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ITOT vs. VTV: Is Broad Market Exposure or Value Stock Stability the Better Buy for Investors?

Source: nasdaq FinanceView Original
financeMarch 14, 2026

AAPL TSLA AMZN META AMD NVDA PEP COST ADBE GOOG AMGN HON INTC INTU NFLX ADP SBUX MRNA AAPL TSLA AMZN META AMD NVDA PEP COST ADBE GOOG AMGN HON INTC INTU NFLX ADP SBUX MRNA AAPL TSLA AMZN META AMD NVDA PEP COST ADBE GOOG AMGN HON INTC INTU NFLX ADP SBUX MRNA Markets ITOT ITOT vs. VTV: Is Broad Market Exposure or Value Stock Stability the Better Buy for Investors? March 14, 2026 — 05:30 pm EDT Written by Katie Brockman for The Motley Fool -> Key Points ITOT covers the entire U.S. stock market with heavy tech exposure, while VTV focuses on large-cap value stocks. Both ETFs have an identical ultra-low expense ratio, but VTV pays a higher dividend yield. ITOT has outperformed VTV over the past year, though with a deeper max drawdown. 10 stocks we like better than iShares Trust - iShares Core S&P Total U.s. Stock Market ETF › The iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF (NYSEMKT:ITOT) offers broad-market exposure and more technology stocks, while the Vanguard Value ETF (NYSEMKT:VTV) sticks to large-cap value names and higher dividend income. This comparison unpacks how the two ETFs differ in cost, performance, risk, and holdings to help investors understand which may better fit their needs. Snapshot (cost & size) Metric VTV ITOT Issuer Vanguard iShares Expense ratio 0.03% 0.03% 1-yr return (as of March 14, 2026) 17.03% 20.18% Dividend yield 1.88% 1.10% Beta (5Y monthly) 0.76 1.04 AUM $239 billion $82 billion Beta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year monthly returns. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months. Both funds are extremely affordable, charging just 0.03% in annual expenses. However, VTV offers a higher dividend yield, which could appeal to income-focused investors. ITOT’s lower yield reflects its heavier allocation to growth-oriented sectors, such as technology. Performance & risk comparison Metric VTV ITOT Max drawdown (5 y) -17.03% -25.35% Growth of $1,000 over 5 years $1,497 $1,572 What's inside ITOT holds more than 2,400 stocks, spanning the entire U.S. equity market. Its portfolio leans heavily toward technology (making up nearly one-third of assets), and its top holdings include mega-cap industry leaders like Nvidia , Apple , and Microsoft . The fund’s broad reach provides instant diversification across sectors and market caps. VTV, by contrast, includes only 312 holdings and is built around large-cap value stocks . Its biggest weights are in financial services (23%), healthcare (15%), and industrials (14%), and its largest holdings are JPMorgan Chase , Berkshire Hathaway , and Exxon Mobil . For more guidance on ETF investing, check out the full guide at this link . What this means for investors Both ITOT and VTV offer stability in their own unique ways. ITOT is incredibly broad, spanning the entire U.S. stock market with thousands of holdings of all sizes. That level of diversification can help mitigate risk during periods of volatility, as it’s less likely that any single company will sway the fund’s overall performance. VTV is more concentrated, with only around 300 holdings, but it has a much greater focus on stocks from mature companies in established industries. Value stocks are built on robust fundamentals, making them more stable during economic rough patches. Most value stocks also pay consistent dividends, making this ETF a good choice for investors seeking passive dividend income. When it comes to earning potential, ITOT has an edge. Because it covers the market as a whole, it tilts heavily toward the tech sector. While that has historically helped it earn higher total returns than VTV, it’s also led to more significant price swings over the last five years. Choosing between the two will largely depend on your investment goals. If you’re looking for maximum diversification with greater exposure to tech stocks, you can’t beat a broad fund like ITOT. On the other hand, if you’re looking to invest in more established companies with a higher-paying dividend, VTV has the advantage. Should you buy stock in iShares Trust - iShares Core S&P Total U.s. Stock Market ETF right now? Before you buy stock in iShares Trust - iShares Core S&P Total U.s. Stock Market ETF, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and iShares Trust - iShares Core S&P Total U.s. Stock Market ETF wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $514,000 !* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,105,029 !* Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 930 % — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 187% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, availabl