Consumer Staples ETFs Look Alike as Small Cost and Focus Trade-Offs Drive Choice

Overview

• Fresh comparison pieces published Thursday detail that broad staples funds have nearly identical five-year risk and return, so fee, yield, and liquidity now separate the main options.
• VDC and FSTA track almost the same stocks, with FSTA charging 0.08% versus VDC at 0.09% and yielding slightly more, while VDC’s assets stand at about $9.9 billion versus $1.5 billion.
• XLP holds 35 names to VDC’s 104, carries a slightly higher yield at 2.38% and a 0.08% fee, yet VDC shows marginally better five-year total returns.
• PBJ focuses on roughly 30 food and beverage stocks, charges 0.61%, and leads on one-year return at about 8%, while RSPS and FSTA offer broader staples exposure with lower costs and higher yields.
• Because the top holdings heavily overlap—Walmart, Costco, and Procter & Gamble—most retail investors will see similar outcomes across these ETFs and can pick based on cost, diversification, or income needs.