Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
CTA vs VDC: how they differ
CTA and VDC hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and CTA returned more over the year.
Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF and Vanguard Consumer Staples Index Fund.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, CTA and VDC hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in CTA | Only in VDC |
|---|---|
| SIMPLIFY EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 81.69% | Walmart Inc 14.76% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 3.72% | Costco Wholesale Corp 12.04% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 3.44% | Procter & Gamble Co/The 9.27% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 2.76% | Coca-Cola Co/The 8.72% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 2.75% | Philip Morris International Inc 4.66% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 2.20% | PepsiCo Inc 4.30% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 1.37% | Altria Group Inc 3.91% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 1.07% | Mondelez International Inc 2.69% |
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.
| CTA Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF | VDC Vanguard Consumer Staples Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | Simplify | Vanguard |
| What it is | Simplify Managed Futures Strategy | Consumer Staples |
| Total return, 1 year | +17.0% | +4.6% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −0.5 pts | −12.9 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.75% | 0.09% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 86.6% |
| Holdings | 10 | 103 |
CTA in plain words
CTA is an index equity fund tracking the Simplify Managed Futures Strategy. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +17.0% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.75% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 10 positions, with the top ten at 100.0%. It sat 5.3% below its high of May 4, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
VDC in plain words
VDC is an index equity fund tracking the Consumer Staples. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +4.6% 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, 87% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 103 positions, with the top ten at 65.0%. It sat 6.8% below its high of Feb 27, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, CTA or VDC?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, CTA returned +17.0% and VDC returned +4.6%, so CTA returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, CTA or VDC?
- CTA charges 0.75% a year and VDC charges 0.09%, so VDC is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do CTA and VDC overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of CTA and 87% of VDC 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.
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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.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, CTA against VDC, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/CTA-VDC Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources