Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
VPU vs VXF: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, VPU returned −3.3% to VXF's +10.6%; 2% of their weight is in the same names.
askIQ about this page
askIQ about VPU and VXF
Net assets on Sep 30, 2026: $7.7bn for Vanguard Utilities ETF and $30.2bn for Vanguard Extended Market ETF.
Pair scorecard
VXF costs 0.04 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 13.9 points; VXF is 3.9 times larger.
| Measure | VPU | VXF |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | −3.3% | +10.6% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 8.9%, high on Feb 27, 2026 | 6.6%, high on Aug 14, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | MSCI US Investable Market Index (IMI)/Utilities 25/50 | S&P Completion Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.09% | 0.05% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $7.7bn | $30.2bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 2% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 52.3% | 11.3% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Feb 6, 2004 to Oct 23, 2026 · 1,185 weekly returnsVXF returned slightly more: +740.7% to +683.7%. VPU swung less: 17.6% to 21.5%. VPU fell less at its worst: −44.9% to −57.4%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | VPU | VXF | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +683.7% | +740.7% | VXF (slight) | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +9.5% | +9.8% | VXF (slight) | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +273.2% | +527.0% | VXF | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 17.6% | 21.5% | VPU | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 12.5% | 15.1% | VPU | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −44.9% | −57.4% | VPU | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.50 | 0.46 | VPU (slight) | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.70 | 0.65 | VPU (slight) | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.21 | 0.17 | 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, VPU and VXF 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
VPU and VXF on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
VPU and VXF do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. VPU follows MSCI US Investable Market Index (IMI)/Utilities 25/50 and VXF follows S&P Completion 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 VPU returned −3.3% and VXF +10.6% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 13.9 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
The two-page PDF for this pair is coming. Save the comparison to follow its changes. Free. It needs an email sign-in, once.
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.
VXF
VXF tracks an index of Extended Market. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +10.6% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.05% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 3,361 positions, with the top ten at 11.3%. It sat 6.6% below its high of Aug 14, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, VPU or VXF?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VPU returned −3.3% and VXF +10.6%.
- Which is cheaper, VPU or VXF?
- VXF 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.
Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown
ETFIQ, VPU against VXF, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vpu-vs-vxf
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). VPU against VXF. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vpu-vs-vxf
[VPU against VXF (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vpu-vs-vxf)
Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.