Vanguard S&P 500 Growth Index Fund ETF vs Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock — how do they compare? Vanguard S&P 500 Growth Index Fund ETF trades at $84.4 (market cap $27.10B), while Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock trades at $39.82 (market cap $11.15B). The key difference: Vanguard S&P 500 Growth Index Fund ETF is far larger — about 2.4× Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock's market cap, and Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock pays a 3.67% dividend while Vanguard S&P 500 Growth Index Fund ETF pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals — on Pluang, investors hold Vanguard S&P 500 Growth Index Fund ETF for 56 Days and Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock for 0 Days on average.
| VOOG | WTRG | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $27.10B | $11.15B |
Volume | 775,650 | 1,760,234 |
Sector | Broad Market / Factor | Utilities |
52-Week High | $87.81 | $42.00 |
52-Week Low | $65.32 | $36.25 |
Typical Hold Time | 56 Days | 0 Days |
Enterprise Value | — | $19.66B |
Dividend Yield | — | 3.67% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
VOOG trades at $86.9, down slightly by 0.02% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and neutral oscillators. The ETF, tracking S&P 500 growth stocks, has seen strong institutional buying and positive media coverage highlighting its long-term growth potential and low expense ratio of 0.07%.
The outlook remains favorable for growth-oriented investors, supported by historical outperformance and sector concentration in technology. Key risks include market volatility and reliance on mega-cap tech stocks, but analyst sentiment and institutional inflows suggest continued confidence in its strategy.
WTRG trades at $39.29, up 0.36% with neutral technical signals. The stock shows mixed earnings performance with two beats and one miss in recent quarters, while maintaining strong profitability margins (21.6% net income margin). Analyst consensus is bullish with a $44.50 price target, supported by ongoing acquisitions and pending merger developments with American Water.
The stock presents a stable utility investment with moderate growth potential through strategic acquisitions, though near-term earnings volatility and integration risks from the pending merger warrant caution. Current valuation at 20.15 P/E appears reasonable given the company's consistent cash flow generation and defensive sector positioning.
Trailing returns across standard periods
What Pluang investors did over the last 30 days
VOOG is an index-based ETF that tracks the S&P 500 Growth Index, composed of the growth-oriented companies within the S&P 500. It selects constituents based on three key metrics—sales growth, the ratio of earnings change to price, and momentum—offering a highly liquid and low-cost way to capture the high-performing 'growth slice' of the broader U.S. large-cap market.
Read more on VOOG →Essential Utilities Inc. is a holding company for regulated water, wastewater, and natural gas utilities, operating under the Aqua and Peoples brands. It serves customers across Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, North Carolina, New Jersey, Indiana, Virginia, and Kentucky.
Read more on WTRG →