VT vs VUG: Correlation & Overlap
Vanguard Total World Stock ETF (VT) and Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG) show a very strong relationship: their 3-year correlation of weekly returns is 0.89. Looking through to holdings, 33.5% of the two portfolios is the same by weight.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are VT and VUG?
On 3 years of weekly data the VT/VUG correlation comes out at 0.89, very strong, meaning they move nearly in lockstep. Little has changed lately, as the 1-year reading of 0.84 lands near the 3-year figure. The 5-year figure is 0.91, and annualized covariance runs at 238.2 %².
Within VT's tracked universe of 136 assets, VUG comes in at #18 by 3-year correlation. On 12-month performance VT holds a 6.5-point edge, +22.7% against +16.2%. The rolling one-year correlation stayed in a tight band between 0.83 and 0.94 over the past three years, which points to a structural rather than episodic relationship.
How is this computed?
Pearson correlation on weekly returns: ρ(A,B) = cov(rA, rB) / (σA · σB), over windows of 52, 156 and 260 weeks. Covariance is annualized (×52) and expressed in %². Full definitions on the methodology page.
VT vs VUG: side by side
| VT (Vanguard Total World Stock ETF) | VUG (Vanguard Growth ETF) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +22.7% | +16.2% |
| 5-year return | +67.7% | +78.4% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 13.9% | 19.4% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.92 | 1.28 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -16.5% | -22.8% |
| Dividend yield | 1.59% | 0.40% |
| Expense ratio | 0.06% | 0.03% |
| Assets under management | $97.9B | $372.0B |
| Sector / category | ETF · Global | ETF · US Style |
VT is a Global Large-Stock Blend fund from Vanguard: $97.9B under management, 5308 holdings, a 0.06% expense ratio, a 1.59% trailing dividend yield. VUG, Vanguard's Large Growth fund, carries $372.0B under management, 146 holdings, a 0.03% expense ratio, a 0.40% trailing dividend yield.
Portfolio overlap between VT and VUG
The two portfolios partially overlap: 33.5% of the funds' weight sits in the same underlying holdings (143 common positions). Correlation tells you they move together; overlap tells you why.
| Common holding | Weight in VT | Weight in VUG |
|---|---|---|
| NVDA | 4.20% | 12.84% |
| AAPL | 4.00% | 12.63% |
| MSFT | 3.09% | 9.61% |
| AMZN | 2.36% | 5.16% |
| GOOGL | 1.89% | 5.81% |
| AVGO | 1.62% | 4.47% |
| GOOG | 1.49% | 4.64% |
| META | 1.10% | 3.41% |
| LLY | 0.82% | 2.72% |
| TSLA | 0.81% | 2.45% |
| AMD | 0.69% | 2.17% |
| V | 0.54% | 1.66% |
| MA | 0.41% | 1.28% |
| COST | 0.38% | 1.19% |
| AMAT | 0.36% | 1.14% |
Largest positions held only by VT: 2330 (1.61%), JPM (0.84%), MU (0.83%), BRK.B (0.75%), 005930 (0.72%). Only by VUG: CBRS (0.03%), VG (0.03%), SYM (0.02%).
Overlap = sum of the smaller of the two weights across common holdings, from issuer disclosures as of 2026-07-31. Top 15 common positions shown.
Year-by-year returns
| Year | VT | VUG |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -18.0% | -33.2% |
| 2023 | +22.0% | +46.8% |
| 2024 | +16.5% | +32.7% |
| 2025 | +22.4% | +19.4% |
| 2026 | +15.2% | +9.6% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are VT and VUG good diversifiers for each other?
No. With a correlation of 0.89, VT and VUG move nearly in lockstep, so holding both adds very little diversification.
FAQ
What is the correlation between VT and VUG?
The VT/VUG correlation stands at 0.89 on a 3-year window (1 year: 0.84, 5 years: 0.91), computed from weekly returns as of 2026-08-27.
Is VUG a good diversifier for VT?
No. With a correlation of 0.89, VT and VUG move nearly in lockstep, so holding both adds very little diversification.
How much do VT and VUG overlap?
Per the issuers' own portfolio disclosures (2026-07-31), the overlap is 33.5% by weight over 143 common positions.
Use this data
$ curl https://www.pairbook.io/api/v1/pairs/vt-vs-vug.json
Markdown for the live badge, attribution link included:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/vt-vs-vug/)
The core API is free. Terms and every endpoint in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: VT correlations · VUG correlations
