Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
GOVT vs VPU: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, GOVT returned −1.5% to VPU's −3.3%; 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 $7.7bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Utilities ETF.
Pair scorecard
GOVT costs 0.04 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 1.8 points; GOVT is 5.4 times larger.
| Measure | GOVT | VPU |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | −1.5% | −3.3% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 8.1%, high on Aug 4, 2020 | 8.9%, high on Feb 27, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | ICE U.S. Treasury Core Bond Index | MSCI US Investable Market Index (IMI)/Utilities 25/50 |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.05% | 0.09% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $41.4bn | $7.7bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| In the S&P 500, by weight | 90% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 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, GOVT 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
GOVT and VPU 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.
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, GOVT or VPU?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GOVT returned −1.5% and VPU −3.3%.
- Which is cheaper, GOVT or VPU?
- GOVT is cheaper, by 0.04 percentage points a year. That is about $4 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, GOVT against VPU, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/govt-vs-vpu
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). GOVT against VPU. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/govt-vs-vpu
[GOVT against VPU (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/govt-vs-vpu)
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