Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
VDE vs VPU: how they differ
VDE and VPU hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and VDE returned more over the year.
Vanguard Energy Index Fund and Vanguard Utilities Index Fund.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, VDE and VPU hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in VDE | Only in VPU |
|---|---|
| Exxon Mobil Corp 21.37% | NextEra Energy Inc 11.84% |
| Chevron Corp 14.53% | Southern Co/The 6.70% |
| ConocoPhillips 5.79% | Duke Energy Corp 6.31% |
| Williams Cos Inc/The 3.65% | Constellation Energy Corp 5.86% |
| SLB Ltd 3.49% | American Electric Power Co Inc 4.47% |
| Marathon Petroleum Corp 3.29% | Sempra 3.85% |
| Valero Energy Corp 3.19% | Dominion Energy Inc 3.78% |
| EOG Resources Inc 3.06% | 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 May 31, 2026.
| VDE Vanguard Energy Index Fund | VPU Vanguard Utilities Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | Vanguard | Vanguard |
| What it is | Energy | Utilities |
| Total return, 1 year | +50.6% | +2.1% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +33.1 pts | −15.4 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.09% | 0.09% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 81.6% | 90.1% |
| Holdings | 105 | 66 |
VDE in plain words
VDE is an index equity fund tracking the Energy. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +50.6% 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, 82% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 105 positions, with the top ten at 64.0%.
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. 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, VDE or VPU?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VDE returned +50.6% and VPU returned +2.1%, so VDE returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, VDE or VPU?
- VDE charges 0.09% a year and VPU charges 0.09%, so VDE is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do VDE and VPU overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 82% of VDE 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.
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, VDE against VPU, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/VDE-VPU Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources