Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
VEA vs XLV: how they differ
VEA and XLV 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) Health Care Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, VEA and XLV hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in VEA | Only in XLV |
|---|---|
| ASML Holding NV 2.37% | ELI LILLY + CO 14.87% |
| Samsung Electronics Co Ltd 1.56% | JOHNSON + JOHNSON 10.73% |
| SK hynix Inc 1.40% | ABBVIE INC 7.54% |
| HSBC Holdings PLC 1.01% | MERCK + CO. INC. 5.98% |
| Novartis AG 0.91% | UNITEDHEALTH GROUP INC 5.90% |
| Royal Bank of Canada 0.90% | THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC INC 3.75% |
| AstraZeneca PLC 0.87% | AMGEN INC 3.46% |
| Nestle SA 0.82% | ABBOTT LABORATORIES 3.01% |
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 | XLV State Street(R) Health Care 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 | Health care |
| Total return, 1 year | +24.5% | +20.4% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +7.0 pts | +2.9 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.03% | 0.08% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| Holdings | 3870 | 63 |
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%.
XLV in plain words
XLV is an index equity fund tracking the Health care. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +20.4% 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 63 positions, with the top ten at 60.9%. It sat 5.9% below its high of Aug 19, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, VEA or XLV?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VEA returned +24.5% and XLV returned +20.4%, so VEA returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, VEA or XLV?
- VEA charges 0.03% a year and XLV charges 0.08%, so VEA is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do VEA and XLV overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of VEA and 100% of XLV 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.
Other comparisons
Where to next
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 XLV, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vea-vs-xlv Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources