Which returned more over the last year, VGLT or XLB?

In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VGLT returned −5.4% and XLB returned +12.0%, so XLB returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.

Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.

ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

VGLT vs XLB: how they differ

VGLT is a bond index fund and XLB an equity index fund, and over the year XLB returned more, +12.0% against −5.4%.

Vanguard Long-Term Treasury Index Fund and State Street(R) Materials Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF.

VGLT and XLB on the fields both publish, as of Sep 12, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
	VGLT Vanguard Long-Term Treasury Index Fund	XLB State Street(R) Materials Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF
Where it sits	Core index fund	Core index fund
Issuer	Vanguard	State Street
What it is	Long-term Treasury	Materials
Total return, 1 year	−5.4%	+12.0%
S&P 500 over the same days	+17.5%	+17.5%
Gap to the S&P 500	−22.9 pts	−5.5 pts
Expense ratio	not published	0.08%
Holdings	not filed	26

VGLT in plain words

VGLT is a bond fund tracking the Long-term Treasury. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned −5.4% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. It sat 39.2% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 on Sep 11, 2026.

XLB in plain words

XLB is an index equity fund tracking the Materials. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +12.0% 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 26 positions, with the top ten at 58.5%. It sat 5.1% below its high of Aug 26, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, VGLT or XLB?: In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VGLT returned −5.4% and XLB returned +12.0%, so XLB returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.

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.

VGLT against XLB, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 12, 2026. Every figure is arithmetic on a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page. ETFIQ, VGLT against XLB, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/VGLT-XLB Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources