Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
VPU vs VUG: how they differ
VPU and VUG hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and VUG returned more over the year.
Vanguard Utilities Index Fund and Vanguard Growth Index Fund.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, VPU and VUG hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in VPU | Only in VUG |
|---|---|
| NextEra Energy Inc 11.84% | NVIDIA Corp 12.63% |
| Southern Co/The 6.70% | Apple Inc 11.67% |
| Duke Energy Corp 6.31% | Microsoft Corp 7.62% |
| Constellation Energy Corp 5.86% | Alphabet Inc 5.76% |
| American Electric Power Co Inc 4.47% | Alphabet Inc 4.54% |
| Sempra 3.85% | Amazon.com Inc 4.47% |
| Dominion Energy Inc 3.78% | Broadcom Inc 4.29% |
| Vistra Corp 3.59% | 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 and May 31, 2026.
| VPU Vanguard Utilities Index Fund | VUG Vanguard Growth Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | Vanguard | Vanguard |
| What it is | Utilities | US growth |
| Total return, 1 year | +2.1% | +12.9% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −15.4 pts | −4.6 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.09% | 0.03% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 90.1% | 97.4% |
| Holdings | 66 | 147 |
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.
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, VPU or VUG?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VPU returned +2.1% and VUG returned +12.9%, so VUG returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, VPU or VUG?
- VPU charges 0.09% a year and VUG charges 0.03%, so VUG is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do VPU and VUG overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 90% of VPU 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, VPU against VUG, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/VPU-VUG Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources