VS
Vanguard U.S. Dividend Appreciation Index ETF (VGH) and Manulife Smart U.S. Defensive Equity ETF (UDEF.U) offer distinct profiles for Canadian ETF investors. A direct comparison shows that VGH focuses its top 3 sector exposures on Technology, Finance, and Healthcare, while UDEF.U leans towards Technology, Finance, and Healthcare. When evaluating costs, VGH features a management fee (MER) of 0.28%, compared to 0.28% for UDEF.U. Performance-wise, VGH has returned 9.62% year-to-date with +$26 M in net flows, whereas UDEF.U is at 11.31% with -$0 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
VGH
UDEF.U
| AuM | $1,043.30 M | $2.54 M |
| Management Fees | 0.28% | 0.28% |
| Exp. ratio | 0.32% | 0.32% |
| Tracking Difference | - | - |
Historical performance and flows
As of November 5, 2026
| 1M | 3M | YTD | 1Y | 3Y | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perf. | VGH | +2.05% | -0.79% | +9.62% | +11.90% | +53.44% |
UDEF.U | -0.41% | -1.75% | +11.31% | +13.43% | +44.28% | |
| Flows | VGH | +$1 M | +$4 M | +$26 M | +$40 M | +$185 M |
UDEF.U | +$0 M | +$0 M | -$0 M | +$0 M | +$0 M |
VGH vs UDEF.U exposure
Countries
VGH
USA
95.23%
UDEF.U
USA
94.35%
Sectors
VGH
Technology
27.35%
Finance
19.41%
Healthcare
18.47%
Industrials
9.45%
Consumer Non-Cyclicals
8.93%
Other
16.39%
UDEF.U
Technology
35.11%
Finance
17.01%
Healthcare
13.59%
Industrials
9.90%
Other
24.39%
As of November 5, 2026
Top 10 Holdings
VGH
Microsoft Corp.
4.89%
Apple, Inc.
4.87%
Broadcom Inc.
4.29%
Eli Lilly & Co.
4.09%
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
3.88%
ExxonMobil Holdings Corp.
2.95%
Johnson & Johnson
2.82%
Visa, Inc.
2.52%
Walmart, Inc.
2.04%
AbbVie, Inc.
2.04%
UDEF.U
Fortinet, Inc.
2.21%
Apple, Inc.
2.19%
NVIDIA Corp.
2.13%
Lam Research Corp.
2.07%
Johnson & Johnson
2.07%
Microsoft Corp.
2.06%
Merck & Co., Inc.
2.03%
Amphenol Corp.
2.03%
Applied Materials, Inc.
1.97%
Mastercard, Inc.
1.94%
Diversification
VGH
Total weight of top 10 holdings out of 333 total
34.39%
UDEF.U
Total weight of top 10 holdings out of 170 total
20.69%
Characteristics
Compare
VGH
UDEF.U
| Provider | Vanguard | Manulife Investments |
| Management | Passively managed | Actively managed |
| Benchmark | S&P U.S. Dividend Growers Index - USD | - |
| Replication Method | Other | - |
| Asset Class | Equity | Equity |
| Dividend Policy | Distributing | Distributing |
| Trailing 12m distribution yield | 1.07% | 0.00% |
| Meets ESG criteria | No | No |
| Inception Date | August 2, 2013 | November 9, 2022 |
Frequently asked questions about VGH and UDEF.U
Which ETF has performed better year to date: VGH or UDEF.U?
As of November 5, 2026, VGH has returned 9.62% year to date, while UDEF.U has returned 11.31%. UDEF.U is ahead on YTD performance.
Which ETF is larger by assets under management: VGH or UDEF.U?
As of November 5, 2026, VGH manages $1.04 B in assets, while UDEF.U manages $2.54 M. VGH is the larger fund by AUM.
How are VGH and UDEF.U managed?
VGH is passively managed by Vanguard. It tracks the S&P U.S. Dividend Growers Index - USD benchmark. UDEF.U is actively managed by Manulife Investments. It does not track an index.
What sectors do VGH and UDEF.U emphasize?
VGH is most exposed to Technology, Finance, and Healthcare. UDEF.U is most exposed to Technology, Finance, and Healthcare.
Which ETF is attracting more investor flows: VGH or UDEF.U?
Year to date, VGH has seen +$25.62 M in net flows, compared with -$0.00 M for UDEF.U. VGH has attracted more net investor money so far.
How do the fees of VGH and UDEF.U compare?
VGH has an expense ratio of 0.32%, while UDEF.U has an expense ratio of 0.32%.
What are the top holdings of VGH and UDEF.U?
VGH's largest holdings include Microsoft Corp., Apple, Inc., and Broadcom Inc.. UDEF.U's top holdings include Fortinet, Inc., Apple, Inc., and NVIDIA Corp..
Which ETF is more diversified: VGH or UDEF.U?
VGH holds 331 securities, while UDEF.U holds 170. On holdings count, VGH is the more diversified portfolio.
Recent articles about VGH and UDEF.U
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