VTI vs. MGC

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) and Vanguard Mega Cap ETF (MGC).

VTI and MGC are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. VTI is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the CRSP US Total Market Index. It was launched on Jun 27, 2016. MGC is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the CRSP US Mega Cap Index. It was launched on Dec 17, 2007. Both VTI and MGC are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

VTI vs. MGC - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) and Vanguard Mega Cap ETF (MGC). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

VTI vs. MGC - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
VTI Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF	-4.01%	17.10%	23.81%	26.05%	-19.52%	25.68%	21.08%	30.67%	-5.23%	21.21%
MGC Vanguard Mega Cap ETF	-5.62%	19.31%	27.16%	29.77%	-19.95%	27.58%	21.57%	31.14%	-3.45%	22.61%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VTI achieves a -4.01% return, which is significantly higher than MGC's -5.62% return. Over the past 10 years, VTI has underperformed MGC with an annualized return of 13.60%, while MGC has yielded a comparatively higher 14.69% annualized return.

VTI

• 1D: 2.93%
• 1M: -5.00%
• YTD: -4.01%
• 6M: -1.66%
• 1Y: 18.11%
• 3Y*: 17.84%
• 5Y*: 10.46%
• 10Y*: 13.60%

MGC

• 1D: 3.07%
• 1M: -4.82%
• YTD: -5.62%
• 6M: -2.65%
• 1Y: 18.56%
• 3Y*: 19.64%
• 5Y*: 12.23%
• 10Y*: 14.69%

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

VTI vs. MGC - Expense Ratio Comparison

VTI has a 0.03% expense ratio, which is lower than MGC's 0.05% expense ratio. Despite the difference, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

MGC

Vanguard Mega Cap ETF

VTI

Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF

Return for Risk

VTI vs. MGC — Risk / Return Rank

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

VTI

VTI Risk / Return Rank: 65
VTI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 58
VTI Sortino Ratio Rank: 62
VTI Omega Ratio Rank: 65
VTI Calmar Ratio Rank: 65
VTI Martin Ratio Rank: 75

MGC

MGC Risk / Return Rank: 66
MGC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 59
MGC Sortino Ratio Rank: 63
MGC Omega Ratio Rank: 66
MGC Calmar Ratio Rank: 68
MGC Martin Ratio Rank: 74

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.

VTI vs. MGC - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) and Vanguard Mega Cap ETF (MGC). 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.

	VTI	MGC	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.96	0.99	-0.04
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.48	1.53	-0.05
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.23	1.23	0.00
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.52	1.61	-0.09
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	7.26	7.15	+0.11
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VTI vs. MGC - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VTI Sharpe Ratio is 0.96, which is comparable to the MGC Sharpe Ratio of 0.99. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VTI and MGC, 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

	VTI	MGC	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.96	0.99	-0.04
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.60	0.71	-0.11
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.75	0.81	-0.06
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.48	0.55	-0.08

Correlation

The correlation between VTI and MGC is 0.98, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

VTI vs. MGC - Dividend Comparison

VTI's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.17%, more than MGC's 1.02% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
VTI Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF	1.17%	1.12%	1.27%	1.44%	1.66%	1.21%	1.42%	1.78%	2.04%	1.71%	1.92%	1.98%
MGC Vanguard Mega Cap ETF	1.02%	0.93%	1.15%	1.35%	1.65%	1.17%	1.45%	1.81%	2.10%	1.83%	2.14%	2.11%

Drawdowns

VTI vs. MGC - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VTI drawdown since its inception was -55.45%, which is greater than MGC's maximum drawdown of -51.93%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VTI and MGC.

Drawdown Indicators

	VTI	MGC	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-55.45%	-51.93%	-3.52%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.30%	-11.93%	-0.37%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-25.36%	-25.74%	+0.38%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-35.00%	-33.07%	-1.93%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.25%	-7.08%	+0.83%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-8.08%	-7.12%	-0.96%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.58%	2.69%	-0.11%

Volatility

VTI vs. MGC - Volatility Comparison

Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) and Vanguard Mega Cap ETF (MGC) have volatilities of 5.45% and 5.48%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VTI	MGC	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.45%	5.48%	-0.03%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.73%	9.84%	-0.11%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	19.01%	18.79%	+0.22%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.42%	17.26%	+0.16%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	18.29%	18.19%	+0.10%