Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF

VTI

Market cap $581B

Investing in ETFs can be a smart way to strengthen your portfolio with minimal effort on your part. Whether you're seeking greater diversification, above-average growth, or industry-specific exposure, the right ETF can transform your finances.

The Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF invests in every single company listed on U.S. stock exchanges, so it's one of the most diversified funds money can buy. Extreme diversification can reduce risk and volatility, but it can also lead to lower returns compared to more concentrated portfolios.

This article provides an update on the monthly moving averages we track for the S&P 500 and the Ivy Portfolio after the close of the last business day of the month. The Ivy Portfolio The Ivy Portfolio is based on the asset allocation strategy used by endowment funds from Harvard and Yale.

2025 proved to be a historic period for the ETF industry, characterized by massive flows and a significant broadening of investor appetite across asset classes. The data reveals a market that remains heavily tilted toward core equity exposures while simultaneously embracing alternative stores of value and fixed-income safety.

Both ITOT and VTI charge a rock-bottom 0.03% expense ratio and offer similar broad U.S. market exposure. VTI manages far more assets and holds over 1,000 more stocks, with a marginally higher tech sector weight.

While many investors would lean towards tech and growth stocks, diversification may be the better choice. Including small caps in a portfolio can help produce superior long-term risk-adjusted returns.

VTI and SCHB both charge just 0.03% in annual fees and deliver nearly identical one-year returns and yields. VTI holds a broader mix of stocks -- over 3,500 versus SCHB's 2,400 -- though both funds are tech-heavy.

A new survey suggests that investors are divided on their views about the market's future. By keeping a long-term outlook, you can worry less about what stocks will do in 2026.

VTI covers a broader slice of the US stock market with more than double the holdings of SPTM. Both funds offer identical low expenses and yields, but VTI posts a very slightly higher one-year total return.

VTI covers the entire U.S. stock market with a strong tilt toward technology, while VTV focuses on large-cap value stocks led by financials and healthcare. VTI delivered higher one-year and five-year returns, but it experienced a steeper drawdown than VTV.