Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
VB vs XRT: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, VB returned +14.4% to XRT's +2.4%; 3% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $76.9bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Morningstar Small-Cap ETF, and $362m on Oct 27, 2026 for State Street SPDR S&P Retail ETF.
Pair scorecard
VB costs 0.32 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 12.0 points; VB is far larger, $76.9bn against $435m.
| Measure | VB | XRT |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +14.4% | +2.4% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 5.7%, high on Aug 14, 2026 | 9.9%, high on Nov 16, 2021 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Morningstar US Small Cap Index | S&P Retail Select Industry Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.03% | 0.35% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $76.9bn | $435m |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 3% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 5.9% | 16.6% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Jun 30, 2006 to Oct 23, 2026 · 1,060 weekly returnsVB and XRT returned about the same: +511.7% and +507.2%. VB swung less: 22.1% to 25.8%. VB fell slightly less at its worst: −58.8% to −64.5%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | VB | XRT | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +511.7% | +507.2% | Tie | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +9.3% | +9.3% | Tie | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +352.1% | +366.0% | XRT (slight) | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 22.1% | 25.8% | VB | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 15.6% | 17.4% | VB | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −58.8% | −64.5% | VB (slight) | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.44 | 0.41 | VB (slight) | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.62 | 0.60 | VB (slight) | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.16 | 0.14 | VB (slight) | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 1,060 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, VB and XRT hold 3% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
3% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
VB and XRT on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
VB and XRT do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. VB follows Morningstar US Small Cap Index and XRT follows S&P Retail Select Industry Index.
- Holdings in common. 3% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026).
- One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 VB returned +14.4% and XRT +2.4% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 12.0 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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VB
VB tracks an index of Small-Cap. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +14.4% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 22% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 1,303 positions, with the top ten at 5.9%. It sat 5.7% below its high of Aug 14, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
XRT
XRT tracks the S&P Retail. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +2.4% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.35% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 22% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 74 positions, with the top ten at 16.6%. It sat 9.9% below its high of Nov 16, 2021 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, VB or XRT?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VB returned +14.4% and XRT +2.4%.
- Which is cheaper, VB or XRT?
- VB is cheaper, by 0.32 percentage points a year. That is about $32 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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How this is computed
Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.
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ETFIQ, VB against XRT, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vb-vs-xrt
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