Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
VBR vs VO: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, VBR returned +17.6% to VO's +12.8%; 2% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets on Sep 30, 2026: $35.1bn for Vanguard Morningstar Small-Cap Value ETF and $103.4bn for Vanguard Morningstar Mid-Cap ETF.
Pair scorecard
VO costs 0.02 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 4.8 points; VO is 2.9 times larger.
| Measure | VBR | VO |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +17.6% | +12.8% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 3.9%, high on Aug 14, 2026 | 3.1%, high on Aug 14, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Morningstar US Small Cap Value Index | Morningstar US Mid Cap Index (formerly CRSP US Mid Cap Index) |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.05% | 0.03% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $35.1bn | $103.4bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 2% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 5.9% | 9.7% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Feb 6, 2004 to Oct 23, 2026 · 1,185 weekly returnsVO returned more: +797.9% to +674.1%. VO swung less: 19.6% to 21.8%. VO fell slightly less at its worst: −58.4% to −61.3%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | VBR | VO | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +674.1% | +797.9% | VO | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +9.4% | +10.1% | VO (slight) | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +382.6% | +546.9% | VO | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 21.8% | 19.6% | VO | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 15.3% | 13.8% | VO (slight) | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −61.3% | −58.4% | VO (slight) | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.44 | 0.50 | VO | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.63 | 0.71 | VO | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.15 | 0.17 | VO | 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, VBR and VO hold 2% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026.
half
2% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
VBR and VO on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
VBR and VO do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. VBR follows Morningstar US Small Cap Value Index and VO follows Morningstar US Mid Cap Index (formerly CRSP US Mid Cap Index).
- Holdings in common. 2% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Sep 30, 2026).
- One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 VBR returned +17.6% and VO +12.8% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 4.8 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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VBR
VBR tracks an index of Small-Cap Value. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +17.6% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.05% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 30% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 822 positions, with the top ten at 5.9%. It sat 3.9% below its high of Aug 14, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
VO
VO tracks an index of Mid-Cap. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +12.8% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 91% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 273 positions, with the top ten at 9.7%. It sat 3.1% below its high of Aug 14, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, VBR or VO?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VBR returned +17.6% and VO +12.8%.
- Which is cheaper, VBR or VO?
- VO is cheaper, by 0.02 percentage points a year. That is about $2 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, VBR against VO, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vbr-vs-vo
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). VBR against VO. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vbr-vs-vo
[VBR against VO (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vbr-vs-vo)
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