VFORX vs VO: 8% overlap

Vanguard Target Retirement 2040 and Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF share 8.0% of their portfolios by weight — computed as Σ min(wA, wB) over every holding both funds own.

Different holding dates. These holdings were published about 3 months apart — VFORX as of 2026-03-31, the rest through 2026-06-30. Each fund is compared using its most recent file, so any trading in between shows up as a difference.

Hold both, 50/50
1.9Effective Funds

You would hold two tickers and get the diversification of 1.9. Two funds that shared nothing would score 2.0; two identical funds score 1.0.

Overlap
8.0%
VFORX expense ratio
0.08%
VO expense ratio
0.03%

Top shared holdings

VFORX and VO hold 283 of the same securities. The ten contributing most to the overlap figure:

Holdingin VFORXin VOΔ
CASH1.8%0.5%1.3%
ROP0.2%0.3%0.1%
WDC0.1%1.1%0.9%
STX0.1%1.0%0.9%
DTE0.1%0.3%0.2%
VRT0.1%1.2%1.1%
PWR0.1%1.0%1.0%
HWM0.1%1.0%1.0%
DG0.1%0.2%0.2%
NEM0.1%0.5%0.4%

Where VFORX and VO 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.

SectorVFORXVOΔ
Industrials8.7%19.6%10.9pp
Unclassified9.7%0.4%+9.3pp
Treasuries8.7%0.0%+8.7pp
Utilities2.3%8.4%6.0pp
Information Technology21.6%16.1%+5.6pp
Energy2.3%7.3%5.0pp
MBS Pass-Through3.7%0.0%+3.7pp
Real Estate1.5%5.1%3.5pp

Δ is VFORX minus VO, 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 VFORX
16,399 positions

90.5% of VFORX by weight, held in no part of VO.

Only in VO
0 positions

0.0% of VO by weight, held in no part of VFORX.

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

Concentration and cost

VFORXVO
Top 10 holdings23.9%9.5%
Positions held6283
Cost per $10,000 held, per year$8$3

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 VFORX and VO overlap?

VFORX and VO overlap 8.0% by portfolio weight — largely distinct portfolios. They share 283 holdings. The figure comes from current issuer holdings files (VFORX as of 2026-03-31, VO as of 2026-06-30).

How is the overlap between VFORX and VO calculated?

As the sum of the smaller weight in each fund, over every holding both funds own: Σ min(wA, wB). If VFORX holds a stock at 6% and VO 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 VFORX and VO?

That depends on your goals — we state facts, not advice. At 8.0% overlap, each fund still contributes meaningfully distinct exposure.

What does VFORX own that VO doesn't?

VFORX holds 6 positions and VO holds 283; 16,399 of VFORX's positions don't appear in VO at all, and they are 90.5% of VFORX by weight.

You probably hold more than two funds

This page compares VFORX and VO. Paste your whole portfolio — brokerage, 401(k), IRA — and see the overlap across every fund at once, plus what you actually own underneath them and your own Effective Funds number. Free, no account, nothing stored.

X-ray my portfolio — free →

Watch VFORX vs VO

We re-read both funds’ published holdings every weeknight. Leave an address and we'll tell you when what's inside actually changes.

Not sending yet — email alerts are built but switched off, and you'll be among the first when they turn on. No spam, one-click unsubscribe.

Related comparisons

Sources: issuer holdings files, VFORX as of 2026-03-31, VO as of 2026-06-30. Weights are fractions of each fund. Diagnostics, not advice.