Data as of .
ICLN vs VCLN: which is really different?
ICLN and VCLN hold 44% of their weight in the same names, and VCLN returned more over the year.
ETFIQ Off-Index Score: ICLN 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
44% of the two portfolios are the same securities at the same weight.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, ICLN and VCLN hold 44% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | ICLN | VCLN |
|---|---|---|
| BLOOM ENERGY CLASS A | 9.06% | 9.30% |
| FIRST SOLAR | 7.58% | 6.48% |
| NEXTPOWER INC | 6.36% | 7.04% |
| VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS | 4.33% | 3.60% |
| ENPHASE ENERGY | 4.29% | 3.14% |
| EDP ENERGIAS DE PORTUGAL | 2.93% | 3.00% |
| PLUG POWER | 2.74% | 3.34% |
| CLEARWAY ENERGY INC CLASS C | 1.89% | 4.10% |
| ORSTED A/S | 1.55% | 2.43% |
| SOLAREDGE TECHNOLOGIES | 1.99% | 1.50% |
| SOLARIA ENERGIA Y MEDIO AMBIENTE S | 1.08% | 1.82% |
| EDP RENEWABLES SA | 0.79% | 1.23% |
| Only in ICLN | Only in VCLN |
|---|---|
| CHINA YANGTZE POWER LTD A 7.78% | CHINA YANGTZE POWER CO LTD 5.55% |
| EQUATORIAL SA 3.36% | IBERDROLA SA 3.65% |
| CHUBU ELECTRIC POWER INC 2.72% | PRYSMIAN SPA 2.80% |
| ENLIGHT RENEWABLE ENERGY 1.98% | MAIRE SPA 2.66% |
| SUZLON ENERGY 1.85% | FORTUM OYJ 2.40% |
| ENERGISA UNITS 1.49% | AXIA ENERGIA 2.32% |
| NORDEX 1.48% | NEXTERA ENERGY INC 2.10% |
| DOOSAN FUEL CELL LTD 1.40% | INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG 1.91% |
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 Sep 18, 2026.
Performance, window by window
| Window | Total return | vs the S&P 500 | vs the Nasdaq-100 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ICLN | VCLN | ICLN | VCLN | ICLN | VCLN | |
| 3 months | −16.8% | −14.7% | −19.0 pts | −16.9 pts | −14.3 pts | −12.2 pts |
| 6 months | −2.5% | +2.3% | −20.5 pts | −15.8 pts | −26.8 pts | −22.0 pts |
| 1 year | +18.0% | +23.6% | +1.4 pts | +7.1 pts | −3.8 pts | +1.9 pts |
| 3 years | +18.6% | +59.4% | −59.8 pts | −19.0 pts | −79.5 pts | −38.8 pts |
| Since launch | +9.3% | +14.2% | −794.3 pts | −72.0 pts | −1681.0 pts | −88.2 pts |
| ICLN iShares Global Clean Energy ETF Holds 138 stocks in clean energy, 8% 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 | iShares | Virtus |
| Theme | Clean energy | Clean energy |
| In the S&P 500 | 7.7% | 14.1% |
| Active share vs the S&P 500 | 100.0% | 98.9% |
| In the Nasdaq-100 | 0.0% | 1.7% |
| Holdings | 138 | 41 |
| Top ten, share of the fund | 51.9% | 49.2% |
| Expense ratio | 0.38% | 0.59% |
| Fee for the differing part | 0.38% | 0.60% |
| Total return, 1 year | +18.0% | +23.6% |
| vs the S&P 500 | +1.4 pts | +7.1 pts |
| vs the Nasdaq-100 | −3.8 pts | +1.9 pts |
| Below its high | −43.5% | −22.6% |
| Net assets | $2.1bn | $6m |
ICLN in plain words
By weight, 8% of ICLN's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500; its active share against the S&P 500 is 100%. The top ten holdings are 52% of the fund across 138 positions, as published by its issuer for Sep 18, 2026. Over the year to Sep 18, 2026 the fund returned +18.0% with distributions reinvested against +16.6% for the S&P 500, so a holder was ahead by 1.4 pts. It sits 43.5% below its all-time high of Jan 7, 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 ICLN and VCLN hold the same stocks?
- By their latest filings, 44% 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, ICLN or VCLN?
- ICLN has 8% of its weight in S&P 500 names and VCLN has 14%, so ICLN differs more from the index.
- Which is cheaper, ICLN or VCLN?
- ICLN charges 0.38% a year and VCLN charges 0.59%, so ICLN 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, ICLN against VCLN, data as of Sep 18, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/themes/icln-vs-vcln Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.