ETF Versus

VO vs VUG

Vanguard Mid-Cap Index Fund ETF Shares vs Vanguard Growth Index Fund ETF Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-02

VO Vanguard

Vanguard Mid-Cap Index Fund ETF Shares (VO) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to mid-cap U.S. companies balancing growth potential and stability. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.50%. Launched in 2004, the fund has a 22-year track record.

AUM: $90.7B ER: 0.03% Yield: 1.50% Since: Jan 26, 2004
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

Over the past year, VUG has significantly outperformed with a 18.0% return vs 11.4%. Income investors may prefer VO for its higher yield (1.5% vs 0.5%).

Key Metrics

Metric VO VUG
Expense Ratio 0.03% 0.03%
Dividend Yield 1.5% 0.5%
Fund Family Vanguard Vanguard
Category US Mid Cap 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
VO +27.8%
VUG +66.0%

Performance Comparison

Period VO VUG Difference
1 Month -5.54% -4.47% -1.07%
3 Months -1.24% -9.18% +7.94%
6 Months -2.10% -8.28% +6.18%
YTD -1.24% -9.18% +7.94%
1 Year +11.38% +18.01% -6.63%
3 Years +37.24% +77.18% -39.94%
5 Years +27.84% +66.01% -38.17%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period VO Fees VUG Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $60 $60 $0
$10.000 20 years $258 $258 $0
$10.000 30 years $835 $835 $0
$50.000 10 years $299 $299 $0
$50.000 30 years $4.176 $4.176 $0
$100.000 30 years $8.352 $8.352 $0

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric VO VUG
Annualized Volatility 17.6% 22.2%
Max Drawdown -28.6% -36.0%
Sharpe Ratio 0.11 0.37

Dividend Comparison

Metric VO VUG
Annual Dividend (per share) $4.33 $1.99
Dividend Yield 1.50% 0.45%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 9 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

VO Top Holdings

NameWeight
Newmont CorporationNEM1.46%
Corning IncorporatedGLW1.20%
Howmet Aerospace Inc.HWM1.09%
Constellation Energy CorporationCEG1.06%
Vertiv Holdings CoVRT0.99%
Western Digital CorporationWDC0.99%
Seagate Technology Holdings plcSTX0.90%
Quanta Services, Inc.PWR0.87%
Cummins Inc.CMI0.83%
CRH plcCRH0.83%

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...

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

Choose VO if...

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

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