ETF Evaluator:
VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF ()
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(as of Aug 26)
Best Performing in Large Blend Over the Last Year
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ETF Details
VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF Overview
VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (MOAT) is a passively managed U.S. Equity Large Blend exchange-traded fund (ETF). VanEck launched the ETF in 2012.
The investment seeks to replicate as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the price and yield performance of the Morningstar® Wide Moat Focus IndexSM.
The fund normally invests at least 80% of its total assets in securities that comprise the fund's benchmark index. The index is comprised of securities issued by companies that Morningstar, Inc. ("Morningstar") determines to have sustainable competitive advantages based on a proprietary methodology that considers quantitative and qualitative factors ("wide moat companies"). The fund is non-diversified.
About VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (MOAT)
There are 2 members of the management team with an average tenure of 8.39 years: Peter Liao (2012) and Griffin Driscoll (2024). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 2 primary benchmarks: S&P 500 (TR) (1970) index with a weighting of 100% and Morningstar Wide Moat Foc TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF has 56 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 25.9% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a nondiversified fund. The ETF is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the U.S. Equity ETF group. VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF has 1.4% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 98.6% There is 1.4% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 0.0% (0.0% domestic bond, 0.0% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF has 0.0% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $11 billion in total assets, which is below the $13 billion average for the Large Blend category. Normally, lower assets under management translates to higher average expense ratios, and greater total assets are desired. However, for some investment categories, such as small-cap investing, it may be difficult for the manager to fully employ the desired active strategy if assets grow too large or too quickly.
MOAT Performance and Fees
The expense ratio measures how much of a fund’s assets are used for administrative expenses and operating expenses, including adviser fees and fees for the transfer agent and custodial services. The VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF expense ratio is average compared to funds in the Large Blend category. VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF has an expense ratio of 0.46%, which is 11% higher than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a C. While it is difficult to predict returns, it is known that high annual expense ratios reduce your rate of return, and excessive fees are difficult to overcome. Active management normally comes with higher expense ratios than passive index management. Certain investment categories such as small company and foreign also normally have higher expense ratios. It is best to compare fund expense ratios against the category averages for meaningful assessments.
High portfolio turnover can translate to higher expenses and lower aftertax returns. VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 55%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 158% for the Large Blend category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF returned 3.9%, which earned it a grade of A, as the Large Blend category had an average return of -0.8%. The letter grades of A, B, C, D and F are based upon relative rankings within the investment category. A grade of A, for example, would indicate that the return is in the highest 20% for that time period compared to all ETFs in that category.
VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF has a trailing yield of 1.30%, which is above the 1.16% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income annually.
It’s natural to seek the best-performing investments, but you must consider the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.
VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 4.4%, 5.2 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of F. The fund has returned 13.1% over the past year (grade of F), 10.4% over the past three years (grade of F) and 8.7% per year over the past five years (grade of F) and 13.6% per year over the past 10 years (grade of D).
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MOAT Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 7/31/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| MOAT Return (NAV) | 3.9% | 7.6% | 13.1% | 10.4% | 8.7% | 13.6% |
| MOAT Return (Price) | 4.0% | 7.7% | 13.1% | 10.4% | 8.7% | 13.6% |
| NAV +/- Price Return | -0.049% | -0.084% | -0.067% | 0.008% | 0.006% | 0.004% |
| Large Blend Avg | -0.8% | 3.7% | 17.5% | 17.4% | 11.2% | 13.6% |
| MOAT Grade (NAV) | A | A | F | F | F | D |
| +/- Category (NAV) | 4.8% | 3.9% | -4.5% | -7.1% | -2.5% | -0.1% |
| MOAT Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% |
MOAT Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| MOAT Return (NAV) | 4.4% | 13.2% | 10.7% | 31.7% | -13.5% | 24.1% | 14.8% | 35.0% | -1.3% | 23.2% | 21.7% |
| MOAT Return (Price) | 4.4% | 13.2% | 10.7% | 31.9% | -13.6% | 24.1% | 14.8% | 34.8% | -1.3% | 23.2% | 21.9% |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | 0.002% | -0.002% | 0.000% | 0.005% | 0.007% | 0.001% | 0.006% | -0.5% | -0.2% | -0.1% | 0.7% |
| Large Blend Avg | 9.5% | 15.3% | 21.9% | 22.9% | -17.1% | 26.9% | 18.3% | 29.6% | -5.1% | 21.5% | 11.4% |
| MOAT Grade (NAV) | F | D | F | A | A | F | D | A | A | A | A |
| +/- Category | -5.2% | -2.1% | -11.2% | 8.9% | 3.5% | -2.8% | -3.6% | 5.3% | 3.9% | 1.7% | 10.4% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 0.90 |
| R-Squared: | 67% |
| Standard Deviation: | 14.4% |
| Category Risk Index: | 1.06 |
| Category Risk Rating: | Above Average |
| Total Risk Index: | 1.17 |
| Total Risk Rating: | Average |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 1.3% |
| Total Assets: | $ 11,805 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 11,805 Mil |
| Turnover: | 55.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.46% |
| Index Fund: | Yes |
| Index Tracked: | S&P 500 (TR) (1970) |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 2 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 14.3 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 8.4 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Liao Peter (2012), Driscoll Griffin (2024) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 7/31/26)
| # of Holdings: | 56 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 25.9% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | Yes |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 1.4% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 98.6% |
| Foreign Stock: | 1.4% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 0.0% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | VanEck |
| Phone Number: | 800-826-2333 |
| Website: | www.marketvectorsetfs.com |
| Inception Date: | April 24, 2012 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.46% (Rating: Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.41% |
