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

In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VGLT returned −5.4% and XLU returned +2.4%, so XLU 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 XLU: how they differ

VGLT is a bond index fund and XLU an equity index fund, and over the year XLU returned more, +2.4% against −5.4%.

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

VGLT and XLU on the fields both publish, as of Sep 12, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
	VGLT Vanguard Long-Term Treasury 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	Long-term Treasury	Utilities
Total return, 1 year	−5.4%	+2.4%
S&P 500 over the same days	+17.5%	+17.5%
Gap to the S&P 500	−22.9 pts	−15.1 pts
Expense ratio	not published	0.08%
Holdings	not filed	31

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.

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, VGLT or XLU?: In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VGLT returned −5.4% and XLU returned +2.4%, so XLU returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.

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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.

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

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources