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POWR vs. VPU
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

POWR vs. VPU

Last updated Jun 6, 2026

POWR (iShares U.S. Power Infrastructure ETF) and VPU (Vanguard Utilities ETF) are both Utilities Equities funds. POWR is actively managed, while VPU is passively managed. Over the past 10 years, POWR returned 8.00%/yr vs 9.18%/yr for VPU. At a 0.25 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. POWR charges 0.40%/yr vs 0.09%/yr for VPU.

Performance

POWR vs. VPU - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares U.S. Power Infrastructure ETF (POWR) and Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, POWR achieves a 16.01% return, which is significantly higher than VPU's 4.64% return. Over the past 10 years, POWR has underperformed VPU with an annualized return of 8.00%, while VPU has yielded a comparatively higher 9.18% annualized return.

POWR

1D
-2.23%
1M
-3.34%
YTD
16.01%
6M
13.05%
1Y
28.14%
3Y*
11.45%
5Y*
14.67%
10Y*
8.00%

VPU

1D
0.79%
1M
-2.87%
YTD
4.64%
6M
3.87%
1Y
13.20%
3Y*
14.00%
5Y*
9.41%
10Y*
9.18%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

POWR vs. VPU - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
POWR
iShares U.S. Power Infrastructure ETF		16.01%10.81%-1.30%3.66%42.54%42.03%-28.30%8.44%-11.74%9.69%
VPU
Vanguard Utilities ETF		4.64%16.46%23.04%-7.45%1.06%17.40%-0.74%24.89%4.38%12.44%

Correlation

The correlation between POWR and VPU is 0.40, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

Correlation
Correlation (1Y)
Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

0.40

Correlation (3Y)
Calculated over the trailing 3-year period

0.35

Correlation (5Y)
Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.30

Correlation (10Y)
Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

0.23

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Feb 3, 2012

0.25

The correlation between POWR and VPU shifts across timeframes, from 0.23 (10 years) to 0.40 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

POWR vs. VPU - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors
POWR
VPU

Utilities

52.8%
99.3%

Industrials

26.6%
0.2%

Energy

17.3%
0.5%

Technology

2.9%

-

Basic Materials

1.0%

-

Communication Services

-

-

Consumer Cyclical

-

-

Consumer Defensive

-

-

Financial Services

-

-

Healthcare

-

-

Real Estate

-

-

Utilities

POWR
52.8%
VPU
99.3%

Industrials

POWR
26.6%
VPU
0.2%

Energy

POWR
17.3%
VPU
0.5%

Technology

POWR
2.9%
VPU

-

Basic Materials

POWR
1.0%
VPU

-

Communication Services

POWR

-

VPU

-

Consumer Cyclical

POWR

-

VPU

-

Consumer Defensive

POWR

-

VPU

-

Financial Services

POWR

-

VPU

-

Healthcare

POWR

-

VPU

-

Real Estate

POWR

-

VPU

-

Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs

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iShares U.S. Power Infrastructure ETF

Vanguard Utilities ETF

Often compared with POWR:
POWR vs. GRIDPOWR vs. AIPOPOWR vs. XLUPOWR vs. PAVEPOWR vs. ZAPPOWR vs. XLUIPOWR vs. SOXX
Often compared with VPU:
VPU vs. XLUVPU vs. FUTYVPU vs. VOOVPU vs. IDUVPU vs. SPYVPU vs. VUIAXVPU vs. SCHD

Return for Risk

POWR vs. VPU — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.
POWR
POWR Risk / Return Rank: 6060
Overall Rank
POWR Sharpe Ratio Rank: 5151
Sharpe Ratio Rank
POWR Sortino Ratio Rank: 4949
Sortino Ratio Rank
POWR Omega Ratio Rank: 4747
Omega Ratio Rank
POWR Calmar Ratio Rank: 8686
Calmar Ratio Rank
POWR Martin Ratio Rank: 6767
Martin Ratio Rank
VPU
VPU Risk / Return Rank: 2727
Overall Rank
VPU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 2727
Sharpe Ratio Rank
VPU Sortino Ratio Rank: 2525
Sortino Ratio Rank
VPU Omega Ratio Rank: 2525
Omega Ratio Rank
VPU Calmar Ratio Rank: 3131
Calmar Ratio Rank
VPU Martin Ratio Rank: 2525
Martin Ratio Rank
The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

POWR vs. VPU - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares U.S. Power Infrastructure ETF (POWR) and Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

POWRVPUDifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
1.69
0.93

+0.76

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
2.34
1.33

+1.00

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.29

1.17

+0.13

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

4.72

1.49

+3.23

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

11.82

3.31

+8.50

Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

POWR vs. VPU - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current POWR Sharpe Ratio is 1.69, which is higher than the VPU Sharpe Ratio of 0.93. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of POWR and VPU, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

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Sharpe Ratios by Period

POWRVPUDifference

Sharpe Ratio (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

1.69

0.93

+0.76

Sharpe Ratio (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.64

0.55

+0.08

Sharpe Ratio (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

0.31

0.48

-0.17

Sharpe Ratio (All Time)

Calculated using the full available price history

0.18

0.54

-0.36

Drawdowns

POWR vs. VPU - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum POWR drawdown since its inception was -65.98%, which is greater than VPU's maximum drawdown of -46.31%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for POWR and VPU.

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Drawdown Indicators

POWRVPUDifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-65.98%

-46.31%

-19.67%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-5.98%

-8.90%

+2.92%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-23.14%

-17.34%

-5.80%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-25.09%

-25.15%

+0.06%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-63.42%

-36.42%

-27.00%

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-3.54%

-5.95%

+2.41%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-18.14%

-7.78%

-10.36%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

2.39%

3.99%

-1.60%

Volatility

POWR vs. VPU - Volatility Comparison

iShares U.S. Power Infrastructure ETF (POWR) has a higher volatility of 6.17% compared to Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU) at 5.40%. This indicates that POWR's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VPU based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

POWRVPUDifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

6.17%

5.40%

+0.77%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

12.56%

11.38%

+1.18%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

16.72%

14.23%

+2.49%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

23.09%

17.05%

+6.04%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

25.62%

19.12%

+6.50%

POWR vs. VPU - Expense Ratio Comparison

POWR has a 0.40% expense ratio, which is higher than VPU's 0.09% expense ratio.

Dividends

POWR vs. VPU - Dividend Comparison

POWR's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 6.82%, more than VPU's 2.65% yield.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
POWR
iShares U.S. Power Infrastructure ETF		6.82%7.56%4.36%4.16%4.82%3.94%3.96%5.71%3.17%3.11%2.75%3.42%
VPU
Vanguard Utilities ETF		2.65%2.73%3.02%3.49%2.98%2.70%3.17%2.83%3.23%3.18%3.19%3.63%

Frequently Asked Questions

POWR and VPU have a correlation of 0.40, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

POWR has higher volatility (6.17%) compared to VPU (5.40%). In terms of maximum drawdown, POWR dropped -65.98% vs VPU's -46.31%.

On 10-year performance, VPU leads with 9.18% vs 8.00% for POWR. On fees, VPU is cheaper at 0.09% per year. On volatility, VPU has been the lower-risk option at 5.40%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Over the 10-year period, VPU has performed better with a 9.18% return vs 8.00%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

VPU is cheaper with a 0.09% expense ratio, compared with 0.40% for POWR.

POWR has the higher dividend yield at 6.82%, compared with 2.65% for VPU.

They also come from different issuers: iShares and Vanguard. Their fees differ too: 0.40% for POWR and 0.09% for VPU.

POWR currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.69 vs 0.93), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.

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