Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
VUG vs XLE: how they differ
VUG and XLE hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and XLE returned more over the year.
Vanguard Growth Index Fund and State Street(R) Energy Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, VUG and XLE hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in VUG | Only in XLE |
|---|---|
| NVIDIA Corp 12.63% | EXXONMOBIL HOLDINGS CORP 20.13% |
| Apple Inc 11.67% | CHEVRON CORP 15.18% |
| Microsoft Corp 7.62% | CONOCOPHILLIPS 6.36% |
| Alphabet Inc 5.76% | MARATHON PETROLEUM CORP 5.63% |
| Alphabet Inc 4.54% | PHILLIPS 66 5.52% |
| Amazon.com Inc 4.47% | VALERO ENERGY CORP 5.38% |
| Broadcom Inc 4.29% | SLB LTD 4.49% |
| Meta Platforms Inc 3.41% | EOG RESOURCES INC 4.15% |
Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Jun 30, 2026 and Sep 10, 2026.
| VUG Vanguard Growth Index Fund | XLE State Street(R) Energy Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | Vanguard | State Street |
| What it is | US growth | Energy |
| Total return, 1 year | +12.9% | +50.7% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −4.6 pts | +33.2 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.03% | 0.08% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 97.4% | 100.0% |
| Holdings | 147 | 24 |
VUG in plain words
VUG is an index equity fund tracking the US growth. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +12.9% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 97% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 147 positions, with the top ten at 60.5%.
XLE in plain words
XLE is an index equity fund tracking the Energy. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +50.7% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.08% a year. By its holdings filed for Sep 10, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 24 positions, with the top ten at 74.0%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, VUG or XLE?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VUG returned +12.9% and XLE returned +50.7%, so XLE returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, VUG or XLE?
- VUG charges 0.03% a year and XLE charges 0.08%, so VUG is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do VUG and XLE overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 97% of VUG and 100% of XLE by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 0% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
Other comparisons
Where to next
Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, VUG against XLE, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vug-vs-xle Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources