QUAL vs VUG Overlap
QUAL is an equity ETF from IShares, while VUG is a U.S. growth equity ETF from Vanguard. QUAL and VUG show meaningful overlap, with an estimated weighted overlap of 41.42%. They share 46 holdings in the loaded dataset, led by AAPL, NVDA, and MSFT.
Served from cache.
Quick Answer
QUAL is an equity ETF from IShares, while VUG is a U.S. growth equity ETF from Vanguard. QUAL and VUG show meaningful overlap, with an estimated weighted overlap of 41.42%. They share 46 holdings in the loaded dataset, led by AAPL, NVDA, and MSFT.
- 41.42% weighted overlap across 46 shared holdings.
- The top three shared holdings explain 42.63% of the measured overlap.
- QUAL and VUG are closer in breadth than a broad-vs-niche ETF pair.
- The overlap is mostly explained by the top shared positions rather than sector labels alone.
- Holding both may add less diversification than the fund names imply.
Data Freshness
- QUAL holdings
- Mar 12, 2026
- VUG holdings
- Mar 12, 2026
- Overlap computed
- Mar 15, 2026
- Data source
- Financial Modeling Prep
Review the methodology for the overlap formula and refresh policy.
Compare another pair
About These ETFs
What Stands Out In This Comparison
What This Means
QUAL is an equity ETF from IShares, while VUG is a U.S. growth equity ETF from Vanguard. QUAL and VUG overlap enough to matter, but they still bring different exposures to a portfolio. The overlap is concentrated in holdings such as AAPL, NVDA, and MSFT, which explains why the score lands at 41.42%.
How They Differ
QUAL is an equity ETF from IShares, while VUG is a U.S. growth equity ETF from Vanguard. Neither fund clearly dominates on breadth, so the practical difference is more about weighting, index construction, and cost. VUG has the lower expense ratio, while QUAL charges more for its exposure.
What Drives The Overlap
The overlap is driven by a relatively small set of large shared positions. The top three shared holdings account for 42.63% of the score, which means the result is heavily influenced by the biggest common weights rather than a long tail of tiny positions.
When One May Fit Better
Because QUAL and VUG are closer in breadth, the better fit usually comes down to index methodology, issuer preference, and cost. VUG has the lower expense ratio, while QUAL charges more for its exposure.
Overlap Driver Snapshot
Concentration
The top three shared holdings explain 42.63% of the full overlap score.
That helps show whether the score comes from a handful of giant shared positions or from a broader mix of common holdings.
Shared Sector Tilt
Sector tags are not consistently available for the biggest shared positions in this dataset, so this comparison leans more on the specific holdings than on sector labels.
Top Shared Holdings
These are the holdings contributing the most to the overlap score between QUAL and VUG.
| Holding | Name | QUAL Wt. | VUG Wt. | Overlap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAPL | APPLE INC | 6.24% | 11.50% | 6.24% |
| NVDA | NVIDIA CORP | 6.23% | 13.23% | 6.23% |
| MSFT | MICROSOFT CORP | 5.19% | 9.60% | 5.19% |
| META | META PLATFORMS INC CLASS A | 3.87% | 4.69% | 3.87% |
| LLY | ELI LILLY | 3.23% | 2.66% | 2.66% |
| GOOGL | ALPHABET INC CLASS A | 2.09% | 5.90% | 2.09% |
| GOOG | ALPHABET INC CLASS C | 1.76% | 4.67% | 1.76% |
| V | VISA INC CLASS A | 3.04% | 1.60% | 1.60% |
| MA | MASTERCARD INC CLASS A | 2.43% | 1.31% | 1.31% |
| COST | COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP | 1.33% | 1.27% | 1.27% |
Why These ETFs Overlap
QUAL is an equity ETF from IShares, while VUG is a U.S. growth equity ETF from Vanguard. The overlap exists because both funds allocate meaningful weight to the same holdings. In this dataset, the biggest shared drivers are AAPL, NVDA, and MSFT, which appear in both portfolios and push the overlap score higher.
Holding both QUAL and VUG can still be reasonable, but you should expect some duplication. The decision comes down to whether the non-overlapping parts of each ETF are important enough for your strategy.
Related Comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions About QUAL and VUG
What is the overlap between QUAL and VUG?+
How many holdings do QUAL and VUG share?+
Is the QUAL and VUG overlap high?+
Why do QUAL and VUG overlap?+
Which ETF is broader, QUAL or VUG?+
How Overlap Is Calculated
A straightforward approach used by portfolio analysts.
For every stock that appears in both ETFs, we take the smaller of the two weights. Adding up all those minimums gives the total overlap percentage. A score of 100% means the two ETFs hold the exact same stocks in the same proportions.
Want the full explanation? Read the methodology page.