Data as of .
ACES vs VCLN: which is really different?
ACES and VCLN hold 25% of their weight in the same names, and VCLN returned more over the year.
ETFIQ Off-Index Score: VCLN scores higher
How much of it is not the index it is sold as an alternative to?
A percentile among the 379 thematic ETFs with a holdings filing. It is a position in a set, not a rating, and neither end of it is a recommendation. All thematic ETFs ranked by it · How it is computed
25% of the two portfolios are the same securities at the same weight.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, ACES and VCLN hold 25% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | ACES | VCLN |
|---|---|---|
| First Solar Inc | 6.25% | 6.48% |
| Nextpower Inc | 5.93% | 7.04% |
| Clearway Energy Inc | 3.79% | 4.10% |
| Plug Power Inc | 6.04% | 3.34% |
| Enphase Energy Inc | 6.53% | 3.14% |
| Ormat Technologies Inc | 4.84% | 1.81% |
| Array Technologies Inc | 1.51% | 0.55% |
| Only in ACES | Only in VCLN |
|---|---|
| Brookfield Renewable Partners Lp 4.68% | BLOOM ENERGY CORP 9.30% |
| Ha Sustainable Infrastructure Capital In 4.40% | CHINA YANGTZE POWER CO LTD 5.55% |
| Tesla Inc 4.24% | IBERDROLA SA 3.65% |
| Northland Power Inc 4.20% | VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S 3.60% |
| Sunrun Inc 4.18% | EDP SA 3.00% |
| Albemarle Corp 4.17% | CERES POWER HOLDINGS PLC 2.91% |
| Rivian Automotive Inc 4.08% | PRYSMIAN SPA 2.80% |
| Itron Inc 3.48% | MAIRE SPA 2.66% |
Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Apr 30, 2026 and May 31, 2026.
Performance, window by window
| Window | Total return | vs the S&P 500 | vs the Nasdaq-100 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACES | VCLN | ACES | VCLN | ACES | VCLN | |
| 3 months | −21.4% | −14.7% | −23.6 pts | −16.9 pts | −18.9 pts | −12.2 pts |
| 6 months | −10.0% | +2.3% | −28.0 pts | −15.8 pts | −34.2 pts | −22.0 pts |
| 1 year | −5.9% | +23.6% | −22.4 pts | +7.1 pts | −27.6 pts | +1.9 pts |
| 3 years | −25.4% | +59.4% | −103.8 pts | −19.0 pts | −123.6 pts | −38.8 pts |
| Since launch | +25.2% | +14.2% | −192.9 pts | −72.0 pts | −317.7 pts | −88.2 pts |
| ACES ALPS Clean Energy ETF Holds 37 stocks in clean energy, 15% of its weight in S&P 500 companies | VCLN Virtus Duff & Phelps Clean Energy ETF Holds 41 stocks in clean energy, 14% of its weight in S&P 500 companies | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | ALPS | Virtus |
| Theme | Clean energy | Clean energy |
| In the S&P 500 | 14.7% | 14.1% |
| Active share vs the S&P 500 | 98.1% | 98.9% |
| In the Nasdaq-100 | 4.2% | 1.7% |
| Holdings | 37 | 41 |
| Top ten, share of the fund | 51.3% | 49.2% |
| Expense ratio | 0.55% | 0.59% |
| Fee for the differing part | 0.56% | 0.60% |
| Total return, 1 year | −5.9% | +23.6% |
| vs the S&P 500 | −22.4 pts | +7.1 pts |
| vs the Nasdaq-100 | −27.6 pts | +1.9 pts |
| Below its high | −69.6% | −22.6% |
| Net assets | $145m | $6m |
ACES in plain words
By weight, 15% of ACES's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500; its active share against the S&P 500 is 98%. The top ten holdings are 51% of the fund across 37 positions, as filed for May 31, 2026. Over the year to Sep 18, 2026 the fund returned −5.9% with distributions reinvested against +16.6% for the S&P 500, so a holder was behind by 22.4 pts. It sits 69.6% below its all-time high of Feb 9, 2021.
VCLN in plain words
By weight, 14% of VCLN's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500; its active share against the S&P 500 is 99%. The top ten holdings are 49% of the fund across 41 positions, as filed for Apr 30, 2026. Over the year to Sep 18, 2026 the fund returned +23.6% with distributions reinvested against +16.6% for the S&P 500, so a holder was ahead by 7.1 pts. It sits 22.6% below its all-time high of Jun 2, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Do ACES and VCLN hold the same stocks?
- By their latest filings, 25% of their books are the same securities at the same weight, which is a meaningful overlap. Overlap is the sum of the smaller weight of every security they share.
- Which is more different from the S&P 500, ACES or VCLN?
- ACES has 15% of its weight in S&P 500 names and VCLN has 14%, so VCLN differs more from the index.
- Which is cheaper, ACES or VCLN?
- ACES charges 0.55% a year and VCLN charges 0.59%, so ACES is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, ACES against VCLN, data as of Sep 18, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/themes/aces-vs-vcln Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.