Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
CTA vs VUG: how they differ
CTA and VUG hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and CTA returned more over the year.
Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF and Vanguard Growth Index Fund.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, CTA and VUG hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in CTA | Only in VUG |
|---|---|
| SIMPLIFY EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 81.69% | NVIDIA Corp 12.63% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 3.72% | Apple Inc 11.67% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 3.44% | Microsoft Corp 7.62% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 2.76% | Alphabet Inc 5.76% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 2.75% | Alphabet Inc 4.54% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 2.20% | Amazon.com Inc 4.47% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 1.37% | Broadcom Inc 4.29% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 1.07% | Meta Platforms Inc 3.41% |
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.
| CTA Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF | VUG Vanguard Growth Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | Simplify | Vanguard |
| What it is | Simplify Managed Futures Strategy | US growth |
| Total return, 1 year | +17.0% | +12.9% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −0.5 pts | −4.6 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.75% | 0.03% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 97.4% |
| Holdings | 10 | 147 |
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.
VUG in plain words
VUG is an index equity fund tracking the US growth. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +12.9% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 97% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 147 positions, with the top ten at 60.5%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, CTA or VUG?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, CTA returned +17.0% and VUG returned +12.9%, so CTA returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, CTA or VUG?
- CTA charges 0.75% a year and VUG charges 0.03%, so VUG is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do CTA and VUG overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of CTA and 97% of VUG 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 VUG, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/CTA-VUG Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources