VPU — Vanguard Utilities Index Fund ETF Shares

VPU Price Performance — Growth of $10,000

Value of a $10,000 investment in VPU over time, compared with SPY. Both lines are rebased to $10,000 on the first shared date. Based on total returns — prices are adjusted for dividends and splits, so this assumes distributions were reinvested. Hover or tap the chart for exact values.

VPU Drawdown

The "underwater" chart: VPU's decline from its highest prior value at each point in time. It shows how deep past losses ran and how long the fund took to recover to break-even.

Overview

The Vanguard Utilities Index Fund ETF Shares (VPU) operates within the Utilities category, one of five funds tracked by ETFValuer in this sector. Issued by Vanguard, the fund manages $10.8 billion in assets and trades at a price of $196.22. It holds an overall rank of #257 out of 458 tracked ETFs across all categories and has received an ETFValuer grade of C with a score of 59.8 out of 100. The fund carries a low expense ratio of 0.09% while offering a dividend yield of 2.21%. The substantial asset under management relative to the small category size suggests significant investor adoption compared to its peers. This combination of low cost and high income potential positions the fund as a notable option within its specific sector classification.

Over the last trading day, the fund declined by 0.40% before recovering to a weekly gain of 1.03%. Monthly performance shows a contraction of 1.72%, which extended into a 3-month decline of 1.29%. However, the trend shifted positively over the half-year period with a return of 6.70%, contributing to a year-to-date gain of 6.20%. The 1-year return stands at 10.38%, while the 3-year annualized return reaches 49.53%. This pattern indicates a divergence where short-term fluctuations have been negative or flat, contrasting with strong accumulation over the longer three-year horizon.

VPU is assigned a Low volatility label and exhibits a beta of 0.50, indicating that the fund's price movements are generally less sensitive to broader market shifts. The Sharpe ratio of 0.37 suggests a moderate risk-adjusted return profile relative to the risk-free rate over the measured period. During market downturns, the fund experienced a maximum drawdown of -15.66%, reflecting the extent of its peak-to-trough decline. The combination of a low beta and low volatility label implies the fund tends to move less aggressively than the general market in both directions. These metrics collectively describe a security that has historically offered reduced price swings but still experienced significant temporary losses during adverse conditions.

AI-generated summary based on the data on this page.

VPU Top Holdings

Holdings as of 2026-02-28 per the fund's most recent SEC N-PORT-P filing. Top 10 holdings make up 52.2% of net assets — a rough gauge of concentration risk (the higher this figure, the more the fund's return depends on a handful of names). To see how VPU's holdings overlap with other ETFs you own or are considering, check the Stock Overlap tool.

Which Funds Overlap With VPU

Holding two funds that own the same companies adds cost and complexity without adding much diversification. These tracked ETFs share the most names with VPU's top 10 — FUTY overlaps most, holding 10 of the same companies as VPU's top 10 (52.2% of VPU's assets).

Compares the top 10 reported holdings of each fund, so it's a floor on true overlap — two S&P 500 trackers overlap ~100% even when only 10 names are listed. Use the Stock Overlap tool to search by individual company.

Market Backdrop

10-Year Treasury Yield: 4.65% (as of 2026-07-27) — The yield on 10-year US Treasury bonds — the standard "risk-free rate" benchmark used to contextualize this fund’s Sharpe ratio and returns.

CBOE Volatility Index (VIX): 18.67 (as of 2026-07-27) — A real-time gauge of expected S&P 500 volatility over the next 30 days — useful context for this fund’s own volatility label.

Federal Funds Rate: 3.63% (as of 2026-06-01) — The Federal Reserve’s target policy rate, which anchors short-term borrowing costs across the economy.

VPU Liquidity, Domicile & Tax Treatment

Liquidity: Quoted bid/ask spread is — and average daily volume is 220K/day. Tighter spreads and higher volume mean lower round-trip trading costs; this is a live-market snapshot and can widen during volatile sessions. AUM of $10.8B provides ample scale, supporting tight spreads and issuer commitment to keep the fund open.

Domicile & tax treatment: VPU is a US-domiciled, SEC-registered ('40 Act) exchange-traded fund. Dividends and capital gains distributions are reported to US investors on Form 1099-DIV, and the fund is not subject to the PFIC reporting or UCITS-specific rules that apply to Irish- or Luxembourg-domiciled funds. Non-US investors should note that US-domiciled ETFs are generally subject to 30% US withholding tax on dividends (unless reduced by treaty) and to US estate tax exposure on the position — Irish-domiciled UCITS ETFs tracking the same index often avoid both, which is why non-US residents frequently prefer the UCITS equivalent where one exists. This is general information, not tax advice — consult a tax professional for your situation.

VPU Performance History

How VPU Compares to Other Utilities ETFs