Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
VGK vs XLC: how they differ
VGK and XLC hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and VGK returned more over the year.
Vanguard European Stock 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, VGK and XLC hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in VGK | Only in XLC |
|---|---|
| ASML Holding NV 3.63% | META PLATFORMS INC CLASS A 18.92% |
| HSBC Holdings PLC 2.05% | ALPHABET INC CL A 10.12% |
| AstraZeneca PLC 1.84% | ALPHABET INC CL C 8.10% |
| Novartis AG 1.84% | AT+T INC 5.19% |
| Nestle SA 1.69% | VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC 5.03% |
| Siemens AG 1.41% | WALT DISNEY CO/THE 4.76% |
| Banco Santander SA 1.16% | WARNER BROS DISCOVERY INC 4.61% |
| Allianz SE 1.13% | 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 Apr 30, 2026 and Sep 10, 2026.
| VGK Vanguard European Stock 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 | European Stock | Communication services |
| Total return, 1 year | +16.5% | −2.0% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −1.0 pts | −19.5 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.06% | 0.08% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| Holdings | 1228 | 26 |
VGK in plain words
VGK is an index equity fund tracking the European Stock. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +16.5% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.06% a year. By its holdings filed for Apr 30, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 1228 positions, with the top ten at 18.1%. It sat 3.4% below its high of Aug 25, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
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, VGK or XLC?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VGK returned +16.5% and XLC returned −2.0%, so VGK returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, VGK or XLC?
- VGK charges 0.06% a year and XLC charges 0.08%, so VGK is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do VGK and XLC overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of VGK 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, VGK against XLC, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vgk-vs-xlc Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
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