# VOO ETF: fees, returns, drawdowns and holdings

> What VOO holds, its 0.03% yearly fee, returns by year, its worst drop, and which Tactfolio strategies hold it. Updated daily.

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) is an exchange-traded fund (ETF) run by Vanguard. This fund owns shares of about 500 of the biggest companies in the United States. It charges 0.03% a year. From September 2010 to October 2026 it returned about 14.8% a year, and its worst drop was −34.0%.

Written by [the Tactfolio research team](https://tactfolio.com/about/editorial-policy). Fund facts checked October 16, 2026. Prices through October 16, 2026.

## Key points

- Expense ratio: 0.03% a year (about $3 on $10,000).
- Started trading on September 7, 2010.
- Worst drop since 2010: −34.0%.
- No Tactfolio classic strategies hold it.

## What does VOO hold?

This fund owns shares of about 500 of the biggest companies in the United States. It follows the S&P 500 index, so its value goes up and down with that group of companies. A handful of very large companies make up a big part of the fund.

It tracks the S&P 500 Index. It had 505 holdings as of September 30, 2026, according to Vanguard.

| Fact | VOO |
| --- | --- |
| Full name | Vanguard S&P 500 ETF |
| Issuer | Vanguard |
| Expense ratio | 0.03% a year |
| Started trading | September 7, 2010 |
| Tracks | S&P 500 Index |
| Type | US stocks, ETF |
| Holdings | 505 holdings as of September 30, 2026 |
| Facts checked | October 16, 2026 on the [Vanguard fund page](https://investor.vanguard.com/investment-products/etfs/profile/voo) |

## What is the VOO expense ratio?

VOO charges 0.03% a year. An expense ratio is the yearly fee a fund takes to run itself. On $10,000, a 0.03% fee comes to about $3 a year.

You never get a bill for it. The fund takes the fee out of its own value a little each day.

## How has VOO done since 2010?

From September 2010 to October 2026, VOO returned about 14.8% a year. Say you put in $10,000 at the start. It would have been worth about $92,175 at the end, with every dividend reinvested.

| Measure | VOO |
| --- | --- |
| Total return | 821.7% |
| Return per year (CAGR) | 14.8% |
| Worst drop from a high | −34.0% |
| Volatility (how much it swings) | 16.9% |
| Last 12 months | 16.8% |
| Last 3 years, per year | 22.1% |
| Last 5 years, per year | 12.9% |
| Last 10 years, per year | 15.5% |

Prices through October 16, 2026. Figures use daily closing prices adjusted for splits, with dividends reinvested. They do not include taxes or the cost of buying and selling. Past results do not tell you what will happen next.

## VOO returns by year

| Year | VOO return |
| --- | --- |
| 2026 (part of the year) | 12.8% |
| 2025 | 17.8% |
| 2024 | 25.0% |
| 2023 | 26.3% |
| 2022 | −18.2% |
| 2021 | 28.8% |
| 2020 | 18.3% |
| 2019 | 31.4% |
| 2018 | −4.5% |
| 2017 | 21.8% |
| 2016 | 12.2% |
| 2015 | 1.3% |
| 2014 | 12.9% |
| 2013 | 32.4% |
| 2012 | 16.0% |
| 2011 | 1.9% |
| 2010 (part of the year) | 14.8% |

## What was VOO's worst drop?

A drawdown is how far a fund falls from its last high point. VOO's worst fall was −34.0%, from February 19, 2020 to March 23, 2020. It got back to that high on August 10, 2020.

The chart shows how far below its last high the fund was on each day. Big drops are normal for some funds. They matter because selling during a drop locks in the loss.

## Which Tactfolio strategies hold VOO?

No classic strategy holds VOO yet. You can add it to your own rules in the [builder](https://tactfolio.com/builder) and see how they would have done.

## How does VOO compare with similar ETFs?

Side-by-side pages measure both funds over the same dates:

- [VOO vs VTI](https://tactfolio.com/etf-comparisons/voo-vs-vti.md): the S&P 500 against the whole US stock market.
- [SPY vs VOO](https://tactfolio.com/etf-comparisons/spy-vs-voo.md): two S&P 500 funds with different fees and structures.
- [QQQ vs VOO](https://tactfolio.com/etf-comparisons/qqq-vs-voo.md): the Nasdaq-100 against the S&P 500.
- [IVV vs VOO](https://tactfolio.com/etf-comparisons/ivv-vs-voo.md): two low-cost S&P 500 funds from iShares and Vanguard.
- [VOO vs VOOG](https://tactfolio.com/etf-comparisons/voo-vs-voog.md): the whole S&P 500 against its growth half.
- [VOO vs VUG](https://tactfolio.com/etf-comparisons/voo-vs-vug.md): the S&P 500 against large US growth companies.

Funds that can stand in for VOO:

- [SPYM](https://tactfolio.com/etf/spym.md): State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF, 0.02% a year
- [IVV](https://tactfolio.com/etf/ivv.md): iShares Core S&P 500 ETF, 0.03% a year
- [SPY](https://tactfolio.com/etf/spy.md): State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust, 0.0945% a year
- [ITOT](https://tactfolio.com/etf/itot.md): iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF, 0.03% a year

See [all 8 VOO alternatives](https://tactfolio.com/alternatives/voo.md), compared on the same dates as VOO.

## Test VOO in your own rules

Tactfolio is a platform where you build rules-based investing strategies, backtest them on decades of real prices, share them, and run them automatically in your own Alpaca account. Open the [builder](https://tactfolio.com/builder), add VOO, and see how a rule such as "hold it only above its 200-day average" would have done. Strategies run on daily prices and hold US stocks and ETFs only.

## The details

Prices come from Tactfolio's stored daily prices for VOO. Each close is adjusted for splits, and dividends are reinvested on the day the fund pays them out. CAGR is the steady yearly return that turns the starting value into the ending value. Volatility is the yearly standard deviation of daily returns.

Fund facts come from Vanguard. We checked them on October 16, 2026. Read [what a backtest simulates](https://tactfolio.com/docs/backtests.md) and [how to read drawdown and CAGR](https://tactfolio.com/docs/concepts/reading-a-backtest.md) for more on these measures.

## Research and test it

- [S&P 500 index funds](https://tactfolio.com/learn/sp500-index-funds): Compare the biggest S&P 500 index funds, ETFs and mutual funds, by yearly fee, see how much fees cost over 30 years, and learn how to buy one.
- [S&P 500 index](https://tactfolio.com/learn/sp500-index): The S&P 500 tracks about 500 large US companies. Learn how stocks get in, how the index is weighted, how to invest in it, and how far it has fallen before.
- [What is an ETF](https://tactfolio.com/learn/what-is-an-etf): An ETF is a fund that trades like a stock. Learn how ETFs work, what they cost, the main types, and the risks, with SEC sources.
- [ETF screener](https://tactfolio.com/screener.md): A free ETF screener for 162 US-listed funds. Filter by type, issuer and fee, sort by returns or worst drop, and compare funds side by side.
- [ETF expense ratio](https://tactfolio.com/learn/etf-expense-ratio): What an ETF expense ratio is, how the fund charges it, and how 0.03% vs 1% adds up over 10 and 30 years, with real fund examples.
- [Backtest a portfolio](https://tactfolio.com/trading-tools/backtest-portfolio): Backtest a portfolio of US stocks and ETFs. Enter tickers and shares, pick when to rebalance, and get the results with a link to share.

## Common questions

### What is the expense ratio of VOO?

VOO charges 0.03% a year, according to Vanguard as of October 16, 2026. That is about $3 a year for every $10,000 you hold.

### When did VOO start trading?

VOO started trading on September 7, 2010. It is run by Vanguard.

### What does VOO track?

VOO tracks the S&P 500 Index. This fund owns shares of about 500 of the biggest companies in the United States.

### How much has VOO returned per year?

From September 2010 to October 2026, VOO returned about 14.8% a year with dividends reinvested. Its worst drop was −34.0%. Past returns do not tell you what it will do next.

### Which strategies use VOO?

None of Tactfolio's classic strategies hold VOO yet. You can test it in your own rules in the builder.

## Sources

- [Vanguard: Vanguard S&P 500 ETF fund page](https://investor.vanguard.com/investment-products/etfs/profile/voo)

> Not financial advice. Tactfolio is a research and automation tool. It is not a broker or a financial adviser. This page is for education only. Backtests are hypothetical. They show how rules would have done on past prices, not how they will do. All investing involves risk, including losing the money you put in.