Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
EWJ vs VPU: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, EWJ returned +18.1% to VPU's −3.3%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
askIQ about this page
askIQ about EWJ and VPU
Net assets: $23.9bn on Oct 28, 2026 for iShares MSCI Japan ETF, and $7.7bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Utilities ETF.
Pair scorecard
VPU costs 0.40 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 21.4 points; EWJ is 3.1 times larger.
| Measure | EWJ | VPU |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +18.1% | −3.3% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 4.4%, high on Oct 6, 2026 | 8.9%, high on Feb 27, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | MSCI Japan Index | MSCI US Investable Market Index (IMI)/Utilities 25/50 |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.49% | 0.09% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $23.5bn | $7.7bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 29.5% | 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, EWJ 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
EWJ and VPU on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
EWJ
EWJ tracks the MSCI Japan. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +18.1% with distributions reinvested, against +14.3% for its benchmark, the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.49% 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 169 positions, with the top ten at 29.5%. It sat 4.4% below its high of Oct 6, 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, EWJ or VPU?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EWJ returned +18.1% and VPU −3.3%.
- Which is cheaper, EWJ or VPU?
- VPU is cheaper, by 0.40 percentage points a year. That is about $40 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.
Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown
ETFIQ, EWJ against VPU, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ewj-vs-vpu
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). EWJ against VPU. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ewj-vs-vpu
[EWJ against VPU (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ewj-vs-vpu)
Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.