Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
VUG vs XAR: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, VUG returned +6.6% to XAR's −10.0%, and VUG charges 0.03% to XAR's 0.35%.
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Net assets: $232.9bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Morningstar Growth ETF, and $5.0bn on Oct 27, 2026 for State Street SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF.
Pair scorecard
VUG costs 0.32 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 16.6 points; VUG is far larger, $232.9bn against $5.5bn.
| Measure | VUG | XAR |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +6.6% | −10.0% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 4.1%, high on Oct 6, 2026 | |
| Below its all-time high | 24.1%, high on Aug 14, 2026 | |
| Against its benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Morningstar US Large Cap Growth Index | Defense |
| Against the S&P 500, 1 year | behind by 23.7 pts | |
| Against its benchmark, 1 year | behind by 23.7 pts | |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.03% | 0.35% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $232.9bn | $5.5bn |
| Active share vs the S&P 500 | 98% | |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 2% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 63.1% | 32% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, VUG and XAR hold 2% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
2% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
VUG and XAR on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
VUG
VUG tracks an index of US growth. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +6.6% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 97% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 137 positions, with the top ten at 63.1%. It sat 4.1% below its high of Oct 6, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
XAR
By weight, 40% of XAR'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 32% of the fund across 50 positions, as published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 the fund returned −10.0% with distributions reinvested against +13.7% for its benchmark, the S&P 500 Index, so a holder was behind by 23.7 pts. It sits 24.1% below its all-time high of Aug 14, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Are VUG and XAR in the same category?
- VUG is a stock ETF and XAR 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, VUG or XAR?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VUG returned +6.6% and XAR −10.0%.
- Which is cheaper, VUG or XAR?
- VUG 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.
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, VUG against XAR, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vug-vs-xar
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). VUG against XAR. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vug-vs-xar
[VUG against XAR (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vug-vs-xar)
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