Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
VEA vs XBI: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, VEA returned +17.1% to XBI's +41.2%, and VEA charges 0.03% to XBI's 0.35%.
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Net assets: $231.6bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF, and $10.3bn on Oct 27, 2026 for State Street SPDR S&P Biotech ETF.
Pair scorecard
VEA costs 0.32 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 24.1 points; VEA is far larger, $231.6bn against $10.4bn.
| Measure | VEA | XBI |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +17.1% | +41.2% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 4.4%, high on Aug 25, 2026 | |
| Below its all-time high | 8.9%, high on Feb 8, 2021 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | FTSE Developed All Cap ex US Index | Biotech |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.03% | 0.35% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $231.6bn | $10.4bn |
| Active share vs the S&P 500 | 98% | |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 13.6% | 18% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, VEA and XBI 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
VEA and XBI on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
VEA
VEA tracks an index of Developed markets ex US. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +17.1% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 3,906 positions, with the top ten at 13.6%. It sat 4.4% below its high of Aug 25, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
XBI
By weight, 13% of XBI'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 18% of the fund across 165 positions, as published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 the fund returned +41.2% with distributions reinvested. It sits 8.9% below its all-time high of Feb 8, 2021.
Questions people ask
- Are VEA and XBI in the same category?
- VEA is a stock ETF and XBI is a thematic ETF, so they do different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and holdings.
- Which returned more over the last year, VEA or XBI?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VEA returned +17.1% and XBI +41.2%.
- Which is cheaper, VEA or XBI?
- VEA 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.
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, VEA against XBI, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vea-vs-xbi
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). VEA against XBI. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vea-vs-xbi
[VEA against XBI (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vea-vs-xbi)
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