Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
VHT vs XLB: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, VHT returned +25.0% to XLB's +18.5%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $19.1bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Health Care ETF, and $8.1bn on Oct 27, 2026 for State Street Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF.
Pair scorecard
XLB costs 0.01 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 6.5 points; VHT is 2.4 times larger.
| Measure | VHT | XLB |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +25.0% | +18.5% |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | MSCI US Investable Market Index (IMI)/Health Care 25/50 | Materials Select Sector Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.09% | 0.08% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $19.1bn | $7.8bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 51.8% | 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, VHT 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
VHT and XLB on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
VHT
VHT tracks an index of Health Care. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +25.0% with distributions reinvested, against +25.4% for its benchmark, the MSCI US Investable Market Index (IMI)/Health Care 25/50. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.09% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 86% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 414 positions, with the top ten at 51.8%.
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, VHT or XLB?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VHT returned +25.0% and XLB +18.5%.
- Which is cheaper, VHT or XLB?
- XLB 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, VHT against XLB, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vht-vs-xlb
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). VHT against XLB. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vht-vs-xlb
[VHT against XLB (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vht-vs-xlb)
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