Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
VPU vs VWO: how they differ
VPU and VWO hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and VWO returned more over the year.
Vanguard Utilities Index Fund and Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fund.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, VPU and VWO hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in VPU | Only in VWO |
|---|---|
| NextEra Energy Inc 11.84% | Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Lt 14.73% |
| Southern Co/The 6.70% | Tencent Holdings Ltd 3.28% |
| Duke Energy Corp 6.31% | Alibaba Group Holding Ltd 2.57% |
| Constellation Energy Corp 5.86% | Delta Electronics Inc 1.18% |
| American Electric Power Co Inc 4.47% | MediaTek Inc 1.07% |
| Sempra 3.85% | Reliance Industries Ltd 0.90% |
| Dominion Energy Inc 3.78% | HDFC Bank Ltd 0.81% |
| Vistra Corp 3.59% | Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd 0.75% |
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.
| VPU Vanguard Utilities Index Fund | VWO Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | Vanguard | Vanguard |
| What it is | Utilities | Emerging markets |
| Total return, 1 year | +2.1% | +15.6% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −15.4 pts | −1.9 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.09% | 0.06% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 90.1% | 0.0% |
| Holdings | 66 | 6355 |
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.
VWO in plain words
VWO is an index equity fund tracking the Emerging markets. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +15.6% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.06% a year. By its holdings filed for Apr 30, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 6355 positions, with the top ten at 26.8%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, VPU or VWO?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VPU returned +2.1% and VWO returned +15.6%, so VWO returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, VPU or VWO?
- VPU charges 0.09% a year and VWO charges 0.06%, so VWO is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do VPU and VWO overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 90% of VPU and 0% of VWO 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 VWO, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/VPU-VWO Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources