Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
VB vs XLF: how they differ
VB and XLF hold 1% of their weight in the same names, and VB returned more over the year.
Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund and State Street(R) Financial Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, VB and XLF hold 1% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | VB | XLF |
|---|---|---|
| Globe Life Inc | 0.17% | 0.18% |
| Assurant Inc | 0.16% | 0.18% |
| Franklin Resources Inc | 0.13% | 0.14% |
| Jack Henry & Associates Inc | 0.12% | 0.13% |
| FactSet Research Systems Inc | 0.10% | 0.11% |
| Erie Indemnity Co | 0.07% | 0.08% |
| Only in VB | Only in XLF |
|---|---|
| Credo Technology Group Holding Ltd 0.55% | Berkshire Hathaway Inc 12.10% |
| Jabil Inc 0.49% | JPMorgan Chase & Co 11.57% |
| REVOLUTION Medicines Inc 0.46% | Visa Inc 7.51% |
| Astera Labs Inc 0.45% | Mastercard Inc 5.47% |
| Natera Inc 0.45% | Bank of America Corp 4.91% |
| EMCOR Group Inc 0.45% | Goldman Sachs Group Inc/The 3.94% |
| Twilio Inc 0.38% | Wells Fargo & Co 3.34% |
| NRG Energy Inc 0.38% | Morgan Stanley 3.31% |
Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Jun 30, 2026.
| VB Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund | XLF State Street(R) Financial Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | Vanguard | State Street |
| What it is | Small-Cap | Financials |
| Total return, 1 year | +15.2% | +7.6% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −2.3 pts | −9.9 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.03% | 0.08% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 21.7% | 100.0% |
| Holdings | 1311 | 76 |
VB in plain words
VB is an index equity fund tracking the Small-Cap. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +15.2% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 22% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 1311 positions, with the top ten at 4.3%. It sat 5.1% below its high of Aug 14, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
XLF in plain words
XLF is an index equity fund tracking the Financials. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +7.6% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.08% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 76 positions, with the top ten at 57.7%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, VB or XLF?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VB returned +15.2% and XLF returned +7.6%, so VB returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, VB or XLF?
- VB charges 0.03% a year and XLF charges 0.08%, so VB is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do VB and XLF overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 22% of VB and 100% of XLF by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 1% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
Other comparisons
Where to next
Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, VB against XLF, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/VB-XLF Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources