Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
VGT vs XLE: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, VGT returned +24.7% to XLE's +61.2%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $154.5bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Information Tech ETF, and $45.2bn on Oct 27, 2026 for State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF.
Pair scorecard
XLE costs 0.01 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 36.5 points; VGT is 4.0 times larger.
| Measure | VGT | XLE |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +24.7% | +61.2% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 4.8%, high on Oct 6, 2026 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | MSCI US Investable Market Index (IMI)/Information Technology 25/50 | Energy Select Sector Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.09% | 0.08% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $154.5bn | $39.1bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 63.6% | 78.1% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Feb 6, 2004 to Oct 23, 2026 · 1,185 weekly returnsVGT returned more: +2,280.1% to +833.7%. VGT swung less: 21.2% to 27.5%. VGT fell less at its worst: −52.4% to −68.9%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | VGT | XLE | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +2,280.1% | +833.7% | VGT | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +14.9% | +10.3% | VGT | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +1,863.7% | +395.9% | VGT | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 21.2% | 27.5% | VGT | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 14.4% | 19.7% | VGT | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −52.4% | −68.9% | VGT | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.68 | 0.43 | VGT | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.99 | 0.60 | VGT | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.28 | 0.15 | VGT | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 1,185 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, VGT and XLE 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
VGT and XLE on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
VGT and XLE do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. VGT follows MSCI US Investable Market Index (IMI)/Information Technology 25/50 and XLE follows Energy 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 VGT returned +24.7% and XLE +61.2% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 36.5 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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VGT
VGT tracks an index of Information technology. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +24.7% with distributions reinvested, against +25.0% for its benchmark, the MSCI US Investable Market Index (IMI)/Information Technology 25/50. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.09% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 87% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 320 positions, with the top ten at 63.6%. It sat 4.8% below its high of Oct 6, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
XLE
XLE tracks an index of Energy. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +61.2% 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 22 positions, with the top ten at 78.1%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, VGT or XLE?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VGT returned +24.7% and XLE +61.2%.
- Which is cheaper, VGT or XLE?
- XLE is cheaper, by 0.01 percentage points a year. That is about $1 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, VGT against XLE, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vgt-vs-xle
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). VGT against XLE. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vgt-vs-xle
[VGT against XLE (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vgt-vs-xle)
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