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Vanguard has reopened its $36.6 billion Vanguard Dividend Growth Fund (VDIGX) to all investors and will be reducing the minimum initial investment in the Vanguard Alternatives Strategies Fund (VASFX) and Vanguard Market Neutral Fund (FMNFX) for "sophisticated" retail investors who are clients of Vanguard Flagship or Vanguard Personal Advisor Services during the fourth quarter.
The mutual fund giant had closed its dividend growth fund to most new accounts in July 2016 following a period of rapid growth, but cash flow has slowed and market conditions have changed since then, according to the Vanguard announcement.
"After careful analysis of the fund's current cash flows and asset level, and following consultation with the fund's advisor, we're confident that there is ample capacity to reopen the Fund," said Matthew Brancato, head of Vanguard's Portfolio Review Department, in a statement. He cautioned that the reopening not be construed by investors as a "buy signal" for the fund or dividend stocks in general.
Dan Wiener, editor of The Independent Adviser for Vanguard Investors, wrote that the Dividend Growth Fund has been experiencing "steady outflows, month after month, since its closing" but "has been one of the best active funds in Vanguard's stable with a single fund manager, Don Kilbride, of Wellington Management Co., guiding its performance.
