FSTA vs. VDC: Which Popular Consumer Staples ETF Is the Better Buy for Investors?

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The Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (NYSEMKT:VDC) and the Fidelity MSCI Consumer Staples Index ETF (NYSEMKT:FSTA) some purpose to seizure the show of the U.S. user staples sector, tracking akin baskets of companies that proviso essential, nondiscretionary goods.

This examination explores their costs, returns, risk, and portfolio constitution to assistance investors determine which champion fits their needs.

Metric

VDC

FSTA

Issuer

Vanguard

Fidelity

Expense ratio

0.09%

0.08%

1-yr instrumentality (as of Feb. 14, 2026)

8.45%

8.16%

Dividend yield

2.10%

2.18%

Beta (5Y monthly)

0.64

0.64

AUM

$9.1 billion

$1.4 billion

Beta measures terms volatility comparative to the S&P 500. The 1-yr instrumentality represents full instrumentality implicit the trailing 12 months.

FSTA is somewhat much affordable with a little disbursal ratio, and it besides pays a marginally higher dividend yield. For cost-conscious oregon income-focused investors, the quality is humble but present.

Metric

VDC

FSTA

Max drawdown (5 y)

-16.56%

-16.57%

Growth of $1,000 implicit 5 years

$1,409

$1,406

FSTA tracks the MSCI USA IMI Consumer Staples 25/50 Index and holds 96 stocks, focusing connected user antiaircraft companies. Its largest positions are Costco Wholesale, Walmart, and Procter & Gamble, with nary important assemblage oregon thematic quirks. The fund’s 12-year past underscores its stableness and established beingness among assemblage ETFs.

VDC takes a comparable approach, investing successful user antiaircraft stocks and spreading its portfolio crossed 105 holdings. The apical stocks are Walmart, Costco Wholesale, and Procter & Gamble, echoing FSTA’s lineup.

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VDC and FSTA are astir identical successful astir meaningful ways. They’ve experienced astir precisely the aforesaid one- and five-year full returns and maximum drawdowns, signalling precise akin show and levels of volatility.

With the aforesaid underlying scale and apical holdings, the funds besides boast remarkably akin portfolios. VDC contains a fistful much stocks than FSTA, but again, it hasn’t needfully translated to a quality successful show oregon hazard profile.

One perchance important quality is the assets nether absorption (AUM). VDC offers a overmuch larger AUM, providing greater liquidity and making it easier for investors to commercialized ample amounts. While this won’t impact galore mundane investors, it’s worthy considering fixed however akin these 2 ETFs are.

There are besides marginal differences successful disbursal ratio and dividend yield, with FSTA boasting a flimsy vantage connected some fronts. Again, these are insignificant distinctions, but they tin person a semipermanent impact.

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