Based on 41 hedge funds · latest filing: 2025 Q4 · updated quarterly
📉
Selling streak — 1 quarter in a row
For 1 consecutive quarter, more hedge funds reduced or closed their VTSI positions than added to them. Sustained institutional selling is a meaningful warning sign — these are professionals with deep research teams collectively deciding to exit.
🔻
Below peak — only 66% of 3.0Y high
66% of all-time peak
Only 41 funds hold VTSI today versus a peak of 62 funds at 2024 Q3 — just 66% of the maximum. Low institutional ownership can mean the stock is out of favor, but it also means there's a large pool of potential buyers if sentiment turns.
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Outflows — 21% fewer funds vs a year ago
fund count last 6Q
11 fewer hedge funds hold VTSI compared to a year ago (-21% decline). When institutions consistently reduce their exposure, it's worth exploring the underlying fundamental reasons driving them away.
🟠
More sellers than buyers — 41% buying
17 buying24 selling
Last quarter: 24 funds reduced or exited vs 17 that bought or added. When more than half of active funds are selling, it's a caution flag — especially if the stock price hasn't moved down yet.
➡️
Steady new buyers — ~8 new funds per quarter
new funds entering per quarter
Funds opening this position for the first time: 8 → 12 → 9 → 8. A stable flow of new institutional buyers suggests ongoing interest without signs of either acceleration or slowdown.
🔒
54% of holders stayed for 2+ years
■ 54% conviction (2yr+)
■ 32% medium
■ 15% new
22 out of 41 hedge funds have held VTSI for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.
💎
Buying through price weakness — shares -8%, value -27%
Last quarter: funds added -8% more shares while total portfolio value only changed -27%. Institutions were buying while the price was falling — a high-conviction accumulation signal. They're deliberately loading up on the dip.
➡️
Steady discovery — ~8 new funds/quarter
2 → 8 → 12 → 9 → 8 new funds/Q
New funds entering each quarter: 8 → 12 → 9 → 8. Consistent flow of new institutional buyers without clear acceleration or slowdown.
🏛️
Deep conviction — 68% of holders stayed 2+ years
■ 68% veterans
■ 18% 1-2yr
■ 14% new
Of 44 current holders: 30 (68%) have held for over 2 years without selling. These are not momentum buyers — they have lived through drawdowns and stayed. A large veteran base acts as a stabilizing force during selloffs.
🏆
Elite ownership — 55% AUM from top-100 funds
55% from top-100 AUM funds
13 of 41 holders are among the 100 largest funds by AUM, controlling 55% of total institutional value in VTSI. When the biggest players dominate the cap table, it signifies deep institutional support — since mega-funds deploy the most rigorous due diligence and capital.
Exit risk score 2.1/10 — low institutional crowding. Ownership is below peak levels, holder base is relatively sticky, and buying momentum is positive.