UTG vs. VPU

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Reaves Utility Income Trust (UTG) and Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU).

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

UTG vs. VPU - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Reaves Utility Income Trust (UTG) and Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

UTG vs. VPU - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
UTG Reaves Utility Income Trust	8.44%	23.24%	28.10%	2.84%	-13.38%	14.26%	-5.25%	33.65%	1.84%	6.74%
VPU Vanguard Utilities ETF	8.24%	16.46%	23.04%	-7.45%	1.06%	17.40%	-0.74%	24.89%	4.38%	12.44%

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both stocks are quite close, with UTG having a 8.44% return and VPU slightly lower at 8.24%. Over the past 10 years, UTG has outperformed VPU with an annualized return of 10.34%, while VPU has yielded a comparatively lower 9.67% annualized return.

UTG

• 1D: 0.41%
• 1M: -5.57%
• YTD: 8.44%
• 6M: 2.25%
• 1Y: 28.68%
• 3Y*: 20.05%
• 5Y*: 11.13%
• 10Y*: 10.34%

VPU

• 1D: 0.42%
• 1M: -2.05%
• YTD: 8.24%
• 6M: 5.69%
• 1Y: 19.37%
• 3Y*: 13.96%
• 5Y*: 10.58%
• 10Y*: 9.67%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Return for Risk

UTG vs. VPU — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

UTG

UTG Risk / Return Rank: 81
UTG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 85
UTG Sortino Ratio Rank: 76
UTG Omega Ratio Rank: 82
UTG Calmar Ratio Rank: 82
UTG Martin Ratio Rank: 79

VPU

VPU Risk / Return Rank: 65
VPU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 69
VPU Sortino Ratio Rank: 65
VPU Omega Ratio Rank: 60
VPU Calmar Ratio Rank: 79
VPU Martin Ratio Rank: 52

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.

UTG vs. VPU - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Reaves Utility Income Trust (UTG) 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.

	UTG	VPU	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.52	1.25	+0.27
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.83	1.71	+0.13
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.29	1.23	+0.06
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.41	2.22	+0.19
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.37	5.27	+0.09
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

UTG vs. VPU - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current UTG Sharpe Ratio is 1.52, which is comparable to the VPU Sharpe Ratio of 1.25. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of UTG and VPU, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	UTG	VPU	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.52	1.25	+0.27
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.68	0.63	+0.05
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.48	0.51	-0.03
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.47	0.55	-0.08

Correlation

The correlation between UTG and VPU is 0.59, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

UTG vs. VPU - Dividend Comparison

UTG's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 6.03%, more than VPU's 2.56% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
UTG Reaves Utility Income Trust	6.03%	6.42%	7.19%	8.53%	8.07%	6.35%	6.59%	5.69%	6.86%	6.21%	9.02%	6.86%
VPU Vanguard Utilities ETF	2.56%	2.73%	3.02%	3.49%	2.98%	2.70%	3.17%	2.83%	3.23%	3.18%	3.19%	3.63%

Drawdowns

UTG vs. VPU - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum UTG drawdown since its inception was -67.77%, which is greater than VPU's maximum drawdown of -46.31%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for UTG and VPU.

Drawdown Indicators

	UTG	VPU	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-67.77%	-46.31%	-21.46%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.01%	-8.90%	-3.11%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-26.54%	-25.15%	-1.39%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-47.91%	-36.42%	-11.49%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.02%	-2.71%	-3.31%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-8.79%	-7.82%	-0.97%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	5.40%	3.74%	+1.66%

Volatility

UTG vs. VPU - Volatility Comparison

Reaves Utility Income Trust (UTG) has a higher volatility of 6.42% compared to Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU) at 4.99%. This indicates that UTG'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.

Volatility by Period

	UTG	VPU	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.42%	4.99%	+1.43%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	13.20%	10.18%	+3.02%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	18.93%	15.51%	+3.42%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	16.56%	16.91%	-0.35%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	21.54%	19.07%	+2.47%