Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
DGRO vs VPU: how they differ
DGRO and VPU hold 7% of their weight in the same names, and DGRO returned more over the year.
iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF and Vanguard Utilities Index Fund.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, DGRO and VPU hold 7% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | DGRO | VPU |
|---|---|---|
| NEXTERA ENERGY INC | 1.23% | 11.84% |
| DUKE ENERGY CORP | 0.73% | 6.31% |
| SOUTHERN COMPANY (THE) | 0.72% | 6.70% |
| AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY INC | 0.45% | 4.47% |
| SEMPRA | 0.38% | 3.85% |
| XCEL ENERGY INC | 0.30% | 3.11% |
| ENTERGY CORP | 0.29% | 3.22% |
| CONSOLIDATED EDISON INC | 0.28% | 2.52% |
| PUBLIC SERVICE ENTERPRISE GROUP INC | 0.27% | 2.60% |
| WEC ENERGY GROUP INC | 0.27% | 2.39% |
| DTE ENERGY COMPANY | 0.22% | 1.96% |
| AMEREN CORP | 0.17% | 1.93% |
| Only in DGRO | Only in VPU |
|---|---|
| BROADCOM INC 3.25% | Constellation Energy Corp 5.86% |
| JP MORGAN CHASE & COMPANY 3.05% | Dominion Energy Inc 3.78% |
| APPLE INC 2.94% | Exelon Corp 3.05% |
| MICROSOFT CORP 2.92% | PG&E Corp 2.37% |
| EXXON MOBIL CORP 2.91% | Edison International 1.78% |
| JOHNSON & JOHNSON 2.64% | PPL Corp 1.73% |
| ABBVIE INC 2.53% | Eversource Energy 1.69% |
| UNITEDHEALTH GROUP INC 2.32% | FirstEnergy Corp 1.68% |
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 Apr 30, 2026 and May 31, 2026.
| DGRO iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF | VPU Vanguard Utilities Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | Vanguard |
| What it is | Core Dividend Growth | Utilities |
| Total return, 1 year | +17.4% | +2.1% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −0.1 pts | −15.4 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.08% | 0.09% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 94.7% | 90.1% |
| Holdings | 394 | 66 |
DGRO in plain words
DGRO is an index equity fund tracking the Core Dividend Growth. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +17.4% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.08% a year. By its holdings filed for Apr 30, 2026, 95% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 394 positions, with the top ten at 26.6%.
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, DGRO or VPU?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, DGRO returned +17.4% and VPU returned +2.1%, so DGRO returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, DGRO or VPU?
- DGRO charges 0.08% a year and VPU charges 0.09%, so DGRO is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do DGRO and VPU overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 95% of DGRO and 90% of VPU by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 7% 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, DGRO against VPU, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/DGRO-VPU Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources