Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
VDE vs VNQ: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, VDE returned +58.8% to VNQ's +4.8%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets on Sep 30, 2026: $10.4bn for Vanguard Energy ETF and $35.9bn for Vanguard Real Estate ETF.
Pair scorecard
VDE costs 0.04 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 54.0 points; VNQ is 3.5 times larger.
| Measure | VDE | VNQ |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +58.8% | +4.8% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 8.3%, high on Jul 28, 2026 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | MSCI US Investable Market Index (IMI)/Energy 25/50 | MSCI US Investable Market Real Estate 25/50 Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.09% | 0.13% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $10.4bn | $35.9bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 67.1% | 55.8% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Oct 8, 2004 to Oct 23, 2026 · 1,150 weekly returnsVDE returned more: +538.7% to +364.5%. VNQ swung less: 25.0% to 28.1%. VDE and VNQ fell about the same at their worst: −72.2% and −72.5%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | VDE | VNQ | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +538.7% | +364.5% | VDE | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +8.7% | +7.2% | VDE | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +269.6% | +80.5% | VDE | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 28.1% | 25.0% | VNQ | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 20.1% | 17.3% | VNQ | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −72.2% | −72.5% | Tie | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.38 | 0.33 | VDE | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.53 | 0.48 | VDE (slight) | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.12 | 0.10 | VDE | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 1,150 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, VDE and VNQ hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026.
half
0% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
VDE and VNQ on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
VDE and VNQ do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. VDE follows MSCI US Investable Market Index (IMI)/Energy 25/50 and VNQ follows MSCI US Investable Market Real Estate 25/50 Index.
- Holdings in common. 0% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Sep 30, 2026).
- One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 VDE returned +58.8% and VNQ +4.8% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 54.0 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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VDE
VDE tracks an index of Energy. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +58.8% with distributions reinvested, against +59.0% for its benchmark, the MSCI US Investable Market Index (IMI)/Energy 25/50. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.09% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 81% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 113 positions, with the top ten at 67.1%.
VNQ
VNQ tracks an index of US real estate. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +4.8% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.13% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 63% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 141 positions, with the top ten at 55.8%. It sat 8.3% below its high of Jul 28, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, VDE or VNQ?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VDE returned +58.8% and VNQ +4.8%.
- Which is cheaper, VDE or VNQ?
- VDE is cheaper, by 0.04 percentage points a year. That is about $4 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.
Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown
ETFIQ, VDE against VNQ, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vde-vs-vnq
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). VDE against VNQ. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vde-vs-vnq
[VDE against VNQ (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vde-vs-vnq)
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