VS
Vanguard Conservative ETF Portfolio (VCNS) and Purpose Active Conservative Fund (PACF) offer distinct profiles for Canadian ETF investors. A direct comparison shows that VCNS focuses its top 3 sector exposures on Sovereign, Finance, and Municipal, while PACF leans towards Finance, Sovereign, and Industrials. When evaluating costs, VCNS features a management fee (MER) of 0.22%, compared to 0.2% for PACF. Performance-wise, VCNS has returned 4.93% year-to-date with +$199 M in net flows, whereas PACF is at 5.5% with +$15 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
PACF
| AuM | $962.39 M | $78.78 M |
| Management Fees | 0.22% | 0.20% |
| Exp. ratio | 0.25% | 0.46% |
| 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% |
PACF | -1.05% | +0.58% | +5.50% | +7.19% | - | |
| Flows | VCNS | +$22 M | +$68 M | +$199 M | +$307 M | +$363 M |
PACF | +$1 M | +$8 M | +$15 M | +$9 M | - |
VCNS vs PACF exposure
Countries
VCNS
Canada
46.47%
USA
28.45%
Other
25.07%
PACF
Canada
37.69%
USA
24.01%
Other
17.65%
Other
20.65%
Sectors
VCNS
Sovereign
25.41%
Finance
18.86%
Municipal
11.13%
Technology
10.75%
Other
33.85%
PACF
Finance
23.89%
Other
17.65%
Sovereign
11.48%
Other
46.98%
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%
PACF
CA74643B1031
8.03%
CA55454N1042
3.82%
CA74642E3068
3.13%
USA, Bills 0% 17sep2026, USD (182D)
1.16%
Royal Bank of Canada
0.95%
USA, Bills 0% 18mar2027, USD (364D)
0.82%
Bank of Montreal
0.63%
The Bank of Nova Scotia
0.59%
CA74642X1069
0.59%
Canada, Bonds 2.5% 1nov2027, CAD
0.52%
Diversification
VCNS
Total weight of top 10 holdings out of 33,981 total
7.91%
PACF
Total weight of top 10 holdings out of 19,448 total
20.25%
Characteristics
Compare
VCNS
PACF
| Provider | Vanguard | Purpose Investments |
| 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% | 3.41% |
| Meets ESG criteria | No | No |
| Inception Date | February 1, 2018 | October 13, 2023 |
Frequently asked questions about VCNS and PACF
Which ETF has performed better year to date: VCNS or PACF?
As of September 11, 2026, VCNS has returned 4.93% year to date, while PACF has returned 5.50%. PACF is ahead on YTD performance.
Which ETF is larger by assets under management: VCNS or PACF?
As of September 11, 2026, VCNS manages $962.39 M in assets, while PACF manages $78.78 M. VCNS is the larger fund by AUM.
How are VCNS and PACF managed?
VCNS is actively managed by Vanguard. It does not track an index. PACF is actively managed by Purpose Investments. It does not track an index.
What sectors do VCNS and PACF emphasize?
VCNS is most exposed to Sovereign, Finance, and Municipal. PACF is most exposed to Finance, Sovereign, and Industrials.
Which ETF is attracting more investor flows: VCNS or PACF?
Year to date, VCNS has seen +$199.06 M in net flows, compared with +$15.03 M for PACF. VCNS has attracted more net investor money so far.
How do the fees of VCNS and PACF compare?
VCNS has an expense ratio of 0.25%, while PACF has an expense ratio of 0.46%.
What are the top holdings of VCNS and PACF?
VCNS's largest holdings include NVIDIA Corp. and Apple, Inc.. PACF's top holdings include USA, Bills 0% 17sep2026, USD (182D) and Royal Bank of Canada.
Which ETF is more diversified: VCNS or PACF?
VCNS holds 28264 securities, while PACF holds 16351. On holdings count, VCNS is the more diversified portfolio.
Recent articles about VCNS and PACF
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