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

In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, AIRR returned +15.0% and VPU returned +2.1%, so AIRR returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.

Which is cheaper, AIRR or VPU?

AIRR charges 0.69% a year and VPU charges 0.09%, so VPU is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

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

By their latest filed holdings, 6% of AIRR and 90% of VPU by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 0% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.

Are AIRR and VPU the same kind of fund?

No. AIRR is a thematic ETF and VPU 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 VPU: how they differ

Over the year AIRR returned more, +15.0% against +2.1%, and VPU charges 0.09% against 0.69%.

First Trust RBA American Industrial Renaissance ETF and Vanguard Utilities Index Fund.

What they hold in common

By the books each fund has filed, AIRR and VPU hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.

Largest positions each one holds and the other does not
Only in AIRR	Only in VPU
STERLING INFRASTRUCTURE INC 6.00%	NextEra Energy Inc 11.84%
ARGAN INC 4.73%	Southern Co/The 6.70%
COMFORT SYSTEMS USA INC 4.42%	Duke Energy Corp 6.31%
MASTEC INC 4.18%	Constellation Energy Corp 5.86%
CH ROBINSON WORLDWIDE INC 4.08%	American Electric Power Co Inc 4.47%
OWENS CORNING 3.90%	Sempra 3.85%
DYCOM INDUSTRIES INC 3.76%	Dominion Energy Inc 3.78%
EMCOR GROUP INC 3.75%	Vistra Corp 3.59%

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 and May 31, 2026.

AIRR and VPU on the fields both publish, as of Sep 12, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
	AIRR First Trust RBA American Industrial Renaissance ETF	VPU Vanguard Utilities Index Fund
Where it sits	Thematic ETF	Core index fund
Issuer	First Trust	Vanguard
What it is	Reshoring and manufacturing	Utilities
Total return, 1 year	+15.0%	+2.1%
S&P 500 over the same days	+17.5%	+17.5%
Gap to the S&P 500	−2.5 pts	−15.4 pts
Expense ratio	0.69%	0.09%
Already in the S&P 500	5.5%	90.1%
Holdings	58	66

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.

VPU in plain words

VPU is an index equity fund tracking the Utilities. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +2.1% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.09% a year. By its holdings filed for May 31, 2026, 90% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 66 positions, with the top ten at 52.7%. It sat 9.8% below its high of Feb 27, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, AIRR or VPU?: In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, AIRR returned +15.0% and VPU returned +2.1%, so AIRR returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
Which is cheaper, AIRR or VPU?: AIRR charges 0.69% a year and VPU charges 0.09%, so VPU is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
How much do AIRR and VPU overlap with the S&P 500?: By their latest filed holdings, 6% of AIRR and 90% of VPU by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 0% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
Are AIRR and VPU the same kind of fund?: No. AIRR is a thematic ETF and VPU 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 VPU, 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 VPU, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/AIRR-VPU Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources