ESGU vs VOO: Performance, Holdings, Fees & Risk
ESGU and VOO are ETFs, but they can differ materially in exposure, yield, fees and risk. ESGU is iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF, while VOO is Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. VOO is broader by holdings count, with 508 positions versus 272 for ESGU. VOO has the lower expense ratio. Current AlgovestIQ evidence has VOO ahead on AIQ Score, 64 versus 53.
| Metric | ESGU | VOO |
|---|---|---|
| Fund | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.15% | 0.03% |
| Holdings | 272 | 508 |
| Top-10 concentration | 36.8% | 37.6% |
| Distribution yieldTrailing 12 months | 0.92% | 1.05% |
| Average volume | 391,286 | 7,814,237 |
| Performance | ||
| 1Y return | +16.3% | +16.4% |
| YTD return | +12.8% | +12.7% |
| 5Y annualized returnTotal return, distributions reinvested | +11.4% | +12.6% |
| Risk | ||
| Annualized volatility | 13% | 12.8% |
| Max drawdown (1Y) | -9.5% | -9.2% |
| Max drawdown (5Y)Total return, distributions reinvested | -26.1% | -24.5% |
| Beta | 1.02 | 1.00 |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.89 | 0.91 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.35 | 1.38 |
| AlgovestIQ | ||
| AIQ Score | 53/100 | 64/100 |
| AIQ Edge Score | 5/10 | 9/10 |
| Momentum | 52/100 | 64/100 |
| Risk Resilience | 86/100 | 87/100 |
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF vs Vanguard S&P 500 ETF
VOO leads
VOO leads by 11 AIQ points, primarily on Quality and Momentum.
Fragile: 2 of 4 evidence groups support VOO, and its current signal state is conflicted.
iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors VOO over ESGU, 64 versus 53 as of Oct 21, 2026. VOO's advantage is driven primarily by stronger quality and momentum. VOO also shows the stronger technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average. 2 of 4 covered evidence groups favor VOO today, and the comparison is rated Fragile on stability: only 2 of 4 covered evidence groups agree. VOO lead: Stable — the AIQ differential has held near 11 points over 30 sessions.
Compare iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF across performance, expense ratio, dividend yield, drawdown, volatility and the Algovestiq AIQ Score.
ESGU vs VOO: which fits what
Each row is settled by a single measure. Where the gap is too small to matter it reads Similar, and no row decides the comparison as a whole.
| If you want | ESGU | VOO | Fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower costExpense ratio | 0.15% | 0.03% | VOO |
| Broader diversificationNumber of holdings | 272 | 508 | VOO |
| Lower concentrationWeight of the 10 largest holdings | 36.8% | 37.6% | Similar |
| Higher incomeTrailing 12-month distribution yield | 0.92% | 1.05% | Similar |
| Smaller drawdownsMax drawdown, 5 years | -26.1% | -24.5% | Similar |
| Lower volatilityAnnualized volatility, 1 year | 13% | 12.8% | Similar |
Similar means the gap is within 0.01 percentage points of expense ratio, 25% more holdings, 3 points of top-10 weight, 0.2 points of yield, 2 points of drawdown or 1 point of volatility. Past drawdowns and volatility describe the funds’ history, not their future.
Performance over time
Total return with distributions reinvested, from daily closes for both ETFs.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000, distributions reinvested
Split-adjusted closes; each distribution is reinvested at the close on its ex-dividend date. Taxes and trading costs are not modeled.
Compare ESGU and VOO against another ticker
Open a multi-ticker workspace without changing this focused pair page.
AIQ Factor Divergence
Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.
- Quality56 vs 77VOO +21
- Momentum52 vs 64VOO +12
- Value33 vs 41VOO +8
- Risk Resilience86 vs 87Even
2 of 4 evidence groups favor VOO. VOO’s edge is concentrated in quality and momentum.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-10-20, compared against the prior scored session 2026-10-19.
Largest factor move: Momentum +3
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 6 active signals are unchanged.
Largest factor move: Momentum +17
New signals
- Uptrend Structure Active — bullish, trend, long horizon
VOO's lead widened by 3 AIQ points in the latest session.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — ESGU and VOO both carry a full feed there.
Fund facts, side by side
Two funds tracking overlapping universes are separated by cost and risk far more than by holdings. Those lead here.
| Measure | ESGU | VOO | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expense ratio | 0.15% | 0.03% | Lower is better — it compounds against you every year you hold. |
| Holdings | 272 | 508 | More holdings means broader diversification, not better returns. |
| Average volume | 391,286 | 7,814,237 | Liquidity — matters most if you trade size. |
| Annualized volatility | 13% | 12.8% | Lower is a steadier ride for the same exposure. |
| Max drawdown (1Y) | -9.5% | -9.2% | The worst peak-to-trough loss over the past year. |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.89 | 0.91 | Return per unit of risk. Higher is better. |
| Beta | 1.02 | 1.00 | Sensitivity to the broad market. Neither direction is better — it depends on the role in your portfolio. |
Where the exposure actually sits
Sector exposure for each fund, ordered by the size of the difference.
How much of the same holdings they own
ESGU and VOO share 77.54% of their weighted exposure across 248 common holdings.
21 holdings are unique to ESGU, and 257 holdings are unique to VOO. Owning both adds little diversification — they are largely the same exposure in different wrappers.
VOO is the more concentrated of the two: its ten largest positions are 37.65% of the fund, against 36.75% for ESGU (508 holdings vs 272). Concentration cuts both ways — it is what drives outperformance when the top names work, and what makes the drawdown deeper when they do not.
Largest shared positions
| Holding | ESGU | VOO | Shared |
|---|---|---|---|
| NVDANVIDIA | 7.84% | 7.55% | 7.55% |
| AAPLApple Inc | 6.93% | 7.05% | 6.93% |
| MSFTMicrosoft Corp | 5.32% | 5.36% | 5.32% |
| AMZNAmazon.com Inc | 3.62% | 4.13% | 3.62% |
| GOOGALPHABET CLASS C | 3.37% | 2.62% | 2.62% |
| AVGOBroadcom Inc | 2.53% | 2.86% | 2.53% |
| METAMETA PLATFORMS CLASS A | 2.01% | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| GOOGLAlphabet Inc | 1.85% | 3.24% | 1.85% |
Shared weight is the lower of the two positions — the portion of capital both funds genuinely have in the same security.
What ESGU adds that VOO doesn’t
| Holding | ESGU | VOO |
|---|---|---|
| HIGHARTFORD INSURANCE GROUP | 0.61% | 0.06% |
| BNYBANK OF NEW YORK MELLON CORP | 0.47% | 0.17% |
| NINISOURCE | 0.43% | 0.03% |
| ECLECOLAB | 0.39% | 0.11% |
| CMICUMMINS INC | 0.38% | 0.14% |
| TTTRANE TECHNOLOGIES PLC | 0.38% | 0.16% |
What VOO adds that ESGU doesn’t
| Holding | VOO | ESGU |
|---|---|---|
| BRK-BBerkshire Hathaway Inc | 1.46% | 0.42% |
| WMTWalmart Inc | 0.76% | Not held |
| CVXChevron Corp | 0.57% | 0.1% |
| PMPhilip Morris International Inc | 0.46% | Not held |
| WFCWells Fargo & Co | 0.41% | 0.18% |
| MCDMcDonald's Corp | 0.3% | 0.12% |
Each list is a fund’s largest positions by weight that the other fund does not hold, or holds at less than half the weight.
ESGU vs VOO: five-year payout growth
ESGU grew its split-adjusted payout faster over 2020-2025 — 6.19% a year against VOO's 5.91%. VOO never reduced its annual distribution in the window; ESGU did in 1 year.
| Dividend metric | ESGU | VOO |
|---|---|---|
| 5Y payout CAGR | 6.19% | 5.91% |
| 2020 annual payout | $1.090 | $5.303 |
| 2025 annual payout | $1.472 | $7.068 |
| Calendar-year declines | 1 | 0 |
| Peer rank | #83 of 138 | #88 of 138 |
Split-adjusted annual distributions, 2020–2025. Research as of Sep 19, 2026. Yield and expense ratio above are current values, not part of this window.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
2 of 4 covered evidence groups favor VOO. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | VOO | 53 vs 64 |
| Fundamentals | Not covered | Not covered |
| Valuation | VOO | Value 33 vs 41 |
| Technicals | Even | Price vs 50-day 0.6% vs 0.6%; vs 200-day 6.1% vs 5.9% |
| Risk Resilience | Even | Risk Resilience 86 vs 87 |
| Analyst expectations | Not covered | Not covered |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of ESGU and VOO and are excluded from the count.
AIQ Decision Stability
The conclusion is sensitive to small changes. Treat the lead as provisional and watch the flip conditions below.
- The AIQ gap is moderate at 11 points.
- Only 2 of 4 covered evidence groups agree. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The lead has been steady session to session. (supports the conclusion holding)
- The leader is throwing conflicting signals. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on VOO.
How the comparison changed
120 daily snapshots · Jun 21 – Oct 20VOO lead: Stable — the AIQ differential has held near 11 points over 30 sessions.
- Today
- VOO +11
- 53 vs 64
- 7 sessions ago
- VOO +8
- 55 vs 63
- 30 sessions ago
- VOO +9
- 55 vs 64
- 90 sessions ago
- VOO +8
- 60 vs 68
The lead has not changed hands in this window.
AIQ Signal Divergence
Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.
3 bullish / 1 bearish / 2 neutral, conflicted
Only ESGU
- Bollinger Band Squeeze — neutral, volatility, short horizon
4 bullish / 1 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted
Only VOO
- Uptrend Structure Active — bullish, trend, long horizon
Both carry 5 more signals that do not separate them: Golden Cross Active, ATR Contraction - Coiling, EMA Ribbon Expansion Bullish, 52-Week High Proximity, MACD Bearish Crossover.
VOO leads the comparison while carrying a conflicted signal state, which is one reason the stability rating is not higher.
Price vs model alignment
Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.
Price and the AIQ Score both moved up over the latest session (price +0.63%, AIQ +1 points).
Price and the AIQ Score both moved up over the latest session (price +0.55%, AIQ +4 points).
What would flip this result
A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.
- 1ESGU closes the Quality gap — currently 21 points behind, the largest single contributor to VOO's edge.
- 2ESGU's Bollinger Band Squeeze turns directional — it is neutral today and would confirm a change in trend.
- 3VOO's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 4 bullish and 1 bearish rules at once.
- 4A regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
The full evidence
Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.
Performance
Split across windows| Metric | ESGU | VOO |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | -1.3% | -1.2% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | -0.7% | -0.8% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | 2.6% | 2.9% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | 9.6% | 9.2% |
| Year to date | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | 16.3% | 16.4% |
Technicals
Split| Metric | ESGU | VOO |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 55.1 | 56.2 |
| ADX (14) | 12.7 | 12.3 |
| Price vs 50-day | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Price vs 200-day | 6.1% | 5.9% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 9.6% | 9.4% |
Risk
Split| Metric | ESGU | VOO |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 1.02 | 1 |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.89 | 0.91 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.35 | 1.38 |
| Max drawdown | -9.5% | -9.2% |
| Current drawdown | -1.5% | -1.3% |
| Annualized volatility | 13% | 12.8% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -1.3% | -1.4% |
Straight answers
Short answers to the questions fund investors ask about this pair, from the figures above.
How much do ESGU and VOO overlap?
ESGU and VOO share 77.54% of their weighted exposure across 248 common holdings. 21 holdings are unique to ESGU, and 257 holdings are unique to VOO. Owning both adds little diversification — they are largely the same exposure in different wrappers.
Which ETF is more diversified, ESGU or VOO?
VOO holds more positions: 508 versus 272 for ESGU.
Which has the lower expense ratio?
VOO has the lower expense ratio, 0.03% a year against 0.15% for ESGU.
Which ETF has the higher distribution yield?
Their trailing 12-month distribution yields are similar: 0.92% for ESGU and 1.05% for VOO.
Which ETF has been more volatile?
Their volatility over the past year is similar: 13% annualized for ESGU and 12.8% for VOO.
Which ETF has had the smaller drawdown?
Their worst peak-to-trough falls over the past five years are similar: -26.1% for ESGU and -24.5% for VOO.
Compare ESGU and VOO with others
Continue your research
This page answers which of the two. These answer the questions on either side of it.
How this comparison is scored
The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk, each carrying a fixed weight. Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.
The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.
How to use side-by-side comparison →This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.