Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
MUB vs VPU: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, MUB returned −0.4% to VPU's −3.3%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $54.1bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares National Muni Bond ETF, and $7.7bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Utilities ETF.
Pair scorecard
MUB costs 0.04 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 2.9 points; MUB is 6.1 times larger.
| Measure | MUB | VPU |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | −0.4% | −3.3% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 8.9%, high on Feb 27, 2026 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | ICE AMT-Free US National Municipal 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 | $46.6bn | $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
Risk and return
Sep 21, 2007 to Oct 23, 2026 · 996 weekly returnsVPU returned more: +313.9% to +76.1%. MUB swung less: 6.5% to 18.3%. MUB fell less at its worst: −12.4% to −44.9%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | MUB | VPU | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +76.1% | +313.9% | VPU | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +3.0% | +7.7% | VPU | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +3.4% | +117.5% | VPU | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 6.5% | 18.3% | MUB | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 4.7% | 13.0% | MUB | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −12.4% | −44.9% | MUB | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.26 | 0.42 | VPU | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.36 | 0.59 | VPU | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.24 | 0.17 | MUB | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 996 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, MUB 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
MUB and VPU on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
MUB and VPU do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. MUB follows ICE AMT-Free US National Municipal Index and VPU follows MSCI US Investable Market Index (IMI)/Utilities 25/50.
- Holdings in common. 0% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Oct 27, 2026 and Sep 30, 2026).
- One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 MUB returned −0.4% and VPU −3.3% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 2.9 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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MUB
MUB tracks an index of National Muni Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −0.4% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.05% a year.
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, MUB or VPU?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, MUB returned −0.4% and VPU −3.3%.
- Which is cheaper, MUB or VPU?
- MUB 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, MUB against VPU, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/mub-vs-vpu
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). MUB against VPU. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/mub-vs-vpu
[MUB against VPU (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/mub-vs-vpu)
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