PDF Vanguard Real Estate Index Funds

Annual Report | January 31, 2021

Vanguard Real Estate Index Funds

Vanguard Real Estate Index Fund Vanguard Real Estate II Index Fund

Contents Your Fund's Performance at a Glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 About Your Fund's Expenses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Real Estate Index Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Real Estate II Index Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

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 front of this report. Of course, the risks of investing in your fund are spelled out in the prospectus.

Your Fund's Performance at a Glance

? For the 12 months ended January 31, 2021, returns for Vanguard Real Estate Index Fund ranged from ?5.88% for Investor Shares to ?5.68% for Institutional Shares. Vanguard Real Estate II Index Fund returned ?5.70%. The results were in line with those of the funds' benchmark index.

? The emergence of COVID-19 in early 2020 turned into a global health crisis, and aggressive attempts to contain it resulted in a sharp downturn in economic activity. Unemployment spiked, and sectors where social distancing isn't possible were hit hard.

? Stocks initially plummeted as infections surged, but they finished the 12 months significantly higher, thanks in part to rapid and robust monetary and fiscal action by policymakers and the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines late in the period.

? Specialized real estate investment trusts (REITs), the funds' largest holding, contributed most to their returns. Retail, residential, and office REITs were the main detractors for both funds.

? For the 10 years ended January 31, 2021, average annual returns for the Real Estate Index Fund ranged from 8.18% for Investor Shares to 8.36% for Institutional Shares, in line with its benchmark's return. The Real Estate Index II Fund launched in 2017 and doesn't have a 10-year record.

Market Barometer

Stocks Russell 1000 Index (Large-caps) Russell 2000 Index (Small-caps) Russell 3000 Index (Broad U.S. market) FTSE All-World ex US Index (International)

Bonds Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (Broad taxable market) Bloomberg Barclays Municipal Bond Index (Broad tax-exempt market) FTSE Three-Month U.S. Treasury Bill Index

CPI Consumer Price Index

One Year

Average Annual Total Returns Periods Ended January 31, 2021

Three Years

Five Years

19.84% 30.17 20.48 14.59

12.48% 11.11 12.38

3.40

16.69% 16.50 16.68 10.77

4.72% 4.01 0.45

1.40%

5.49% 5.28 1.53

1.81%

4.00% 3.79 1.16

2.00%

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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 accompanying table 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.

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 any purchase, redemption, or account service fees described in the fund 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, 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.

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Six Months Ended January 31, 2021

Beginning Account Value

7/31/2020

Ending Account Value

1/31/2021

Expenses Paid During

Period

Based on Actual Fund Return

Real Estate Index Fund

Investor Shares

$1,000.00

$1,068.30

$1.35

ETF Shares

1,000.00

1,068.80

0.57

AdmiralTM Shares

1,000.00

1,069.10

0.57

Institutional Shares

1,000.00

1,069.40

0.47

Real Estate II Index Fund

$1,000.00

$1,069.40

$0.42

Based on Hypothetical 5% Yearly Return

Real Estate Index Fund

Investor Shares

$1,000.00

$1,023.88

$1.32

ETF Shares

1,000.00

1,024.58

0.56

Admiral Shares

1,000.00

1,024.58

0.56

Institutional Shares

1,000.00

1,024.68

0.46

Real Estate II Index Fund

$1,000.00

$1,024.73

$0.41

The calculations are based on expenses incurred in the most recent six-month period. The funds' annualized six-month expense ratios for that period are: for the Real Estate Index Fund, 0.26% for Investor Shares, 0.11% for ETF Shares, 0.11% for Admiral Shares, and 0.09% for Institutional Shares; and for the Real Estate II Index Fund, 0.08%. 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 (184/366).

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Real Estate Index Fund

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 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: January 31, 2011,Through January 31, 2021 Initial Investment of $10,000

$45,000

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

21,955

2021

7,000

Average Annual Total Returns Periods Ended January 31, 2021

One Year

Five Years

Ten Years

Final Value of a $10,000

Investment

Real Estate Index Fund Investor Shares

-5.88%

6.23%

8.18%

$21,955

Real Estate Spliced Index

-5.64

6.48

8.42

22,450

Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market Float Adjusted Index

20.55

16.64

13.46

35,343

Real Estate Spliced Index: MSCI US REIT Index adjusted to include a 2% cash position (Lipper Money Market Average) through April 30, 2009; MSCI US REIT Index through February 1, 2018; MSCI US Investable Market Real Estate 25/50 Transition Index through July 24, 2018; MSCI US Investable Market Real Estate 25/50 Index thereafter.

Real Estate Index Fund ETF Shares Net Asset Value

Real Estate Index Fund ETF Shares Market Price

Real Estate Spliced Index

Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market Float Adjusted Index

One Year

-5.80%

-5.85 -5.64

20.55

Five Years

6.37%

6.38 6.48

16.64

Ten Years

8.32%

8.32 8.42

13.46

Final Value of a $10,000

Investment

$22,240

22,233 22,450

35,343

See Financial Highlights for dividend and capital gains information. 4

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