VUS: Virtus US Dividend ETF
ETF Education Report: Virtus US Dividend ETF (VUS)
What this ETF is trying to do
The Virtus US Dividend ETF (VUS) is an exchange-traded fund that holds a variety of different companies. Based on its name, it focuses on US companies. This ETF holds 99 different companies in total.
What the numbers show
As of September 21, 2026, the current price of one share of VUS is $30.15.
When looking at how the fund has performed this year, it is important to look at two different numbers:
• Year-to-Date (YTD) Price Return: This is approximately 19.27%. This number only tracks how much the share price has moved up or down.
• Year-to-Date (YTD) Total Return: This is approximately 22.16%. The total return is a different measurement because it includes both the share price changes and the money paid out to investors through distributions.
Income and distribution explanation
Some investors look for ETFs that pay out cash, which is called a "distribution." The distribution yield for VUS is approximately 2.27%. This represents the cash distributions relative to the current ETF price. Over the last 12 months, the fund made three payments. These payments happened on an irregular schedule, meaning they did not happen at the same time every month or quarter.
It is important to remember that a distribution yield tells you how much cash was paid out, but it is not the same thing as your total return.
NAV erosion explanation
"NAV erosion" is a term used to describe when the value of the underlying assets in an ETF decreases. While some investors worry about this, there is no "severe erosion-risk flag" for this ETF. Because there is not enough verified price history, the specific erosion score is currently withheld.
Top Holdings
The following are some of the largest companies held by this ETF. Please note that this is a partial list, as the fund holds many more companies:
• Apple Inc (6.46%)
• NVIDIA Corp (5.64%)
• Broadcom Inc (3.58%)
• Microsoft Corp (3.12%)
• Micron Technology Inc (2.48%)
• Amazon.com Inc (2.33%)
• Johnson & Johnson (1.88%)
• Alphabet Inc Class A (1.80%)
• Lam Research Corp (1.80%)
• Cisco Systems Inc (1.63%)
*Note: Holdings can change over time.*
Pros
• The ETF has shown a positive YTD total return of approximately 22.16%.
• It holds many well-known large companies.
Cons
• The distribution frequency is irregular, meaning payments do not happen on a predictable schedule.
• Total return data for one-year and three-year periods was not supplied.
Beginner takeaway
When looking at VUS, you can see a difference between the price return (how much the share price grew) and the total return (which includes the cash paid to you). Always look at both numbers to get a full picture of how an ETF is performing.
Top Holdings
Structured portfolio holdings supplied by the ETF data provider. These figures are not generated by the AI article.
| # | Holding | Ticker | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | APPLE INC | AAPL | 6.46% |
| 2 | NVIDIA CORP | NVDA | 5.64% |
| 3 | BROADCOM INC | AVGO | 3.58% |
| 4 | MICROSOFT CORP | MSFT | 3.12% |
| 5 | MICRON TECHNOLOGY INC | MU | 2.48% |
| 6 | AMAZON.COM INC | AMZN | 2.33% |
| 7 | JOHNSON & JOHNSON | JNJ | 1.88% |
| 8 | ALPHABET INC CLASS A | GOOGL | 1.80% |
| 9 | LAM RESEARCH CORP | LRCX | 1.80% |
| 10 | CISCO SYSTEMS INC | CSCO | 1.63% |