What Is VUG? Vanguard Growth ETF

VUG is the Vanguard Growth ETF, a fund that tracks the CRSP US Large Cap Growth Index at a 0.04% expense ratio. It holds the large-cap US companies classified as growth (MSFT, AAPL, NVDA, AMZN), so it tilts heavily toward technology and consumer growth names rather than the whole market. Versus VOO, VUG drops the value half of the S&P 500, which makes it more concentrated in mega-cap tech and more volatile.

VUG is issued by Vanguard and tracks CRSP US Large Cap Growth, so a single ticker gives you the whole portfolio of underlying holdings weighted by the index's methodology rather than by any active stock-picking.

VUG is weighted toward its largest constituents. As of early 2026, the top holdings are:

The remaining holdings make up the balance of the fund, with weights tapering off below the top names. Because the index reconstitutes on a rolling basis, the roster stays current without active management. Each ticker above links to its individual stock guide in Walnut.

ETFs are passive bundles; thematic portfolios in Walnut let you concentrate within them. If you hold VUG as a core position, these are the themes you might layer on as satellites.

There are three common ways to get VUG exposure. Buy shares (or fractional shares) of VUG directly at any major broker that lists it. Hold it as a core position and layer more concentrated ideas on top. Or build it into a thematic portfolio in Walnut, so VUG sits alongside other holdings that express the same thesis, with target weights you can rebalance toward. VUG trades like a stock during market hours, so you buy it the same way you would any listed share.

New to buying funds? See how to buy an ETF, step by step.

Whether VUG is a good buy depends less on any single call and more on your time horizon and what you already hold: it tracks CRSP US Large Cap Growth, so the real question is whether you want that exposure in your mix and at what weight. We walk through valuation, concentration, and what would have to be true for it to outperform from here in is VUG a buy?

VUG is a low-cost large-cap growth tilt, not a diversified core like VOO. It suits investors who want a growth lean in one ticker, with the caveat that it overlaps heavily with the top of VOO and QQQ and carries more concentration in mega-cap technology. It tends to function as a style tilt layered on a broad core.

Whether VUG is worth buying today depends more on your time horizon and what you already hold than on any single call. We walk through valuation, concentration, and what would have to be true for it to outperform from here in is VUG a buy?

VUG yields ~0.5% as of early 2026, paid by passing through the dividends of its underlying holdings. For the payout schedule, history, and how the distributions are taxed, see VUG dividend: yield and schedule.

VUG and SCHG are both low-cost large-cap growth funds with heavily overlapping holdings and similar returns. The differences come down to the exact index methodology and number of names; neither has a durable edge over the other. Read the full side-by-side in VUG vs SCHG.

VOO holds the whole S&P 500, while VUG holds only its growth half, so VUG is more concentrated in technology and more volatile. VOO is the balanced core; VUG is a growth tilt layered on top of that exposure. Read the full side-by-side in VOO vs VUG.

New to funds like VUG? Start with what an ETF is, then how to buy an ETF, or browse the full guide to ETF investing.