Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
VGK vs XLP: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, VGK returned +10.4% to XLP's +13.8%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
askIQ about this page
askIQ about VGK and XLP
Net assets: $29.6bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF, and $14.6bn on Oct 27, 2026 for State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF.
Pair scorecard
VGK costs 0.02 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 3.4 points; VGK is 2.2 times larger.
| Measure | VGK | XLP |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +10.4% | +13.8% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 6.1%, high on Aug 25, 2026 | 3.5%, high on Oct 22, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | FTSE Developed Europe All Cap Index | Consumer Staples Select Sector Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.06% | 0.08% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $29.6bn | $13.4bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 19.0% | 62.9% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Mar 18, 2005 to Oct 23, 2026 · 1,127 weekly returnsXLP returned more: +569.9% to +270.3%. XLP swung less: 13.3% to 20.9%. XLP fell less at its worst: −31.3% to −62.1%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | VGK | XLP | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +270.3% | +569.9% | XLP | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +6.2% | +9.2% | XLP | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +71.8% | +283.2% | XLP | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 20.9% | 13.3% | XLP | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 15.1% | 9.5% | XLP | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −62.1% | −31.3% | XLP | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.31 | 0.59 | XLP | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.43 | 0.83 | XLP | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.10 | 0.29 | XLP | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 1,127 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, VGK and XLP 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
VGK and XLP on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
VGK and XLP do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. VGK follows FTSE Developed Europe All Cap Index and XLP follows Consumer Staples Select Sector Index.
- Holdings in common. 0% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026).
- One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 VGK returned +10.4% and XLP +13.8% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 3.4 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
The two-page PDF for this pair is coming. Save the comparison to follow its changes. Free. It needs an email sign-in, once.
VGK
VGK tracks an index of European Stock. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +10.4% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.06% 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 1,245 positions, with the top ten at 19.0%. It sat 6.1% below its high of Aug 25, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
XLP
XLP tracks an index of Consumer staples. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +13.8% 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 36 positions, with the top ten at 62.9%. It sat 3.5% below its high of Oct 22, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, VGK or XLP?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VGK returned +10.4% and XLP +13.8%.
- Which is cheaper, VGK or XLP?
- VGK is cheaper, by 0.02 percentage points a year. That is about $2 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.
Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown
ETFIQ, VGK against XLP, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vgk-vs-xlp
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). VGK against XLP. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vgk-vs-xlp
[VGK against XLP (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vgk-vs-xlp)
Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.