Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
VGSH vs XLC: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, VGSH returned +1.7% to XLC's −10.4%; 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 $22.1bn on Oct 27, 2026 for State Street Communication Services Select Sector SPDR ETF.
Pair scorecard
VGSH costs 0.05 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 12.1 points; VGSH is 1.6 times larger.
| Measure | VGSH | XLC |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +1.7% | −10.4% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 13.3%, high on Jan 30, 2026 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index | Communication Services Select Sector Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.03% | 0.08% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $35.1bn | $22.5bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| In the S&P 500, by weight | 100% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 75.3% | |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Jun 29, 2018 to Oct 23, 2026 · 434 weekly returnsXLC returned more: +131.1% to +19.3%. VGSH swung less: 1.6% to 20.0%. VGSH fell less at its worst: −5.5% to −45.9%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | VGSH | XLC | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +19.3% | +131.1% | XLC | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +2.1% | +10.6% | XLC | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | −3.6% | +113.0% | XLC | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 1.6% | 20.0% | VGSH | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 1.1% | 14.0% | VGSH | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −5.5% | −45.9% | VGSH | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | −0.42 | 0.46 | XLC | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | −0.60 | 0.66 | XLC | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.39 | 0.23 | VGSH | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 434 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, VGSH and XLC 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 XLC on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
VGSH and XLC do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. VGSH follows Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index and XLC follows Communication Services 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 VGSH returned +1.7% and XLC −10.4% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 12.1 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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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.
XLC
XLC tracks an index of Communication services. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −10.4% 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 23 positions, with the top ten at 75.3%. It sat 13.3% below its high of Jan 30, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, VGSH or XLC?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VGSH returned +1.7% and XLC −10.4%.
- Which is cheaper, VGSH or XLC?
- 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 XLC, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vgsh-vs-xlc
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). VGSH against XLC. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vgsh-vs-xlc
[VGSH against XLC (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vgsh-vs-xlc)
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