Which returned more over the last year, AIRR or VBR?

In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, AIRR returned +15.0% and VBR returned +16.3%, so VBR returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.

Which is cheaper, AIRR or VBR?

AIRR charges 0.69% a year and VBR charges 0.05%, so VBR is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

How much do AIRR and VBR overlap with the S&P 500?

By their latest filed holdings, 6% of AIRR and 30% of VBR by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 4% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.

Are AIRR and VBR the same kind of fund?

No. AIRR is a thematic ETF and VBR is an index ETF, so they are built for different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and what each actually holds.

Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.

ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

AIRR vs VBR: how they differ

Over the year VBR returned more, +16.3% against +15.0%, and VBR charges 0.05% against 0.69%.

First Trust RBA American Industrial Renaissance ETF and Vanguard Small-Cap Value Index Fund.

What they hold in common

By the books each fund has filed, AIRR and VBR hold 4% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.

Positions AIRR and VBR both hold, largest shared weight first
Holding	AIRR	VBR
CH ROBINSON WORLDWIDE INC	4.08%	0.45%
EMCOR GROUP INC	3.75%	0.40%
MUELLER INDUSTRIES INC	1.37%	0.29%
OWENS CORNING	3.90%	0.28%
HUNTINGTON INGALLS INDUSTRIES INC	2.45%	0.24%
WINTRUST FINANCIAL CORP	1.30%	0.23%
RYDER SYSTEM INC	1.31%	0.21%
OSHKOSH CORP	1.60%	0.20%
OLD NATIONAL BANCORP	1.41%	0.19%
ZURN ELKAY WATER SOLUTIONS CORP	0.77%	0.17%
KIRBY CORP	1.70%	0.16%
ARCOSA INC	0.84%	0.15%

Largest positions each one holds and the other does not
Only in AIRR	Only in VBR
STERLING INFRASTRUCTURE INC 6.00%	Jabil Inc 0.87%
ARGAN INC 4.73%	NRG Energy Inc 0.66%
COMFORT SYSTEMS USA INC 4.42%	Tapestry Inc 0.64%
MASTEC INC 4.18%	Atmos Energy Corp 0.62%
DYCOM INDUSTRIES INC 3.76%	Williams-Sonoma Inc 0.59%
SAIA INC 3.54%	Moderna Inc 0.54%
BWX TECHNOLOGIES INC 2.97%	Smurfit Westrock PLC 0.52%
POWELL INDUSTRIES INC 2.48%	F5 Inc 0.50%

Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Jun 30, 2026.

AIRR and VBR on the fields both publish, as of Sep 12, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
	AIRR First Trust RBA American Industrial Renaissance ETF	VBR Vanguard Small-Cap Value Index Fund
Where it sits	Thematic ETF	Core index fund
Issuer	First Trust	Vanguard
What it is	Reshoring and manufacturing	Small-Cap Value
Total return, 1 year	+15.0%	+16.3%
S&P 500 over the same days	+17.5%	+17.5%
Gap to the S&P 500	−2.5 pts	−1.2 pts
Expense ratio	0.69%	0.05%
Already in the S&P 500	5.5%	30.5%
Holdings	58	840

AIRR in plain words

By weight, 6% of AIRR's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500; its active share against the S&P 500 is 100%. The top ten holdings are 30% of the fund across 58 positions, as published by its issuer for Sep 10, 2026. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 the fund returned +15.0% with distributions reinvested against +17.5% for the S&P 500, so a holder was behind by 2.5 pts. It sits 19.5% below its all-time high of Jun 22, 2026.

VBR in plain words

VBR is an index equity fund tracking the Small-Cap Value. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +16.3% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.05% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 30% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 840 positions, with the top ten at 5.9%. It sat 3.8% below its high of Aug 14, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, AIRR or VBR?: In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, AIRR returned +15.0% and VBR returned +16.3%, so VBR returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
Which is cheaper, AIRR or VBR?: AIRR charges 0.69% a year and VBR charges 0.05%, so VBR is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
How much do AIRR and VBR overlap with the S&P 500?: By their latest filed holdings, 6% of AIRR and 30% of VBR by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 4% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
Are AIRR and VBR the same kind of fund?: No. AIRR is a thematic ETF and VBR is an index ETF, so they are built for different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and what each actually holds.

Other comparisons

Where to next

Where these figures came from

ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.

AIRR against VBR, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 12, 2026. Every figure is arithmetic on a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page. ETFIQ, AIRR against VBR, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/AIRR-VBR Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources