Which returned more over the last year, FTCS or VFMF?

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, FTCS returned +9.5% and VFMF +31.6%.

Which is cheaper, FTCS or VFMF?

VFMF is cheaper, by 0.35 percentage points a year. That is about $35 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

How much do FTCS and VFMF overlap with the S&P 500?

By their latest filed holdings, 100% of FTCS and 47% of VFMF by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

FTCS vs VFMF: Differences, Returns & Fees

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Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, FTCS returned +9.5% to VFMF's +31.6%; 6% of their weight is in the same names.

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Net assets: $7.8bn on Oct 27, 2026 for First Trust Capital Strength ETF, and $1.1bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard U.S. Multifactor ETF.

FTCS on its own →VFMF on its own →

At a glance

+9.5%

FTCS total return, 1 year

+31.6%

VFMF total return, 1 year

0.53%

FTCS expense ratio

0.18%

VFMF expense ratio

Pair scorecard

VFMF costs 0.35 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 22.1 points.

FTCS vs VFMF: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	FTCS	VFMF
Return
Measure	FTCS	VFMF
Total return, 1 year	+9.5%	+31.6%
Benchmark
Measure	FTCS	VFMF
What it tracks	Capital Strength Index	No index, actively managed
Cost and size
Measure	FTCS	VFMF
Expense ratio	0.53%	0.18%
Net assets, FTCS as of Oct 27, 2026 and VFMF as of Sep 30, 2026	$7.8bn	$1.1bn
Holdings
Measure	FTCS	VFMF
Holdings in common	6%
Top ten holdings, share of the fund	21.0%	8.9%

Holdings in common uses holdings dated May 31, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method

What they share

By the books each fund has filed, FTCS and VFMF hold 6% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated May 31, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

6% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first FTCS VFMF

Amgen Inc. 2.04% 0.75%

PepsiCo, Inc. 2.01% 0.63%

Walmart Inc. 1.98% 0.56%

Johnson & Johnson 2.08% 0.49%

Cencora, Inc. 1.88% 0.46%

Ross Stores, Inc. 1.92% 0.46%

American Express Company 1.97% 0.28%

Aflac Incorporated 2.02% 0.28%

Northern Trust Corporation 2.03% 0.27%

Target Corporation 1.89% 0.24%

The Charles Schwab Corporation 1.92% 0.22%

Colgate-Palmolive Company 1.95% 0.19%

Only in one fund ↓

Only in FTCS

CSX Corporation 2.13%

Northrop Grumman Corporation 2.12%

Cincinnati Financial Corporation 2.11%

PPG Industries, Inc. 2.08%

3M Company 2.06%

Union Pacific Corporation 2.06%

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated 2.06%

T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. 2.04%

Only in VFMF

Micron Technology Inc 1.25%

Newmont Corp 0.89%

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co 0.88%

ConocoPhillips 0.86%

Bank of New York Mellon Corp 0.86%

EOG Resources Inc 0.84%

Travelers Cos Inc 0.83%

Altria Group Inc 0.83%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

FTCS First Trust Capital Strength ETF VFMF Vanguard U.S. Multifactor ETF

Where it sits Stock ETF Stock ETF

Issuer First Trust Vanguard

What it is Tracks an index Actively managed

Total return, 1 year +9.5% +31.6%

Its benchmark over the same days not measured +13.3% (IWV)

Gap to its benchmark not measured +18.3 pts vs IWV

Expense ratio 0.53% 0.18%

Already in the S&P 500 99.9% 46.8%

Holdings 50 613

Net assets, FTCS as of Oct 27, 2026 and VFMF as of Sep 30, 2026 $7.8bn $1.1bn

FTCS and VFMF on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Alert

About each fund

FTCS

FTCS tracks an index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +9.5% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.53% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 50 positions, with the top ten at 21.0%.

VFMF

Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +31.6% with distributions reinvested, against +13.3% for its benchmark, the Russell 3000 Index.

VFMF is actively managed and tracks no index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.18% a year. By its holdings filed for May 31, 2026, 47% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 613 positions, with the top ten at 8.9%.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, FTCS or VFMF?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, FTCS returned +9.5% and VFMF +31.6%.
Which is cheaper, FTCS or VFMF?: VFMF is cheaper, by 0.35 percentage points a year. That is about $35 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
How much do FTCS and VFMF overlap with the S&P 500?: By their latest filed holdings, 100% of FTCS and 47% of VFMF by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds.

Other comparisons

FTCS vs FXO DSTL vs FTCS DIVB vs FTCS FTCS vs MDYV FVD vs VFMF IJJ vs VFMF NOBL vs VFMF IWS vs VFMF

Where to next

FTCS on its own →VFMF on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →FTCS dividend history →FTCS holdings →VFMF dividend history →VFMF holdings →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

FTCS filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

FTCS prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

First Trust page for FTCS ↗

VFMF filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

VFMF prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

Vanguard page for VFMF ↗

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, FTCS against VFMF, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ftcs-vs-vfmf

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