MLPA vs VDE: Differences, Returns & Fees
MLPA and VDE hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and VDE returned +50.7% over the year. Net assets: $2.3bn on Oct 9, 2026 for Global X MLP ETF, and $10.4bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Energy ETF.
VDE costs 0.68 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 27.5 points.
| MLPA | VDE | |
|---|---|---|
| Expense ratio | 0.77% | 0.09% |
| Net assets, MLPA as of Oct 9, 2026 and VDE as of Sep 30, 2026 | $2.3bn | $10.4bn |
| Total return, 1 year | +23.2% | +50.7% |
| What it tracks | not read by ETFIQ | MSCI US Investable Market Index (IMI)/Energy 25/50 |
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 98.6% | 65.5% |
| Below its high | 6.5%, high on Sep 9, 2026 | |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Aug 31, 2026 and Oct 9, 2026.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, MLPA and VDE hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Aug 31, 2026 and Oct 9, 2026.
half
0% in common
On the same fields
MLPA and VDE on the fields both publish, as of Oct 9, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
MLPA in plain words
MLPA tracks an index. Over the year to Oct 9, 2026 it returned +23.2% with distributions reinvested, against +17.3% for the S&P 500. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.77% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 9, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 20 positions, with the top ten at 98.6%. It sat 6.5% below its high of Sep 9, 2026 on Oct 9, 2026.
VDE in plain words
VDE tracks an index of Energy. Over the year to Oct 9, 2026 it returned +50.7% with distributions reinvested, against +17.3% for the S&P 500. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.09% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Aug 31, 2026, 81% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 113 positions, with the top ten at 65.5%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, MLPA or VDE?
- In the year to Oct 9, 2026, with distributions reinvested, MLPA returned +23.2% and VDE +50.7%.
- Which is cheaper, MLPA or VDE?
- VDE is cheaper, by 0.68 percentage points a year. That is about $68 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure; a link is not an endorsement. 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, MLPA against VDE, data as of Oct 9, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/mlpa-vs-vde
ETFIQ. (Oct 9, 2026). MLPA against VDE. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/mlpa-vs-vde
[MLPA against VDE (ETFIQ, Oct 9, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/mlpa-vs-vde)
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