Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
VUG vs XLI: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, VUG returned +6.6% to XLI's +10.2%; 4% 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 $30.8bn on Oct 27, 2026 for State Street Industrial Select Sector SPDR ETF.
Pair scorecard
VUG costs 0.05 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 3.6 points; VUG is 7.8 times larger.
| Measure | VUG | XLI |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +6.6% | +10.2% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 4.1%, high on Oct 6, 2026 | 9.4%, high on Aug 14, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Morningstar US Large Cap Growth Index | Industrial Select Sector Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.03% | 0.08% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $232.9bn | $29.8bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 4% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 63.1% | 37.8% |
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 +830.8%. VUG swung slightly less: 18.6% to 20.1%. VUG fell less at its worst: −49.9% to −61.6%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | VUG | XLI | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +1,211.3% | +830.8% | VUG | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +12.0% | +10.3% | VUG | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +938.6% | +507.0% | VUG | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 18.6% | 20.1% | VUG (slight) | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 12.8% | 14.0% | VUG (slight) | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −49.9% | −61.6% | VUG | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.60 | 0.50 | VUG | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.87 | 0.72 | VUG | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.24 | 0.17 | 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 XLI hold 4% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
4% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
VUG and XLI on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
VUG and XLI do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. VUG follows Morningstar US Large Cap Growth Index and XLI follows Industrial Select Sector Index.
- Holdings in common. 4% 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 XLI +10.2% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 3.6 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.
XLI
XLI tracks an index of Industrials. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +10.2% with distributions reinvested, against +13.6% for its benchmark, the S&P 500 Index. 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 84 positions, with the top ten at 37.8%. It sat 9.4% below its high of Aug 14, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, VUG or XLI?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VUG returned +6.6% and XLI +10.2%.
- Which is cheaper, VUG or XLI?
- 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 XLI, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vug-vs-xli
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). VUG against XLI. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vug-vs-xli
[VUG against XLI (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vug-vs-xli)
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