POWR vs. VPU
Compare and contrast key facts about iShares U.S. Power Infrastructure ETF (POWR) and Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU).
POWR and VPU are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. POWR is an actively managed fund by iShares. It was launched on Jan 31, 2012. VPU is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the MSCI US Investable Market Utilities 25/50 Index. It was launched on Jan 26, 2004.
Performance
POWR vs. VPU - Performance Comparison
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POWR vs. VPU - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
POWR iShares U.S. Power Infrastructure ETF | 11.79% | 10.81% | -1.30% | 3.66% | 42.54% | 42.03% | -28.30% | 8.44% | -11.74% | 9.69% |
VPU Vanguard Utilities ETF | 7.79% | 16.46% | 23.04% | -7.45% | 1.06% | 17.40% | -0.74% | 24.89% | 4.38% | 12.44% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, POWR achieves a 11.79% return, which is significantly higher than VPU's 7.79% return. Over the past 10 years, POWR has underperformed VPU with an annualized return of 8.84%, while VPU has yielded a comparatively higher 9.62% annualized return.
POWR
- 1D
- 1.47%
- 1M
- -1.55%
- YTD
- 11.79%
- 6M
- 10.83%
- 1Y
- 13.74%
- 3Y*
- 9.63%
- 5Y*
- 16.02%
- 10Y*
- 8.84%
VPU
- 1D
- 0.02%
- 1M
- -3.12%
- YTD
- 7.79%
- 6M
- 6.07%
- 1Y
- 19.23%
- 3Y*
- 13.81%
- 5Y*
- 10.49%
- 10Y*
- 9.62%
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POWR vs. VPU - Expense Ratio Comparison
POWR has a 0.40% expense ratio, which is higher than VPU's 0.10% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
POWR vs. VPU — Risk / Return Rank
POWR
VPU
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.
| POWR | VPU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 0.63 | 1.25 | -0.61 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 0.94 | 1.70 | -0.75 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.14 | 1.23 | -0.09 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.82 | 2.30 | -1.49 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 2.88 | 5.48 | -2.60 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| POWR | VPU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.63 | 1.25 | -0.61 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.69 | 0.62 | +0.07 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.35 | 0.51 | -0.16 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.17 | 0.55 | -0.38 |
Correlation
The correlation between POWR and VPU is 0.24, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.
Dividends
POWR vs. VPU - Dividend Comparison
POWR's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 7.07%, more than VPU's 2.57% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
POWR iShares U.S. Power Infrastructure ETF | 7.07% | 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 | 2.57% | 2.73% | 3.02% | 3.49% | 2.98% | 2.70% | 3.17% | 2.83% | 3.23% | 3.18% | 3.19% | 3.63% |
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
| POWR | VPU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -65.98% | -46.31% | -19.67% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -17.67% | -8.90% | -8.77% |
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 DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -2.03% | -3.12% | +1.09% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -18.36% | -7.82% | -10.54% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 5.00% | 3.74% | +1.26% |
Volatility
POWR vs. VPU - Volatility Comparison
iShares U.S. Power Infrastructure ETF (POWR) has a higher volatility of 5.93% compared to Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU) at 4.99%. 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
| POWR | VPU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 5.93% | 4.99% | +0.94% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 11.98% | 10.18% | +1.80% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 21.77% | 15.54% | +6.23% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 23.23% | 16.91% | +6.32% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 25.64% | 19.07% | +6.57% |