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Compare Vanguard Conservative ETF Portfolio (VCNS) vs iShares ESG Conservative Balanced ETF Portfolio (GCNS) to find the best fit for your portfolio. VCNS provides Sovereign, Finance, and Municipal exposures, while GCNS is primarily weighted in Finance, Sovereign, and Technology. When evaluating costs, VCNS features a management fee (MER) of 0.22%, compared to 0.22% for GCNS. Performance-wise, VCNS has returned 4.93% year-to-date with +$199 M in net flows, whereas GCNS is at 6.38% with +$27 M. Use the comparison tool below to benchmark these funds across top 10 holdings, yield, sector weights and historical returns.
NAV Performance and Flows
Key Data
Compare
VCNS
GCNS
| AuM | $962.39 M | $88.73 M |
| Management Fees | 0.22% | 0.22% |
| Exp. ratio | 0.25% | 0.23% |
| Tracking Difference | - | - |
Historical performance and flows
As of September 11, 2026
| 1M | 3M | YTD | 1Y | 3Y | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perf. | VCNS | -1.29% | -0.30% | +4.93% | +6.81% | +36.59% |
GCNS | -1.32% | +0.11% | +6.38% | +8.28% | +41.30% | |
| Flows | VCNS | +$22 M | +$68 M | +$199 M | +$307 M | +$363 M |
GCNS | +$3 M | +$12 M | +$27 M | +$35 M | +$62 M |
VCNS vs GCNS exposure
Countries
VCNS
Canada
46.47%
USA
28.45%
Other
25.07%
GCNS
Canada
63.64%
USA
23.96%
Other
12.40%
Sectors
VCNS
Sovereign
25.41%
Finance
18.86%
Municipal
11.13%
Technology
10.75%
Other
33.85%
GCNS
Finance
33.44%
Sovereign
16.79%
Technology
12.63%
Municipal
12.53%
Other
24.61%
As of September 11, 2026
Top 10 Holdings
VCNS
NVIDIA Corp.
1.17%
Apple, Inc.
1.15%
Royal Bank of Canada
1.04%
Microsoft Corp.
0.87%
The Toronto-Dominion Bank
0.71%
Amazon.com, Inc.
0.67%
Canada, Bonds 2.75% 1mar2031, CAD
0.64%
Canada, Bonds 2.75% 1sep2030, CAD
0.57%
Canada, Bonds 3.25% 1dec2035, CAD
0.55%
Canada, Bonds 3.25% 1jun2036, CAD
0.54%
GCNS
NVIDIA Corp.
1.98%
Royal Bank of Canada
1.34%
The Toronto-Dominion Bank
1.30%
Canada, Bond 2 1jun2028 10Y
1.29%
Broadcom Inc.
1.25%
Shopify, Inc.
1.00%
Canada, Bond 1.25 1jun2030 10Y
0.97%
Bank of Montreal
0.82%
Canada, Bond 2.25 1jun2029 10Y
0.76%
Canada, Bond 0.5 1oct2030 10Y
0.74%
Diversification
VCNS
Total weight of top 10 holdings out of 33,981 total
7.91%
GCNS
Total weight of top 10 holdings out of 1,382 total
11.45%
Characteristics
Compare
VCNS
GCNS
| Provider | Vanguard | iShares |
| Management | Actively managed | Actively managed |
| Benchmark | - | - |
| Replication Method | ||
| Asset Class | Equity, Fixed Income | Equity, Fixed Income |
| Dividend Policy | Distributing | Distributing |
| Trailing 12m distribution yield | 2.51% | 2.11% |
| Meets ESG criteria | No | Yes |
| Inception Date | February 1, 2018 | September 14, 2020 |
Frequently asked questions about VCNS and GCNS
Which ETF has performed better year to date: VCNS or GCNS?
As of September 11, 2026, VCNS has returned 4.93% year to date, while GCNS has returned 6.38%. GCNS is ahead on YTD performance.
Which ETF is larger by assets under management: VCNS or GCNS?
As of September 11, 2026, VCNS manages $962.39 M in assets, while GCNS manages $88.73 M. VCNS is the larger fund by AUM.
How are VCNS and GCNS managed?
VCNS is actively managed by Vanguard. It does not track an index. GCNS is actively managed by iShares. It does not track an index.
What sectors do VCNS and GCNS emphasize?
VCNS is most exposed to Sovereign, Finance, and Municipal. GCNS is most exposed to Finance, Sovereign, and Technology.
Which ETF is attracting more investor flows: VCNS or GCNS?
Year to date, VCNS has seen +$199.06 M in net flows, compared with +$26.98 M for GCNS. VCNS has attracted more net investor money so far.
How do the fees of VCNS and GCNS compare?
VCNS has an expense ratio of 0.25%, while GCNS has an expense ratio of 0.23%.
What are the top holdings of VCNS and GCNS?
VCNS's largest holdings include NVIDIA Corp. and Apple, Inc.. GCNS's top holdings include NVIDIA Corp., Royal Bank of Canada, and The Toronto-Dominion Bank.
Which ETF is more diversified: VCNS or GCNS?
VCNS holds 28264 securities, while GCNS holds 1379. On holdings count, VCNS is the more diversified portfolio.
Recent articles about VCNS and GCNS
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