Are VTEB and XBI in the same category?

VTEB is a bond ETF and XBI is a thematic ETF, so they do different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and holdings.

Which returned more over the last year, VTEB or XBI?

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VTEB returned −0.4% and XBI +41.2%.

Which is cheaper, VTEB or XBI?

VTEB is cheaper, by 0.32 percentage points a year. That is about $32 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

VTEB vs XBI: Differences, Returns & Fees

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Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, VTEB returned −0.4% to XBI's +41.2%, and VTEB charges 0.03% to XBI's 0.35%.

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Net assets: $49.6bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF, and $10.3bn on Oct 27, 2026 for State Street SPDR S&P Biotech ETF.

VTEB on its own →XBI on its own →

At a glance

−0.4%

VTEB total return, 1 year

+41.2%

XBI total return, 1 year

0.03%

VTEB expense ratio

0.35%

XBI expense ratio

Pair scorecard

VTEB costs 0.32 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 41.6 points; VTEB is 4.8 times larger.

VTEB vs XBI: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	VTEB	XBI
Return
Measure	VTEB	XBI
Total return, 1 year	−0.4%	+41.2%
Drawdown
Measure	VTEB	XBI
Below its all-time high		8.9%, high on Feb 8, 2021
Benchmark
Measure	VTEB	XBI
What it tracks	S&P National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Index	Biotech
Cost and size
Measure	VTEB	XBI
Expense ratio	0.03%	0.35%
Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026	$49.6bn	$10.4bn
Active share vs the S&P 500		98%
Holdings
Measure	VTEB	XBI
Holdings in common	0%
In the S&P 500, by weight		13%
Top ten holdings, share of the fund		18%

Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method

What they share

By the books each fund has filed, VTEB and XBI hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

0% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first VTEB XBI

Only in one fund ↓

Only in VTEB

Vanguard Municipal Low Duration Fund 0.69%

State of California 0.15%

State of California 0.14%

New York State Dormitory Authority 0.13%

State of Illinois 0.12%

Ohio State University 0.12%

City of New York NY 0.10%

State of Wisconsin 0.10%

Only in XBI

MODERNA INC 2.24%

TWIST BIOSCIENCE CORP 1.86%

NATERA INC 1.82%

BIOGEN INC 1.75%

HALOZYME THERAPEUTICS INC 1.75%

UNITED THERAPEUTICS CORP 1.71%

AMGEN INC 1.68%

ABBVIE INC 1.67%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

VTEB Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF XBI State Street SPDR S&P Biotech ETF

Where it sits Bond ETF Thematic ETF

Issuer Vanguard State Street

What it is Tracks an index of Tax-Exempt Bond Biotech

Total return, 1 year −0.4% +41.2%

Expense ratio 0.03% 0.35%

Holdings 11155 165

Net assets, VTEB as of Sep 30, 2026 and XBI as of Oct 27, 2026 $49.6bn $10.3bn

VTEB and XBI on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Alert

About each fund

VTEB

VTEB tracks an index of Tax-Exempt Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −0.4% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year.

XBI

By weight, 13% of XBI's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500; its active share against the S&P 500 is 98%. The top ten holdings are 18% of the fund across 165 positions, as published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 the fund returned +41.2% with distributions reinvested. It sits 8.9% below its all-time high of Feb 8, 2021.

Questions people ask

Are VTEB and XBI in the same category?: VTEB is a bond ETF and XBI is a thematic ETF, so they do different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and holdings.
Which returned more over the last year, VTEB or XBI?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VTEB returned −0.4% and XBI +41.2%.
Which is cheaper, VTEB or XBI?: VTEB is cheaper, by 0.32 percentage points a year. That is about $32 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

IBB vs VTEB GDX vs VTEB LYTE vs VTEB AIRR vs VTEB MUB vs XBI HYMB vs XBI GOVT vs XBI VGIT vs XBI

Where to next

VTEB on its own →XBI on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →VTEB dividend history →VTEB holdings →XBI dividend history →XBI holdings →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

VTEB filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

VTEB prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

Vanguard page for VTEB ↗

XBI filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

XBI prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

State Street website ↗

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, VTEB against XBI, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vteb-vs-xbi

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Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.