Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
VEA vs XLU: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, VEA returned +17.1% to XLU's −3.0%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $231.6bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF, and $23.9bn on Oct 27, 2026 for State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF.
Pair scorecard
VEA costs 0.05 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 20.1 points; VEA is 10.9 times larger.
| Measure | VEA | XLU |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +17.1% | −3.0% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 4.4%, high on Aug 25, 2026 | 9.1%, high on Feb 27, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | FTSE Developed All Cap ex US Index | Utilities Select Sector Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.03% | 0.08% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $231.6bn | $21.3bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 13.6% | 58.7% |
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 XLU 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 XLU 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.
XLU
XLU tracks an index of Utilities. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −3.0% 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 32 positions, with the top ten at 58.7%. It sat 9.1% below its high of Feb 27, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, VEA or XLU?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VEA returned +17.1% and XLU −3.0%.
- Which is cheaper, VEA or XLU?
- VEA is cheaper, by 0.05 percentage points a year. That is about $5 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 XLU, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vea-vs-xlu
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). VEA against XLU. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vea-vs-xlu
[VEA against XLU (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vea-vs-xlu)
Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.