CORRESP 1 filename1.htm soxresponseletter_worldandsc.htm - Generated by SEC Publisher for SEC Filing

                                             P.O. Box 2600
                                             Valley Forge, PA 19482-2600
                                              610-669-1955
                                              tara_r_buckley@vanguard.com
 
January 31, 2012  
 
Chad Eskildsen  
U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission via electronic filing
100 F Street, N.E.  
Washington, DC 20549  
 
RE: Vanguard World Fund, File No. 2-17620  
  Vanguard Scottsdale Funds, File No. 333-11763  

 

Dear Mr. Eskildsen,

This letter responds to your comments of January 24, 2012, pertaining to your review of the above mentioned Trusts under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

Comment 1:

Comment:

Vanguard World Fund, N-SAR

The internal control letter filed with the Trust’s Form N-SAR on October 28, 2011, excludes the following series of the Trust: Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury Index Fund, Vanguard International Growth Fund, Vanguard FTSE Social Index Fund, and Vanguard U.S. Growth Fund.

 

Response:

We will file an amended N-SAR, which will include the internal control letter for these four series.

 

Comment 2:

Comment:

Vanguard U.S. Growth Fund, a series of Vanguard World Fund

The Fund’s financial statements dated August 31, 2011, reflect that 38.5% of the Fund’s assets are invested in the information technology sector. Consider revising the strategies and risks disclosed in the Fund’s prospectus as a result of the Fund’s concentration in this sector.

 

Response:

Investment concentration in the information technology sector, or in any other sector or industry, is not a principal investment strategy of the Fund. The Item 4 disclosure identifies manager risk as a primary risk of the Fund, and describes this risk as follows: “…the chance that poor security selection or focus on securities in a particular sector, category, or group of companies will cause the Fund to underperform relevant benchmarks or other funds with a similar investment objective. Significant investment in the information technology sector subjects the Fund to proportionately higher exposure to the risks of this sector.”

 


 

Chad Eskildsen
January 31, 2012
Page 2

 

We believe that our current disclosure appropriately reflects the Fund’s principal investment strategies and risks.

 

Comment 3:

Comment:

Vanguard Explorer Value Fund, a series of Vanguard Scottsdale Funds

The Fund’s schedule of investments in the Trust’s Form N-CSR dated August 31, 2011, identifies Ares Capital Corp., a business development company, as a holding of the Fund; however, acquired fund fees and expenses are not disclosed in the Fund’s expenses.

 

Response:

The Fund’s prospectus dated December 29, 2011, containing financial data for the Fund through the fiscal year ended August 31, 2011, includes acquired fund fees and expenses of 0.04%. This figure accounts for the Fund’s investment in business development companies.

 

Comment 4: Tandy Requirements

As required by the SEC, each Fund acknowledges that:

    - The Fund is responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure in the filing.

    - Staff comments or changes in response to staff comments in the filings reviewed by the staff do not foreclose the Commission from taking any action with respect to the filing.

    - The Fund may not assert staff comments as a defense in any proceeding initiated by the Commission or any person under the federal securities laws of the United States.

Please contact me at (610) 669-1955 with any questions or comments regarding the above responses. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Tara R. Buckley
Senior Counsel
The Vanguard Group, Inc.