Everything you need to know about the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) — performance history, expense ratio, holdings breakdown, dividend yield, and how it compares to SPY, IVV, and VTI.
📊 VOO Overview Dashboard
$515
Share Price
0.03%
Expense Ratio
1.3%
Dividend Yield
$1.1T
AUM
2010
Inception
S&P 500
Benchmark
10.5%
Annualized Return Since Inception
503
Holdings
$51,500
$10K Invested in 2010
$3/yr
Cost per $10K Invested
🧮 VOO Growth Calculator
Project your VOO portfolio growth using the historical average annualized return of ~10.5%.
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Projected Portfolio Value
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Total Contributions
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Growth Multiple
📈 $10K Invested in VOO Since Inception
📊 VOO Annual Returns (2011–2025)
⚔️ VOO vs SPY vs IVV
All three ETFs track the S&P 500 — the difference is in fees, structure, and liquidity.
Feature
VOO
SPY
IVV
Expense Ratio
0.03% Best
0.0945%
0.03% Best
AUM
$1.1T
$570B
$560B
Issuer
Vanguard
State Street
BlackRock (iShares)
Inception
2010
1993
2000
Tracking Error
0.01%
0.02%
0.01%
Dividend Yield
~1.3%
~1.3%
~1.3%
Min. Investment
1 share (~$515)
1 share (~$520)
1 share (~$525)
Avg. Daily Volume
~5M shares
~70M shares Highest
~8M shares
Best For
Long-term investors
Active traders
Long-term investors
🔄 VOO vs VTI — S&P 500 vs Total Market
VOOVSVTI
Feature
VOO (S&P 500)
VTI (Total Market)
Index
S&P 500
CRSP US Total Market
Holdings
~503 stocks
~3,600 stocks
Expense Ratio
0.03%
0.03%
Market Cap Focus
Large-cap only
Large, mid, and small-cap
Portfolio Overlap
~85% by weight
10Y Annualized
~12.5%
~12.1%
Dividend Yield
~1.3%
~1.3%
Small-Cap Exposure
None
~7%
AUM
$1.1T
$430B
Bottom Line: VOO vs VTI
The performance difference between VOO and VTI has been minimal — less than 0.5% per year over most periods. VOO gives you pure large-cap exposure, while VTI adds small- and mid-cap diversification. With ~85% overlap by market weight, choosing either is a solid decision. If you want simplicity and slight large-cap tilt, go VOO. If you want broader diversification, go VTI.
🏢 VOO Top 10 Holdings
VOO's top 10 holdings make up approximately 36% of the total portfolio, reflecting the heavy concentration in mega-cap tech stocks.
#
Company
Ticker
Weight
Sector
1
Apple Inc.
AAPL
7.1%
Technology
2
Microsoft Corp.
MSFT
6.4%
Technology
3
NVIDIA Corp.
NVDA
5.8%
Technology
4
Amazon.com Inc.
AMZN
3.9%
Consumer Disc.
5
Alphabet Inc. (Class A)
GOOGL
2.3%
Communication
6
Meta Platforms Inc.
META
2.7%
Communication
7
Berkshire Hathaway (B)
BRK.B
2.0%
Financials
8
Broadcom Inc.
AVGO
1.9%
Technology
9
Eli Lilly & Co.
LLY
1.7%
Healthcare
10
Tesla Inc.
TSLA
1.5%
Consumer Disc.
Top 10 Total
35.3%
🎯 VOO Sector Allocation
✅ VOO Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
🟢 Ultra-low 0.03% expense ratio — only $3/year per $10K
🟢 Broad exposure to 500 largest U.S. companies
🟢 Strong historical returns (~10.5% annualized since 2010)
🟢 Quarterly dividend payments (~1.3% yield)
🟢 Tax-efficient ETF structure with Vanguard's patented heartbeat trades
🟢 Massive AUM ($1.1T) ensures deep liquidity
🟢 Simple, set-and-forget investing
❌ Cons
🔴 No small- or mid-cap exposure
🔴 Heavy concentration in top 10 stocks (~35%)
🔴 U.S.-only — no international diversification
🔴 Market-cap weighted means you buy more of overvalued stocks
🔴 Can't outperform the index (by design)
🔴 Vulnerable to U.S. market drawdowns (e.g., -18.2% in 2022)
💡 5 Key Insights
Insight 1
The 0.03% Advantage Compounds
VOO charges just $3 per $10,000 invested — compared to $9.45 for SPY. Over 30 years on a $100K portfolio, that fee difference saves you roughly $5,000+ in compounding costs.
Insight 2
$10K → $51K in 15 Years
A $10,000 investment in VOO at inception in September 2010 would be worth approximately $51,500 today — a 415% total return driven by one of history's strongest bull runs.
Insight 3
Concentration Risk Is Real
The top 10 holdings account for ~35% of VOO's weight, with technology stocks dominating at ~32%. The "diversified" S&P 500 is more concentrated than many investors realize.
Insight 4
VOO vs VTI: 85% the Same
VOO and VTI overlap approximately 85% by portfolio weight. The performance gap between the two has been less than 0.5% per year in most periods, making either a solid choice.
Insight 5
Dividends Add Up Quietly
At a ~1.3% yield, VOO generates approximately $6,700 in annual dividends on a $515,000 portfolio. Reinvested, these dividends contribute significantly to long-term compounding.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What is VOO ETF?▼
VOO is the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, which tracks the S&P 500 index of 500 large-cap U.S. stocks. It has an ultra-low expense ratio of 0.03% and over $1.1 trillion in assets under management, making it one of the largest ETFs in the world.
Is VOO a good investment?▼
VOO is widely regarded as one of the best long-term investments available. It offers broad U.S. large-cap exposure at just 0.03% expense ratio, has returned approximately 10.5% annualized since inception in 2010, and pays quarterly dividends yielding around 1.3%. For most passive investors, VOO is a core portfolio holding.
What is the difference between VOO and SPY?▼
Both track the S&P 500, but VOO charges 0.03% vs SPY's 0.0945%. SPY has significantly higher trading volume (~70M shares/day vs ~5M for VOO) and tighter spreads, making it preferred by active traders and institutions. VOO is better for long-term buy-and-hold investors due to its lower cost.
Should I buy VOO or VTI?▼
VOO tracks the S&P 500 (500 large-cap stocks) while VTI tracks the total U.S. stock market (~3,600 stocks including mid- and small-caps). They overlap about 85% by weight and both charge 0.03%. Performance has been nearly identical. Choose VOO for a large-cap focus, or VTI for broader diversification.
What is VOO's expense ratio?▼
VOO's expense ratio is 0.03%, meaning you pay just $3 per year for every $10,000 invested. This makes it one of the cheapest S&P 500 ETFs available, tied with iShares' IVV and significantly cheaper than SPY's 0.0945%.