Primary Risks
An investment in the Fund could lose money over short or even long periods. You should expect the Fund’s share price and total return to fluctuate within a wide range, like the fluctuations of global stock markets. The Fund is subject to the following risks, which could affect the Fund’s performance:
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Stock market risk
, which is the chance that stock prices overall will decline. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. The Fund’s investments in foreign stocks can be riskier than U.S. stock investments. The prices of foreign stocks and the prices of U.S. stocks have, at times, moved in opposite directions. In addition, the Fund’s target index may, at times, become focused in stocks of a particular market sector, which would subject the Fund to proportionately higher exposure to the risks of that sector.
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Investment style risk
, which is the chance that returns from non-U.S. small- and mid-capitalization stocks will trail returns from global stock markets. Historically, non-U.S. small- and mid-cap stocks have been more volatile in price than the large-cap stocks that dominate the global markets, and they often perform quite differently.
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Country/regional risk,
which is the chance that world events—such as political upheaval, financial troubles, or natural disasters—will adversely affect the value of securities issued by companies in foreign countries or regions. Because the Fund may invest a large portion of its assets in securities of companies located in any one country or region, the Fund’s performance may be hurt disproportionately by the poor performance of its investments in that area. Country/regional risk is especially high in emerging markets.
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Currency risk
, which is the chance that the value of a foreign investment, measured in U.S. dollars, will decrease because of unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates.
Currency risk is especially high in emerging markets.
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Emerging markets risk
, which is the chance that the stocks of companies located in emerging markets will be substantially more volatile, and substantially less liquid, than the stocks of companies located in more developed foreign markets because, among other factors, emerging markets can have greater custodial and operational risks; less developed legal, regulatory, and accounting systems; and greater political, social, and economic instability than developed markets.
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
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Annual Total Returns
The following bar chart and table are intended to help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the performance of the Fund‘s Investor Shares has varied from one calendar year to another over the periods shown. The table shows how the average annual total returns of the share classes presented compare with those of the Fund‘s target index and other comparative indexes, which have investment characteristics similar to those of the Fund. Effective June 3, 2013, the Fund began tracking the FTSE Global All Cap ex US Index as its target index. The Fund‘s board of trustees believes that tracking the current index will result in considerable savings for the Fund‘s shareholders over time. FTSE Global All Cap ex US Index returns are adjusted for withholding taxes applicable to U.S.-based mutual funds organized as Delaware statutory trusts. MSCI ACWI ex USA Investable Market Index (IMI) returns are adjusted for withholding taxes. Keep in mind that the Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) does not indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available on our website at
vanguard.com/performance
or by calling Vanguard toll-free at 800-662-7447.
Annual Total Returns — Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund Investor Shares
During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a calendar quarter was 27.26% (quarter ended June 30, 2009), and the lowest return for a quarter was –21.03% (quarter ended December 31, 2008).
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