Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
VBR vs XLC: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, VBR returned +17.6% to XLC's −10.4%; 1% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $35.1bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Morningstar Small-Cap Value ETF, and $22.1bn on Oct 27, 2026 for State Street Communication Services Select Sector SPDR ETF.
Pair scorecard
VBR costs 0.03 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 28.0 points; VBR is 1.6 times larger.
| Measure | VBR | XLC |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +17.6% | −10.4% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 3.9%, high on Aug 14, 2026 | 13.3%, high on Jan 30, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Morningstar US Small Cap Value Index | Communication Services Select Sector Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.05% | 0.08% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $35.1bn | $22.5bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 1% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 5.9% | 75.3% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Jun 29, 2018 to Oct 23, 2026 · 434 weekly returnsXLC returned more: +131.1% to +110.3%. XLC swung less: 20.0% to 23.3%. VBR fell slightly less at its worst: −43.3% to −45.9%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | VBR | XLC | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +110.3% | +131.1% | XLC | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +9.3% | +10.6% | XLC | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +77.0% | +113.0% | XLC | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 23.3% | 20.0% | XLC | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 16.5% | 14.0% | XLC | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −43.3% | −45.9% | VBR (slight) | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.38 | 0.46 | XLC | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.54 | 0.66 | XLC | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.21 | 0.23 | XLC (slight) | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 434 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, VBR and XLC hold 1% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
1% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
VBR and XLC on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
VBR and XLC do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. VBR follows Morningstar US Small Cap Value Index and XLC follows Communication Services Select Sector Index.
- Holdings in common. 1% 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 VBR returned +17.6% and XLC −10.4% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 28.0 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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VBR
VBR tracks an index of Small-Cap Value. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +17.6% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.05% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 30% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 822 positions, with the top ten at 5.9%. It sat 3.9% below its high of Aug 14, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
XLC
XLC tracks an index of Communication services. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −10.4% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.08% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 23 positions, with the top ten at 75.3%. It sat 13.3% below its high of Jan 30, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, VBR or XLC?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VBR returned +17.6% and XLC −10.4%.
- Which is cheaper, VBR or XLC?
- VBR is cheaper, by 0.03 percentage points a year. That is about $3 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.
How this is computed
Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.
Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown
ETFIQ, VBR against XLC, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vbr-vs-xlc
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). VBR against XLC. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vbr-vs-xlc
[VBR against XLC (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vbr-vs-xlc)
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