Compare/Updated Oct 26, 2026, refreshed every trading day
VUG vs VTI
Vanguard Morningstar Growth ETF against Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF: 4 years of returns, risk and today’s technical read, from Kavout’s own data.
VUG did best over the period: $1,000 invested on October 28, 2022 grew to $2,361, versus $2,065 for VOO and $2,017 for VTI. Its 136.1% total return exceeded VOO’s 106.5% and VTI’s 101.7%, reflecting stronger growth-stock exposure and higher sensitivity to market movements. That outperformance came with greater risk: VUG’s 12-month volatility was 18.0% and its worst drawdown was -22.8%, compared with 12.7% volatility and a -18.7% drawdown for VOO, and 12.9% volatility and a -19.3% drawdown for VTI. VOO narrowly outperformed VTI while experiencing slightly lower volatility and drawdown. VTI and VOO remained extremely similar, with 0.996 correlation, whereas VUG’s correlation was lower but still high at 0.946 with VTI and 0.958 with VOO.
- Price is above its 200-day average ($84); 50-day at $89.
- RSI 37, neutral. Supertrend says sell. ADX 23, so the trend is developing.
- Price is above its 200-day average ($357); 50-day at $377.
- RSI 42, neutral. Supertrend says sell. ADX 14, so the trend is weak.
Head to head
Which has returned more, VUG or VTI?
VUG beat VTI in 28 of the last 48 months; VTI won the other 20. The typical monthly gap was 1.55 points.
Total return by period
Which is riskier?
Both: Feb 19, 2025 to Apr 8, 2025
- 0.946
- correlation of daily moves, 4 years
- 1.22
- VUG move per 1% in VTI
- 0.938
- correlation, last 12 months
Month by month
Of the last 48 months. The typical gap was 1.55 points.
When did they diverge?
| Month | VUG | VTI | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 2023 | +7.8% | +2.7% | +5.05 pts |
| May 2023 | +5.2% | +0.4% | +4.73 pts |
| April 2026 | +14.3% | +10.4% | +3.84 pts |
| February 2026 | -4.3% | -0.5% | -3.77 pts |
Where the numbers come from. 1000 daily adjusted closes per fund from the Kavout market-data API, dividends included. Signals and indicators are Kavout’s own, refreshed nightly. Every figure is calculated from those adjusted closes.
Holdings and fees
What do you actually own with VUG and VTI?
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