Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
VPU vs VUSB: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, VPU returned −3.3% to VUSB's +3.5%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets on Sep 30, 2026: $7.7bn for Vanguard Utilities ETF and $9.9bn for Vanguard Ultra-Short Bond ETF.
Pair scorecard
VPU costs 0.01 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 6.8 points; VUSB is 1.3 times larger.
| Measure | VPU | VUSB |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | −3.3% | +3.5% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 8.9%, high on Feb 27, 2026 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | MSCI US Investable Market Index (IMI)/Utilities 25/50 | No index, actively managed |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.09% | 0.10% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $7.7bn | $9.9bn |
| 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, VPU and VUSB 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
VPU and VUSB on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
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.
VUSB
VUSB is actively managed and tracks no index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +3.5% with distributions reinvested, against −1.4% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.10% a year.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, VPU or VUSB?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VPU returned −3.3% and VUSB +3.5%.
- Which is cheaper, VPU or VUSB?
- VPU is cheaper, by 0.01 percentage points a year. That is about $1 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, VPU against VUSB, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vpu-vs-vusb
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). VPU against VUSB. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vpu-vs-vusb
[VPU against VUSB (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vpu-vs-vusb)
Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.