Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
VEA vs XLC: how they differ
VEA and XLC hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and VEA returned more over the year.
Vanguard Developed Markets Index Fund and State Street(R) Communication Services Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, VEA and XLC hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in VEA | Only in XLC |
|---|---|
| ASML Holding NV 2.37% | META PLATFORMS INC CLASS A 18.92% |
| Samsung Electronics Co Ltd 1.56% | ALPHABET INC CL A 10.12% |
| SK hynix Inc 1.40% | ALPHABET INC CL C 8.10% |
| HSBC Holdings PLC 1.01% | AT+T INC 5.19% |
| Novartis AG 0.91% | VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC 5.03% |
| Royal Bank of Canada 0.90% | WALT DISNEY CO/THE 4.76% |
| AstraZeneca PLC 0.87% | WARNER BROS DISCOVERY INC 4.61% |
| Nestle SA 0.82% | COMCAST CORP CLASS A 4.61% |
Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Jun 30, 2026 and Sep 10, 2026.
| VEA Vanguard Developed Markets Index Fund | XLC State Street(R) Communication Services Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | Vanguard | State Street |
| What it is | Developed markets ex US | Communication services |
| Total return, 1 year | +24.5% | −2.0% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +7.0 pts | −19.5 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.03% | 0.08% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| Holdings | 3870 | 26 |
VEA in plain words
VEA is an index equity fund tracking the Developed markets ex US. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +24.5% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 3870 positions, with the top ten at 13.2%.
XLC in plain words
XLC is an index equity fund tracking the Communication services. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned −2.0% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.08% a year. By its holdings filed for Sep 10, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 26 positions, with the top ten at 70.4%. It sat 5.7% below its high of Jan 30, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, VEA or XLC?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VEA returned +24.5% and XLC returned −2.0%, so VEA returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, VEA or XLC?
- VEA charges 0.03% a year and XLC charges 0.08%, so VEA is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do VEA and XLC overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of VEA and 100% of XLC by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 0% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
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Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, VEA against XLC, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vea-vs-xlc Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources