Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
TLT vs VUG: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, TLT returned −7.9% to VUG's +6.6%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $47.4bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF, and $232.9bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Morningstar Growth ETF.
Pair scorecard
VUG costs 0.12 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 14.5 points; VUG is 5.0 times larger.
| Measure | TLT | VUG |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | −7.9% | +6.6% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 42.6%, high on Aug 4, 2020 | 4.1%, high on Oct 6, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | ICE U.S. Treasury 20+ Year Bond Index | Morningstar US Large Cap Growth Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.15% | 0.03% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $46.2bn | $232.9bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| In the S&P 500, by weight | 97% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 63.1% | |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Feb 6, 2004 to Oct 23, 2026 · 1,185 weekly returnsVUG returned more: +1,211.3% to +98.6%. TLT swung less: 13.5% to 18.6%. TLT fell slightly less at its worst: −47.8% to −49.9%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | TLT | VUG | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +98.6% | +1,211.3% | VUG | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +3.1% | +12.0% | VUG | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | −6.9% | +938.6% | VUG | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 13.5% | 18.6% | TLT | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 9.5% | 12.8% | TLT | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −47.8% | −49.9% | TLT (slight) | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.16 | 0.60 | VUG | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.22 | 0.87 | VUG | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.06 | 0.24 | VUG | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 1,185 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, TLT and VUG 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
TLT and VUG on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
TLT and VUG do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. TLT follows ICE U.S. Treasury 20+ Year Bond Index and VUG follows Morningstar US Large Cap Growth Index.
- 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 TLT returned −7.9% and VUG +6.6% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 14.5 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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TLT
TLT tracks an index of 20+ year Treasuries. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −7.9% with distributions reinvested, against −7.8% for its benchmark, the ICE U.S. Treasury 20+ Year Bond Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year. It sat 42.6% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 on Oct 28, 2026.
VUG
VUG tracks an index of US growth. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +6.6% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 97% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 137 positions, with the top ten at 63.1%. It sat 4.1% below its high of Oct 6, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, TLT or VUG?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, TLT returned −7.9% and VUG +6.6%.
- Which is cheaper, TLT or VUG?
- VUG is cheaper, by 0.12 percentage points a year. That is about $12 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, TLT against VUG, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/tlt-vs-vug
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). TLT against VUG. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/tlt-vs-vug
[TLT against VUG (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/tlt-vs-vug)
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