Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
CTA vs VPU: how they differ
CTA and VPU hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and CTA returned more over the year.
Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF and Vanguard Utilities Index Fund.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, CTA and VPU hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in CTA | Only in VPU |
|---|---|
| SIMPLIFY EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 81.69% | NextEra Energy Inc 11.84% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 3.72% | Southern Co/The 6.70% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 3.44% | Duke Energy Corp 6.31% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 2.76% | Constellation Energy Corp 5.86% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 2.75% | American Electric Power Co Inc 4.47% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 2.20% | Sempra 3.85% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 1.37% | Dominion Energy Inc 3.78% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 1.07% | 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.
| CTA Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF | VPU Vanguard Utilities Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | Simplify | Vanguard |
| What it is | Simplify Managed Futures Strategy | Utilities |
| Total return, 1 year | +17.0% | +2.1% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −0.5 pts | −15.4 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.75% | 0.09% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 90.1% |
| Holdings | 10 | 66 |
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.
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, CTA or VPU?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, CTA returned +17.0% and VPU returned +2.1%, so CTA returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, CTA or VPU?
- CTA charges 0.75% a year and VPU charges 0.09%, so VPU is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do CTA and VPU overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of CTA 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.
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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 VPU, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/CTA-VPU Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources