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PULS vs VGUS: Differences, Returns & Fees

PULS's duration was 0.7 years on May 29, 2026 and VGUS's 0.3 on Jun 30, 2026; VGUS charges 0.07% to PULS's 0.15%. Net assets: $19.8bn on Oct 19, 2026 for PGIM Ultra Short Bond ETF, and $1.2bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Ultra-Short Treasury ETF.

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Answers cite the figures on this page.

VGUS costs 0.08 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.5 points.

PULS vs VGUS: Differences, Returns & Fees
PULSVGUS
Expense ratio0.15%0.07%
Net assets, PULS as of Oct 19, 2026 and VGUS as of Sep 30, 2026$19.8bn$1.2bn
Total return, 1 year+4.1%+3.6%
What it tracksNo index, actively managedBloomberg Short Treasury Index
Holdings in commonreport dates differ

Holdings in common uses holdings dated May 29, 2026 and Jun 30, 2026.

+4.1%
PULS total return, 1 year
+3.6%
VGUS total return, 1 year
0.15%
PULS expense ratio
0.07%
VGUS expense ratio

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Client brief · page 1 of 2Report BR-DC0FD7E76B

PULS and VGUS are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?

  1. What each follows. PULS follows No index, actively managed and VGUS follows Bloomberg Short Treasury Index.
  2. Number of holdings. PULS holds 553 positions and VGUS holds 90.
  3. Size. PULS has $19.8bn in net assets and VGUS $1.2bn (net assets, PULS as of Oct 19, 2026 and VGUS as of Sep 30, 2026); PULS is 16.5 times larger.

Data as of Oct 20, 2026. The differences are picked by a fixed rule, in a fixed order; the PDF prints it. Page 2 has the returns, overlap, risks and sources.

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On the same fields

PULS
PGIM Ultra Short Bond ETF
VGUS
Vanguard Ultra-Short Treasury ETF
Where it sits Bond ETF Bond ETF
Issuer PGIM Vanguard
What it is Actively managed Tracks an index
Total return, 1 year +4.1% +3.6%
Expense ratio 0.15% 0.07%
Holdings 553 90
Net assets, PULS as of Oct 19, 2026 and VGUS as of Sep 30, 2026 $19.8bn $1.2bn

PULS and VGUS on the fields both publish, as of Oct 20, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

About PULS

PULS is actively managed and tracks no index. Over the year to Oct 20, 2026 it returned +4.1% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year.

About VGUS

VGUS tracks an index. Over the year to Oct 20, 2026 it returned +3.6% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.07% a year.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, PULS or VGUS?
In the year to Oct 20, 2026, with distributions reinvested, PULS returned +4.1% and VGUS +3.6%.
Which is cheaper, PULS or VGUS?
VGUS is cheaper, by 0.08 percentage points a year. That is about $8 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
BILZ vs PULSPULS vs RAVIPULS vs YEARGSST vs PULSUSFR vs VGUSSHV vs VGUSVBIL vs VGUSFLOT vs VGUS
PULS on its own →VGUS on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →PULS dividend history →PULS holdings →VGUS dividend history →VGUS holdings →Standards and sources →
Where these figures came from
PULS filings on SEC EDGAR ↗PULS prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗PGIM website ↗VGUS filings on SEC EDGAR ↗VGUS prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗Vanguard page for VGUS ↗

ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure; a link is not an endorsement. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, PULS against VGUS, data as of Oct 20, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/puls-vs-vgus

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Free to use with attribution for figures ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.