Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
VUG vs XBI: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, VUG returned +6.6% to XBI's +41.2%, and VUG charges 0.03% to XBI's 0.35%.
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Net assets: $232.9bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Morningstar Growth ETF, and $10.3bn on Oct 27, 2026 for State Street SPDR S&P Biotech ETF.
Pair scorecard
VUG costs 0.32 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 34.6 points; VUG is far larger, $232.9bn against $10.4bn.
| Measure | VUG | XBI |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +6.6% | +41.2% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 4.1%, high on Oct 6, 2026 | |
| Below its all-time high | 8.9%, high on Feb 8, 2021 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Morningstar US Large Cap Growth Index | Biotech |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.03% | 0.35% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $232.9bn | $10.4bn |
| Active share vs the S&P 500 | 98% | |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 1% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 63.1% | 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, VUG and XBI hold 1% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
1% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
VUG and XBI 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.
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 VUG and XBI in the same category?
- VUG is a stock 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, VUG or XBI?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VUG returned +6.6% and XBI +41.2%.
- Which is cheaper, VUG or XBI?
- 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 XBI, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vug-vs-xbi
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). VUG against XBI. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vug-vs-xbi
[VUG against XBI (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vug-vs-xbi)
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