If you're interested in broad exposure to the Consumer Staples - Broad segment of the equity market, look no further than the Vanguard Consumer Staples Index Fund ETF Shares (VDC Quick QuoteVDC - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on January 26, 2004.

While an excellent vehicle for long term investors, passively managed ETFs are a popular choice among institutional and retail investors due to their low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency.

Sector ETFs also provide investors access to a broad group of companies in particular sectors that offer low risk and diversified exposure. Consumer Staples - Broad is one of the 16 broad Zacks sectors within the Zacks Industry classification. It is currently ranked 15, placing it in bottom 6%.

Index Details

The fund is sponsored by Vanguard. It has amassed assets over $7.94 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs attempting to match the performance of the Consumer Staples - Broad segment of the equity market. VDC seeks to match the performance of the MSCI US Investable Market Consumer Staples 25/50 Index before fees and expenses.

The MSCI US Investable Market Consumer Staples 25/50 Index measures the investment return of stocks in the consumer staples sector.

Costs

When considering an ETF's total return, expense ratios are an important factor, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts in the long term if all other factors remain equal.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.09%, making it one of the cheaper products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.13%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

ETFs offer a diversified exposure and thus minimize single stock risk but it is still important to delve into a fund's holdings before investing. Most ETFs are very transparent products and many disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

This ETF has heaviest allocation in the Consumer Staples sector -- about 99.7% of the portfolio.

Looking at individual holdings, Walmart Inc (WMT) accounts for about 15.03% of total assets, followed by Costco Wholesale Corp (COST) and Procter & Gamble Co/the (PG).

The top 10 holdings account for about 60.16% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

Year-to-date, the Vanguard Consumer Staples Index Fund ETF Shares return is roughly 7.81% so far, and it's up approximately 8.06% over the last 12 months (as of 04/13/2026). VDC has traded between $206.7 and $244.19 in this past 52-week period.

The ETF has a beta of 0.53 and standard deviation of 11.63% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 108 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

Vanguard Consumer Staples Index Fund ETF Shares carries a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Thus, VDC is a sufficient option for those seeking exposure to the Consumer Staples ETFs area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.

Fidelity MSCI Consumer Staples Index ETF (FSTA) tracks MSCI USA IMI Consumer Staples Index and the State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) tracks Consumer Staples Select Sector Index. Fidelity MSCI Consumer Staples Index ETF has $1.43 billion in assets, State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF has $14.37 billion. FSTA has an expense ratio of 0.08%, and XLP charges 0.08%.

Bottom Line

To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.