VTI May Hold 3,500 Stocks, But Three Companies Control Nearly 20% of Your Money

If you want to own the entire investable US stock market in a single trade, VTI does exactly that. Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (NYSEARCA:VTI) holds more than 3,500 stocks spanning every sector and market cap from mega-cap tech giants to small regional banks. It’s the closest thing to a set-it-and-forget-it equity position that exists.

The Core Equity Holding

VTI works best as the foundation of a long-term portfolio. Whether you’re building wealth in your 30s or managing retirement, this fund provides broad diversification without requiring you to pick sectors or time the market. You own a slice of every publicly traded US company, weighted by market cap. When the US economy grows, your portfolio grows with it.

VTI’s cost structure gives it a structural advantage that compounds over decades. The fund charges just 0.03% annually and maintains minimal turnover, allowing investors to capture nearly all of the market’s growth without the drag of fees and taxes. This efficiency translated into strong long-term performance as investors who stayed the course benefited from the market’s steady climb.

What You’re Actually Buying

The fund’s market-cap weighting creates meaningful concentration at the top, with Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL | AAPL Price Prediction), NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA), and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) together representing 18% of assets. This tech-heavy tilt has amplified gains during the AI-driven rally, but it also means your diversified portfolio rises and falls with a small group of mega-cap names that increasingly dominate market returns.

VTI’s broader reach into small and mid-cap stocks hasn’t translated into meaningfully different returns compared to large-cap focused funds. Unlike SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEARCA:SPY), which stops at the 500 largest companies, VTI extends into emerging businesses and regional players that could become tomorrow’s market leaders. The fund’s performance over the past year tracked closely with SPY despite holding thousands more companies, suggesting the mega-cap stocks that dominate both funds are driving most of the market’s returns.

The Tradeoffs

VTI’s biggest limitation is its lack of downside protection. When the market sells off, this fund goes with it. There’s no active management, no hedging, and no sector rotation to cushion losses. You’re fully exposed to whatever the market does next.

The fund’s tech concentration also creates risk. If mega-cap growth stocks underperform or if the market rotates toward value, small caps, or international equities, VTI will lag. And while the 1.11% dividend yield provides some income, it’s not enough for retirees who need meaningful cash flow.

VTI functions as a comprehensive equity position that tracks the entire US stock market, offering broad diversification for those seeking market-cap weighted exposure to the US economy with tolerance for short-term volatility.