Data as of Sep 4, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
VOO vs XAR
Vanguard 500 Index Fund and State Street(R) SPDR(R) S&P(R) Aerospace & Defense ETF.
| VOO Vanguard 500 Index Fund | XAR State Street(R) SPDR(R) S&P(R) Aerospace & Defense ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core fund | Themes desk |
| Issuer | Vanguard | State Street |
| What it is | S&P 500 | Defense |
| Total return, 1 year | +20.1% | +17.9% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +20.0% | +20.0% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +0.1 pts | −2.1 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.03% | 0.35% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 100.0% | 32.4% |
| Holdings | 506 | 48 |
VOO in plain words
VOO is a index equity fund tracking S&P 500. Over the year to Sep 4, 2026 it returned +20.1% with distributions reinvested, against +20.0% for the S&P 500 and +25.6% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% 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 506 positions, with the top ten at 36.5%.
XAR in plain words
By weight, 32% of XAR's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500; its active share against the S&P 500 is 98%. The top ten holdings are 30% of the fund across 48 positions, as filed for Jun 30, 2026. Over the year to Sep 4, 2026 the fund returned +17.9% with distributions reinvested against +20.0% for the S&P 500, so a holder was behind by 2.1 pts. It sits 14.8% below its all-time high of Aug 14, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, VOO or XAR?
- In the year to Sep 4, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VOO returned +20.1% and XAR returned +17.9%, so VOO returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, VOO or XAR?
- VOO charges 0.03% a year and XAR charges 0.35%, so VOO is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do VOO and XAR overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 100% of VOO and 32% of XAR by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds.
- Are VOO and XAR the same kind of fund?
- No. VOO is an index ETF and XAR is a thematic ETF, so they are built for different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and what each actually holds.
Other comparisons
Where to next
Cite this page. ETFIQ, VOO against XAR, data as of Sep 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/VOO-XAR.html Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. ETFIQ publishes the same fields for every fund and suggests no allocation. Standards and sources