Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
AVEM vs VPU: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, AVEM returned +17.9% to VPU's −3.3%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $27.3bn on Oct 27, 2026 for Avantis Emerging Markets Equity ETF, and $7.7bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Utilities ETF.
Pair scorecard
VPU costs 0.24 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 21.2 points.
| Measure | AVEM | VPU |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +17.9% | −3.3% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 10.2%, high on Jun 22, 2026 | 8.9%, high on Feb 27, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | No index, actively managed | MSCI US Investable Market Index (IMI)/Utilities 25/50 |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.33% | 0.09% |
| Net assets, AVEM as of Oct 27, 2026 and VPU as of Sep 30, 2026 | $27.3bn | $7.7bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 28.7% | 52.3% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, AVEM and VPU hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
0% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
AVEM and VPU on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
AVEM
AVEM is actively managed and tracks no index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +17.9% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.33% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 4,088 positions, with the top ten at 28.7%. It sat 10.2% below its high of Jun 22, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
VPU
VPU tracks an index of Utilities. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −3.3% with distributions reinvested, against −3.3% for its benchmark, the MSCI US Investable Market Index (IMI)/Utilities 25/50. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.09% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 90% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 70 positions, with the top ten at 52.3%. It sat 8.9% below its high of Feb 27, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, AVEM or VPU?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, AVEM returned +17.9% and VPU −3.3%.
- Which is cheaper, AVEM or VPU?
- VPU is cheaper, by 0.24 percentage points a year. That is about $24 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.
How this is computed
Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.
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ETFIQ, AVEM against VPU, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/avem-vs-vpu
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). AVEM against VPU. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/avem-vs-vpu
[AVEM against VPU (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/avem-vs-vpu)
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