MINT vs VXUS: Performance, Holdings, Fees & Risk

MINT and VXUS are ETFs, but they can differ materially in exposure, yield, fees and risk. MINT is PIMCO Enhanced Short Maturity Active Exchange-Traded Fund, while VXUS is Vanguard Total International Stock ETF. VXUS is broader by holdings count, with 8,821 positions versus 1,017 for MINT. VXUS has the lower expense ratio. Current AlgovestIQ evidence has VXUS ahead on AIQ Score, 63 versus 53.

Market data as of Oct 21, 2026 market close· Fund characteristics as of Oct 21, 2026
MINT
PIMCO
vs
VXUS
Vanguard
MINT
PIMCO Enhanced Short Maturity Active Exchange-Traded Fund
Issuer
PIMCO
Inception
2009-11-16
VXUS
Vanguard Total International Stock ETF
Issuer
Vanguard
Inception
2011-01-26

What is the main difference between MINT and VXUS?

VXUS holds 8,821 positions to MINT's 1,017, and 0% of their weight is in the same securities.

Expense ratio
MINT
0.36%
VXUS
0.05%
Lower annual fund costVXUS
Holdings
MINT
1,017
VXUS
8,821
Broader reported basketVXUS
1Y return
MINT
+0.1%
VXUS
+12.8%
Trailing performanceVXUS
Annualized volatility
MINT
1.1%
VXUS
17.2%
Lower realized volatilityMINT
MetricMINTVXUS
Fund
Expense ratio0.36%0.05%
Holdings1,0178,821
Top-10 concentration12.5%12.9%
Distribution yieldTrailing 12 months4.09%2.37%
Average volume1,768,3625,459,776
Performance
1Y return+0.1%+12.8%
YTD return+0.2%+11%
5Y annualized returnTotal return, distributions reinvested+3.8%+8.3%
Risk
Annualized volatility1.1%17.2%
Max drawdown (1Y)-0.6%-11.4%
Max drawdown (5Y)Total return, distributions reinvested-2.3%-28.9%
Beta0.001.11
Sharpe ratio-3.390.56
Sortino ratio-2.680.83
AlgovestIQ
AIQ Score53/10063/100
AIQ Edge Score5/109/10
Momentum41/10041/100
Risk Resilience66/10082/100

AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison

PIMCO Enhanced Short Maturity Active Exchange-Traded Fund vs Vanguard Total International Stock ETF

Data as of Oct 21, 2026· market close· Coverage 64/66 fields· High confidence
AIQ VerdictCompetitiveAIQ Comparison Conviction 6/10

VXUS leads

VXUS leads by 10 AIQ points, primarily on Risk Resilience and Value, and the lead has widened from 5 points over 30 sessions.

Competitive: 3 of 4 evidence groups support VXUS, its lead is widening, and its current signal state is conflicted.

Evidence agreement: 3 of 4Comparison trend: Strengthening
MINT

PIMCO Enhanced Short Maturity Active Exchange-Traded Fund

AIQ Score
53/100
AIQ Edge Score
5/10
VXUS

Vanguard Total International Stock ETF

Leads
AIQ Score
63/100
AIQ Edge Score
9/10

The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors VXUS over MINT, 63 versus 53 as of Oct 21, 2026. VXUS's advantage is driven primarily by stronger risk resilience and value. VXUS also shows the weaker technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average. 3 of 4 covered evidence groups favor VXUS today, and the comparison is rated Competitive on stability: the leader is throwing conflicting signals. VXUS lead: Strengthening — the AIQ differential moved from 5 to 10 points over 30 sessions.

Compare PIMCO Enhanced Short Maturity Active Exchange-Traded Fund and Vanguard Total International Stock ETF across performance, expense ratio, dividend yield, drawdown, volatility and the Algovestiq AIQ Score.

MINT vs VXUS: 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 wantMINTVXUSFits
Lower costExpense ratio0.36%0.05%VXUS
Broader diversificationNumber of holdings1,0178,821VXUS
Lower concentrationWeight of the 10 largest holdings12.5%12.9%Similar
Higher incomeTrailing 12-month distribution yield4.09%2.37%MINT
Smaller drawdownsMax drawdown, 5 years-2.3%-28.9%MINT
Lower volatilityAnnualized volatility, 1 year1.1%17.2%MINT

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.

Currently unavailable

Performance over time

Total return with distributions reinvested, from daily closes for both ETFs.

MINT
+20.4%
VXUS
+48.9%

Total return comparison

Growth of $10,000, distributions reinvested

MINT $12,036 · VXUS $14,887

Split-adjusted closes; each distribution is reinvested at the close on its ex-dividend date. Taxes and trading costs are not modeled.

Compare MINT and VXUS against another ticker

Open a multi-ticker workspace without changing this focused pair page.

Basic: 2 symbols·Explorer: 3 symbols·Pro and Premium: 5 symbols·Your limit: 2

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.

MINT advantage
0
VXUS advantage
  • Risk Resilience66 vs 82
    VXUS +16
  • Value45 vs 59
    VXUS +14
  • Quality63 vs 76
    VXUS +13
  • Momentum41 vs 41
    Even

3 of 4 evidence groups favor VXUS. VXUS’s edge is concentrated in risk resilience and value.

What changed since the last close

Latest scored session 2026-10-20, compared against the prior scored session 2026-10-19.

MINT+1 AIQ

Largest factor move: Momentum +4

No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 6 active signals are unchanged.

VXUS+1 AIQ

Largest factor move: Momentum +6

No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 4 active signals are unchanged.

VXUS's lead was unchanged in the latest session.

Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — MINT and VXUS 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.

MeasureMINTVXUSWhy it matters
Expense ratio0.36%0.05%Lower is better — it compounds against you every year you hold.
Holdings1,0178,821More holdings means broader diversification, not better returns.
Average volume1,768,3625,459,776Liquidity — matters most if you trade size.
Annualized volatility1.1%17.2%Lower is a steadier ride for the same exposure.
Max drawdown (1Y)-0.6%-11.4%The worst peak-to-trough loss over the past year.
Sharpe ratio-3.390.56Return per unit of risk. Higher is better.
Beta0.001.11Sensitivity 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.

Cash & Others100.0% vs 3.8%
Financial Services0.0% vs 22.2%
Technology0.0% vs 20.9%
Industrials0.0% vs 14.3%
Basic Materials0.0% vs 7.3%
Consumer Cyclical0.0% vs 7.1%
Healthcare0.0% vs 6.6%
Consumer Defensive0.0% vs 4.6%
MINTVXUS

How much of the same holdings they own

MINT and VXUS share 0% of their weighted exposure across 0 common holdings.

1,012 holdings are unique to MINT, and 8,281 holdings are unique to VXUS. Owning both is genuinely additive — most of the capital sits in different securities.

VXUS is the more concentrated of the two: its ten largest positions are 12.94% of the fund, against 12.53% for MINT (8,821 holdings vs 1,017). Concentration cuts both ways — it is what drives outperformance when the top names work, and what makes the drawdown deeper when they do not.

What MINT adds that VXUS doesn’t

HoldingMINTVXUS
US TREASURY N/B 06/31 4.125 4.13% 06/30/20315.76%Not held
FANNIE MAE FNR 2025 18 FM 4.54% 09/25/20541%Not held
FREDDIE MAC FHR 5513 MF 4.58% 11/25/20540.88%Not held
SYNCHRONY BANK SR UNSECURED 08/27 5.625 5.63% 08/23/20270.79%Not held
AT+T INC SR UNSECURED 08/28 VAR 4.30% 08/10/20280.74%Not held
HSBC HOLDINGS PLC SR UNSECURED 06/28 VAR 4.76% 06/09/20280.73%Not held

What VXUS adds that MINT doesn’t

HoldingVXUSMINT
2330.TWTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd4.02%Not held
005930.KSSamsung Electronics Co Ltd1.8%Not held
ASML.ASASML Holding NV1.42%Not held
000660.KSSK hynix Inc1.41%Not held
0700.HKTencent Holdings Ltd0.85%Not held
HSBA.LHSBC Holdings PLC0.82%Not held

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.

AIQ Agreement Matrix

3 of 4 covered evidence groups favor VXUS. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.

Evidence groupFavorsReading
AIQ ScoreVXUS53 vs 63
FundamentalsNot coveredNot covered
ValuationVXUSValue 45 vs 59
TechnicalsEvenPrice vs 50-day 0% vs -2.6%; vs 200-day 0% vs 0.6%
Risk ResilienceVXUSRisk Resilience 66 vs 82
Analyst expectationsNot coveredNot covered

✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of MINT and VXUS and are excluded from the count.

AIQ Decision Stability

Competitive

The two are close enough that your objective, not the score, should decide.

  • The AIQ gap is moderate at 10 points.
  • The leader's advantage has been widening. (supports the conclusion holding)
  • 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 VXUS.

How the comparison changed

120 daily snapshots · Jun 21 – Oct 20

VXUS lead: Strengthening — the AIQ differential moved from 5 to 10 points over 30 sessions.

Jun 21MINT leads above the line · VXUS leads belowOct 20
Today
VXUS +10
53 vs 63
7 sessions ago
VXUS +11
50 vs 61
30 sessions ago
VXUS +5
57 vs 62
90 sessions ago
VXUS +15
56 vs 71

The lead changed hands once in this window, most recently on Jul 27 when VXUS moved ahead of MINT.

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.

MINTConflicted

3 bullish / 1 bearish / 2 neutral, conflicted

Only MINT

  • EMA Ribbon Compression — neutral, trend, medium horizon
  • 52-Week High Proximity — bullish, risk, long horizon (0.3%)
  • 52-Week Low Proximity — bearish, risk, long horizon (0.3%)
  • MACD Bullish Crossover — bullish, momentum, short horizon
VXUSConflicted

1 bullish / 1 bearish / 2 neutral, conflicted

Only VXUS

  • Bollinger Band Squeeze — neutral, volatility, short horizon
  • MACD Bearish Crossover — bearish, momentum, short horizon

Both carry 2 more signals that do not separate them: Golden Cross Active, ATR Contraction - Coiling.

VXUS 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.

MINTNo material change

Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price +0.04%, AIQ +1 points).

VXUSConfirmed strength

Price and the AIQ Score both moved up over the latest session (price +0.31%, AIQ +1 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.

  1. 1MINT closes the Risk Resilience gap — currently 16 points behind, the largest single contributor to VXUS's edge.
  2. 2MINT's 52-Week Low Proximity resolves — a bearish risk rule currently active against it.
  3. 3VXUS's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 1 bullish and 1 bearish rules at once.
  4. 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
MetricMINTVXUS
1 week (5 sessions)0.1%-0.9%
1 month (20 sessions)-0.1%-4.3%
3 months (63 sessions)-0.1%-0.9%
6 months (126 sessions)0%2.3%
Year to date0.2%11%
1 year (252 sessions)0.1%12.8%

Technicals

Split
MetricMINTVXUS
RSI (14)49.241.4
ADX (14)18.119.9
Price vs 50-day0%-2.6%
Price vs 200-day0%0.6%
Volatility (1M, annualized)1.2%12.1%

Risk

VXUS is the more resilient
MetricMINTVXUS
Beta01.11
Sharpe ratio-3.390.56
Sortino ratio-2.680.83
Max drawdown-0.6%-11.4%
Current drawdown-0.3%-5.3%
Annualized volatility1.1%17.2%
Value at risk (95%)-0.1%-1.7%

Straight answers

Short answers to the questions fund investors ask about this pair, from the figures above.

What is the difference between MINT and VXUS?

VXUS holds 8,821 positions to MINT's 1,017, and 0% of their weight is in the same securities.

How much do MINT and VXUS overlap?

MINT and VXUS share 0% of their weighted exposure across 0 common holdings. 1,012 holdings are unique to MINT, and 8,281 holdings are unique to VXUS. Owning both is genuinely additive — most of the capital sits in different securities.

Which ETF is more diversified, MINT or VXUS?

VXUS holds more positions: 8,821 versus 1,017 for MINT.

Which has the lower expense ratio?

VXUS has the lower expense ratio, 0.05% a year against 0.36% for MINT.

Which ETF has the higher distribution yield?

MINT, with a trailing 12-month distribution yield of 4.09% against 2.37% for VXUS.

Which ETF has been more volatile?

VXUS has been more volatile over the past year, at 17.2% annualized against 1.1% for MINT.

Which ETF has had the smaller drawdown?

MINT fell less from peak to trough over the past five years: -2.3% against -28.9% for VXUS.

Compare MINT and VXUS 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.