Which returned more over the last year, VOO or XAUG?

In the year to Sep 21, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VOO returned +16.6% and XAUG returned +7.9%, so VOO returned more.

Which is cheaper, VOO or XAUG?

VOO charges 0.03% a year and XAUG charges 0.85%, so VOO is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Are VOO and XAUG the same kind of fund?

No. VOO is an index ETF and XAUG is a buffer ETF, so they are built for different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and what each actually holds.

Data as of Sep 21, 2026.

ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

VOO vs XAUG: how they differ

Over the year VOO returned more, +16.6% to XAUG's +7.9%, and VOO charges 0.03% to XAUG's 0.85%.

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF and FT Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF - August.

VOO and XAUG on the fields both publish, as of Sep 21, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
	VOO Vanguard S&P 500 ETF	XAUG FT Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF - August
Where it sits	Core fund	Buffer ETF
Issuer	Vanguard	First Trust
What it is	Tracks the S&P 500	Defined outcome, 15% on SPY
Total return, 1 year	+16.6%	+7.9%
S&P 500 over the same days	+16.6%	+16.6%
Gap to the S&P 500	0.0 pts	−8.7 pts
Expense ratio	0.03%	0.85%
Holdings	508	not filed
Net assets	$1000.0bn	$26m

VOO in plain words

VOO tracks the S&P 500. Over the year to Sep 18, 2026 it returned +16.6% with distributions reinvested, against +16.6% for the S&P 500 and +21.8% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Aug 31, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 508 positions, with the top ten at 37.8%.

XAUG in plain words

From its price on Sep 21, 2026, the fund can gain about 9.5% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 1.6% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 1.0% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 15.0% of the 15.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 333 days remained on Sep 21, 2026. On Aug 20, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, VOO or XAUG?: In the year to Sep 21, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VOO returned +16.6% and XAUG returned +7.9%, so VOO returned more.
Which is cheaper, VOO or XAUG?: VOO charges 0.03% a year and XAUG charges 0.85%, so VOO is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Are VOO and XAUG the same kind of fund?: No. VOO is an index ETF and XAUG is a buffer ETF, so they are built for different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and what each actually holds.

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Where these figures came from

ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.

VOO against XAUG, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 21, 2026. Every figure is calculated from a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page. ETFIQ, VOO against XAUG, data as of Sep 21, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/voo-vs-xaug Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources