Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
VGK vs XLF: how they differ
VGK and XLF hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and VGK returned more over the year.
Vanguard European Stock Index Fund and State Street(R) Financial Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, VGK and XLF hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in VGK | Only in XLF |
|---|---|
| ASML Holding NV 3.63% | Berkshire Hathaway Inc 12.10% |
| HSBC Holdings PLC 2.05% | JPMorgan Chase & Co 11.57% |
| AstraZeneca PLC 1.84% | Visa Inc 7.51% |
| Novartis AG 1.84% | Mastercard Inc 5.47% |
| Nestle SA 1.69% | Bank of America Corp 4.91% |
| Siemens AG 1.41% | Goldman Sachs Group Inc/The 3.94% |
| Banco Santander SA 1.16% | Wells Fargo & Co 3.34% |
| Allianz SE 1.13% | 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 Apr 30, 2026 and Jun 30, 2026.
| VGK Vanguard European Stock 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 | European Stock | Financials |
| Total return, 1 year | +16.5% | +7.6% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −1.0 pts | −9.9 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.06% | 0.08% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| Holdings | 1228 | 76 |
VGK in plain words
VGK is an index equity fund tracking the European Stock. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +16.5% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.06% a year. By its holdings filed for Apr 30, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 1228 positions, with the top ten at 18.1%. It sat 3.4% below its high of Aug 25, 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, VGK or XLF?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VGK returned +16.5% and XLF returned +7.6%, so VGK returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, VGK or XLF?
- VGK charges 0.06% a year and XLF charges 0.08%, so VGK is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do VGK and XLF overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of VGK 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.
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, VGK against XLF, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/VGK-XLF Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources