Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
VEA vs XLU: how they differ
VEA and XLU 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) Utilities Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, VEA and XLU hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in VEA | Only in XLU |
|---|---|
| ASML Holding NV 2.37% | NEXTERA ENERGY INC 13.01% |
| Samsung Electronics Co Ltd 1.56% | SOUTHERN CO/THE 7.49% |
| SK hynix Inc 1.40% | DUKE ENERGY CORP 7.04% |
| HSBC Holdings PLC 1.01% | CONSTELLATION ENERGY 6.92% |
| Novartis AG 0.91% | AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER 5.08% |
| Royal Bank of Canada 0.90% | DOMINION ENERGY INC 4.33% |
| AstraZeneca PLC 0.87% | SEMPRA 4.16% |
| Nestle SA 0.82% | ENTERGY CORP 3.66% |
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 | XLU State Street(R) Utilities 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 | Utilities |
| Total return, 1 year | +24.5% | +2.4% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +7.0 pts | −15.1 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.03% | 0.08% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| Holdings | 3870 | 32 |
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%.
XLU in plain words
XLU is an index equity fund tracking the Utilities. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +2.4% 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 32 positions, with the top ten at 58.8%. It sat 10.0% below its high of Feb 27, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, VEA or XLU?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VEA returned +24.5% and XLU returned +2.4%, so VEA returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, VEA or XLU?
- VEA charges 0.03% a year and XLU charges 0.08%, so VEA is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do VEA and XLU overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of VEA and 100% of XLU 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 XLU, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vea-vs-xlu Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources