Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
VPU vs VXUS: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, VPU returned −3.3% to VXUS's +13.8%; 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 $163.2bn for Vanguard Total International Stock ETF.
Pair scorecard
VXUS costs 0.04 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 17.1 points; VXUS is far larger, $163.2bn against $7.7bn.
| Measure | VPU | VXUS |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | −3.3% | +13.8% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 8.9%, high on Feb 27, 2026 | 5.1%, high on Sep 4, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | MSCI US Investable Market Index (IMI)/Utilities 25/50 | FTSE Global All Cap ex US Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.09% | 0.05% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $7.7bn | $163.2bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 52.3% | 14.6% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, VPU and VXUS 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 VXUS 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.
VXUS
VXUS tracks an index of Total International Stock. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +13.8% 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 8,913 positions, with the top ten at 14.6%. It sat 5.1% below its high of Sep 4, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, VPU or VXUS?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VPU returned −3.3% and VXUS +13.8%.
- Which is cheaper, VPU or VXUS?
- VXUS 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, VPU against VXUS, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vpu-vs-vxus
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). VPU against VXUS. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vpu-vs-vxus
[VPU against VXUS (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vpu-vs-vxus)
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