Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
GOVT vs VO: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, GOVT returned −1.5% to VO's +12.8%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $42.8bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF, and $103.4bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Morningstar Mid-Cap ETF.
Pair scorecard
VO costs 0.02 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 14.3 points; VO is 2.5 times larger.
| Measure | GOVT | VO |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | −1.5% | +12.8% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 8.1%, high on Aug 4, 2020 | 3.1%, high on Aug 14, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | ICE U.S. Treasury Core Bond Index | Morningstar US Mid Cap Index (formerly CRSP US Mid Cap Index) |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.05% | 0.03% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $41.4bn | $103.4bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| In the S&P 500, by weight | 91% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 9.7% | |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, GOVT and VO 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
GOVT and VO on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
GOVT
GOVT tracks an index of U.S. Treasury Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −1.5% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.05% a year. It sat 8.1% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 on Oct 28, 2026.
VO
VO tracks an index of Mid-Cap. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +12.8% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 91% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 273 positions, with the top ten at 9.7%. It sat 3.1% below its high of Aug 14, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, GOVT or VO?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GOVT returned −1.5% and VO +12.8%.
- Which is cheaper, GOVT or VO?
- VO is cheaper, by 0.02 percentage points a year. That is about $2 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, GOVT against VO, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/govt-vs-vo
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). GOVT against VO. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/govt-vs-vo
[GOVT against VO (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/govt-vs-vo)
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