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

Vanguard Utilities Index Fund ETF Shares (Ticker: VPU) is a utility-focused ETF managed by Vanguard, a well-respected issuer in the industry. With an overall rank of #319 out of 458 tracked ETFs, VPU is positioned in the middle of the pack. The fund has an expense ratio of 0.09%, which is relatively low, and a dividend yield of 2.30%, indicating a solid income stream for investors. Despite its low expense ratio and dividend yield, VPU's price of $185.03 and $10.5B in assets under management (AUM) suggest that it is a popular choice among investors, despite its relatively modest size within the category of 5 tracked utility ETFs.

Over the past year, VPU has seen a modest gain of 2.08%, but this performance has been volatile, with a 1-day return of -2.26% and a 1-week return of -3.49%. The 1-month return of -7.22% and the 3-month return of -4.45% indicate a period of deceleration in performance. However, the 6-month return of -6.40% and the year-to-date (YTD) return of +0.15% suggest a slight improvement in the second half of the year. The 3-year return of +47.39% shows a strong upward trend, indicating that the fund has performed well over the longer term, with a notable acceleration in the last year.

Vanguard Utilities Index Fund ETF Shares (VPU) is categorized as having a low volatility label, with a beta of 0.51, indicating that it is less sensitive to market movements compared to the broader market. The Sharpe ratio of -0.20 suggests that the fund has not been able to generate a satisfactory risk-adjusted return, as the returns have not compensated for the level of risk taken. The maximum drawdown of -12.96% indicates that the fund experienced a significant decline in value during a bear market, but it has since recovered. This combination of low beta and a negative Sharpe ratio implies that VPU is a relatively stable investment with limited upside potential, making it suitable for investors seeking a low-risk utility exposure with a focus on income rather than capital appreciation.

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

VPU Top Holdings

Holdings as of 2026-05-31 per the fund's most recent SEC N-PORT-P filing. Top 10 holdings make up 52.5% 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 (52.5% 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: 4.69% (as of 2026-08-20) — 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): 16.01 (as of 2026-08-20) — 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 2026-07-01) — 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 0.03% and average daily volume is 242K/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 $10.5B 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