Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
VDC vs XLE: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, VDC returned +12.7% to XLE's +61.2%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $7.4bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF, and $45.2bn on Oct 27, 2026 for State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF.
Pair scorecard
XLE costs 0.01 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 48.5 points; XLE is 5.3 times larger.
| Measure | VDC | XLE |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +12.7% | +61.2% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 3.1%, high on Oct 22, 2026 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | MSCI US Investable Market Index (IMI)/Consumer Staples 25/50 | Energy Select Sector Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.09% | 0.08% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $7.4bn | $39.1bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 66.0% | 78.1% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Feb 6, 2004 to Oct 23, 2026 · 1,185 weekly returnsXLE returned more: +833.7% to +674.3%. VDC swung less: 13.2% to 27.5%. VDC fell less at its worst: −32.7% to −68.9%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | VDC | XLE | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +674.3% | +833.7% | XLE | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +9.4% | +10.3% | XLE (slight) | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +360.8% | +395.9% | XLE (slight) | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 13.2% | 27.5% | VDC | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 9.4% | 19.7% | VDC | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −32.7% | −68.9% | VDC | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.61 | 0.43 | VDC | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.86 | 0.60 | VDC | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.29 | 0.15 | VDC | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 1,185 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, VDC and XLE hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
0% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
VDC and XLE on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
VDC and XLE do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. VDC follows MSCI US Investable Market Index (IMI)/Consumer Staples 25/50 and XLE follows Energy Select Sector Index.
- Holdings in common. 0% 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 VDC returned +12.7% and XLE +61.2% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 48.5 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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VDC
VDC tracks an index of Consumer Staples. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +12.7% with distributions reinvested, against +12.7% for its benchmark, the MSCI US Investable Market Index (IMI)/Consumer Staples 25/50. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.09% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 86% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 105 positions, with the top ten at 66.0%. It sat 3.1% below its high of Oct 22, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
XLE
XLE tracks an index of Energy. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +61.2% 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 22 positions, with the top ten at 78.1%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, VDC or XLE?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VDC returned +12.7% and XLE +61.2%.
- Which is cheaper, VDC or XLE?
- XLE is cheaper, by 0.01 percentage points a year. That is about $1 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.
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ETFIQ, VDC against XLE, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vdc-vs-xle
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). VDC against XLE. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vdc-vs-xle
[VDC against XLE (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vdc-vs-xle)
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