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Critical Facts You Need to Know About Preferred Stocks
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Sector Rating
Recommendation *
Avoid
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Quality
Rating Breakdown
Avg.
Relative Strength
The relative strength of a dividend stock indicates whether the stock is uptrending or not. The major determining factor in this rating is whether the stock is trading close to its 52-week-high.
Overall Yield Attractiveness
If a stock’s yield is above or near the market average then it will be rated higher within this parameter. High dividend yields (usually over 10%) should be considered extremely risky, while low dividend yields (1% or less) are simply not very beneficial to long-term investors.
Dividend Reliability
A stock’s dividend reliability is determined by a healthy payout ratio that is higher than other stocks. A company that pays out close to half its earnings as dividends and retains the other half of earnings has ample room to grow its business and pay out more dividends in the future.
Dividend Uptrend
A stock’s Dividend Uptrend rating is dependent on the company’s price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio to evaluate whether or not a stock’s dividend is likely to trend upward. If a stock is valued near, or slightly below the market average, research has shown that the market expects the stock’s dividend to increase.
Earnings Growth
A stock’s Earnings Growth rating evaluates a company’s expected EPS for the current financial year and compares it to next financial year’s expected EPS. Stocks with single-digit growth estimates will have a higher rating than others, as our research has shown that well-established dividend-paying companies have modest earnings growth estimates.
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Vanguard Utilities Index Fund
etf
VPU
Dividend policy
Active
Price as of:
$142.04
-0.02
0%
primary theme
Utilities Sector Equity
VPU (ETF)
Vanguard Utilities Index Fund
Dividend policy
Active
Price as of:
$142.04
-0.02
0%
primary theme
Utilities Sector Equity
VPU (ETF)
Vanguard Utilities Index Fund
Dividend policy
Active
Price as of:
$142.04
-0.02
0%
primary theme
Utilities Sector Equity
VPU - Snapshot
Vitals
- YTD Return 3.5%
- 3 Yr Annualized Return 11.3%
- 5 Yr Annualized Return 8.9%
- Net Assets $6.04 B
- Holdings in Top 10 54.7%
52 WEEK LOW AND HIGH
$142.06
$120.18
$145.52
Expenses
OPERATING RELATED FEES
- Expense Ratio 0.10%
SALES FEES
- Front Load N/A
- Deferred Load N/A
BROKERAGE FEES
- Turnover 5.00%
TRADING FEES
- Max Redemption Fee N/A
Min Investment
- Standard (Taxable) N/A
- IRA N/A
Fund Classification
- Primary Theme Utilities Sector Equity
- Fund Type Exchange Traded Fund
- Investment Style Utilities
Overview
Next Dividend
Income Profile
Income Risk
Returns Profile
Allocations
Expenses
About
Dividend.com Ratings*
$71.26
-0.03%
$6.04 B
3.12%
$2.22
blocked
blocked
blocked
3.50%
0.10%
Overview
Next Dividend
Income Profile
Income Risk
Returns Profile
Allocations
Expenses
About
Dividend.com Ratings*
Utilities Select Sector SPDR® Fund
XLU | ETF
$64.82
-0.11%
$11.96 B
3.02%
$1.96
blocked
blocked
blocked
3.38%
0.13%
Vanguard Utilities Index Fund
VPU | ETF
$142.04
-0.01%
$6.04 B
3.12%
$4.43
blocked
blocked
blocked
3.51%
0.10%
Fidelity® MSCI Utilities Index ETF
FUTY | ETF
$42.01
+0.05%
$1.03 B
2.93%
$1.23
blocked
blocked
blocked
3.67%
0.08%
iShares U.S. Utilities ETF
IDU | ETF
$80.41
-0.05%
$794.75 M
2.83%
$2.28
blocked
blocked
blocked
3.76%
0.43%
$104.39
-0.11%
$202.54 M
2.87%
$3.00
blocked
blocked
blocked
4.34%
0.40%
VPU - Profile
Distributions
- YTD Total Return 3.5%
- 3 Yr Annualized Total Return 11.3%
- 5 Yr Annualized Total Return 8.9%
- Capital Gain Distribution Frequency Annually
- Net Income Ratio 3.18%
- Dividend Yield 1.5%
- Dividend Distribution Frequency Quarterly
Fund Details
-
Legal NameVanguard Utilities Index Fund
-
Fund Family NameVanguard
-
Inception DateJan 26, 2004
-
Shares Outstanding32701759
-
Share ClassN/A
-
CurrencyUSD
-
Domiciled CountryUnited States
-
ManagerMichael Johnson
Fund Description
The fund employs an indexing investment approach designed to track the performance of the MSCI US Investable Market Index (IMI)/Utilities 25/50, an index made up of stocks of large, mid-size, and small U.S. companies within the utilities sector, as classified under the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS). The Advisor attempts to replicate the target index by seeking to invest all, or substantially all, of its assets in the stocks that make up the index, in order to hold each stock in approximately the same proportion as its weighting in the index. The fund is non-diversified.
VPU - Performance
Return Ranking - Trailing
| Period | VPU Return | Category Return Low | Category Return High | Rank in Category (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YTD | 3.5% | -12.1% | 17.2% | 65.15% |
| 1 Yr | 18.9% | 16.0% | 51.2% | 81.82% |
| 3 Yr | 11.3%* | 3.5% | 14.7% | 36.92% |
| 5 Yr | 8.9%* | 3.0% | 13.0% | 53.85% |
| 10 Yr | 11.0%* | 3.8% | 11.5% | 10.34% |
* Annualized
Return Ranking - Calendar
| Period | VPU Return | Category Return Low | Category Return High | Rank in Category (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | -4.0% | -52.1% | 22.0% | 45.45% |
| 2019 | 21.3% | 1.6% | 32.5% | 21.54% |
| 2018 | 1.1% | -22.9% | 4.1% | 25.81% |
| 2017 | 9.0% | -6.4% | 16.0% | 52.46% |
| 2016 | 13.9% | -0.4% | 19.4% | 22.03% |
Total Return Ranking - Trailing
| Period | VPU Return | Category Return Low | Category Return High | Rank in Category (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YTD | 3.5% | -12.1% | 17.2% | 65.15% |
| 1 Yr | 18.9% | 11.4% | 51.2% | 75.76% |
| 3 Yr | 11.3%* | 3.5% | 14.7% | 32.31% |
| 5 Yr | 8.9%* | 3.0% | 13.0% | 46.15% |
| 10 Yr | 11.0%* | 3.8% | 11.5% | 10.34% |
* Annualized
Total Return Ranking - Calendar
| Period | VPU Return | Category Return Low | Category Return High | Rank in Category (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | -4.0% | -52.1% | 22.0% | 45.45% |
| 2019 | 21.3% | 4.1% | 32.5% | 21.54% |
| 2018 | 1.1% | -22.9% | 5.1% | 40.32% |
| 2017 | 9.0% | -3.7% | 17.9% | 63.93% |
| 2016 | 13.9% | -0.4% | 23.7% | 38.98% |
VPU - Holdings
Concentration Analysis
| VPU | Category Low | Category High | VPU % Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net Assets | 6.04 B | 9.18 M | 12 B | 13.64% |
| Number of Holdings | 67 | 23 | 285 | 31.82% |
| Net Assets in Top 10 | 2.93 B | 4.64 M | 7.57 B | 4.55% |
| Weighting of Top 10 | 54.67% | 23.2% | 69.0% | 24.24% |
Top 10 Holdings
- NextEra Energy Inc 15.30%
- Duke Energy Corp 6.69%
- Southern Co 6.37%
- Dominion Energy Inc 5.92%
- Exelon Corp 4.00%
- American Electric Power Co Inc 3.95%
- Sempra Energy 3.38%
- Xcel Energy Inc 3.27%
- WEC Energy Group Inc 2.99%
- Eversource Energy 2.90%
Asset Allocation
| Weighting | Return Low | Return High | VPU % Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stocks | 99.98% | 69.23% | 141.23% | 13.64% |
| Cash | 0.02% | -41.21% | 8.19% | 84.85% |
| Preferred Stocks | 0.00% | 0.00% | 2.02% | 68.18% |
| Other | 0.00% | -36.89% | 1.22% | 66.67% |
| Convertible Bonds | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 63.64% |
| Bonds | 0.00% | 0.00% | 22.59% | 77.27% |
Stock Sector Breakdown
| Weighting | Return Low | Return High | VPU % Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utilities | 98.72% | 37.58% | 100.00% | 13.64% |
| Basic Materials | 0.60% | 0.00% | 7.68% | 25.76% |
| Energy | 0.44% | 0.00% | 30.32% | 77.27% |
| Technology | 0.25% | 0.00% | 7.43% | 50.00% |
| Real Estate | 0.00% | 0.00% | 15.04% | 66.67% |
| Industrials | 0.00% | 0.00% | 25.64% | 77.27% |
| Healthcare | 0.00% | 0.00% | 1.20% | 68.18% |
| Financial Services | 0.00% | 0.00% | 10.63% | 71.21% |
| Communication Services | 0.00% | 0.00% | 59.07% | 77.27% |
| Consumer Defense | 0.00% | 0.00% | 9.00% | 68.18% |
| Consumer Cyclical | 0.00% | 0.00% | 4.28% | 63.64% |
Stock Geographic Breakdown
| Weighting | Return Low | Return High | VPU % Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | 99.98% | 15.46% | 103.00% | 7.58% |
| Non US | 0.00% | 0.00% | 80.20% | 84.85% |
VPU - Expenses
Operational Fees
| VPU Fees (% of AUM) | Category Return Low | Category Return High | Rank in Category (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expense Ratio | 0.10% | 0.08% | 2.82% | 98.48% |
| Management Fee | 0.09% | 0.03% | 1.00% | 6.06% |
| 12b-1 Fee | N/A | 0.00% | 1.00% | N/A |
| Administrative Fee | N/A | 0.04% | 0.26% | N/A |
Sales Fees
| VPU Fees (% of AUM) | Category Return Low | Category Return High | Rank in Category (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front Load | N/A | 3.50% | 5.75% | N/A |
| Deferred Load | N/A | 1.00% | 4.00% | N/A |
Trading Fees
| VPU Fees (% of AUM) | Category Return Low | Category Return High | Rank in Category (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max Redemption Fee | N/A | 2.00% | 2.00% | N/A |
Related Fees
Turnover provides investors a proxy for the trading fees incurred by mutual fund managers who frequently adjust position allocations. Higher turnover means higher trading fees.
| VPU Fees (% of AUM) | Category Return Low | Category Return High | Rank in Category (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | 5.00% | 2.00% | 209.00% | 12.12% |
VPU - Distributions
Dividend Yield Analysis
| VPU | Category Low | Category High | VPU % Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield | 1.51% | 0.00% | 2.34% | 9.09% |
Dividend Distribution Analysis
| VPU | Category Low | Category High | Category Mod | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend Distribution Frequency | Quarterly | Semi-Annually | Quarterly | Quarterly |
Net Income Ratio Analysis
| VPU | Category Low | Category High | VPU % Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net Income Ratio | 3.18% | 0.57% | 7.85% | 6.06% |
Capital Gain Distribution Analysis
| VPU | Category Low | Category High | Capital Mode | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital Gain Distribution Frequency | Annually | Annually | Semi-Annually | Annually |
Dividend Payout History
| Date | Amount |
|---|---|
| Sep 16, 2020 | $0.887 |
| Jun 25, 2020 | $1.258 |
| Mar 13, 2020 | $0.875 |
| Dec 19, 2019 | $1.022 |
| Oct 01, 2019 | $1.089 |
| Jun 26, 2019 | $0.981 |
| Mar 26, 2019 | $0.945 |
| Dec 18, 2018 | $1.018 |
| Sep 27, 2018 | $0.934 |
| Jul 03, 2018 | $1.016 |
| Mar 21, 2018 | $0.839 |
| Dec 19, 2017 | $0.935 |
| Oct 02, 2017 | $0.963 |
| Jul 05, 2017 | $0.876 |
| Mar 30, 2017 | $0.933 |
| Dec 20, 2016 | $0.943 |
| Sep 26, 2016 | $0.919 |
| Jun 27, 2016 | $0.834 |
| Mar 28, 2016 | $0.717 |
| Dec 23, 2015 | $0.878 |
| Oct 01, 2015 | $0.875 |
| Jul 02, 2015 | $0.838 |
| Mar 27, 2015 | $0.823 |
| Dec 24, 2014 | $0.824 |
| Sep 26, 2014 | $0.791 |
| Jun 27, 2014 | $0.743 |
| Mar 28, 2014 | $0.731 |
| Dec 27, 2013 | $0.824 |
| Sep 27, 2013 | $0.800 |
| Jun 28, 2013 | $0.784 |
| Mar 28, 2013 | $0.724 |
| Dec 27, 2012 | $0.798 |
| Sep 28, 2012 | $0.782 |
| Jun 29, 2012 | $0.710 |
| Mar 30, 2012 | $0.707 |
| Dec 28, 2011 | $0.690 |
| Sep 29, 2011 | $0.683 |
| Jun 30, 2011 | $0.664 |
| Mar 31, 2011 | $0.622 |
| Dec 29, 2010 | $0.717 |
| Sep 30, 2010 | $0.636 |
| Jun 30, 2010 | $0.616 |
| Mar 31, 2010 | $0.571 |
| Dec 29, 2009 | $0.619 |
| Sep 30, 2009 | $0.608 |
| Jun 30, 2009 | $0.618 |
| Mar 31, 2009 | $0.625 |
| Dec 29, 2008 | $0.649 |
| Sep 30, 2008 | $0.622 |
| Jun 30, 2008 | $0.526 |
| Mar 31, 2008 | $0.566 |
| Dec 20, 2007 | $0.607 |
| Sep 28, 2007 | $0.591 |
| Jun 29, 2007 | $0.506 |
| Mar 30, 2007 | $0.483 |
| Dec 22, 2006 | $0.564 |
| Sep 29, 2006 | $0.543 |
| Jun 30, 2006 | $0.600 |
| Mar 29, 2006 | $0.483 |
| Jan 05, 2006 | $0.556 |
| Oct 06, 2005 | $0.399 |
| Jul 08, 2005 | $0.530 |
| Apr 06, 2005 | $0.415 |
| Jan 04, 2005 | $1.546 |
VPU - Fund Manager Analysis
Managers
Michael Johnson
Start Date
Tenure
Tenure Rank
Aug 31, 2015
5.59
5.6%
Michael A. Johnson, Portfolio Manager at Vanguard. He has been with Vanguard since 1999; has worked in investment management since 2007; has managed investment portfolios since 2010; and has co-managed the Mid-Cap Index, Mid-Cap Value Index, and Mid-Cap Growth Index Funds since 2016. Education: B.S.B.A., Shippensburg University.
Awais Khan
Start Date
Tenure
Tenure Rank
Nov 30, 2017
3.33
3.3%
Awais Khan, CFA, Portfolio Manager at Vanguard. He has been with Vanguard since 2010; has worked in investment management since 2012. Education: B.S./B.S.B.A., University of North Carolina.
Tenure Analysis
| Category Low | Category High | Category Average | Category Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.08 | 22.26 | 8.32 | 6.92 |
