Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
VBR vs VPU: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, VBR returned +17.6% to VPU's −3.3%; 5% 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 $7.7bn for Vanguard Utilities ETF.
Pair scorecard
VBR costs 0.04 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 20.9 points; VBR is 4.6 times larger.
| Measure | VBR | VPU |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +17.6% | −3.3% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 3.9%, high on Aug 14, 2026 | 8.9%, high on Feb 27, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Morningstar US Small Cap Value 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 | $35.1bn | $7.7bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 5% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 5.9% | 52.3% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Feb 6, 2004 to Oct 23, 2026 · 1,185 weekly returnsVBR and VPU returned about the same: +674.1% and +683.7%. VPU swung less: 17.6% to 21.8%. VPU fell less at its worst: −44.9% to −61.3%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | VBR | VPU | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +674.1% | +683.7% | Tie | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +9.4% | +9.5% | Tie | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +382.6% | +273.2% | VBR | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 21.8% | 17.6% | VPU | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 15.3% | 12.5% | VPU | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −61.3% | −44.9% | VPU | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.44 | 0.50 | VPU | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.63 | 0.70 | VPU | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.15 | 0.21 | VPU | 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 VPU hold 5% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026.
half
5% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
VBR and VPU on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
VBR and VPU do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. VBR follows Morningstar US Small Cap Value Index and VPU follows MSCI US Investable Market Index (IMI)/Utilities 25/50.
- Holdings in common. 5% 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 VPU −3.3% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 20.9 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.
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, VBR or VPU?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VBR returned +17.6% and VPU −3.3%.
- Which is cheaper, VBR or VPU?
- VBR 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, VBR against VPU, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vbr-vs-vpu
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). VBR against VPU. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vbr-vs-vpu
[VBR against VPU (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vbr-vs-vpu)
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