VEA vs VXUS: how much do they really overlap?
VEA (Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF, tracking the FTSE Developed All Cap ex US) and VXUS (Vanguard Total International Stock ETF, tracking the FTSE Global All Cap ex US) overlap by roughly 79% by weight. 10 of VEA's top 10 holdings also appear in VXUS. A 50/50 blend of the two behaves like about 305 equally-weighted bets (diversification grade A). In short, the two funds share most of their weight in the same names; the second fund adds only modest differentiation.
The same companies, in both funds
These 45 holdings appear in both VEA and VXUS. The weight columns show how much of each fund each name represents.
| Holding | in VEA | in VXUS |
|---|---|---|
| 005930 Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. | 3.12% | 2.26% |
| 000660 SK hynix Inc. | 2.98% | 2.16% |
| ASML ASML Holding NV | 2.33% | 1.68% |
| HSBA HSBC Holdings plc | 0.99% | 0.71% |
| NOVN Novartis AG | 0.89% | 0.64% |
| RY Royal Bank of Canada | 0.88% | 0.64% |
| ROP Roche Holding AG | 0.88% | 0.64% |
| AZN AstraZeneca plc | 0.85% | 0.62% |
| NESN Nestle SA | 0.80% | 0.58% |
| SIE Siemens AG | 0.72% | 0.52% |
| SHEL Shell plc | 0.66% | 0.48% |
| 8306 Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. | 0.66% | 0.48% |
| 8035 Tokyo Electron Ltd. | 0.65% | 0.47% |
| TD Toronto-Dominion Bank | 0.62% | 0.45% |
| SAN Banco Santander SA | 0.61% | 0.44% |
+ 30 more shared holdings.
Only in VEA
Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF — developed ex-US. Its biggest holdings that VXUS doesn’t have:
| 6758 Sony Group Corp. | 0.36% |
| ENB Enbridge Inc. | 0.36% |
| BNP BNP Paribas SA | 0.35% |
| 8411 Mizuho Financial Group Inc. | 0.34% |
| 005935 Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. Preference Shares | 0.34% |
Only in VXUS
Vanguard Total International Stock ETF — total ex-US. Its biggest holdings that VEA doesn’t have:
| 2330 Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. | 4.22% |
| 700 Tencent Holdings Ltd. | 0.76% |
| 9988 Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. | 0.48% |
| 2454 MediaTek Inc. | 0.44% |
| 2308 Delta Electronics Inc. | 0.27% |
So — heavily overlapping. Should you hold both?
VEA and VXUS share most of their weight in the same names; the second fund adds only modest differentiation. If you already hold VEA, adding VXUS mostly increases your bet on the names they share rather than spreading it — a 50/50 blend still behaves like only ~305 equal positions, with the top 10 alone at 14% and the Magnificent Seven at 0%.
Holdings as of — VEA: Jun 30, 2026 (Vanguard); VXUS: Jun 30, 2026 (Vanguard). Refreshed monthly. Overlap is measured across each fund’s largest holdings (top 50); the diffuse long tail barely moves the math.
See this for YOUR whole portfolio, free →VEA vs VXUS — FAQ
- How much do VEA and VXUS overlap?
- VEA and VXUS overlap by approximately 79% measured by portfolio weight — that is the share of the smaller fund's holdings (by weight) that also sit inside the other. 10 of VEA's 10 largest holdings are also held by VXUS. They share 45 of their listed top holdings in total.
- Is it redundant to hold both VEA and VXUS?
- Because they share most of their weight in the same names; the second fund adds only modest differentiation, holding both is largely redundant — you mostly duplicate the same megacaps and concentrate rather than diversify. A 50/50 blend has an effective 305 positions and a A diversification grade.
- What does VXUS hold that VEA doesn't?
- VXUS's largest holdings that VEA doesn't hold include 2330, 700, 9988, 2454, 2308. Its category is total ex-US, versus VEA's developed ex-US.
- Which is more concentrated, VEA or VXUS?
- VEA's top 10 holdings are 44% of its listed weight; VXUS's are 50%. The more concentrated fund leans harder on its largest names.