Yahoo finance guessing at closing prices?

[SecondCor521]

Well this amuses me a little.

At this moment, Yahoo finance says that today's closing price for VFIAX is $326.29. However, Vanguard has not, at this moment, published a closing price for VFIAX for today; their website still shows Friday's close (of $321.02).

How does Yahoo know before Vanguard?

Sure, they can guess based on the price movement in the S&P500 (and apparently they guessed correctly because Vanguard's site just updated). But that could be wrong on dates around dividend distributions unless they're clever (and I can never figure out which day a Vanguard dividend is going to be paid anyway - it seems they don't announce these dates ahead of time).

Or maybe Vanguard tells Yahoo before Vanguard updates their own webpage that I see? (This probably has to be the explanation.)

Anyway, it was my entertainment for the afternoon.

 

[njhowie]

Maybe Vanguard distributed the price before they updated their own website?

Morningstar also has the $326.29 price:
https://www.morningstar.com/funds/xnas/vfiax/quote

Or maybe Vanguard tells Yahoo before Vanguard updates their own webpage that I see? (This probably has to be the explanation.)

It's done through a third party intermediary - like Bloomberg or Reuters.

 

[jollystomper]

Its likely just a timing issue. Vanguard site now has the update, but Google finance does not (as I type this post).

It could also be related to today being Columbus Day, with some institutions open and some closed.

 

[TOOLMAN]

I find “Bloomberg stock quote site ” has the end of day price on mutual funds before yahoo or Vanguard.