Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
VBR vs XLB: how they differ
VBR and XLB hold 3% of their weight in the same names, and VBR returned more over the year.
Vanguard Small-Cap Value Index Fund and State Street(R) Materials Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, VBR and XLB hold 3% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | VBR | XLB |
|---|---|---|
| DuPont de Nemours Inc | 0.40% | 2.48% |
| Ball Corp | 0.36% | 2.23% |
| CF Industries Holdings Inc | 0.36% | 2.23% |
| Steel Dynamics Inc | 0.34% | 3.73% |
| Avery Dennison Corp | 0.27% | 1.67% |
| International Paper Co | 0.22% | 2.70% |
| Dow Inc | 0.21% | 2.64% |
| International Flavors & Fragrances Inc | 0.21% | 2.71% |
| Albemarle Corp | 0.17% | 2.13% |
| Mosaic Co/The | 0.14% | 0.90% |
| Only in VBR | Only in XLB |
|---|---|
| Jabil Inc 0.87% | Linde PLC 14.08% |
| NRG Energy Inc 0.66% | Newmont Corp 5.85% |
| Tapestry Inc 0.64% | Freeport-McMoRan Inc 5.31% |
| Atmos Energy Corp 0.62% | Corteva Inc 4.97% |
| Williams-Sonoma Inc 0.59% | Sherwin-Williams Co/The 4.95% |
| Moderna Inc 0.54% | Ecolab Inc 4.73% |
| Smurfit Westrock PLC 0.52% | Vulcan Materials Co 4.72% |
| F5 Inc 0.50% | CRH PLC 4.67% |
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.
| VBR Vanguard Small-Cap Value Index Fund | XLB State Street(R) Materials Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | Vanguard | State Street |
| What it is | Small-Cap Value | Materials |
| Total return, 1 year | +16.3% | +12.0% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −1.2 pts | −5.5 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.05% | 0.08% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 30.5% | 100.0% |
| Holdings | 840 | 26 |
VBR in plain words
VBR is an index equity fund tracking the Small-Cap Value. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +16.3% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.05% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 30% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 840 positions, with the top ten at 5.9%. It sat 3.8% below its high of Aug 14, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
XLB in plain words
XLB is an index equity fund tracking the Materials. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +12.0% 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 26 positions, with the top ten at 58.5%. It sat 5.1% below its high of Aug 26, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, VBR or XLB?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VBR returned +16.3% and XLB returned +12.0%, so VBR returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, VBR or XLB?
- VBR charges 0.05% a year and XLB charges 0.08%, so VBR is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do VBR and XLB overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 30% of VBR and 100% of XLB by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 3% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
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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, VBR against XLB, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/VBR-XLB Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources