FTSE 100 vs S&P 500, side by side
Both are low-cost index trackers that pay their dividends out as cash, but they follow very different markets. ISF holds the 100 largest companies listed in London, a mix tilted towards banks, miners and energy that tends to pay higher dividends. VUSA holds the 500 largest US companies, a more technology-heavy, growth-leaning group priced in dollars, which adds currency movement for a UK investor.
iShares Core FTSE 100 UCITS ETF (Dist)ISF.L£10.25+18% 1Y
Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF (Dist)VUSA.L£106.19+22% 1YiShares Core FTSE 100 UCITS ETF (Dist)
The 100 largest London-listed companies, paying dividends out as cash - a popular, cheap way to hold the headline UK index.
VUSA
The same 500 largest US companies as VUAG, but paying the dividends out to you as cash each quarter.
The numbers, side by side
| Measure | iShares Core FTSE 100 UCITS ETF (Dist) | VUSA |
|---|---|---|
| What it tracks | FTSE 100 | S&P 500 |
| OCF: Ongoing Charge Figure: the fund's yearly running cost, taken automatically. 0.22% is about £2.20 a year for every £1,000 you hold. | 0.07% | 0.07% |
| Acc / Dist: Accumulating (Acc) reinvests dividends inside the fund automatically; Distributing (Dist) pays them to you as cash. Same index either way. | Dist | Dist |
| Holdings: Roughly how many different investments the fund spreads your money across. More holdings usually means more diversification. | 100 | 500 |
| Domicile | Ireland | Ireland |
| Replication | Physical (holds the underlying shares) | Physical (holds the underlying shares) |
| Yield: The income the fund has paid out over the past year as a percentage of its price. Accumulating funds reinvest this for you instead of paying cash. | 3.0% | — |
| Price | £10.25 | £106.19 |
| 1Y: How much the share price has moved over the past year. | +18% | +22% |
How they differ
Their 10 biggest holdings don't overlap at all - they hold different companies. The ongoing charge is the same (0.07%), so the fee drag is identical either way.
Descriptive only - how the two compare on today's data, never a verdict on either.
iShares Core FTSE 100 UCITS ETF (Dist), in one line
The exact same FTSE 100 as VUKG, but this one posts the dividends to you as cash instead of reinvesting them.
Read the full iShares Core FTSE 100 UCITS ETF (Dist) explainer →VUSA, in one line
The same 500 biggest US companies as VUAG, except this version pays the dividends out to you as cash.
Read the full VUSA explainer →Common questions
What is the main difference between the FTSE 100 and S&P 500?
The FTSE 100 tracks the 100 biggest companies listed in London, leaning towards banks, miners and energy firms that often pay solid dividends. The S&P 500 tracks the 500 biggest US companies and is far more weighted towards technology and growth. So one follows a UK-focused group and the other a US one.
Does a US tracker like VUSA carry currency risk for UK investors?
Yes. VUSA's holdings are priced in US dollars, so the value in pounds also depends on the dollar-to-pound exchange rate. A stronger dollar lifts the pound value and a weaker one drags it down, on top of how the shares themselves move. The FTSE 100 fund is priced in pounds, so it has less direct currency effect.