compared to Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth ETF (Wong +1.10%) And Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG +1.24%) Reveals two low-cost strategies with subtle differences in stock concentration, dividend distribution and historical price volatility.
Both funds target large-cap US growth stocks, which serve as the main building blocks for aggressive portfolios. While they share many of the top holdings, the underlying indices differ in how they define the growth universe, leading to variations in the number of positions and total annual costs.
Snapshot (cost and size)
| metric | fabricated | wong |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | vanguard | vanguard |
| expense ratio | 0.03% | 0.06% |
| 1-Year Returns (as on 30/04/26) | 32.5% | 30.9% |
| dividend yield | 0.46% | 0.51% |
| beta | 1.18 | 1.16 |
| Om | $317.8 billion | $44.9 billion |
Beta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; Beta is calculated from five-year monthly returns. 1-year returns represent the total returns over the last 12 months. Dividend yield is the trailing 12-month distribution yield.
The Vanguard fund is the more affordable option with its 0.03% expense ratio, although Wong’s pricing is also very competitive at 0.06%.
Performance and risk comparison
| metric | fabricated | wong |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum drawdown (5 years) | (35.6%) | (32.7%) |
| $1,000 growth in 5 years (total return) | $1,867 | $1,902 |
what’s inside
The Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth ETF holds 387 stocks, providing broad access across the large-cap growth spectrum. Its largest positions include NVIDIA At 12.9%, Apple at 11.61%, and Microsoft At 8.8%. About 60% of the fund is dedicated to technology, followed by 13% consumer cyclicals and 12% communication services. The fund, launched in 2010, paid $0.56 per share in the last 12 months.
Vanguard Scottsdale Funds – Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth ETF
today’s change
(1.10%) $1.35
current price
$124.11
key data points
day limit
$123.61 -$124.41
52wk range
$94.63 -$126.83
volume
33K
In contrast, the Vanguard Growth ETF is more concentrated with 153 holdings and was launched in 2004. Its top holdings include Nvidia 13.29%, Apple 12.3% and Microsoft 9.08%. The sector allocation is more tilted towards technology at 53%, communication services at 16% and consumer cyclicals at 12%. It has a trailing-12-month dividend of $1.59 per share.
today’s change
(1.24%) $1.03
current price
$84.20
key data points
day limit
$83.57 -$84.37
52wk range
$63.31 -$84.37
volume
4.5M
For more guidance on ETF investing, check out the complete guide this link.
What does this mean for investors
Over the past five years, the VUG and WONG ETFs have posted similar returns, giving investors nearly double the profits in each fund. Although VUG is significantly larger than VONG, they also share several top holdings, including three of the “Magnificent Seven” market darlings. Their focus on growth names and low expense ratios make both ETFs solid choices for aggressive growth portfolios.
The tradeoff is income – with a focus on stocks with high capital appreciation potential, both ETFs offer relatively low dividend yields, although at 0.51%, Wong comes out slightly ahead in that category.
While both ETFs would be solid additions to a portfolio, the differences may come down to their benchmark indexes. VUG wants to track CRSP US Large Cap Growth IndexConsists of as many stocks as are needed to represent the top 85% of investable market cap CRSP US Total Market Index. Russell 1000 Growth IndexWhom Wong follows, focuses on russell 1000 Stocks with specific growth characteristics, and typically have larger holdings. While many of the holdings overlap, this difference in methodology means Wong can provide more exposure to mid-cap stocks in addition to large caps.
