VB vs VWO: 2% overlap

Vanguard Small-Cap ETF and Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF share 2.1% of their portfolios by weight — computed as Σ min(wA, wB) over every holding both funds own.

Hold both, 50/50
2.0Effective Funds

You would hold two tickers and get the diversification of 2.0. Two funds that shared nothing would score 2.0; two identical funds score 1.0.

Overlap
2.1%
VB expense ratio
0.03%
VWO expense ratio
0.06%

Top shared holdings

VB and VWO hold 26 of the same securities. The ten contributing most to the overlap figure:

Holdingin VBin VWOΔ
CASH1.7%4.2%2.5%
MTN0.1%0.2%0.1%
SLM0.1%0.1%0.0%
VAL0.0%0.1%0.1%
ABG0.0%0.1%0.0%
OUT0.1%0.0%0.0%
MRP0.1%0.0%0.0%
MOH0.1%0.0%0.1%
PPC0.0%0.1%0.0%
AMR0.0%0.0%0.0%

Where VB and VWO differ

Sector weights as a share of each fund, ordered by the size of the gap rather than the size of the sector — two funds that overlap heavily still usually diverge somewhere.

SectorVBVWOΔ
Information Technology16.1%31.6%15.5pp
Industrials21.0%5.9%+15.1pp
Health Care11.9%2.8%+9.1pp
Unclassified0.6%9.3%8.7pp
Real Estate7.1%1.6%+5.5pp
Financials12.7%17.2%4.5pp
Cash and/or Derivatives1.7%4.2%2.5pp
Communication Services3.0%5.4%2.4pp

Δ is VB minus VWO, in percentage points. Sector data is not published by every issuer, so “Unclassified” is a real category rather than a gap in the table.

What each fund holds alone

Only in VB
1,282 positions

96.3% of VB by weight, held in no part of VWO.

Only in VWO
4,977 positions

95.1% of VWO by weight, held in no part of VB.

A large count with a small weight is the usual shape: the positions one fund adds are typically its smallest ones.

Concentration and cost

VBVWO
Top 10 holdings5.6%30.3%
Positions held1,3085,003
Cost per $10,000 held, per year$3$6

Cost is the expense ratio applied to $10,000; it excludes any brokerage commission, bid-ask spread or tax consequence. Figures are facts about the funds, not a suggestion about which to hold.

Frequently asked

How much do VB and VWO overlap?

VB and VWO overlap 2.1% by portfolio weight — largely distinct portfolios. They share 26 holdings. The figure comes from current issuer holdings files (VB as of 2026-06-30, VWO as of 2026-06-30).

How is the overlap between VB and VWO calculated?

As the sum of the smaller weight in each fund, over every holding both funds own: Σ min(wA, wB). If VB holds a stock at 6% and VWO holds the same stock at 4%, 4% counts as shared. The result is bounded between 0% and 100%, and it is computed after looking through any fund-of-funds to the underlying holdings.

Is it redundant to hold both VB and VWO?

That depends on your goals — we state facts, not advice. At 2.1% overlap, each fund still contributes meaningfully distinct exposure.

What does VB own that VWO doesn't?

VB holds 1,308 positions and VWO holds 5,003; 1,282 of VB's positions don't appear in VWO at all, and they are 96.3% of VB by weight.

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Related comparisons

Sources: issuer holdings files, VB as of 2026-06-30, VWO as of 2026-06-30. Weights are fractions of each fund. Diagnostics, not advice.