Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
VUG vs XLB: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, VUG returned +6.6% to XLB's +18.5%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $232.9bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Morningstar Growth ETF, and $8.1bn on Oct 27, 2026 for State Street Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF.
Pair scorecard
VUG costs 0.05 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 11.9 points; VUG is far larger, $232.9bn against $7.8bn.
| Measure | VUG | XLB |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +6.6% | +18.5% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 4.1%, high on Oct 6, 2026 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Morningstar US Large Cap Growth Index | Materials Select Sector Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.03% | 0.08% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $232.9bn | $7.8bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 63.1% | 58.5% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Feb 6, 2004 to Oct 23, 2026 · 1,185 weekly returnsVUG returned more: +1,211.3% to +551.3%. VUG swung less: 18.6% to 21.8%. VUG fell less at its worst: −49.9% to −59.0%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | VUG | XLB | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +1,211.3% | +551.3% | VUG | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +12.0% | +8.6% | VUG | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +938.6% | +296.1% | VUG | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 18.6% | 21.8% | VUG | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 12.8% | 15.2% | VUG | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −49.9% | −59.0% | VUG | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.60 | 0.40 | VUG | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.87 | 0.58 | VUG | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.24 | 0.15 | VUG | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 1,185 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, VUG and XLB 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
VUG and XLB on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
VUG and XLB do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. VUG follows Morningstar US Large Cap Growth Index and XLB follows Materials Select Sector Index.
- Holdings in common. 0% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026).
- One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 VUG returned +6.6% and XLB +18.5% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 11.9 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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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.
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, VUG or XLB?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VUG returned +6.6% and XLB +18.5%.
- Which is cheaper, VUG or XLB?
- VUG 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.
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 XLB, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vug-vs-xlb
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). VUG against XLB. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vug-vs-xlb
[VUG against XLB (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vug-vs-xlb)
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