Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
VBR vs XLF: how they differ
VBR and XLF hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and VBR returned more over the year.
Vanguard Small-Cap Value Index Fund and State Street(R) Financial Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, VBR and XLF hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | VBR | XLF |
|---|---|---|
| Globe Life Inc | 0.30% | 0.18% |
| Assurant Inc | 0.29% | 0.18% |
| Franklin Resources Inc | 0.22% | 0.14% |
| Only in VBR | Only in XLF |
|---|---|
| Jabil Inc 0.87% | Berkshire Hathaway Inc 12.10% |
| NRG Energy Inc 0.66% | JPMorgan Chase & Co 11.57% |
| Tapestry Inc 0.64% | Visa Inc 7.51% |
| Atmos Energy Corp 0.62% | Mastercard Inc 5.47% |
| Williams-Sonoma Inc 0.59% | Bank of America Corp 4.91% |
| Moderna Inc 0.54% | Goldman Sachs Group Inc/The 3.94% |
| Smurfit Westrock PLC 0.52% | Wells Fargo & Co 3.34% |
| F5 Inc 0.50% | 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.
| VBR Vanguard Small-Cap Value 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 Value | Financials |
| Total return, 1 year | +16.3% | +7.6% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −1.2 pts | −9.9 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.05% | 0.08% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 30.5% | 100.0% |
| Holdings | 840 | 76 |
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.
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, VBR or XLF?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VBR returned +16.3% and XLF returned +7.6%, so VBR returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, VBR or XLF?
- VBR charges 0.05% a year and XLF charges 0.08%, so VBR is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do VBR and XLF overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 30% of VBR and 100% of XLF by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 0% 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 XLF, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/VBR-XLF Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources