VFV at a Glance
| Feature |
Details |
| Full name |
Vanguard S&P 500 Index ETF |
| Ticker |
VFV |
| Provider |
Vanguard Canada |
| Inception |
November 2012 |
| MER |
0.09% |
| Underlying index |
S&P 500 |
| Currency |
CAD (unhedged) |
| Distribution frequency |
Quarterly |
| Distribution yield |
~1.2% |
| Number of holdings |
~500 (through VOO) |
| Exchange |
TSX |
Top Holdings
| Company |
Weight (approx) |
| Apple |
~7% |
| Microsoft |
~6.5% |
| NVIDIA |
~6% |
| Amazon |
~3.8% |
| Alphabet (Google) |
~3.5% |
| Meta |
~2.5% |
| Berkshire Hathaway |
~2% |
| Broadcom |
~2% |
| Tesla |
~1.5% |
| JPMorgan Chase |
~1.3% |
Sector Breakdown
| Sector |
Weight |
| Technology |
~32% |
| Healthcare |
~12% |
| Financials |
~13% |
| Consumer Discretionary |
~10% |
| Communication Services |
~9% |
| Industrials |
~8% |
| Consumer Staples |
~6% |
| Energy |
~4% |
| Other |
~6% |
| Period |
VFV Return (CAD) |
S&P 500 (USD) |
| 1 year |
~25-30%* |
~22-28%* |
| 5 years (annualized) |
~14-16%* |
~13-15%* |
| 10 years (annualized) |
~13-15%* |
~12-14%* |
VFV returns in CAD may differ from USD returns due to currency movements.
Growth of $10,000 in VFV
| Time Horizon |
At 12% Return |
At 14% Return |
| 5 years |
$17,623 |
$19,254 |
| 10 years |
$31,058 |
$37,072 |
| 20 years |
$96,463 |
$137,435 |
VFV vs Alternatives
| Feature |
VFV |
ZSP |
VOO |
VSP (hedged) |
| MER |
0.09% |
0.09% |
0.03% |
0.09% |
| Currency |
CAD (unhedged) |
CAD (unhedged) |
USD |
CAD (hedged) |
| Exchange |
TSX |
TSX |
NYSE |
TSX |
| Provider |
Vanguard |
BMO |
Vanguard |
Vanguard |
| Currency risk |
✅ Yes |
✅ Yes |
Need USD |
❌ Hedged |
When to Choose Each
| Option |
Best For |
| VFV |
Simplicity, CAD-only accounts, most investors |
| ZSP |
Same as VFV (nearly identical) |
| VOO |
Already have USD, want lowest MER |
| VSP |
Believe CAD will strengthen (hedging removes currency exposure) |
Currency Impact
| CAD Moves |
Impact on VFV |
| CAD weakens vs USD |
VFV returns increase (positive) |
| CAD strengthens vs USD |
VFV returns decrease (negative) |
| Neutral |
Returns mirror S&P 500 |
Long-term: Currency movements tend to even out over 10+ years. Most advisors recommend unhedged (VFV) for long-term holdings.
Who Should Buy VFV
| Profile |
Suitable? |
| Want S&P 500 exposure in CAD |
✅ Ideal |
| Long-term growth investor |
✅ Yes |
| Already have Canadian equities covered |
✅ Good complement |
| Want one simple ETF |
⚠️ XEQT/VEQT are more diversified |
| Want global diversification |
⚠️ VFV is US-only |
| Need income |
⚠️ Low yield (~1.2%) |