Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
VDE vs XLE: how they differ
VDE and XLE hold 82% of their weight in the same names.
Vanguard Energy Index Fund and State Street(R) Energy Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, VDE and XLE hold 82% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | VDE | XLE |
|---|---|---|
| Exxon Mobil Corp | 21.37% | 22.71% |
| Chevron Corp | 14.53% | 16.12% |
| ConocoPhillips | 5.79% | 6.58% |
| Williams Cos Inc/The | 3.65% | 5.04% |
| SLB Ltd | 3.49% | 4.10% |
| Marathon Petroleum Corp | 3.29% | 4.49% |
| Valero Energy Corp | 3.19% | 4.65% |
| EOG Resources Inc | 3.06% | 4.15% |
| Phillips 66 | 2.98% | 4.08% |
| Baker Hughes Co | 2.65% | 3.31% |
| Kinder Morgan Inc | 2.61% | 3.76% |
| Targa Resources Corp | 2.31% | 3.46% |
| Only in VDE | Only in XLE |
|---|---|
| Cheniere Energy Inc 2.07% | |
| TechnipFMC PLC 1.23% | |
| Ovintiv Inc 0.70% | |
| DT Midstream Inc 0.63% | |
| Prc Newco Inc 0.60% | |
| HF Sinclair Corp 0.50% | |
| Antero Resources Corp 0.47% | |
| Range Resources Corp 0.42% |
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 and May 31, 2026.
| VDE Vanguard Energy Index Fund | XLE State Street(R) Energy Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | Vanguard | State Street |
| What it is | Energy | Energy |
| Total return, 1 year | +50.6% | +50.7% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +33.1 pts | +33.2 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.09% | 0.08% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 81.6% | 100.0% |
| Holdings | 105 | 21 |
VDE in plain words
VDE is an index equity fund tracking the Energy. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +50.6% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.09% a year. By its holdings filed for May 31, 2026, 82% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 105 positions, with the top ten at 64.0%.
XLE in plain words
XLE is an index equity fund tracking the Energy. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +50.7% 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 21 positions, with the top ten at 75.7%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, VDE or XLE?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VDE returned +50.6% and XLE returned +50.7%, so XLE returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, VDE or XLE?
- VDE charges 0.09% a year and XLE charges 0.08%, so XLE is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do VDE and XLE overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 82% of VDE and 100% of XLE by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 82% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
Other comparisons
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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, VDE against XLE, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/VDE-XLE Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources