Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
VGSH vs XLB: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, VGSH returned +1.7% to XLB's +18.5%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $35.1bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF, and $8.1bn on Oct 27, 2026 for State Street Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF.
Pair scorecard
VGSH costs 0.05 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 16.8 points; VGSH is 4.5 times larger.
| Measure | VGSH | XLB |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +1.7% | +18.5% |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index | Materials Select Sector Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.03% | 0.08% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $35.1bn | $7.8bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| In the S&P 500, by weight | 100% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 58.5% | |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, VGSH and XLB 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
VGSH and XLB on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
VGSH
VGSH tracks an index of Short-Term Treasury. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +1.7% with distributions reinvested, against +1.8% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year.
XLB
XLB tracks an index of Materials. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +18.5% 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 25 positions, with the top ten at 58.5%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, VGSH or XLB?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VGSH returned +1.7% and XLB +18.5%.
- Which is cheaper, VGSH or XLB?
- VGSH 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, VGSH against XLB, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vgsh-vs-xlb
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). VGSH against XLB. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vgsh-vs-xlb
[VGSH against XLB (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vgsh-vs-xlb)
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