Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF vs Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock — how do they compare? Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF trades at $376.1 (market cap $2.30T), while Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock trades at $39.82 (market cap $11.31B). The key difference: Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF is far larger — about 203.4× Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock's market cap, and Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock pays a 3.62% dividend while Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals — on Pluang, investors hold Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF for 132 Days and Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock for 0 Days on average.
| VTI | WTRG | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $2.30T | $11.31B |
Volume | 3,256,421 | 2,459,172 |
52-Week High | $384.30 | $42.00 |
52-Week Low | $311.68 | $36.25 |
Typical Hold Time | 132 Days | 0 Days |
Sector | — | Utilities |
Enterprise Value | — | $19.82B |
Dividend Yield | — | 3.62% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
VTI trades at $381.32, down slightly by 0.07% today, with strong technical momentum as moving averages signal bullish conditions. The ETF maintains broad U.S. equity exposure across 3,500+ stocks, though concentration in top holdings remains a diversification consideration. Recent dividend activity and positive media coverage highlight its role in long-term portfolios.
Outlook remains favorable for buy-and-hold investors seeking diversified U.S. market exposure, with risks including market concentration and economic sensitivity. Technical strength supports near-term upside, while fundamental breadth provides stability across market cycles.
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
The fund employs an indexing investment approach designed to track the performance of the index, which represents approximately 100% of the investable US stock market and includes large-, mid-, small-, and micro-cap stocks. It invests by sampling the index, meaning that it holds a broadly diversified collection of securities that, in the aggregate, approximates the full index in terms of key characteristics.
Read more on VTI →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 →