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Data last updated: Oct 16, 2026
Dividend Yield: 2.86%
Years of Dividend History: 23
The Vanguard Utilities ETF dividend comes from a passively managed fund that tracks a benchmark index of utilities companies, including electricity distributors, water providers, natural gas firms, and independent power producers. VPU currently pays a 2.89% yield, with a trailing annual dividend rate of $5.1678 per share paid quarterly. The next ex-dividend date is June 24, 2026. With a beta of 0.5, VPU moves at roughly half the volatility of the broader market, which suits income investors who prioritize steadiness over price swings.
Vanguard Utilities ETF pays out dividends sourced from its underlying holdings, and the payout ratio is not applicable (fund/ETF) since distributions flow through from portfolio companies rather than from retained earnings. Vanguard Utilities ETF dividend safety rests on the demand characteristics of the fund's holdings: electricity, water, and natural gas are essential services, and the fund's index-replication approach means exposure is spread across the sector rather than concentrated in a single operator. The primary pressure point is interest rate sensitivity, as utilities companies carry significant capital costs, and rising rates can compress the earnings that flow through to VPU distributions.
Vanguard Utilities ETF dividend history shows a CAGR of 4.7% per year from 2011 to 2025. Per-share payments grew from $2.6590 to $5.0438 over that window (2026 data is partial and excluded from the growth calculation). The largest single-year increase in the window was 12.7% in 2012, while the fund has posted four consecutive years of dividend increases through 2025. Growth is moderate, not spectacular, but the direction has been consistently upward across the full history available.
| Period | CAGR | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-Year | +3.3% | $4.58 (2022) | $5.04 (2025) |
| 5-Year | +3.0% | $4.35 (2020) | $5.04 (2025) |
| 10-Year | +4.0% | $3.41 (2015) | $5.04 (2025) |
VPU fits dividend investors who want exposure to essential-services companies without taking on single-stock risk. The yield sits in the moderate (2–4%) range at 2.89%, which is above the fund's own 5-year average of 2.63%, meaning current buyers are locking in a slightly better entry yield than the recent norm. The 4.7% annual growth rate since 2011 keeps pace with inflation in most years but does not accelerate income meaningfully over time. The trade-off is clear: VPU offers broad utilities sector exposure with low price volatility (beta of 0.5) and a growing payout, but income seekers who need a high current yield will find the 2.89% limiting.
| Payment Date | Amount per Share |
|---|---|
| 2026-06-24 | $1.3009 |
| 2026-03-24 | $1.2769 |
| 2025-12-17 | $1.3633 |
| 2025-09-24 | $1.2267 |
| 2025-06-26 | $1.2263 |
| 2025-03-25 | $1.2275 |
| 2024-12-18 | $1.2754 |
| 2024-09-27 | $1.3117 |
| 2024-06-28 | $1.2449 |
| 2024-03-22 | $1.0961 |
| Year | Total Dividends |
|---|---|
| 2026 | $2.5778 |
| 2025 | $5.0438 |
| 2024 | $4.9281 |
| 2023 | $4.7793 |
| 2022 | $4.5773 |
Project income from VPU with the VPU dividend calculator or track your full portfolio with the dividend tracker.