the 2% fee on redemptions of shares held for less than two months, nor do they include the account service fee described in the prospectus. If such fees were applied to your account, your costs would be higher. Your fund does not carry a “sales load.”

 

The calculations assume no shares were bought or sold during the period. Your actual costs may have been higher or lower, depending on the amount of your investment and the timing of any purchases or redemptions.

 

You can find more information about the fund’s expenses in the Financial Statements section of this report. For additional information on operating expenses and other shareholder costs, please refer to your fund’s current prospectus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

27

Trustees Approve Advisory Agreement

 

The board of trustees of Vanguard International Explorer Fund has renewed the fund’s investment advisory agreement with Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. and a sub-advisory agreement with Schroder Investment Management North America Limited. The board determined that the retention of the advisor and the sub-advisor (collectively, Schroder) was in the best interests of the fund and its shareholders.

 

The board based its decision upon an evaluation of Schroder’s investment staff, portfolio management process, and performance. The trustees considered the factors discussed below, among others. However, no single factor determined whether the board approved the agreements. Rather, it was the totality of the circumstances that drove the board’s decision.

 

Nature, extent, and quality of services

The board considered the quality of the fund’s investment management over both the short and long term and took into account the organizational depth and stability of the firm. The board noted that Schroder has a long history as a successful manager. Schroder’s parent company, Schroders plc, has existed for more than 200 years and has investment-management experience dating to 1926. The fund is managed by an experienced five-member team—the Schroder International Smallcap Investment Committee—led, since 2000, by Matthew Dobbs. Mr. Dobbs has been with Schroder since 1981. The advisor continues to employ a sound process, selecting attractive small-cap growth stocks from developed and emerging markets outside the United States. Stocks are selected using a bottom-up approach, supported by Schroder’s worldwide network of analysts, economists, and strategists.

 

The board concluded that Schroder’s experience, stability, depth, and performance, among other factors, warranted continuation of the advisory agreements.

 

Investment performance

The board considered the short- and long-term performance of the fund, including any periods of outperformance or underperformance of a relevant benchmark and peer group. The board concluded that the advisor has carried out the fund’s investment strategy in disciplined fashion, and that the performance results have been in line with expectations. Information about the fund’s most recent performance can be found in the Performance Summary section of this report.

 

Cost

The board concluded that the fund’s expense ratio was far below the average expense ratio charged by funds in its peer group. The board noted that the fund’s advisory fee rate was also well below the peer-group average. Information about the fund’s expense ratio appears in the About Your Fund’s Expenses section of this report as well as in the Financial Statements section, which also includes information about the advisory fee rate. The board did not consider profitability of Schroder in determining whether to approve the advisory fee, because Schroder is independent of Vanguard, and the advisory fee is the result of arm’s-length negotiations.

 

The benefit of economies of scale

The board concluded that the fund’s shareholders benefit from economies of scale because of breakpoints in the fund’s advisory fee schedule. The breakpoints reduce the effective rate of the fee as the fund’s assets increase.

 

The board will consider whether to renew the advisory agreements again after a one-year period.

 

 

28

Glossary

 

Beta . A measure of the magnitude of a fund’s past share-price fluctuations in relation to the ups and downs of a given market index. The index is assigned a beta of 1.00. Compared with a given index, a fund with a beta of 1.20 typically would have seen its share price rise or fall by 12% when the index rose or fell by 10%. A fund’s beta should be reviewed in conjunction with its R-squared (see definition below). The lower the R-squared, the less correlation there is between the fund and the index, and the less reliable beta is as an indicator of volatility.

 

Equity Exposure . A measure that reflects a fund’s investments in stocks and stock futures. Any holdings in short-term reserves are excluded.

 

Expense Ratio . The percentage of a fund’s average net assets used to pay its annual administrative and advisory expenses. These expenses directly reduce returns to investors.

 

Inception Date . The date on which the assets of a fund (or one of its share classes) are first invested in accordance with the fund’s investment objective. For funds with a subscription period, the inception date is the day after that period ends. Investment performance is measured from the inception date.

 

R-Squared . A measure of how much of a fund’s past returns can be explained by the returns from the market in general, as measured by a given index. If a fund’s total returns were precisely synchronized with an index’s returns, its R-squared would be 1.00. If the fund’s returns bore no relationship to the index’s returns, its R-squared would be 0.

 

Short-Term Reserves . The percentage of a fund invested in highly liquid, short-term securities that can be readily converted to cash.

 

Turnover Rate . An indication of the fund’s trading activity. Funds with high turnover rates incur higher transaction costs and may be more likely to distribute capital gains (which may be taxable to investors). The turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, which have minimal impact on costs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

29

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The People Who Govern Your Fund

 

The trustees of your mutual fund are there to see that the fund is operated and managed in your best interests since, as a shareholder, you are a part owner of the fund. Your fund’s trustees also serve on the board of directors of The Vanguard Group, Inc., which is owned by the Vanguard funds and provides services to them on an at-cost basis.

 

A majority of Vanguard’s board members are independent, meaning that they have no affiliation with Vanguard or the funds they oversee, apart from the sizable personal investments they have made as private individuals.

 

Our independent board members bring distinguished backgrounds in business, academia, and public service to their task of working with Vanguard officers to establish the policies and oversee the activities of the funds. Among board members’ responsibilities are selecting investment advisors for the funds; monitoring fund operations, performance, and costs; reviewing contracts; nominating and selecting new trustees/directors; and electing Vanguard officers.

 

Each trustee serves a fund until its termination; or until the trustee’s retirement, resignation, or death; or otherwise as specified in the fund’s organizational documents. Any trustee may be removed at a shareholders’ meeting by a vote representing two-thirds of the net asset value of all shares of the fund together with shares of other Vanguard funds organized within the same trust. The table on these two pages shows information for each trustee and executive officer of the fund. The mailing address of the trustees and officers is P.O. Box 876, Valley Forge, PA 19482.

 

 

Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, and Trustee

 

 

John J. Brennan 1

 

Born 1954

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive

Trustee since May 1987;

Officer, and Director/Trustee of The Vanguard Group, Inc., and of each of the investment

Chairman of the Board and

companies served by The Vanguard Group.

Chief Executive Officer

 

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

 

 

 

Independent Trustees

 

 

 

Charles D. Ellis

 

Born 1937

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: Applecore Partners (pro bono ventures

Trustee since January 2001

in education); Senior Advisor to Greenwich Associates (international business strategy

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

consulting); Successor Trustee of Yale University; Overseer of the Stern School of Business

 

at New York University; Trustee of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research.

 

 

Rajiv L. Gupta

 

Born 1945

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: Chairman, President, and

Trustee since December 2001 2

Chief Executive Officer of Rohm and Haas Co. (chemicals); Board Member of

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

the American Chemistry Council; Director of Tyco International, Ltd. (diversified

 

manufacturing and services) since 2005; Trustee of Drexel University and of the

 

Chemical Heritage Foundation.

 

 

Amy Gutmann

 

Born 1949

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: President of the University of

Trustee since June 2006

Pennsylvania since 2004; Professor in the School of Arts and Sciences, Annenberg School

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

for Communication, and Graduate School of Education of the University of Pennsylvania

 

since 2004; Provost (2001–2004) and Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Politics and

 

the University Center for Human Values (1990–2004), Princeton University; Director of

 

Carnegie Corporation of New York since 2005 and of Schuylkill River Development

 

Corporation and Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce since 2004.

 

JoAnn Heffernan Heisen

 

Born 1950

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: Corporate Vice President and

Trustee since July 1998

Chief Global Diversity Officer since 2006, Vice President and Chief Information

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

Officer (1997–2005), and Member of the Executive Committee of Johnson &

 

Johnson (pharmaceuticals/consumer products); Director of the University Medical

 

Center at Princeton and Women’s Research and Education Institute.

 

 

André F. Perold

 

Born 1952

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: George Gund Professor of Finance

Trustee since December 2004

and Banking, Harvard Business School; Senior Associate Dean, Director of Faculty

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

Recruiting, and Chair of Finance Faculty, Harvard Business School; Director and Chairman

 

of UNX, Inc. (equities trading firm) since 2003; Chair of the Investment Committee of

 

HighVista Strategies LLC (private investment firm) since 2005.

 

 

Alfred M. Rankin, Jr.

 

Born 1941

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: Chairman, President, Chief Executive

Trustee since January 1993

Officer, and Director of NACCO Industries, Inc. (forklift trucks/housewares/lignite); Director

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

of Goodrich Corporation (industrial products/aircraft systems and services).

 

 

 

 

J. Lawrence Wilson

 

Born 1936

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: Retired Chairman and Chief Executive

Trustee since April 1985

Officer of Rohm and Haas Co. (chemicals); Director of Cummins Inc. (diesel engines) and

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

AmerisourceBergen Corp. (pharmaceutical distribution); Trustee of Vanderbilt University

 

and of Culver Educational Foundation.

 

 

Executive Officers 1

 

 

 

Thomas J. Higgins

 

Born 1957

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: Principal of The Vanguard Group, Inc.;

Treasurer since July 1998

Treasurer of each of the investment companies served by The Vanguard Group.

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

 

 

 

 

 

Heidi Stam

 

Born 1956

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: Managing Director of The Vanguard

Secretary since July 2005

Group, Inc., since 2006; General Counsel of The Vanguard Group since 2005; Secretary of

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

The Vanguard Group, and of each of the investment companies served by The Vanguard

 

Group, since 2005; Principal of The Vanguard Group (1997–2006).

 

Vanguard Senior Management Team

 

 

 

 

 

 

R. Gregory Barton

Kathleen C. Gubanich

F. William McNabb, III

Ralph K. Packard

Mortimer J. Buckley

Paul A. Heller

Michael S. Miller

George U. Sauter

 

Founder

 

John C. Bogle

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, 1974–1996

 

 

 

1 Officers of the funds are “interested persons” as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940.

2 December 2002 for Vanguard Equity Income Fund, Vanguard Growth Equity Fund, the Vanguard Municipal Bond Funds, and the Vanguard State Tax-Exempt Funds.

More information about the trustees is in the Statement of Additional Information , available from The Vanguard Group.

 

 

 


 

P.O. Box 2600

 

Valley Forge, PA 19482-2600

 

Connect with Vanguard® > www.vanguard.com

 

Fund Information > 800-662-7447

Vanguard , Explorer , Connect with Vanguard , and the

 

ship logo are trademarks of The Vanguard Group, Inc.

Direct Investor Account Services > 800-662-2739

 

 

 

Institutional Investor Services > 800-523-1036

All other marks are the exclusive property of their

 

respective owners.

Text Telephone for People

 

With Hearing Impairment > 800-952-3335

 

 

All comparative mutual fund data are from Lipper Inc.

 

or Morningstar, Inc., unless otherwise noted.

 

 

 

 

 

You can obtain a free copy of Vanguard’s proxy voting

This material may be used in conjunction

guidelines by visiting our website, www.vanguard.com,

with the offering of shares of any Vanguard

and searching for “proxy voting guidelines,” or by

fund only if preceded or accompanied by

calling Vanguard at 800-662-2739. The guidelines are

the fund’s current prospectus.

also available from the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov.

 

In addition, you may obtain a free report on how your

 

fund voted the proxies for securities it owned during

 

the 12 months ended June 30. To get the report, visit

 

either www.vanguard.com or www.sec.gov.

 

 

 

 

 

You can review and copy information about your fund

 

at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C.

 

To find out more about this public service, call the SEC

 

at 202-551-8090. Information about your fund is also

 

available on the SEC’s website, and you can receive

 

copies of this information, for a fee, by sending a

 

request in either of two ways: via e-mail addressed to

 

publicinfo@sec.gov or via regular mail addressed to the

 

Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange

 

Commission, Washington, DC 20549-0102.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

© 2007 The Vanguard Group, Inc.

 

All rights reserved.

 

Vanguard Marketing Corporation, Distributor.

 

 

 

Q1260 122007

 

 

 

 



 

>

From their respective inception dates (November 16, 2006, and November 10, 2006) through October 31, 2007, Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index Fund’s Investor Shares returned 10.2% and the fund’s ETF Shares returned 11.3%. Both share classes succeeded in capturing the majority of the return of the benchmark, FTSE High Dividend Yield Index.

 

>

Despite some rough patches, the broad stock market posted solid results for the period. In a reversal from recent trends, growth stocks outpaced their value-oriented counterparts.

 

>

The fund’s energy holdings made the largest contribution to returns; industrials and consumer staples also produced outsized contributions. The beleaguered financials sector’s weak showing erased some of the fund’s return.

 

 

 

Contents

 

 

 

Your Fund’s Total Returns

1

Chairman’s Letter

2

Fund Profile

6

Performance Summary

7

Financial Statements

9

About Your Fund’s Expenses

23

Glossary

25

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please note: The opinions expressed in this report are just that—informed opinions. They should not be considered promises or advice. Also, please keep in mind that the information and opinions cover the period through the date on the cover of this report. Of course, the risks of investing in your fund are spelled out in the prospectus.

 

 

Your Fund’s Total Returns

 

 

Fiscal Year Ended October 31, 2007

 

 

 

 

Total Returns

 

 

Since

 

Ticker

Share-Class

 

Symbol

Inception

Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index Fund

 

 

Investor Shares (Inception 11/16/2006)

VHDYX

10.2%

FTSE High Dividend Yield Index

 

10.5

Average Large-Cap Value Fund 1

 

10.6

 

 

 

Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index Fund

 

 

ETF Shares 2 (Inception 11/10/2006)

VYM

 

Net Asset Value

 

11.3%

Market Price

 

11.0

FTSE High Dividend Yield Index

 

11.4

Average Large-Cap Value Fund 1

 

11.6

 

 

Your Fund’s Performance at a Glance

 

 

 

 

Inception Through October 31, 2007

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Distributions Per Share

 

Starting

Ending

Income

Capital

 

Share Price

Share Price

Dividends

Gains

Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index Fund

 

 

 

 

Investor Shares

$20.00 3

$21.61

$0.409

$0.000

ETF Shares

50.04 4

54.55

1.085

0.000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Derived from data provided by Lipper Inc.

2 ETF shares are traded on the American Stock Exchange and are available only through brokers. The table shows ETF returns based on both the AMEX market price and the net asset value for a share. U.S. Pat. No. 6,879,964 B2.

3 At inception; November 16, 2006.

4 At inception; November 10, 2006.

 

 

1

 


 

Chairman’s Letter

 

Dear Shareholder,

 

From their inception on November 16, 2006, through October 31, 2007, the Investor Shares of Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index Fund gained 10.2%, while the ETF Shares gained 11.3% since their inception on November 10, 2006. Both share classes achieved their goal of closely tracking the performance of the FTSE High Dividend Yield Index. The Investor Shares and ETF Shares came up a bit short versus the return of the average large-cap value fund.

 

The fund’s dividend yield was considerably higher than the average in the U.S. large-cap equity market. As of October 31, the yield for Investor Shares stood at 2.65%, compared with 1.83% for the S&P 500 Index.

Stocks rode a bumpy path to impressive results

Despite some volatility, the U.S. stock market produced strong results during the fund’s fiscal year. Ongoing problems with low-quality mortgage loans (an unpleasant postscript to the housing downturn) rattled financial markets in the spring and summer, and continued to make investors skittish through the close of the fiscal period. At the end of October, crude oil

 

 

 

 

 

2

prices touched historic highs, while the U.S. dollar dipped to record lows versus other major currencies.

Still, the broad U.S. stock market returned an impressive 15.3% during the 12-month period ended October 31 (which includes about two weeks prior to your fund’s inception in November 2006). Large-capitalization stocks outperformed small-caps, and growth stocks outperformed value stocks—both continuing recent months’ reversals of longer-term trends.

International companies performed even better than domestic issues. Stocks in emerging markets fared particularly well, followed by European and Pacific regionstocks (Japan was a notable laggard). The weak U.S. dollar boosted foreign stock returns for U.S.-based investors.

 

Bond investors converged on high-quality issues

As troubles in the subprime credit markets rippled across the financial markets, bond investors sought the relative safety of U.S.Treasury bonds. This “flight to quality”drove prices for Treasuries higher and yields lower, and widened the spread between Treasury yields and the much higher yields demanded by investors for riskier bonds. Declines in Treasury yields were steepest at the short end of the maturity spectrum, aided by the actions of the Federal Reserve Board. The central

 

 

Market Barometer

 

 

Average Annual Total Returns

 

Periods Ended October 31, 2007

 

One Year

Three Years

Five Years

Stocks

 

 

 

Russell 1000 Index (Large-caps)

15.0%

13.8%

14.5%

Russell 2000 Index (Small-caps)

9.3

13.7

18.7

Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 Index (Entire market)

15.3

14.2

15.3

MSCI All Country World Index ex USA (International)

33.0

27.4

26.4

 

 

 

 

Bonds

 

 

 

Lehman U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (Broad taxable market)

5.4%

3.9%

4.4%

Lehman Municipal Bond Index

2.9

3.7

4.5

Citigroup 3-Month Treasury Bill Index

5.0

4.1

2.9

 

 

 

 

CPI

 

 

 

Consumer Price Index

3.5%

3.1%

2.9%

 

 

 

 

3

bank lowered the target for short-term interest rates to 4.50% in two separate rate cuts (a half-percentage-point in September and a quarter-point on October 31). The yield of the 3-month Treasury bill finished the fiscal period at 3.92%, after spending much of the year near 5%; the 10-year Treasury note ended at 4.47%.

For the 12 months ended October 31, the broad taxable bond market returned 5.4%. Returns from tax-exempt bonds were lower, as these issues did not benefit from the late-summer rally in Treasuries.

Fund’s gains hinged on strength in dividend-rich sectors

The fund seeks to closely track the performance of the FTSE High Dividend Yield Index, a custom benchmark of U.S. stocks whose yields are substantially higher than the market average. This approach can produce sector weightings that vary substantially from those in the broad market. For example, the fund holds a very heavy weighting in financials stocks, while it holds virtually nothing in the information technology sector.

During the fund’s first fiscal year, the energy, industrials, and consumer staples sectors were the largest contributors to its result. Together, they accounted for about 7 percentage points of the return. Energy stocks, of course, benefited from the continued high prices of crude oil—which reached record per-barrel prices toward the end of the period—and its many byproducts. Industrials stocks profited from strong demand for farm and industrial machinery in emerging and developed markets. The consumer staples sector was boosted by the solid returns of several of the index’s beverage and tobacco companies, which are typically among the most generous dividend payers. Smaller sectors, including telecommunication services, materials, and utilities, also provided meaningful contributions.

The biggest disappointment came from financials, the fund’s largest sector at roughly 27% of assets on average during the period. This sector was hit hard and often by the repercussions of problems in the subprime lending market and the consequent tightening of credit standards for individual and business borrowers. The fallout affected not only large commercial banks but also smaller regional banks and thrifts. Collectively, the sector’s holdings shaved more than 1.5 percentage points from the fund’s return.

Don’t let unpredictable markets throw your plan off course

One of the great—and frustrating—things about the stock market is that no one can accurately predict its future direction. Even more vexing perhaps is the fact that past performance isn’t of much value in foretelling the future. So what should prudent investors do?

A hallmark of successful long-term investors is that they don’t get wrapped up in today’s headlines and media hype, performance-chasing, or attempts to predict what tomorrow’s “hot” stocks will

 

 

4

be. Rather, these investors select carefully considered, balanced portfolios of stock, bond, and money market funds that are appropriate for their unique risk tolerance, circumstances, and goals. Once they have selected such a portfolio, they steadfastly resist the urge to make changes in the face of short-term volatility, regardless of market conditions.

As one part of a well-rounded stock portfolio, the High Dividend Yield Index Fund offers the proven benefits of indexing at a very low cost. The fund can help you gain exposure to a dynamic part of the U.S. stock market and help you toward your investing goals.

Thank you for entrusting your assets to Vanguard.

 

Sincerely,

 


 

John J. Brennan

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

November 15, 2007

 

 

 

Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF

Premium/Discount: November 10, 2006 1 – October 31, 2007

 

 

 

 

 

 

Market Price Above or

Market Price Below

 

Equal to Net Asset Value

 

Net Asset Value

 

Number

Percentage

Number

Percentage

Basis Point Differential 2

of Days

of Total Days

of Days

of Total Days

0–24.9

104

42.45%

126

51.42%

25–49.9

9

3.67

2

0.82

50–74.9

2

0.82

0

0.00

75–100.0

1

0.41

0

0.00

>100.0

1

0.41

0

0.00

Total

117

47.76%

128

52.24%

 

 

 

 

 

1 Inception.

2 One basis point equals 1/100 of a percentage point.

 

 

5

Fund Profile

As of October 31, 2007

 

 

Portfolio Characteristics

 

 

 

 

Target

Broad

 

Fund

Index 1

Index 2

Number of Stocks

501

500

4,870

Median Market Cap

$115.6B

$115.6B

$36.8B

Price/Earnings Ratio

15.0x

14.9x

18.2x

Price/Book Ratio

2.6x

2.6x

2.9x

Yield

 

3.0%

1.7%

Investor Shares

2.7%

 

 

ETF Shares

2.8%

 

 

Return on Equity

21.5%

21.5%

18.9%

Earnings Growth Rate

17.1%

17.0%

21.3%

Foreign Holdings

0.1%

0.0%

0.0%

Turnover Rate

11%

Expense Ratio

 

Investor Shares

0.40% 3

 

 

ETF Shares

0.25% 3

 

 

Short-Term Reserves

–0.1%

 

 

Sector Diversification (% of equity exposure)

 

 

Target

Broad

 

Fund

Index 1

Index 2

Consumer Discretionary

6.0%

6.1%

10.1%

Consumer Staples

13.4

13.3

8.3

Energy

13.0

13.0

11.3

Financials

23.6

23.7

19.3

Health Care

11.4

11.4

11.7

Industrials

12.6

12.6

11.7

Information Technology

0.6

0.6

16.7

Materials

5.1

5.1

3.9

Telecommunication Services

6.2

6.2

3.4

Utilities

8.1

8.0

3.6

 

 

Ten Largest Holdings 4 (% of total net assets)

 

 

 

ExxonMobil Corp.

integrated oil and gas

7.6%

General Electric Co.

industrial conglomerates

6.3

AT&T Inc.

integrated telecommunication services

3.8

The Procter & Gamble Co.

household products

3.2

Bank of America Corp.

diversified financial services

3.2

Citigroup, Inc.

diversified financial services

3.1

Chevron Corp.

integrated oil and gas

2.9

Johnson & Johnson

pharmaceuticals

2.8

Pfizer Inc.

pharmaceuticals

2.5

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

diversified financial services

2.4

Top Ten

 

37.8%

 

 

Investment Focus

 


 

 

 

1 FTSE High Dividend Yield Index.

2 Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 Index.

3 Annualized.

4 “Ten Largest Holdings” excludes any temporary cash investments and equity index products. See page 25 for a glossary of investment terms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

Performance Summary

 

All of the returns in this report represent past performance, which is not a guarantee of future results that may be achieved by the fund. (Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data cited. For performance data current to the most recent month-end, visit our website at www.vanguard.com/performance.) Note, too, that both investment returns and principal value can fluctuate widely, so an investor’s shares, when sold, could be worth more or less than their original cost. The returns shown do not reflect taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the sale of fund shares.

 

Cumulative Performance: November 16, 2006–October 31, 2007

Initial Investment of $10,000

 


 

 

 

Total Returns: Period

Final Value

 

Ended October 31, 2007

of a $10,000

 

Since Inception 1

Investment

High Dividend Yield Index Fund Investor Shares 2

10.16%

$11,016

Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 Index

12.98

11,298

FTSE High Dividend Yield Index

10.48

11,048

Average Large-Cap Value Fund 3

10.64

11,064

 

 

 

 

Final Value

 

Since

of a $10,000

 

Inception 1

Investment

High Dividend Yield ETF Shares Net Asset Value

11.26%

$11,126

Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 Index

14.79

11,479

FTSE High Dividend Yield Index

11.41

11,141

 

Cumulative Returns of ETF Shares: November 10, 2006–October 31, 2007

 

 

Cumulative

 

Since Inception 1

High Dividend Yield ETF Shares Market Price

10.96%

High Dividend Yield ETF Shares Net Asset Value

11.26

FTSE High Dividend Yield Index

11.41

 

 

1 Performance for the fund and its comparative standards is calculated since the fund’s inception: November 16, 2006, for Investor Shares and November 10, 2006, for ETF Shares.

2 Total returns do not include the account service fee that may be applicable to certain accounts with balances below $10,000.

3 Derived from data provided by Lipper Inc.

 

 

7

 

Total Returns (%): November 16, 2006–October 31, 2007

 


 

Total Returns: Period Ended September 30, 2007

This table presents total returns through the latest calendar quarter—rather than through the end of the fiscal period. Securities and Exchange Commission rules require that we provide this information.

 

 

Inception Date

Since Inception

High Dividend Yield Index Fund

 

 

Investor Shares 2

11/16/2006

10.11%

ETF Shares

11/10/2006

 

Market Price

 

11.13

Net Asset Value

 

11.16

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Since the Investor Shares’ inception on November 16, 2006.

2 Total returns do not include the account service fee that may be applicable to certain accounts with balances below $10,000.

Note: See Financial Highlights tables on pages 17 and 18 for dividend and capital gains information.

 

 

8

Financial Statements

 

Statement of Net Assets

As of October 31, 2007

 

The fund provides a complete list of its holdings four times in each fiscal year, at the quarter-ends. For the second and fourth fiscal quarters, the lists appear in the fund’s semiannual and annual reports to shareholders. For the first and third fiscal quarters, the fund files the lists with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Form N-Q. Shareholders can look up the fund’s Forms N-Q on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Forms N-Q may also be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room (see the back cover of this report for further information).

 

 

 

 

Market

 

 

 

Value

 

 

Shares

($000)

Common Stocks (100.1%)

 

 

Consumer Discretionary (6.0%)

 

 

 

McDonald’s Corp.

32,375

1,933

 

Home Depot, Inc.

42,914

1,352

 

Carnival Corp.

12,729

611

 

General Motors Corp.

15,326

601

 

CBS Corp.

18,249

524

 

Clear Channel

 

 

 

Communications, Inc.

13,499

510

*

Ford Motor Co.

55,394

491

 

Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc.

5,079

448

 

Fortune Brands, Inc.

4,157

348

 

VF Corp.

3,051

266

 

Limited Brands, Inc.

10,995

242

 

Mattel, Inc.

10,890

227

 

Eastman Kodak Co.

7,911

227

 

Genuine Parts Co.

4,618

227

 

Newell Rubbermaid, Inc.

7,625

222

 

H & R Block, Inc.

8,786

192

 

Gannett Co., Inc.

4,316

183

 

Whirlpool Corp.

2,130

169

 

Black & Decker Corp.

1,810

163

 

Autoliv, Inc.

2,173

137

 

Hasbro, Inc.

4,526

135

 

The Stanley Works

2,226

128

 

D. R. Horton, Inc.

8,858

112

 

Tribune Co.

3,333

101

 

Leggett & Platt, Inc.

4,923

96

 

Gentex Corp.

4,063

84

 

Regal Entertainment Group

 

 

 

Class A

3,672

83

 

Dow Jones & Co., Inc.

1,372

82

 

Snap-On Inc.

1,643

82

*

Lear Corp.

2,093

74

 

KB Home

2,600

72

 

Tupperware Brands Corp.

1,774

64

 

Polaris Industries, Inc.

1,040

51

 

Belo Corp. Class A

2,494

46

 

Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.

1,787

40

 

 

 

 

Market

 

 

 

Value

 

 

Shares

($000)

 

Callaway Golf Co.

2,177

38

 

New York Times Co. Class A

1,833

36

 

IHOP Corp.

531

34

 

ArvinMeritor, Inc.

2,059

31

 

American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc.

1,092

30

 

Ethan Allen Interiors, Inc.

874

27

 

The Pep Boys

 

 

 

(Manny, Moe & Jack)

1,723

25

 

Cato Corp. Class A

1,100

22

 

Modine Manufacturing Co.

925

22

 

Entercom

 

 

 

Communications Corp.

1,105

20

*

Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc.

337

20

 

Asbury Automotive Group, Inc.

1,066

20

 

Superior Industries

 

 

 

International, Inc.

936

19

 

Blyth, Inc.

978

19

 

Triarc Cos., Inc. Class B

1,537

17

*

Pier 1 Imports Inc.

3,256

17

 

Sauer-Danfoss, Inc.

581

15

 

Journal Communications, Inc.

1,683

15

 

Kimball International, Inc.

 

 

 

Class B

1,099

15

 

Monaco Coach Corp.

1,173

14

 

Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.

1,126

14

 

Skyline Corp.

366

13

 

Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc.

562

10

 

Lee Enterprises, Inc.

649

10

 

Furniture Brands

 

 

 

International Inc.

722

9

 

Media General, Inc. Class A

310

9

 

Kellwood Co.

407

7

 

Carmike Cinemas, Inc.

363

6

 

Warner Music Group Corp.

544

6

 

La-Z-Boy Inc.

696

5

 

Citadel Broadcasting Corp.

1,205

5

 

Talbots Inc.

313

5

 

Lithia Motors, Inc.

217

4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9

 

 

 

Market

 

 

 

Value

 

 

Shares

($000)

 

Tuesday Morning Corp.

448

3

 

Nautilus Inc.

450

3

*

Sun-Times Media Group, Inc.

665

1

 

 

 

10,889

Consumer Staples (13.4%)

 

 

 

The Procter & Gamble Co.

84,435

5,870

 

Altria Group, Inc.

56,737

4,138

 

The Coca-Cola Co.

62,752

3,876

 

Kraft Foods Inc.

42,810

1,430

 

Colgate-Palmolive Co.

13,957

1,064

 

Anheuser-Busch Cos., Inc.

20,321

1,042

 

Kimberly-Clark Corp.

11,581

821

 

Sysco Corp.

16,945

581

 

General Mills, Inc.

8,957

517

 

Avon Products, Inc.

11,776

483

 

Kellogg Co.

8,158

431

 

H.J. Heinz Co.

8,832

413

 

Reynolds American Inc.

5,986

386

 

Sara Lee Corp.

19,905

329

 

ConAgra Foods, Inc.

13,436

319

 

Campbell Soup Co.

7,928

293

 

Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co.

4,481

276

 

The Clorox Co.

4,098

256

 

Carolina Group

2,948

253

 

UST, Inc.

4,332

231

 

SuperValu Inc.

5,800

225

 

Molson Coors Brewing Co. Class B

3,907

224

 

The Hershey Co.

4,603

198

 

McCormick & Co., Inc.

3,180

111

 

PepsiAmericas, Inc.

2,734

98

 

J.M. Smucker Co.

1,587

85

 

Alberto-Culver Co.

2,649

69

 

Universal Corp. (VA)

751

37

 

Lancaster Colony Corp.

758

30

*

Chiquita Brands

 

 

 

International, Inc.

1,439

27

 

Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc.

1,468

25

 

WD-40 Co.

575

23

 

Lance, Inc.

969

21

 

Reddy Ice Holdings, Inc.

678

19

 

Weis Markets, Inc.

408

18

 

Vector Group Ltd.

813

18

 

Nash-Finch Co.

409

15

 

Alico, Inc.

243

12

 

Farmer Brothers, Inc.

319

8

 

 

 

24,272

Energy (13.0%)

 

 

 

ExxonMobil Corp.

150,285

13,825

 

Chevron Corp.

57,763

5,286

 

ConocoPhillips Co.

44,665

3,795

 

Spectra Energy Corp.

16,965

441

 

Teekay Shipping Corp.

1,518

85

 

Ship Finance International Ltd.

1,593

44

 

Crosstex Energy, Inc.

1,042

38

 

Tsakos Energy Navigation Ltd.

455

32

 

 

 

Market

 

 

Value

 

Shares

($000)

Nordic American Tanker

 

 

Shipping Ltd.

815

32

General Maritime Corp.

742

21

Knightsbridge Tankers Ltd.

528

13

 

 

23,612

Financials (23.7%)

 

 

Capital Markets (1.3%)

 

 

Bank of New York Mellon Corp.

30,485

1,489

American Capital Strategies, Ltd.

5,097

221

Nuveen Investments, Inc. Class A

2,204

143

^Allied Capital Corp.

4,263

126

Federated Investors, Inc.

2,179

94

Waddell & Reed Financial, Inc.

2,280

76

Apollo Investment Corp.

3,407

71

MCG Capital Corp.

2,039

29

W.P. Stewart & Co., Ltd.

663

4

 

 

 

Commercial Banks (7.9%)

 

 

Wells Fargo & Co.

90,757

3,087

Wachovia Corp.

53,887

2,464

U.S. Bancorp

47,278

1,568

SunTrust Banks, Inc.

9,481

688

PNC Financial Services Group

9,308

672

BB&T Corp.

15,069

557

Regions Financial Corp.

16,062

436

Fifth Third Bancorp

11,712

366

National City Corp.

13,826

335

Marshall & Ilsley Corp.

7,111

304

M & T Bank Corp.

2,975

296

Synovus Financial Corp.

9,039

238

KeyCorp

7,827

223

Huntington Bancshares Inc.

10,151

182

Comerica, Inc.

2,437

114

Associated Banc-Corp.

3,595

104

First Horizon National Corp.

3,608

94

Zions Bancorp

1,590

94

City National Corp.

1,352

91

Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc.

1,661

88

Popular, Inc.

7,964

84

TCF Financial Corp.

3,624

83

UnionBanCal Corp.

1,519

82

Bank of Hawaii Corp.

1,406

75

Wilmington Trust Corp.

1,864

68

Valley National Bancorp

3,287

67

Fulton Financial Corp.

5,066

66

BancorpSouth, Inc.

2,416

59

Webster Financial Corp.

1,509

55

Chittenden Corp.

1,379

49

First Midwest Bancorp, Inc.

1,446

49

Whitney Holdings Corp.

1,859

48

FirstMerit Corp.

2,246

48

Trustmark Corp.

1,723

47

 

 

10

 

 

Market

 

 

Value

 

Shares

($000)

Alabama National BanCorporation

558

44

The South Financial Group, Inc.

2,044

42

Colonial BancGroup, Inc.

2,199

42

First Community Bancorp

809

39

Westamerica Bancorporation

819

39

United Bankshares, Inc.

1,272

39

Hancock Holding Co.

990

38

Park National Corp.

442

35

Old National Bancorp

2,063

34

MB Financial, Inc.

1,003

33

First Charter Corp.

1,088

33

Frontier Financial Corp.

1,414

31

F.N.B. Corp.

1,883

31

International Bancshares Corp.

1,431

31

CVB Financial Corp.

2,657

31

Glacier Bancorp, Inc.

1,520

31

Pacific Capital Bancorp

1,462

30

Susquehanna Bancshares, Inc.

1,465

30

First Commonwealth Financial Corp.

2,433

28

National Penn Bancshares Inc.

1,620

27

First BanCorp Puerto Rico

2,787

24

NBT Bancorp, Inc.

993

24

S & T Bancorp, Inc.

722

24

First Financial Bankshares, Inc.

590

23

Community Banks, Inc.

754

23

Provident Bankshares Corp.

913

23

City Holding Co.

589

22

IBERIABANK Corp.

411

20

Sterling Financial Corp. (PA)

1,074

20

Chemical Financial Corp.

754

19

Amcore Financial, Inc.

764

18

Citizens Banking Corp.

1,186

18

Community Bank System, Inc.

817

17

Community Trust Bancorp Inc.

568

17

Harleysville National Corp.

1,082

16

WesBanco, Inc.

701

16

Umpqua Holdings Corp.

934

16

Simmons First National Corp.

572

15

First Indiana Corp.

467

15

U.S.B. Holding Co., Inc.

664

14

Renasant Corp.

621

14

Tompkins Trustco, Inc.

330

14

Oriental Financial Group Inc.

1,052

13

Suffolk Bancorp

395

13

S.Y. Bancorp, Inc.

513

13

Lakeland Bancorp, Inc.

953

13

First Financial Corp. (IN)

420

13

Omega Financial Corp.

465

13

Capitol Bancorp Ltd.

573

12

Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc.

486

12

Sterling Bancorp

798

12

Sandy Spring Bancorp, Inc.

394

12

W Holding Co., Inc.

5,568

12

Independent Bank Corp. (MA)

393

12

Peoples Bancorp, Inc.

463

12

 

 

 

Market

 

 

Value

 

Shares

($000)

Independent Bank Corp. (MI)

1,092

12

Farmers Capital Bank Corp.

374

11

Integra Bank Corp.

648

11

First Merchants Corp.

501

11

First Community Bancshares, Inc.

312

11

Capital City Bank Group, Inc.

377

11

Midwest Banc Holdings, Inc.

797

11

Great Southern Bancorp, Inc.

446

10

Central Pacific Financial Co.

465

10

First Bancorp (NC)

573

10

Camden National Corp.

310

10

Bank of Granite Corp.

809

10

First Financial Bancorp

798

9

Arrow Financial Corp.

407

9

Peapack Gladstone Financial Corp.

338

8

Cadence Financial Corp.

461

7

Santander BanCorp

506

7

Irwin Financial Corp.

571

5

Seacoast Banking Corp. of Florida

371

5

First Source Corp.

252

5

 

 

 

Consumer Finance (0.3%)

 

 

SLM Corp.

11,242

530

Student Loan Corp.

114

19

Advanta Corp. Class B

885

14

Advance America, Cash

 

 

Advance Centers, Inc.

1,155

11

Advanta Corp. Class A

337

5

 

 

 

Diversified Financial Services (8.7%)

 

 

Bank of America Corp.

120,801

5,832

Citigroup, Inc.

134,794

5,648

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

92,577

4,351

 

 

 

Insurance (3.3%)

 

 

The Travelers Cos., Inc.

17,838

931

The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc.

8,604

835

The Allstate Corp.

15,913

834

The Chubb Corp.

10,737

573

Lincoln National Corp.

7,349

458

XL Capital Ltd. Class A

4,964

357

Marsh & McLennan Cos., Inc.

11,275

292

Cincinnati Financial Corp.

4,774

190

Axis Capital Holdings Ltd.

4,181

166

MBIA, Inc.

3,412

147

PartnerRe Ltd.

1,537

128

Willis Group Holdings Ltd.

2,886

122

Fidelity National Financial, Inc. Class A

6,263

96

Old Republic International Corp.

6,257

96

Protective Life Corp.

1,962

84

Endurance Specialty

 

 

Holdings Ltd.

1,776

70

 

 

11

 

 

 

Market

 

 

 

Value

 

 

Shares

($000)

 

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

2,604

69

 

Aspen Insurance Holdings Ltd.

2,416

66

 

Unitrin, Inc.

1,364

63

 

IPC Holdings Ltd.

1,794

54

 

Commerce Group, Inc.

1,434

52

 

Mercury General Corp.

733

38

 

Erie Indemnity Co. Class A

646

37

 

Zenith National Insurance Corp.

800

32

 

American National Insurance Co.

233

30

 

Horace Mann Educators Corp.

1,403

29

 

Harleysville Group, Inc.

881

27

 

Alfa Corp.

1,204

22

 

Safety Insurance Group, Inc.

538

19

 

Baldwin & Lyons, Inc. Class B

422

11

 

Presidential Life Corp.

602

11

*

Crawford & Co.

1,393

8

 

Kansas City Life Insurance Co.

95

4

*

Crawford & Co. Class B

656

4

*

Scottish Re Group Ltd.

925

2

 

 

 

 

 

Thrifts & Mortgage Finance (2.2%)

 

 

 

Fannie Mae

26,296

1,500

 

Freddie Mac

17,956

938

 

Washington Mutual, Inc.

20,746

578

 

Hudson City Bancorp, Inc.

14,476

227

 

New York Community Bancorp, Inc.

8,604

160

 

People’s United Financial Inc.

8,154

145

 

Astoria Financial Corp.

2,634

68

 

Washington Federal Inc.

2,511

61

 

First Niagara Financial Group, Inc.

3,170

42

 

Provident Financial

 

 

 

Services Inc.

2,023

32

 

First Busey Corp.

1,196

25

 

Capitol Federal Financial

747

25

 

TrustCo Bank NY

2,227

23

 

Brookline Bancorp, Inc.

1,798

19

 

Anchor Bancorp Wisconsin Inc.

746

18

 

KNBT Bancorp Inc.

1,004

17

 

Northwest Bancorp, Inc.

522

15

 

Partners Trust Financial

 

 

 

Group, Inc.

1,174

15

 

Dime Community Bancshares

983

14

 

Flushing Financial Corp.

771

13

 

Bank Mutual Corp.

1,142

13

 

Municipal Mortgage &

 

 

 

Equity, LLC

587

13

 

First Financial Holdings, Inc.

438

13

 

Fremont General Corp.

3,463

10

 

IndyMac Bancorp, Inc.

616

8

 

Corus Bankshares Inc.

658

7

 

PFF Bancorp, Inc.

478

5

 

Flagstar Bancorp, Inc.

468

4

 

United Community Financial Corp.

396

3

 

 

 

42,957

 

 

 

 

Market

 

 

 

Value

 

 

Shares

($000)

Health Care (11.4%)

 

 

 

Johnson & Johnson

78,444

5,112

 

Pfizer Inc.

187,710

4,620

 

Merck & Co., Inc.

59,022

3,439

 

Abbott Laboratories

41,883

2,288

 

Wyeth

36,365

1,768

 

Eli Lilly & Co.

30,634

1,659

 

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.

53,348

1,600

 

Hillenbrand Industries, Inc.

1,734

96

 

Brookdale Senior Living Inc.

1,406

52

 

Owens & Minor, Inc. Holding Co.

1,132

46

 

Landauer, Inc.

343

17

 

LCA-Vision Inc.

668

11

 

Computer Programs and Systems, Inc.

340

8

 

 

 

20,716

Industrials (12.6%)

 

 

 

General Electric Co.

279,729

11,514

 

3M Co.

19,533

1,687

 

United Parcel Service, Inc.

18,520

1,391

 

Caterpillar, Inc.

17,401

1,298

 

Honeywell International Inc.

20,346

1,229

 

Emerson Electric Co.

21,708

1,135

 

Northrop Grumman Corp.

9,338

781

 

Raytheon Co.

11,866

755

 

Waste Management, Inc.

14,041

511

 

Eaton Corp.

4,003

371

 

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co.

5,974

241

 

Pitney Bowes, Inc.

5,931

237

 

Goodrich Corp.

3,380

235

 

Avery Dennison Corp.

2,894

168

 

Masco Corp.

6,624

159

 

Dryships Inc.

742

87

 

The Timken Co.

2,615

87

 

Hubbell Inc. Class B

1,463

80

 

Diana Shipping Inc.

1,514

65

 

Alexander & Baldwin, Inc.

1,169

61

 

Deluxe Corp.

1,509

61

*

Avis Budget Group, Inc.

2,891

60

 

GATX Corp.

1,452

59

 

Baldor Electric Co.

1,250

50

 

Seaspan Corp.

1,497

48

 

UAP Holding Corp.

1,456

46

 

Quintana Maritime Ltd.

1,647

46

 

Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc.

1,307

45

 

Genco Shipping and Trading Ltd.

587

42

 

Barnes Group, Inc.

1,147

42

 

Mine Safety Appliances Co.

772

35

 

Steelcase Inc.

1,836

33

 

Briggs & Stratton Corp.

1,363

31

 

Watsco, Inc.

709

30

 

Kaman Corp. Class A

779

29

 

Knoll, Inc.

1,536

29

 

McGrath RentCorp

826

28

 

ABM Industries Inc.

1,147

27

 

12

 

 

 

Market

 

 

 

Value

 

 

Shares

($000)

 

Healthcare Services Group, Inc.

1,216

27

 

A.O. Smith Corp.

580

22

 

Ennis, Inc.

849

17

 

Diamond Management and

 

 

 

Technology Consultants,Inc.

1,308

14

 

Standex International Corp.

534

11

 

The Standard Register Co.

676

9

 

Pacer International, Inc.

376

6

 

Xerium Technologies Inc.

168

1

 

 

 

22,940

Information Technology (0.6%)

 

 

 

Paychex, Inc.

10,309

431

 

Analog Devices, Inc.

8,985

301

 

Microchip Technology, Inc.

6,045

200

 

Diebold, Inc.

1,845

77

 

United Online, Inc.

1,550

27

 

Nam Tai Electronics, Inc.

1,277

15

 

Methode Electronics, Inc. Class A

1,200

15

 

 

 

1,066

Materials (5.1%)

 

 

 

E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co.

25,048

1,240

 

Freeport-McMoRan Copper &

 

 

 

Gold, Inc. Class B

10,378

1,221

 

Dow Chemical Co.

25,822

1,163

 

Alcoa Inc.

24,024

951

 

Air Products & Chemicals, Inc.

5,886

576

 

Nucor Corp.

8,231

510

 

Weyerhaeuser Co.

5,852

444

 

International Paper Co.

11,706

433

 

Southern Peru Copper Corp.

 

 

 

(U.S. Shares)

2,425

339

 

PPG Industries, Inc.

4,515

337

 

Lyondell Chemical Co.

6,853

325

 

Rohm & Haas Co.

4,366

227

 

MeadWestvaco Corp.

5,138

173

 

Temple-Inland Inc.

2,901

156

 

Eastman Chemical Co.

2,317

154

 

Lubrizol Corp.

1,948

132

 

Sonoco Products Co.

2,701

84

 

Bemis Co., Inc.

2,852

80

 

RPM International, Inc.

3,452

74

 

Packaging Corp. of America

2,148

68

 

Cabot Corp.

1,945

68

 

Chemtura Corp.

6,912

64

 

Worthington Industries, Inc.

2,359

59

 

AbitibiBowater, Inc.

1,535

53

 

Olin Corp.

2,067

47

 

Louisiana-Pacific Corp.

2,852

47

 

Sensient Technologies Corp.

1,357

41

 

Arch Chemicals, Inc.

762

35

 

Ferro Corp.

1,402

29

 

AMCOL International Corp.

710

29

 

Compass Minerals

 

 

 

International, Inc.

707

26

 

Glatfelter

1,530

25

 

A. Schulman Inc.

905

21

 

 

 

Market

 

 

Value

 

Shares

($000)

Schweitzer-Mauduit International, Inc.

559

16

Wausau Paper Corp.

1,484

15

Greif Inc. Class B Shares

253

15

Stepan Co.

241

8

Spartech Corp.

495

8

NL Industries, Inc.

599

7

Chesapeake Corp. of Virginia

269

2

 

 

9,302

Telecommunication Services (6.2%)

 

 

AT&T Inc.

165,262

6,906

Verizon Communications Inc.

78,968

3,638

Embarq Corp.

4,145

219

Windstream Corp.

12,966

174

Citizens Communications Co.

9,166

121

Golden Telecom, Inc.

458

47

Alaska Communications Systems Holdings, Inc.

1,479

24

FairPoint Communications, Inc.

1,205

22

USA Mobility, Inc.

1,046

16

SureWest Communications

530

14

Iowa Telecommunications

 

 

Services Inc.

639

13

North Pittsburgh Systems, Inc.

427

10

 

 

11,204

Utilities (8.1%)

 

 

Exelon Corp.

18,151

1,503

Southern Co.

20,528

753

FPL Group, Inc.

10,985

752

Dominion Resources, Inc.

7,910

725

Public Service Enterprise

 

 

Group, Inc.

6,929

662

Duke Energy Corp.

34,094

654

Entergy Corp.

5,333

639

FirstEnergy Corp.

8,278

577

PPL Corp.

10,504

543

American Electric

 

 

Power Co., Inc.

10,861

524

Edison International

8,864

515

PG&E Corp.

9,587

469

Constellation Energy

 

 

Group, Inc.

4,931

467

Sempra Energy

7,189

442

Consolidated Edison Inc.

7,376

347

Progress Energy, Inc.

7,039

338

Ameren Corp.

5,633

304

Xcel Energy, Inc.

11,393

257

DTE Energy Co.

4,638

230

Equitable Resources, Inc.

3,325

187

Wisconsin Energy Corp.

3,240

155

NiSource, Inc.

7,559

155

Pepco Holdings, Inc.

5,344

152

CenterPoint Energy Inc.

8,747

147

ONEOK, Inc.

2,867

143

MDU Resources Group, Inc.

5,068

143

SCANA Corp.

3,211

130

 

 

13

 

 

Market

 

 

Value

 

Shares

($000)

Northeast Utilities

4,171

129

Alliant Energy Corp.

3,108

124

Energy East Corp.

4,312

120

Integrys Energy Group, Inc.

2,085

112

National Fuel Gas Co.

2,292

111

Pinnacle West Capital Corp.

2,745

111

NSTAR

2,942

103

OGE Energy Corp.

2,563

98

TECO Energy, Inc.

5,829

98

Puget Energy, Inc.

3,166

89

Aqua America, Inc.

3,732

87

AGL Resources Inc.

2,169

86

UGI Corp. Holding Co.

2,971

79

Great Plains Energy, Inc.

2,479

74

Atmos Energy Corp.

2,568

72

DPL Inc.

2,475

72

ITC Holdings Corp.

1,218

70

Westar Energy, Inc.

2,614

70

Vectren Corp.

2,081

58

PNM Resources Inc.

2,252

56

Nicor Inc.

1,291

56

Piedmont Natural Gas, Inc.

2,171

55

Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc.

2,280

53

Portland General Electric Co.

1,740

49

WGL Holdings Inc.

1,414

48

Black Hills Corp.

1,046

46

Cleco Corp.

1,704

45

IDACORP, Inc.

1,196

42

New Jersey Resources Corp.

764

38

Southwest Gas Corp.

1,258

37

ALLETE, Inc.

823

36

Northwest Natural Gas Co.

744

36

South Jersey Industries, Inc.

909

34

Avista Corp.

1,503

33

UniSource Energy Corp.

1,029

33

California Water Service Group

672

30

NorthWestern Corp.

1,060

29

Otter Tail Corp.

841

29

UIL Holdings Corp.

821

29

American States Water Co.

569

26

The Laclede Group, Inc.

665

23

Empire District Electric Co.

931

22

CH Energy Group, Inc.

468

22

MGE Energy, Inc.

630

21

Central Vermont Public

 

 

Service Corp.

411

13

 

 

14,617

Total Common Stocks

 

 

(Cost $174,821)

 

181,575

 

 

 

 

Market

 

 

 

Value

 

 

Shares

($000)

Temporary Cash Investment (0.0%)

 

 

1

Vanguard Market Liquidity Fund, 4.955%—Note E (Cost $81)

81,000

81

Total Investments (100.1%)

 

 

(Cost $174,902)

 

181,656

Other Assets and Liabilities (–0.1%)

 

 

Receivables for Investment

 

 

 

Securities Sold

 

16,596

Other Assets—Note B

 

279

Payables for Investment

 

 

 

Securities Purchased

 

(16,798)

Other Liabilities—Note E

 

(251)

 

 

 

(174)

Net Assets (100%)

 

181,482

 

 

At October 31, 2007, net assets consisted of: 2

 

Amount

 

($000)

Paid-in Capital

175,014

Undistributed Net Investment Income

400

Accumulated Net Realized Losses

(686)

Unrealized Appreciation

6,754

Net Assets

181,482

 

 

Investor Shares—Net Assets

 

Applicable to 3,090,995 outstanding

 

$.001 par value shares of beneficial

 

interest (unlimited authorization)

66,810

Net Asset Value Per Share—

 

Investor Shares

$21.61

 

 

ETF Shares—Net Assets

 

Applicable to 2,102,139 outstanding

 

$.001 par value shares of beneficial

 

interest (unlimited authorization)

114,672

Net Asset Value Per Share—

 

ETF Shares

$54.55

 

 

See Note A in Notes to Financial Statements .

*

Non-income-producing security.

^

Part of security position is on loan to broker-dealers. See Note E in Notes to Financial Statements .

1 Affiliated money market fund available only to Vanguard funds and certain trusts and accounts managed by Vanguard. Rate shown is the 7-day yield.

2 See Note C in Notes to Financial Statements for the tax-basis components of net assets.

 

 

14

Statement of Operations

 

 

 

November 10, 2006 1 to

 

October 31, 2007

 

($000)

Investment Income

 

Income

 

Dividends

2,998

Interest 2

21

Security Lending

3

Total Income

3,022

Expenses

 

The Vanguard Group—Note B

 

Investment Advisory Services

6

Management and Administrative

 

Investor Shares

111

ETF Shares

78

Marketing and Distribution

 

Investor Shares

4

ETF Shares

11

Custodian Fees

74

Auditing Fees

23

Shareholders’ Reports

 

Investor Shares

11

ETF Shares

Total Expenses

318

Net Investment Income

2,704

Realized Net Gain (Loss) on Investment Securities Sold

27

Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) of Investment Securities

6,754

Net Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting from Operations

9,485

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Inception.

2 Interest income from an affiliated company of the fund was $21,000.

 

 

15

Statement of Changes in Net Assets

 

 

 

November 10, 2006 1 to

 

October 31, 2007

 

($000)

Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets

 

Operations

 

Net Investment Income

2,704

Realized Net Gain (Loss)

27

Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation)

6,754

Net Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting from Operations

9,485

Distributions

 

Net Investment Income

 

Investor Shares

(918)

ETF Shares

(1,386)

Realized Capital Gain

 

Investor Shares

ETF Shares

Total Distributions

(2,304)

Capital Share Transactions—Note F

 

Investor Shares

63,848

ETF Shares

110,453

Net Increase (Decrease) from Capital Share Transactions

174,301

Total Increase (Decrease)

181,482

Net Assets

 

Beginning of Period

End of Period 2

181,482

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Inception.

2 Net Assets—End of Period includes undistributed net investment income of $400,000.

 

 

16

Financial Highlights

 

 

Investor Shares

 

 

November 16, 2006 1 to

For a Share Outstanding Throughout the Period

October 31, 2007

Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period

$20.00

Investment Operations

 

Net Investment Income

.542 2

Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments

1.477

Total from Investment Operations

2.019

Distributions

 

Dividends from Net Investment Income

(.409)

Distributions from Realized Capital Gains

Total Distributions

(.409)

Net Asset Value, End of Period

$21.61

 

 

Total Return 3

10.16%

 

 

Ratios/Supplemental Data

 

Net Assets, End of Period (Millions)

$67

Ratio of Total Expenses to Average Net Assets

0.40%*

Ratio of Net Investment Income to Average Net Assets

2.43%*

Portfolio Turnover Rate 4

11%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Inception.

2 Calculated based on average shares outstanding.

3 Total returns do not include the account service fee that may be applicable to certain accounts with balances below $10,000.

4 Excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind purchases or redemptions of the fund’s capital shares, including ETF creation units.

*

Annualized.

 

 

17

 

 

ETF Shares

 

 

November 10, 2006 1 to

For a Share Outstanding Throughout the Period

October 31, 2007

Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period

$50.04

Investment Operations

 

Net Investment Income

1.405 2

Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments

4.190

Total from Investment Operations

5.595

Distributions

 

Dividends from Net Investment Income

(1.085)

Distributions from Realized Capital Gains

Total Distributions

(1.085)

Net Asset Value, End of Period

$54.55

 

 

Total Return

11.26%

 

 

Ratios/Supplemental Data

 

Net Assets, End of Period (Millions)

$115

Ratio of Total Expenses to Average Net Assets

0.25%*

Ratio of Net Investment Income to Average Net Assets

2.58%*

Portfolio Turnover Rate 3

11%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Inception.

2 Calculated based on average shares outstanding.

3 Excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind purchases or redemptions of the fund’s capital shares, including ETF creation units.

*

Annualized.

See accompanying Notes , which are an integral part of the Financial Statements .

 

 

18

Notes to Financial Statements

 

Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index Fund is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 as an open-end investment company, or mutual fund. The fund files reports with the SEC under the company name Vanguard Whitehall Funds. The fund offers two classes of shares: Investor Shares and ETF Shares. Investor Shares were first issued on November 16, 2006, and are available to any investor who meets the fund’s minimum purchase requirements. ETF Shares were first issued on November 10, 2006, and first offered to the public on November 16, 2006. ETF Shares are listed for trading on the American Stock Exchange; they can be purchased and sold through a broker.

 

A. The following significant accounting policies conform to generally accepted accounting principles for U.S. mutual funds. 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 board of trustees to represent fair value. Investments in Vanguard Market Liquidity Fund are valued at that fund’s net asset value.

 

2. Federal Income Taxes: The fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company and distribute all of its taxable income. Accordingly, no provision for federal income taxes is required in the financial statements.

 

3. Distributions: Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date.

 

4. Security Lending: The fund may lend its securities to qualified institutional borrowers to earn additional income. Security loans are required to be secured at all times by collateral at least equal to the market value of securities loaned. The fund invests cash collateral received in Vanguard Market Liquidity Fund, and records a liability for the return of the collateral, during the period the securities are on loan. Security lending income represents the income earned on investing cash collateral, less expenses associated with the loan.

 

5. Other: Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date. Interest income includes income distributions received from Vanguard Market Liquidity Fund and is accrued daily. Security transactions are accounted for on the date securities are bought or sold. Costs used to determine realized gains (losses) on the sale of investment securities are those of the specific securities sold.

 

Each class of shares has equal rights as to assets and earnings, except that each class separately bears certain class-specific expenses related to maintenance of shareholder accounts (included in Management and Administrative expenses) and shareholder reporting. Marketing and distribution expenses are allocated to each class of shares based on a method approved by the board of trustees. Income, other non-class-specific expenses, and gains and losses on investments are allocated to each class of shares based on its relative net assets.

 

B. The Vanguard Group furnishes at cost investment advisory, corporate management, administrative, marketing, and distribution services. The costs of such services are allocated to the fund under methods approved by the board of trustees. The fund has committed to provide up to 0.40% of its net assets in capital contributions to Vanguard. At October 31, 2007, the fund had contributed capital of $13,000 to Vanguard (included in Other Assets), representing 0.01% of the fund’s net assets and 0.01% of Vanguard’s capitalization. The fund’s trustees and officers are also directors and officers of Vanguard.

 

19

C. Distributions are determined on a tax basis and may differ from net investment income and realized capital gains for financial reporting purposes. Differences may be permanent or temporary. Permanent differences are reclassified among capital accounts in the financial statements to reflect their tax character. Temporary differences arise when certain items of income, expense, gain, or loss are recognized in different periods for financial statement and tax purposes; these differences will reverse at some time in the future. Differences in classification may also result from the treatment of short-term gains as ordinary income for tax purposes.

 

During the year ended October 31, 2007, the fund realized $713,000 of net capital gains resulting from in-kind redemptions—in which shareholders exchanged fund shares for securities held by the fund rather than for cash. Because such gains are not taxable to the fund, and are not distributed to shareholders, they have been reclassified from accumulated net realized gains to paid-in capital.

 

For tax purposes, at October 31, 2007, the fund had $433,000 of ordinary income available for distribution. The fund had available realized losses of $609,000 to offset future net capital gains through October 31, 2015.

 

At October 31, 2007, the cost of investment securities for tax purposes was $174,979,000. Net unrealized appreciation of investment securities for tax purposes was $6,677,000, consisting of unrealized gains of $12,664,000 on securities that had risen in value since their purchase and $5,987,000 in unrealized losses on securities that had fallen in value since their purchase.

 

D. During the period ended October 31, 2007, the fund purchased $191,440,000 of investment securities and sold $16,645,000 of investment securities other than temporary cash investments.

 

E. The market value of securities on loan to broker-dealers at October 31, 2007, was $80,000, for which the fund received cash collateral of $81,000.

 

F. Capital share transactions for each class of shares were:

 

 

 

Period Ended

 

October 31, 2007

 

Amount

Shares

 

($000)

(000)

Investor Shares

 

 

Issued

78,051

3,765

Issued in Lieu of Cash Distributions

771

36

Redeemed

(14,974)

(710)

Net Increase (Decrease) in Shares Outstanding

63,848

3,091

ETF Shares

 

 

Issued

116,002

2,202

Issued in Lieu of Cash Distributions

Redeemed

(5,549)

(100)

Net Increase (Decrease) in Shares Outstanding

110,453

2,102

 

 

 

20

G. In June 2006, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Interpretation No. 48 (“FIN 48”), “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes.” FIN 48 establishes the minimum threshold for recognizing, and a system for measuring, the benefits of tax-return positions in financial statements, and is effective for the fund’s fiscal year beginning November 1, 2007. Management has analyzed the fund’s federal tax positions for the period ended October 31, 2007, for purposes of implementing FIN 48, and has concluded that as of October 31, 2007, no provision for income tax would be required in the fund’s financial statements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

21

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

To the Trustees of Vanguard Whitehall Funds and the Shareholders of Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index Fund:

 

In our opinion, the accompanying statement of net assets and the related statements of operations and of changes in net assets and the financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index Fund (the “Fund”) at October 31, 2007, and the results of its operations, the changes in its net assets and the financial highlights for each of the periods indicated, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. These financial statements and financial highlights (hereafter referred to as “financial statements”) are the responsibility of the Fund’s management; our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audit. We conducted our audit of these financial statements in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), which require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audit, which included confirmation of securities at October 31, 2007 by correspondence with the custodian, and by agreement to the underlying ownership records for Vanguard Market Liquidity Fund, provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

 

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

 

December 6, 2007

 

 


Special 2007 tax information (unaudited) for Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index Fund

This information for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2007, is included pursuant to provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.

The fund distributed $2,305,000 of qualified dividend income to shareholders during the fiscal year.

For corporate shareholders, 100.0% of investment income (dividend income plus short-term gains, if any) qualifies for the dividends-received deduction.

 

 

22

About Your Fund’s Expenses

 

As a shareholder of the fund, you incur ongoing costs, which include costs for portfolio management, administrative services, and shareholder reports (like this one), among others. Operating expenses, which are deducted from a fund’s gross income, directly reduce the investment return of the fund.

 

A fund’s expenses are expressed as a percentage of its average net assets. This figure is known as the expense ratio. The following examples are intended to help you understand the ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in your fund and to compare these costs with those of other mutual funds. The examples are based on an investment of $1,000 made at the beginning of the period shown and held for the entire period.

 

The table below illustrates your fund’s costs in two ways:

 

• Based on actual fund return. This section helps you to estimate the actual expenses that you paid over the period. The “Ending Account Value” shown is derived from the fund’s actual return, and the third column shows the dollar amount that would have been paid by an investor who started with $1,000 in the fund. You may use the information here, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period.

 

To do so, simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number given for your fund under the heading “Expenses Paid During Period.”

 

• Based on hypothetical 5% yearly return. This section is intended to help you compare your fund’s costs with those of other mutual funds. It assumes that the fund had a yearly return of 5% before expenses, but that the expense ratio is unchanged. In this case—because the return used is not the fund’s actual return—the results do not apply to your investment. The example is useful in making comparisons because the Securities and Exchange Commission requires all mutual funds to calculate expenses based on a 5% return. You can assess your fund’s costs by comparing this hypothetical example with the hypothetical examples that appear in shareholder reports of other funds.

 

 

Six Months Ended October 31, 2007

 

 

 

 

Beginning

Ending

Expenses

 

Account Value

Account Value

Paid During

High Dividend Yield Index Fund

4/30/2007

10/31/2007

Period 1

Based on Actual Fund Return

 

 

 

Investor Shares

$1,000.00

$1,027.36

$2.04

ETF Shares

1,000.00

1,028.52

1.28

Based on Hypothetical 5% Yearly Return

 

 

 

Investor Shares

$1,000.00

$1,023.19

$2.04

ETF Shares

1,000.00

1,023.95

1.28

 

 

1 The calculations are based on expenses incurred in the most recent six-month period. The fund’s annualized six-month expense ratios for that period are 0.40% for Investor Shares and 0.25% for ETF Shares. The dollar amounts shown as “Expenses Paid” are equal to the annualized expense ratio multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent six-month period, then divided by the number of days in the most recent 12-month period.

 

23

Note that the expenses shown in the table on page 23 are meant to highlight and help you compare ongoing costs only and do not reflect transaction costs incurred by the fund for buying and selling securities. Further, the expenses do not include the account service fee described in the prospectus. If such a fee were applied to your account, your costs would be higher. Your fund does not charge transaction fees, such as purchase or redemption fees, nor does it carry a “sales load.”

 

The calculations assume no shares were bought or sold during the period. Your actual costs may have been higher or lower, depending on the amount of your investment and the timing of any purchases or redemptions.

 

You can find more information about the fund’s expenses, including annual expense ratios, in the Financial Statements section of this report. For additional information on operating expenses and other shareholder costs, please refer to your fund’s current prospectus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

24

Glossary

 

Earnings Growth Rate . The average annual rate of growth in earnings over the past five years for the stocks now in a fund.

 

Equity Exposure . A measure that reflects a fund’s investments in stocks and stock futures. Any holdings in short-term reserves are excluded.

 

Expense Ratio . The percentage of a fund’s average net assets used to pay its annual administrative and advisory expenses. These expenses directly reduce returns to investors.

 

Foreign Holdings . The percentage of a fund represented by stocks or depositary receipts of companies based outside the United States.

 

Inception Date . The date on which the assets of a fund (or one of its share classes) are first invested in accordance with the fund’s investment objective. For funds with a subscription period, the inception date is the day after that period ends. Investment performance is measured from the inception date.

 

Median Market Cap . An indicator of the size of companies in which a fund invests; the midpoint of market capitalization (market price x shares outstanding) of a fund’s stocks, weighted by the proportion of the fund’s assets invested in each stock. Stocks representing half of the fund’s assets have market capitalizations above the median, and the rest are below it.

 

Price/Book Ratio . The share price of a stock divided by its net worth, or book value, per share. For a fund, the weighted average price/book ratio of the stocks it holds.

 

Price/Earnings Ratio . The ratio of a stock’s current price to its per-share earnings over the past year. For a fund, the weighted average P/E of the stocks it holds. P/E is an indicator of market expectations about corporate prospects; the higher the P/E, the greater the expectations for a company’s future growth.

 

Return on Equity . The annual average rate of return generated by a company during the past five years for each dollar of shareholder’s equity (net income divided by shareholder’s equity). For a fund, the weighted average return on equity for the companies whose stocks it holds.

 

Short-Term Reserves . The percentage of a fund invested in highly liquid, short-term securities that can be readily converted to cash.

 

Turnover Rate . An indication of the fund’s trading activity. Funds with high turnover rates incur higher transaction costs and may be more likely to distribute capital gains (which may be taxable to investors). The turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, which have minimal impact on costs.

 

Yield . A snapshot of a fund’s income from interest and dividends. The yield, expressed as a percentage of the fund’s net asset value, is based on income earned over the past 30 days and is annualized, or projected forward for the coming year. The index yield is based on the current annualized rate of income provided by securities in the index.

 

 

25

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The People Who Govern Your Fund

 

The trustees of your mutual fund are there to see that the fund is operated and managed in your best interests since, as a shareholder, you are a part owner of the fund. Your fund’s trustees also serve on the board of directors of The Vanguard Group, Inc., which is owned by the Vanguard funds and provides services to them on an at-cost basis.

 

A majority of Vanguard’s board members are independent, meaning that they have no affiliation with Vanguard or the funds they oversee, apart from the sizable personal investments they have made as private individuals.

 

Our independent board members bring distinguished backgrounds in business, academia, and public service to their task of working with Vanguard officers to establish the policies and oversee the activities of the funds. Among board members’ responsibilities are selecting investment advisors for the funds; monitoring fund operations, performance, and costs; reviewing contracts; nominating and selecting new trustees/directors; and electing Vanguard officers.

 

Each trustee serves a fund until its termination; or until the trustee’s retirement, resignation, or death; or otherwise as specified in the fund’s organizational documents. Any trustee may be removed at a shareholders’ meeting by a vote representing two-thirds of the net asset value of all shares of the fund together with shares of other Vanguard funds organized within the same trust. The table on these two pages shows information for each trustee and executive officer of the fund. The mailing address of the trustees and officers is P.O. Box 876, Valley Forge, PA 19482.

 

 

Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, and Trustee

 

 

John J. Brennan 1

 

Born 1954

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive

Trustee since May 1987;

Officer, and Director/Trustee of The Vanguard Group, Inc., and of each of the investment

Chairman of the Board and

companies served by The Vanguard Group.

Chief Executive Officer

 

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

 

 

 

Independent Trustees

 

 

 

Charles D. Ellis

 

Born 1937

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: Applecore Partners (pro bono ventures

Trustee since January 2001

in education); Senior Advisor to Greenwich Associates (international business strategy

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

consulting); Successor Trustee of Yale University; Overseer of the Stern School of Business

 

at New York University; Trustee of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research.

 

 

Rajiv L. Gupta

 

Born 1945

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: Chairman, President, and

Trustee since December 2001 2

Chief Executive Officer of Rohm and Haas Co. (chemicals); Board Member of

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

the American Chemistry Council; Director of Tyco International, Ltd. (diversified

 

manufacturing and services) since 2005; Trustee of Drexel University and of the

 

Chemical Heritage Foundation.

 

 

Amy Gutmann

 

Born 1949

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: President of the University of

Trustee since June 2006

Pennsylvania since 2004; Professor in the School of Arts and Sciences, Annenberg School

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

for Communication, and Graduate School of Education of the University of Pennsylvania

 

since 2004; Provost (2001–2004) and Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Politics and

 

the University Center for Human Values (1990–2004), Princeton University; Director of

 

Carnegie Corporation of New York since 2005 and of Schuylkill River Development

 

Corporation and Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce since 2004.

 

JoAnn Heffernan Heisen

 

Born 1950

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: Corporate Vice President and

Trustee since July 1998

Chief Global Diversity Officer since 2006, Vice President and Chief Information

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

Officer (1997–2005), and Member of the Executive Committee of Johnson &

 

Johnson (pharmaceuticals/consumer products); Director of the University Medical

 

Center at Princeton and Women’s Research and Education Institute.

 

 

André F. Perold

 

Born 1952

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: George Gund Professor of Finance

Trustee since December 2004

and Banking, Harvard Business School; Senior Associate Dean, Director of Faculty

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

Recruiting, and Chair of Finance Faculty, Harvard Business School; Director and Chairman

 

of UNX, Inc. (equities trading firm) since 2003; Chair of the Investment Committee of

 

HighVista Strategies LLC (private investment firm) since 2005.

 

 

Alfred M. Rankin, Jr.

 

Born 1941

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: Chairman, President, Chief Executive

Trustee since January 1993

Officer, and Director of NACCO Industries, Inc. (forklift trucks/housewares/lignite); Director

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

of Goodrich Corporation (industrial products/aircraft systems and services).

 

 

 

 

J. Lawrence Wilson

 

Born 1936

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: Retired Chairman and Chief Executive

Trustee since April 1985

Officer of Rohm and Haas Co. (chemicals); Director of Cummins Inc. (diesel engines) and

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

AmerisourceBergen Corp. (pharmaceutical distribution); Trustee of Vanderbilt University

 

and of Culver Educational Foundation.

 

 

Executive Officers 1

 

 

 

Thomas J. Higgins

 

Born 1957

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: Principal of The Vanguard Group, Inc.;

Treasurer since July 1998

Treasurer of each of the investment companies served by The Vanguard Group.

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

 

 

 

 

 

Heidi Stam

 

Born 1956

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years: Managing Director of The Vanguard

Secretary since July 2005

Group, Inc., since 2006; General Counsel of The Vanguard Group since 2005; Secretary of

148 Vanguard Funds Overseen

The Vanguard Group, and of each of the investment companies served by The Vanguard

 

Group, since 2005; Principal of The Vanguard Group (1997–2006).

 

Vanguard Senior Management Team

 

 

 

 

 

 

R. Gregory Barton

Kathleen C. Gubanich

F. William McNabb, III

Ralph K. Packard

Mortimer J. Buckley

Paul A. Heller

Michael S. Miller

George U. Sauter

 

Founder

 

John C. Bogle

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, 1974–1996

 

 

 

1 Officers of the funds are “interested persons” as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940.

2 December 2002 for Vanguard Equity Income Fund, Vanguard Growth Equity Fund, the Vanguard Municipal Bond Funds, and the Vanguard State Tax-Exempt Funds.

More information about the trustees is in the Statement of Additional Information , available from The Vanguard Group.

 

 

 


 

P.O. Box 2600

 

Valley Forge, PA 19482-2600

 

Connect with Vanguard® > www.vanguard.com

 

Fund Information > 800-662-7447

All other marks are the exclusive property of their

 

respective owners.

Direct Investor Account Services > 800-662-2739

 

 

 

Institutional Investor Services > 800-523-1036

All comparative mutual fund data are from Lipper Inc.

 

or Morningstar, Inc., unless otherwise noted.

Text Telephone for People

 

With Hearing Impairment > 800-952-3335

 

 

You can obtain a free copy of Vanguard’s proxy voting

 

guidelines by visiting our website, www.vanguard.com,

 

and searching for “proxy voting guidelines,” or by

 

calling Vanguard at 800-662-2739. The guidelines are

This material may be used in conjunction

also available from the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov.

with the offering of shares of any Vanguard

In addition, you may obtain a free report on how your

fund only if preceded or accompanied by

fund voted the proxies for securities it owned during

the fund’s current prospectus.

the 12 months ended June 30. To get the report, visit

 

either www.vanguard.com or www.sec.gov.

 

 

 

 

 

You can review and copy information about your fund

Vanguard , Connect with Vanguard , and the ship logo are

at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C.

trademarks of The Vanguard Group, Inc.

To find out more about this public service, call the SEC

 

at 202-551-8090. Information about your fund is also

“FTSE ® ” is a trademark jointly owned by the London

available on the SEC’s website, and you can receive

Stock Exchange plc and The Financial Times Limited

copies of this information, for a fee, by sending a

and is used by FTSE International Limited under license.

request in either of two ways: via e-mail addressed to

The FTSE High Dividend Yield Index is calculated by FTSE

publicinfo@sec.gov or via regular mail addressed to the

International Limited. FTSE International Limited does not

Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange

sponsor, endorse, or promote the fund; is not in any way

Commission, Washington, DC 20549-0102.

connected to it; and does not accept any liability

 

in relation to its issue, operation, and trading.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

© 2007 The Vanguard Group, Inc.

 

All rights reserved.

 

Vanguard Marketing Corporation, Distributor.

 

 

 

Q6230 122007

 

 

 

Item 2 : Code of Ethics. The Registrant has adopted a code of ethics that applies to the Registrant’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller or persons performing similar functions. The Code of Ethics was amended during the reporting period covered by this report to make certain technical, non-material changes.

 

Item 3 : Audit Committee Financial Expert. The following members of the Audit Committee have been determined by the Registrant’s Board of Trustees to be Audit Committee Financial Experts serving on its Audit Committee, and to be independent: Charles D. Ellis, Rajiv L. Gupta, JoAnn Heffernan Heisen, André F. Perold, Alfred M. Rankin, Jr., and J. Lawrence Wilson.

 

Item 4 : Principal Accountant Fees and Services.

(a) Audit Fees.

Audit Fees of the Registrant

Fiscal Year Ended October 31, 2007: $99,000

Fiscal Year Ended October 31, 2006: $71,000

Aggregate Audit Fees of Registered Investment Companies in the Vanguard Group.

Fiscal Year Ended October 31, 2007: $2,835,320

Fiscal Year Ended October 31, 2006: $2,347,620

 

(b) Audit-Related Fees.

Fiscal Year Ended October 31, 2007: $630,400

Fiscal Year Ended October 31, 2006: $530,000

Includes fees billed in connection with assurance and related services provided to the Registrant, The Vanguard Group, Inc., Vanguard Marketing Corporation, and other registered investment companies in the Vanguard Group.

 

(c) Tax Fees.

Fiscal Year Ended October 31, 2007: $215,900

Fiscal Year Ended October 31, 2006: $101,300

Includes fees billed in connection with tax compliance, planning and advice services provided to the Registrant, The Vanguard Group, Inc., Vanguard Marketing Corporation, and other registered investment companies in the Vanguard Group and related to income and excise taxes.

 

(d) All Other Fees.

Fiscal Year Ended October 31, 2007: $0

Fiscal Year Ended October 31, 2006: $0

Includes fees billed for services related to risk management and privacy matters. Services were provided to the Registrant, The Vanguard Group, Inc., Vanguard Marketing Corporation, and other registered investment companies in the Vanguard Group.

(e) (1) Pre-Approval Policies. The policy of the Registrant’s Audit Committee is to consider and, if appropriate, approve before the principal accountant is engaged for such services, all specific audit and non-audit services provided to: (1) the Registrant; (2) The Vanguard Group, Inc.; (3) other entities controlled by The Vanguard Group, Inc. that provide ongoing services to the Registrant; and (4) other registered investment companies in the Vanguard Group. In making a determination, the Audit Committee considers whether the services are consistent with maintaining the principal accountant’s independence.

In the event of a contingency situation in which the principal accountant is needed to provide services in between scheduled Audit Committee meetings, the Chairman of the Audit Committee would be called on to consider and, if appropriate, pre-approve audit or permitted non-audit services in an amount sufficient to complete services through the next Audit Committee meeting, and to determine if such services would be consistent with maintaining the accountant’s independence. At the next scheduled Audit Committee meeting, services and fees would be presented to the Audit Committee for formal consideration, and, if appropriate, approval by the entire Audit Committee. The Audit Committee would again consider whether such services and fees are consistent with maintaining the principal accountant’s independence.

The Registrant’s Audit Committee is informed at least annually of all audit and non-audit services provided by the principal accountant to the Vanguard complex, whether such services are provided to: (1) the Registrant; (2) The Vanguard Group, Inc.; (3) other entities controlled by The Vanguard Group, Inc. that provide ongoing services to the Registrant; or (4) other registered investment companies in the Vanguard Group.

(2) No percentage of the principal accountant’s fees or services were approved pursuant to the waiver provision of paragraph (c)(7)(i)(C) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X.

(f) For the most recent fiscal year, over 50% of the hours worked under the principal accountant’s engagement were not performed by persons other than full-time, permanent employees of the principal accountant.

 

(g) Aggregate Non-Audit Fees.

Fiscal Year Ended October 31, 2007: $215,900

Fiscal Year Ended October 31, 2006: $101,300

Includes fees billed for non-audit services provided to the Registrant, The Vanguard Group, Inc., Vanguard Marketing Corporation, and other registered investment companies in the Vanguard Group.

(h) For the most recent fiscal year, the Audit Committee has determined that the provision of all non-audit services was consistent with maintaining the principal accountant’s independence.

Item 5 : Not Applicable.

 

Item 6 : Not Applicable.

 

Item 7 : Not Applicable.

 

Item 8 : Not Applicable.

 

Item 9 : Not Applicable.

Item 10 : Not Applicable.

 

Item 11 : Controls and Procedures.

 

(a) Disclosure Controls and Procedures. The Principal Executive and Financial Officers concluded that the Registrant's Disclosure Controls and Procedures are effective based on their evaluation of the Disclosure Controls and Procedures as of a date within 90 days of the filing date of this report.

 

(b) Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. There were no significant changes in Registrant’s Internal Control Over Financial Reporting or in other factors that could significantly affect this control subsequent to the date of the evaluation, including any corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses.

 

Item 12 : Exhibits.

 

 

(a)

Code of Ethics.

 

(b)

Certifications.

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

 

VANGUARD WHITEHALL FUNDS

 

 

By:

(signature)

 

(HEIDI STAM)

 

JOHN J. BRENNAN*

 

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

 

 

Date: December 11, 2007

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

 

VANGUARD WHITEHALL FUNDS

 

 

By:

(signature)

 

(HEIDI STAM)

 

JOHN J. BRENNAN*

 

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

 

 

Date: December 11, 2007

 

 

 

VANGUARD WHITEHALL FUNDS

 

 

By:

(signature)

 

(HEIDI STAM)

 

THOMAS J. HIGGINS

 

TREASURER

 

 

Date: December 11, 2007

 

 

*By Power of Attorney. See File Number 333-145624, filed on August 22, 2007. Incorporated by Reference.

 

 

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