Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
GARP vs VPU: how they differ
GARP and VPU hold 1% of their weight in the same names, and GARP returned more over the year.
iShares MSCI USA Quality GARP ETF and Vanguard Utilities Index Fund.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, GARP and VPU hold 1% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | GARP | VPU |
|---|---|---|
| NRG ENERGY INC | 0.54% | 1.79% |
| CONSTELLATION ENERGY CORP | 0.30% | 5.86% |
| VISTRA CORP | 0.14% | 3.59% |
| Only in GARP | Only in VPU |
|---|---|
| KLA CORP 6.46% | NextEra Energy Inc 11.84% |
| MICRON TECHNOLOGY INC 6.07% | Southern Co/The 6.70% |
| APPLE INC 4.44% | Duke Energy Corp 6.31% |
| NVIDIA CORP 4.16% | American Electric Power Co Inc 4.47% |
| MICROSOFT CORP 4.10% | Sempra 3.85% |
| BROADCOM INC 3.96% | Dominion Energy Inc 3.78% |
| LAM RESEARCH CORP 3.79% | Entergy Corp 3.22% |
| ELI LILLY & COMPANY 3.73% | Xcel Energy Inc 3.11% |
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.
| GARP iShares MSCI USA Quality GARP ETF | VPU Vanguard Utilities Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | Vanguard |
| What it is | MSCI USA Quality GARP | Utilities |
| Total return, 1 year | +29.5% | +2.1% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +12.0 pts | −15.4 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.15% | 0.09% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 94.4% | 90.1% |
| Holdings | 131 | 66 |
GARP in plain words
GARP is an index equity fund tracking the MSCI USA Quality GARP. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +29.5% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 94% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 131 positions, with the top ten at 43.8%.
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, GARP or VPU?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GARP returned +29.5% and VPU returned +2.1%, so GARP returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, GARP or VPU?
- GARP charges 0.15% a year and VPU charges 0.09%, so VPU is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do GARP and VPU overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 94% of GARP and 90% of VPU by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 1% 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, GARP against VPU, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/GARP-VPU Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources