Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
VPU vs XRT: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, VPU returned −3.3% to XRT's +2.4%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
askIQ about this page
askIQ about VPU and XRT
Net assets: $7.7bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Utilities ETF, and $362m on Oct 27, 2026 for State Street SPDR S&P Retail ETF.
Pair scorecard
VPU costs 0.26 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 5.7 points; VPU is 17.7 times larger.
| Measure | VPU | XRT |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | −3.3% | +2.4% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 8.9%, high on Feb 27, 2026 | 9.9%, high on Nov 16, 2021 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | MSCI US Investable Market Index (IMI)/Utilities 25/50 | S&P Retail Select Industry Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.09% | 0.35% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $7.7bn | $435m |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 52.3% | 16.6% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, VPU and XRT 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
VPU and XRT on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
VPU
VPU tracks an index of Utilities. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −3.3% with distributions reinvested, against −3.3% for its benchmark, the MSCI US Investable Market Index (IMI)/Utilities 25/50. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.09% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 90% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 70 positions, with the top ten at 52.3%. It sat 8.9% below its high of Feb 27, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
XRT
XRT tracks the S&P Retail. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +2.4% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.35% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 22% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 74 positions, with the top ten at 16.6%. It sat 9.9% below its high of Nov 16, 2021 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, VPU or XRT?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VPU returned −3.3% and XRT +2.4%.
- Which is cheaper, VPU or XRT?
- VPU is cheaper, by 0.26 percentage points a year. That is about $26 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.
Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown
ETFIQ, VPU against XRT, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vpu-vs-xrt
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). VPU against XRT. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vpu-vs-xrt
[VPU against XRT (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vpu-vs-xrt)
Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.