Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
VCSH vs VPU: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, VCSH returned +1.3% to VPU's −3.3%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets on Sep 30, 2026: $43.9bn for Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF and $7.7bn for Vanguard Utilities ETF.
Pair scorecard
VCSH costs 0.06 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 4.6 points; VCSH is 5.7 times larger.
| Measure | VCSH | VPU |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +1.3% | −3.3% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 8.9%, high on Feb 27, 2026 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Bloomberg U.S. 1-5 Year Corporate Bond Index | MSCI US Investable Market Index (IMI)/Utilities 25/50 |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.03% | 0.09% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $43.9bn | $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. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, VCSH and VPU hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026.
half
0% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
VCSH and VPU on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
VCSH
VCSH tracks an index of Short-Term Corporate Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +1.3% with distributions reinvested, against +1.3% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. 1-5 Year Corporate Bond Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% 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, VCSH or VPU?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VCSH returned +1.3% and VPU −3.3%.
- Which is cheaper, VCSH or VPU?
- VCSH is cheaper, by 0.06 percentage points a year. That is about $6 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, VCSH against VPU, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vcsh-vs-vpu
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). VCSH against VPU. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vcsh-vs-vpu
[VCSH against VPU (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vcsh-vs-vpu)
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