Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
VPL vs VPU: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, VPL returned +24.8% to VPU's −3.3%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets on Sep 30, 2026: $9.0bn for Vanguard FTSE Pacific ETF and $7.7bn for Vanguard Utilities ETF.
Pair scorecard
VPL costs 0.02 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 28.1 points; VPL is 1.2 times larger.
| Measure | VPL | VPU |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +24.8% | −3.3% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 7.2%, high on Jun 22, 2026 | 8.9%, high on Feb 27, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | FTSE Developed Asia Pacific All Cap Index | MSCI US Investable Market Index (IMI)/Utilities 25/50 |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.07% | 0.09% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $9.0bn | $7.7bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 24.8% | 52.3% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Mar 18, 2005 to Oct 23, 2026 · 1,127 weekly returnsVPU returned more: +514.9% to +284.0%. VPU swung slightly less: 17.8% to 18.2%. VPU fell less at its worst: −44.9% to −54.0%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | VPL | VPU | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +284.0% | +514.9% | VPU | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +6.4% | +8.7% | VPU | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +114.2% | +200.5% | VPU | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 18.2% | 17.8% | VPU (slight) | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 13.2% | 12.7% | VPU (slight) | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −54.0% | −44.9% | VPU | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.33 | 0.46 | VPU | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.46 | 0.64 | VPU | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.12 | 0.19 | VPU | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 1,127 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, VPL 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
VPL and VPU on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
VPL and VPU do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. VPL follows FTSE Developed Asia Pacific All Cap Index and VPU follows MSCI US Investable Market Index (IMI)/Utilities 25/50.
- Holdings in common. 0% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Sep 30, 2026).
- One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 VPL returned +24.8% and VPU −3.3% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 28.1 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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VPL
VPL tracks an index of Pacific Stock. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +24.8% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.07% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 2,343 positions, with the top ten at 24.8%. It sat 7.2% below its high of Jun 22, 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, VPL or VPU?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VPL returned +24.8% and VPU −3.3%.
- Which is cheaper, VPL or VPU?
- VPL 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.
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ETFIQ, VPL against VPU, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vpl-vs-vpu
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). VPL against VPU. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vpl-vs-vpu
[VPL against VPU (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vpl-vs-vpu)
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