- ISIN
- US92204A8760
- CUSIP
- 92204A876
- Issuer
- Vanguard
- Inception Date
- Jan 26, 2004
- Region
- North America (U.S.)
- Category
- Utilities Equities
- Leveraged
- 1x (No leverage)
- Index Tracked
- MSCI US Investable Market Utilities 25/50 Index
- Domicile
- United States
- Distribution Policy
- Distributing
- Asset Class
- Equity
- Asset Class Size
- Large-Cap
- Asset Class Style
- Blend
- Assets Under Management
- $11B
Share Price Chart
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Performance
VPU Performance Chart
Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU) is up 6.0% since the beginning of the year. VPU is currently trading at $195 per share. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of VPU shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,624.
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Returns By Period
Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU) has returned 5.98% so far this year and 14.60% over the past 12 months. Over the last ten years, VPU has returned 9.17% per year, falling short of the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 13.88% annually.
Vanguard Utilities ETF
- 1D
- 0.45%
- 1M
- -0.84%
- YTD
- 5.98%
- 6M
- 6.31%
- 1Y
- 14.60%
- 3Y*
- 14.56%
- 5Y*
- 10.18%
- 10Y*
- 9.17%
Benchmark (S&P 500 Index)
- 1D
- -0.37%
- 1M
- -0.01%
- YTD
- 9.16%
- 6M
- 8.64%
- 1Y
- 25.22%
- 3Y*
- 19.78%
- 5Y*
- 11.99%
- 10Y*
- 13.88%
VPU Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Jan 30, 2004, VPU's average daily return is +0.04%, while the average monthly return is +0.86%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 6.7 years.
Historically, 67% of months were positive and 33% were negative. The best month was Mar 2021 with a return of +10.3%, while the worst month was Feb 2009 at -12.9%. The longest winning streak lasted 17 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 5 months.
On a daily basis, VPU closed higher 54% of trading days. The best single day was Mar 17, 2020 with a return of +13.0%, while the worst single day was Mar 16, 2020 at -11.2%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1.59% | 9.51% | -3.12% | 2.20% | -4.85% | 1.12% | 5.98% | ||||||
| 2025 | 2.84% | 2.03% | 0.34% | 0.11% | 3.49% | 0.45% | 4.95% | -1.38% | 4.36% | 1.93% | 1.76% | -5.12% | 16.46% |
| 2024 | -3.33% | 1.41% | 6.95% | 1.59% | 8.69% | -5.26% | 6.83% | 4.47% | 6.23% | -1.19% | 4.15% | -8.05% | 23.04% |
| 2023 | -1.58% | -5.74% | 4.54% | 1.50% | -5.62% | 1.40% | 2.41% | -6.34% | -5.59% | 0.82% | 5.11% | 2.39% | -7.45% |
| 2022 | -3.36% | -1.87% | 9.80% | -4.38% | 4.51% | -5.08% | 5.71% | 0.29% | -11.16% | 2.45% | 7.04% | -0.94% | 1.06% |
| 2021 | -1.04% | -5.54% | 10.30% | 3.78% | -2.34% | -1.85% | 3.92% | 3.70% | -6.16% | 5.12% | -1.59% | 9.42% | 17.40% |
Benchmark Metrics
Vanguard Utilities ETF has an annualized alpha of 4.53%, beta of 0.65, and R2 of 0.45 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since January 30, 2004.
- This ETF participates in less of S&P 500 Index's moves in both directions, but captures a larger share of gains (61.11%) than losses (46.03%) - typical of diversified or defensive assets.
- Beta of 0.65 may look defensive, but with R2 of 0.45 this ETF is largely uncorrelated with S&P 500 Index - low beta reflects independence, not downside protection. See the Volatility section for a true picture of this ETF's risk.
- R2 of 0.45 means the benchmark explains less than half of this ETF's behavior - treat beta with caution or consider switching to a more representative benchmark.
- Alpha
- 4.53%
- Beta
- 0.65
- R²
- 0.45
- Upside Capture
- 61.11%
- Downside Capture
- 46.03%
Expense Ratio
VPU has an expense ratio of 0.09%, which is considered low.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
VPU ranks 29 for risk / return — below 29% of ETFs on our site. The returns aren't fully compensating for the risk involved. This isn't necessarily a dealbreaker, but factor it into your decision — especially if you're risk-averse.
Return / Risk — by metrics
The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU) and compare them to S&P 500 Index.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| VPU | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -1.01 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -1.32 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.18 | 1.37 | -0.19 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.65 | 2.78 | -1.14 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 3.51 | 12.44 | -8.92 |
Dividends
Dividend History
Vanguard Utilities ETF provided a 2.61% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $5.09 per share. The fund has been increasing its distributions for 4 consecutive years.
| Period | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend | $5.09 | $5.04 | $4.93 | $4.78 | $4.58 | $4.22 | $4.35 | $4.04 | $3.81 | $3.71 | $3.41 | $3.41 |
Dividend yield | 2.61% | 2.73% | 3.02% | 3.49% | 2.98% | 2.70% | 3.17% | 2.83% | 3.23% | 3.18% | 3.19% | 3.63% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for Vanguard Utilities ETF. The dividends shown in the table have been adjusted to account for any splits that may have occurred.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.28 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.28 | ||||||
| 2025 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.23 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.23 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.23 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.36 | $5.04 |
| 2024 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.10 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.24 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.31 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.28 | $4.93 |
| 2023 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.14 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.11 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.21 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.31 | $4.78 |
| 2022 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.01 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.09 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.28 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.20 | $4.58 |
| 2021 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.96 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.01 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.19 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.06 | $4.22 |
Drawdowns
Drawdowns Chart
The Drawdowns chart displays portfolio losses from any high point along the way. Drawdowns are calculated considering price movements and all distributions paid, if any.
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Worst Drawdowns
The table below displays the maximum drawdowns of the Vanguard Utilities ETF. A maximum drawdown is a measure of risk, indicating the largest reduction in portfolio value due to a series of losing trades.
The maximum drawdown for the Vanguard Utilities ETF was 46.31%, occurring on Mar 9, 2009. Recovery took 819 trading sessions.
The current Vanguard Utilities ETF drawdown is 4.74%.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Financial crisis2007–2009 | -46.31%Mar 2009 | 1y 2mo | 3y 3mo | 4y 5moDec 2007 - Jun 2012 |
COVID crash2020 | -36.42%Mar 2020 | 1mo 3d | 1y 4mo | 1y 5moFeb 2020 - Aug 2021 |
2023 bear market2023 | -25.15%Oct 2023 | 1y 19d | 10mo 4d | 1y 10moSep 2022 - Aug 2024 |
2015 correction2015 | -16.15%Sep 2015 | 7mo 7d | 6mo 6d | 1y 1moJan 2015 - Mar 2016 |
Bear market2022 | -15.28%Jun 2022 | 2mo 7d | 1mo 26d | 4mo 3dApr 2022 - Aug 2022 |
Drawdown Indicators
| VPU | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -46.31% | -56.78% | +10.47% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -8.90% | -9.10% | +0.20% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -17.34% | -18.90% | +1.56% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -25.15% | -25.43% | +0.28% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -36.42% | -33.92% | -2.50% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -4.74% | -1.80% | -2.94% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -7.78% | -10.71% | +2.93% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 4.16% | 2.03% | +2.13% |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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