HGRO vs VTI

HGRO vs VTI

Which is better, HGRO or VTI?

Large Cap Growth against Large Cap Blend.

VTI has a lower expense ratio. VTI led over 1Y and the full window. VTI is less concentrated, with 34.6% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 46.2%.

Lower Fees: VTIHigher Returns: VTILess Concentrated: VTI

MarketXLS is not an investment adviser. This comparison is generated automatically from market data and is for information only. A Best mark means the better reading on that one measure, not a recommendation to buy.

Side-by-Side Comparison

MetricHGROVTI
Expense Ratio0.70%0.03%Best
AUM$101M$689.2B
Dividend Yield0.08%1.06%
Holdings1043,542
YTD Return+4.01%+10.82%Best
1Y Return+4.25%+11.60%Best
3Y Return (annualized)-+20.95%
5Y Return (annualized)-+10.57%
Volatility (annualized)10.2%Best11.3%
Max Drawdown-8.4%Best-8.9%
$10,000 over 1.4 years$11,822$12,662Best
Top 10 Weight46.2%34.6%Best
Fund FamilyHedgeye Asset ManagementVanguard (US)
CategoryEquityEquity
StyleLarge Cap GrowthLarge Cap Blend
InceptionJun 10, 2025May 24, 2001

Volatility and max drawdown, and the $10,000 over 1.4 years row, are measured over the window both funds cover: Jun 11, 2025 to Nov 10, 2026 (1.4 years).

HGRO vs VTI growth

Month-end closes. Both lines start at 0% in the first month shown, so the gap between them is the difference in growth across that window. The full view covers the 1.4 years both funds cover.

HGRO vs VTI Performance

Hedgeye Quality Growth ETF (HGRO) is an ETF from Hedgeye Asset Management and Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) is an ETF from Vanguard (US). Over the past year HGRO returned +4.25% while VTI returned +11.60%. Year to date, HGRO is up 4.01% versus a gain of 10.82% for VTI.

Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns

VTI has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 11.3% compared with 10.2% for HGRO. Lower volatility generally means a smoother ride, though it often comes with lower long-run returns.

The deepest peak-to-trough decline in our data was -8.4% for HGRO and -8.9% for VTI. Drawdown depth is what each fund did in the worst stretch of the window measured above.

The two funds' monthly returns correlate at 0.88. They usually move together, but the gap leaves some room for diversification.

Fees and Cost Over Time

HGRO charges 0.70% per year while VTI charges 0.03%. On a $10,000 position that is $70 vs $3 annually, a gap of $67 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, HGRO currently yields 0.08% against 1.06% for VTI.

Holdings Overlap

HGRO already in VTI96.2%
VTI already in HGRO39.6%

96.2% of HGRO's money is in holdings VTI also owns. 39.6% of VTI's money is in holdings HGRO also owns.

Most of HGRO is already inside VTI. Owning both mostly buys the same companies twice.

49 positions in common, counted across the 51 positions we hold weights for in HGRO and 3,464 in VTI, against full books of 104 and 3,542.

What only one of them owns

Our book lists 1,081 positions for VTI that do not appear in our book for HGRO (57.3% of the fund), and 1 for HGRO that do not appear in VTI (3.2%).

Some of those will be the same company recorded under a different code in one of the two books, so the real difference in what you would own is no larger than this and may be smaller. We do not name the individual positions here for that reason.

Top Shared Holdings

StockWeight in HGROWeight in VTIDifference
AAPLApple Inc8.01%6.63%1.38%
NVDANvidia Corp7.15%7.13%0.02%
MSFTMicrosoft Corp7.52%5.19%2.33%
GOOGLAlphabet Inc4.85%2.76%2.09%
AMZNAmazon.Com Inc3.03%3.30%0.27%
METAMeta Platforms Inc3.51%2.18%1.33%
XOMExxonmobil Holdings Corp Common Stock Usd3.36%0.92%2.44%
AMDAdvanced Micro Devices Inc2.59%1.36%1.23%
JPMJpmorgan Chase2.41%1.20%1.21%
JNJJohnson & Johnson - Common2.59%0.87%1.72%

96.2% of HGRO is already inside VTI.

You probably hold more than these two. Add the rest and see how much of the whole book is the same companies twice.

HGROVTI

Free for up to 10 holdings. No account needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, HGRO or VTI?

HGRO has an expense ratio of 0.70% while VTI charges 0.03%. VTI is the cheaper option, by $67 a year on a $10,000 investment.

Which performed better, HGRO or VTI?

Over the past year HGRO returned +4.25% vs +11.60% for VTI, so VTI leads on 1-year performance. Over the longest common window we track (1 years), HGRO annualized +12.70% vs +18.36% for VTI. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is information, not a recommendation.

Which is riskier, HGRO or VTI?

VTI has been the more volatile fund at 11.3% annualized versus 10.2% for HGRO. Worst drawdown: HGRO -8.4% vs VTI -8.9%.

Should I hold both HGRO and VTI?

HGRO and VTI have a monthly-return correlation of 0.88, so their returns are far enough apart for the mix to behave differently from either one alone. This is information, not a recommendation.

What is the holdings overlap between HGRO and VTI?

96.2% of HGRO's money is in holdings VTI also owns. 39.6% of VTI's is in holdings HGRO also owns. They hold 49 positions in common, counted across the 51 positions we hold weights for in HGRO and 3,464 in VTI.

Which pays a higher dividend, HGRO or VTI?

HGRO yields 0.08% while VTI yields 1.06%, so VTI currently pays the higher dividend yield.

Is VTI better than HGRO?

VTI has a lower expense ratio. VTI led over 1Y and the full window. VTI is less concentrated, with 34.6% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 46.2%. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.