Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
VBR vs VPU: how they differ
VBR and VPU hold 5% of their weight in the same names, and VBR returned more over the year.
Vanguard Small-Cap Value Index Fund and Vanguard Utilities Index Fund.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, VBR and VPU hold 5% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | VBR | VPU |
|---|---|---|
| NRG Energy Inc | 0.66% | 1.79% |
| Atmos Energy Corp | 0.62% | 1.81% |
| Evergy Inc | 0.41% | 1.25% |
| Pinnacle West Capital Corp | 0.28% | 0.79% |
| NiSource Inc | 0.24% | 1.46% |
| Essential Utilities Inc | 0.23% | 0.69% |
| AES Corp/The | 0.22% | 0.69% |
| OGE Energy Corp | 0.22% | 0.64% |
| Alliant Energy Corp | 0.21% | 1.11% |
| IDACORP Inc | 0.18% | 0.50% |
| UGI Corp | 0.16% | 0.50% |
| National Fuel Gas Co | 0.16% | 0.46% |
| Only in VBR | Only in VPU |
|---|---|
| Jabil Inc 0.87% | NextEra Energy Inc 11.84% |
| Tapestry Inc 0.64% | Southern Co/The 6.70% |
| Williams-Sonoma Inc 0.59% | Duke Energy Corp 6.31% |
| Moderna Inc 0.54% | Constellation Energy Corp 5.86% |
| Smurfit Westrock PLC 0.52% | American Electric Power Co Inc 4.47% |
| F5 Inc 0.50% | Sempra 3.85% |
| US Foods Holding Corp 0.48% | Dominion Energy Inc 3.78% |
| JB Hunt Transport Services Inc 0.47% | 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.
| VBR Vanguard Small-Cap Value Index Fund | VPU Vanguard Utilities Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | Vanguard | Vanguard |
| What it is | Small-Cap Value | Utilities |
| Total return, 1 year | +16.3% | +2.1% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −1.2 pts | −15.4 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.05% | 0.09% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 30.5% | 90.1% |
| Holdings | 840 | 66 |
VBR in plain words
VBR is an index equity fund tracking the Small-Cap Value. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +16.3% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.05% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 30% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 840 positions, with the top ten at 5.9%. It sat 3.8% below its high of Aug 14, 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, VBR or VPU?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VBR returned +16.3% and VPU returned +2.1%, so VBR returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, VBR or VPU?
- VBR charges 0.05% a year and VPU charges 0.09%, so VBR is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do VBR and VPU overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 30% of VBR and 90% of VPU by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 5% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
Other comparisons
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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, VBR against VPU, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/VBR-VPU Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources