ETF Versus

SGOV vs VUG

iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF vs Vanguard Growth Index Fund ETF Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-02

iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (SGOV) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to short-duration U.S. Treasury bonds with low interest rate risk. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.09%. The fund offers a high dividend yield of 4.01%. Launched in 2020, the fund has a 6-year track record.

AUM: $83.3B ER: 0.09% Yield: 4.01% Since: May 26, 2020
VUG Vanguard

Vanguard Growth Index Fund ETF Shares (VUG) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. growth stocks with above-average earnings potential. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.45%. Launched in 2004, the fund has a 22-year track record.

AUM: $179.8B ER: 0.03% Yield: 0.45% Since: Jan 26, 2004

Quick Verdict

VUG has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.03% vs 0.09%), saving about $119 per $10,000 over 10 years. Over the past year, VUG has significantly outperformed with a 18.0% return vs 0.0%. Income investors may prefer SGOV for its higher yield (4.0% vs 0.5%).

Key Metrics

Metric SGOV VUG
Expense Ratio 0.09% 0.03%
Dividend Yield 4.0% 0.5%
Fund Family N/A Vanguard
Category US Short-Term Treasury US Large Cap Growth

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 98 121 144 167 190 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
SGOV +0.4%
VUG +66.0%

Performance Comparison

Period SGOV VUG Difference
1 Month +0.01% -4.47% +4.48%
3 Months -0.02% -9.18% +9.16%
6 Months -0.03% -8.28% +8.25%
YTD -0.02% -9.18% +9.16%
1 Year +0.04% +18.01% -17.97%
3 Years +0.16% +77.18% -77.02%
5 Years +0.37% +66.01% -65.64%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period SGOV Fees VUG Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $179 $60 $119
$10.000 20 years $771 $258 $512
$10.000 30 years $2.486 $835 $1.650
$50.000 10 years $896 $299 $597
$50.000 30 years $12.428 $4.176 $8.252
$100.000 30 years $24.855 $8.352 $16.503

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric SGOV VUG
Annualized Volatility 1.1% 22.2%
Max Drawdown -0.7% -36.0%
Sharpe Ratio -4.13 0.37

Dividend Comparison

Metric SGOV VUG
Annual Dividend (per share) $4.02 $1.99
Dividend Yield 4.00% 0.45%
Distribution Frequency Monthly Quarterly

Top Holdings

VUG Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA12.82%
Apple Inc.AAPL12.23%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT9.15%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG4.49%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META4.44%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN4.41%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO3.95%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA3.58%
Eli Lilly and CompanyLLY2.82%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose VUG if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose VUG if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

Choose SGOV if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

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