MKTN vs VTI

MKTN vs VTI

Which is better, MKTN or VTI?

Market Neutral Strategy against Large Cap Blend.

VTI has a lower expense ratio. VTI led over 1Y.

Lower Fees: VTIHigher Returns (1Y): 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

MetricMKTNVTI
Expense Ratio1.94%0.03%Best
AUM$128M$666.9B
Dividend Yield0.48%1.03%
Holdings3873,543
YTD Return+9.49%+12.57%Best
1Y Return+12.63%+17.22%Best
3Y Return (annualized)-+20.87%
5Y Return (annualized)-+11.86%
Volatility (annualized)5.8%Best13.0%
Fund FamilyFederated HermesVanguard (US)
CategoryAlternativeEquity
StyleMarket Neutral StrategyLarge Cap Blend
InceptionSep 24, 2025May 24, 2001

Not shown on this pair: Max Drawdown, $10,000 over the window, Top 10 Weight.

MKTN 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 is available from the range buttons; it is not the opening view here because over the whole period one of these two funds moves so much further than the other that its line would sit flat on the axis.

MKTN vs VTI Performance

Federated Hermes MDT Market Neutral ETF (MKTN) is an ETF from Federated Hermes and Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) is an ETF from Vanguard (US). Over the past year MKTN returned +12.63% while VTI returned +17.22%. Year to date, MKTN is up 9.49% versus a gain of 12.57% 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 13.0% compared with 5.8% for MKTN. Lower volatility generally means a smoother ride, though it often comes with lower long-run returns.

The two funds' monthly returns correlate at -0.41. They move together some of the time, and apart the rest.

Fees and Cost Over Time

MKTN charges 1.94% per year while VTI charges 0.03%. On a $10,000 position that is $194 vs $3 annually, a gap of $191 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, MKTN currently yields 0.48% against 1.03% for VTI.

Holdings Overlap

We hold position weights for 404 holdings in MKTN and 2,787 in VTI, totalling 94.8% and 90.6% of the two funds. Neither is a share of a fund we can divide by, so no overlap percentage is shown here. Within what we can see, 344 positions appear in both.

The two holdings books were reported 57 days apart, MKTN as of Aug 26, 2026 and VTI as of Jun 30, 2026, so some of the difference between them is the time between the two reports rather than the funds.

344 positions in common, counted across the 404 positions we hold weights for in MKTN and 2,787 in VTI, against full books of 387 and 3,543.

Top Shared Holdings

StockWeight in MKTNWeight in VTIDifference
NVDANvidia Corp.0.90%6.32%5.42%
GOOGLAlphabet A Usd 0.0011.09%2.88%1.79%
MSFTMicrosoft Corp 4.100 Feb 06 370.05%3.81%3.76%
ABBVAbbvie Inc.2.38%0.61%1.77%
GEGeneral Electric Co.2.41%0.54%1.87%
FISVFiserv Inc.2.56%0.03%2.53%
CRWDCrowdstrike Holdings Inc. Class A2.30%0.25%2.05%
GEVGE Vernova, LLC2.09%0.43%1.66%
TRVTravelers Cos., Inc.2.33%0.10%2.23%
INTUIntuit, Inc.2.29%0.10%2.19%

You are not choosing between two funds in isolation.

Whichever of MKTN and VTI you pick has to sit alongside everything else you own. Add the rest and see what the combination actually holds.

MKTNVTI

Free for up to 10 holdings. No account needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, MKTN or VTI?

MKTN has an expense ratio of 1.94% while VTI charges 0.03%. VTI is the cheaper option, by $191 a year on a $10,000 investment.

Which performed better, MKTN or VTI?

Over the past year MKTN returned +12.63% vs +17.22% for VTI, so VTI leads on 1-year performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is information, not a recommendation.

Which is riskier, MKTN or VTI?

VTI has been the more volatile fund at 13.0% annualized versus 5.8% for MKTN.

Should I hold both MKTN and VTI?

MKTN and VTI have a monthly-return correlation of -0.41, so their returns are far enough apart for the mix to behave differently from either one alone. This is information, not a recommendation.

Which pays a higher dividend, MKTN or VTI?

MKTN yields 0.48% while VTI yields 1.03%, so VTI currently pays the higher dividend yield.

Is VTI better than MKTN?

VTI has a lower expense ratio. VTI led over 1Y. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.