PBPH vs VTI

PBPH vs VTI

Which is better, PBPH or VTI?

VTI costs less.

VTI has a lower expense ratio. VTI is less concentrated, with 33.3% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 61.8%.

Lower Fees: 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

MetricPBPHVTI
Expense Ratio0.13%0.03%Best
AUM$1.0B$666.9B
Dividend Yield0.08%1.03%
Holdings573,543
YTD Return+12.58%Best+12.28%
1Y Return-+16.78%
3Y Return (annualized)-+20.89%
5Y Return (annualized)-+11.94%
Top 10 Weight61.8%33.3%Best
Fund FamilyPortfolio Building Block ETFsVanguard (US)
CategoryEquityEquity
StyleLarge Cap BlendLarge Cap Blend
InceptionNov 24, 2025May 24, 2001

Not shown on this pair: Volatility (annualized), Max Drawdown, $10,000 over the window.

PBPH 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.

PBPH vs VTI Performance

Portfolio Building Block World Pharma and Biotech Index ETF (PBPH) is an ETF from Portfolio Building Block ETFs and Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) is an ETF from Vanguard (US). Year to date, PBPH is up 12.58% versus a gain of 12.28% for VTI.

Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Fees and Cost Over Time

PBPH charges 0.13% per year while VTI charges 0.03%. On a $10,000 position that is $13 vs $3 annually, a gap of $10 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, PBPH currently yields 0.08% against 1.03% for VTI.

Holdings Overlap

PBPH already in VTI66.7%
VTI already in PBPH5.0%

66.7% of PBPH's money is in holdings VTI also owns. 5.0% of VTI's money is in holdings PBPH also owns.

The two portfolios partly overlap.

29 positions in common, counted across the 53 positions we hold weights for in PBPH and 3,463 in VTI, against full books of 57 and 3,543.

What only one of them owns

Our book lists 1,121 positions for VTI that do not appear in our book for PBPH (92.5% of the fund), and 0 for PBPH that do not appear in VTI (0.4%).

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 PBPHWeight in VTIDifference
LLYEli Lilly & Co.15.50%1.35%14.15%
JNJJohnson & Johnson - Common9.76%0.86%8.90%
ABBVAbbvie Inc.6.85%0.61%6.24%
MRKMerck & Company Inc5.00%0.45%4.55%
AMGNAmgen Inc.4.89%0.29%4.60%
GILDGilead Sciences3.97%0.22%3.75%
PFEPfizer Inc3.46%0.20%3.26%
BMYBristol-Myers Squibb Co.3.01%0.18%2.83%
VRTXNvaesrtex Pharmaceuticals Inc2.98%0.17%2.81%
REGNRegeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.1.81%0.11%1.70%

66.7% of PBPH 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.

PBPHVTI

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, PBPH or VTI?

PBPH has an expense ratio of 0.13% while VTI charges 0.03%. VTI is the cheaper option, by $10 a year on a $10,000 investment.

What is the holdings overlap between PBPH and VTI?

66.7% of PBPH's money is in holdings VTI also owns. 5.0% of VTI's is in holdings PBPH also owns. They hold 29 positions in common, counted across the 53 positions we hold weights for in PBPH and 3,463 in VTI.

Which pays a higher dividend, PBPH or VTI?

PBPH yields 0.08% while VTI yields 1.03%, so VTI currently pays the higher dividend yield.

Is VTI better than PBPH?

VTI has a lower expense ratio. VTI is less concentrated, with 33.3% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 61.8%. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.