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

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VTEB returned −0.4% and XLB +18.5%.

Which is cheaper, VTEB or XLB?

VTEB is cheaper, by 0.05 percentage points a year. That is about $5 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

VTEB vs XLB: Differences, Returns & Fees

Share on X Download as PDF

Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, VTEB returned −0.4% to XLB's +18.5%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.

askIQ about this page

askIQ about VTEB and XLB

Net assets: $49.6bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF, and $8.1bn on Oct 27, 2026 for State Street Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF.

VTEB on its own →XLB on its own →

At a glance

−0.4%

VTEB total return, 1 year

+18.5%

XLB total return, 1 year

0.03%

VTEB expense ratio

0.08%

XLB expense ratio

Pair scorecard

VTEB costs 0.05 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 18.9 points; VTEB is 6.4 times larger.

VTEB vs XLB: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	VTEB	XLB
Return
Measure	VTEB	XLB
Total return, 1 year	−0.4%	+18.5%
Benchmark
Measure	VTEB	XLB
What it tracks	S&P National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Index	Materials Select Sector Index
Cost and size
Measure	VTEB	XLB
Expense ratio	0.03%	0.08%
Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026	$49.6bn	$7.8bn
Holdings
Measure	VTEB	XLB
Holdings in common	0%
In the S&P 500, by weight		100%
Top ten holdings, share of the fund		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, VTEB and XLB 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 XLB

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 XLB

LINDE PLC 12.96%

NEWMONT CORP 6.56%

FREEPORT MCMORAN INC 5.23%

ECOLAB INC 4.98%

VULCAN MATERIALS CO 4.89%

NUCOR CORP 4.89%

AIR PRODUCTS + CHEMICALS INC 4.84%

STEEL DYNAMICS INC 4.77%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

VTEB Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF XLB State Street Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF

Where it sits Bond ETF Stock ETF

Issuer Vanguard State Street

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

Total return, 1 year −0.4% +18.5%

Expense ratio 0.03% 0.08%

Holdings 11155 25

Net assets, VTEB as of Sep 30, 2026 and XLB as of Oct 27, 2026 $49.6bn $8.1bn

VTEB and XLB 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.

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, VTEB or XLB?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VTEB returned −0.4% and XLB +18.5%.
Which is cheaper, VTEB or XLB?: VTEB is cheaper, by 0.05 percentage points a year. That is about $5 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

VTEB vs XHB VTEB vs XLV VTEB vs XLF VPU vs VTEB MUB vs XLB HYMB vs XLB BNDX vs XLB AGG vs XLB

Where to next

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

Sources and dates

VTEB filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

VTEB prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

Vanguard page for VTEB ↗

XLB filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

XLB 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 XLB, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vteb-vs-xlb

Open data →

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