Vanguard today filed an application for an exemption with the Securities and Exchange Commission to offer VIPER exchange-traded share classes on three international index funds, the Vanguard European Stock Index Fund, the Vanguard Pacific Stock Index Fund and the Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Fund. The first two funds are, respectively, based on the Morgan Stanley Country Index Europe and the Morgan Stanley Country Index Pacific indexes.
If the SEC approves these new share classes, it will be the first time Vanguard will offer investors an international exchange-traded product.