Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
VDE vs XLU: how they differ
VDE and XLU hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and VDE returned more over the year.
Vanguard Energy Index Fund and State Street(R) Utilities Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, VDE and XLU hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in VDE | Only in XLU |
|---|---|
| Exxon Mobil Corp 21.37% | NextEra Energy Inc 12.93% |
| Chevron Corp 14.53% | Southern Co/The 7.62% |
| ConocoPhillips 5.79% | Duke Energy Corp 6.97% |
| Williams Cos Inc/The 3.65% | Constellation Energy Corp 5.61% |
| SLB Ltd 3.49% | American Electric Power Co Inc 5.26% |
| Marathon Petroleum Corp 3.29% | Sempra 4.28% |
| Valero Energy Corp 3.19% | Dominion Energy Inc 4.24% |
| EOG Resources Inc 3.06% | Entergy Corp 3.71% |
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 | XLU State Street(R) Utilities Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | Vanguard | State Street |
| What it is | Energy | Utilities |
| Total return, 1 year | +50.6% | +2.4% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +33.1 pts | −15.1 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.09% | 0.08% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 81.6% | 100.0% |
| Holdings | 105 | 31 |
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%.
XLU in plain words
XLU is an index equity fund tracking the Utilities. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +2.4% 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 31 positions, with the top ten at 57.7%. It sat 10.0% below its high of Feb 27, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, VDE or XLU?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VDE returned +50.6% and XLU returned +2.4%, so VDE returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, VDE or XLU?
- VDE charges 0.09% a year and XLU charges 0.08%, so XLU is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do VDE and XLU overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 82% of VDE and 100% of XLU 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, VDE against XLU, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/VDE-XLU Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources