Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
VGK vs XLU: how they differ
VGK and XLU 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) Utilities Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, VGK and XLU hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in VGK | Only in XLU |
|---|---|
| ASML Holding NV 3.63% | NextEra Energy Inc 12.93% |
| HSBC Holdings PLC 2.05% | Southern Co/The 7.62% |
| AstraZeneca PLC 1.84% | Duke Energy Corp 6.97% |
| Novartis AG 1.84% | Constellation Energy Corp 5.61% |
| Nestle SA 1.69% | American Electric Power Co Inc 5.26% |
| Siemens AG 1.41% | Sempra 4.28% |
| Banco Santander SA 1.16% | Dominion Energy Inc 4.24% |
| Allianz SE 1.13% | 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 Apr 30, 2026 and Jun 30, 2026.
| VGK Vanguard European Stock 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 | European Stock | Utilities |
| Total return, 1 year | +16.5% | +2.4% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −1.0 pts | −15.1 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.06% | 0.08% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| Holdings | 1228 | 31 |
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.
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, VGK or XLU?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VGK returned +16.5% and XLU returned +2.4%, so VGK returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, VGK or XLU?
- VGK charges 0.06% a year and XLU charges 0.08%, so VGK is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do VGK and XLU overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of VGK 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, VGK against XLU, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/VGK-XLU Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources