Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
VIG vs XLV: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, VIG returned +13.9% to XLV's +25.6%; 18% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $109.1bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Div Appreciation ETF, and $47.0bn on Oct 27, 2026 for State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF.
Pair scorecard
VIG costs 0.04 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 11.7 points; VIG is 2.5 times larger.
| Measure | VIG | XLV |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +13.9% | +25.6% |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | S&P U.S. Dividend Growers Index | Health Care Select Sector Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.04% | 0.08% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $109.1bn | $43.4bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 18% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 34.5% | 60.6% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
May 5, 2006 to Oct 23, 2026 · 1,068 weekly returnsXLV returned more: +728.2% to +619.3%. VIG swung slightly less: 15.7% to 16.5%. XLV fell less at its worst: −37.9% to −45.9%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | VIG | XLV | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +619.3% | +728.2% | XLV | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +10.1% | +10.8% | XLV (slight) | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +379.5% | +482.5% | XLV | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 15.7% | 16.5% | VIG (slight) | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 11.0% | 11.7% | VIG (slight) | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −45.9% | −37.9% | XLV | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.58 | 0.60 | XLV (slight) | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.83 | 0.85 | XLV (slight) | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.22 | 0.29 | XLV | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 1,068 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, VIG and XLV hold 18% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
18% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
VIG and XLV on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
VIG and XLV do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. VIG follows S&P U.S. Dividend Growers Index and XLV follows Health Care Select Sector Index.
- Holdings in common. 18% 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 VIG returned +13.9% and XLV +25.6% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 11.7 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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VIG
VIG tracks an index of Dividend growth. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +13.9% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.04% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 93% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 335 positions, with the top ten at 34.5%.
XLV
XLV tracks an index of Health care. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +25.6% 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 62 positions, with the top ten at 60.6%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, VIG or XLV?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VIG returned +13.9% and XLV +25.6%.
- Which is cheaper, VIG or XLV?
- VIG is cheaper, by 0.04 percentage points a year. That is about $4 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, VIG against XLV, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vig-vs-xlv
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). VIG against XLV. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vig-vs-xlv
[VIG against XLV (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vig-vs-xlv)
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