Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
VWO vs XLC: how they differ
VWO and XLC hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and VWO returned more over the year.
Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fund and State Street(R) Communication Services Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, VWO and XLC hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in VWO | Only in XLC |
|---|---|
| Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Lt 14.73% | META PLATFORMS INC CLASS A 18.92% |
| Tencent Holdings Ltd 3.28% | ALPHABET INC CL A 10.12% |
| Alibaba Group Holding Ltd 2.57% | ALPHABET INC CL C 8.10% |
| Delta Electronics Inc 1.18% | AT+T INC 5.19% |
| MediaTek Inc 1.07% | VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC 5.03% |
| Reliance Industries Ltd 0.90% | WALT DISNEY CO/THE 4.76% |
| HDFC Bank Ltd 0.81% | WARNER BROS DISCOVERY INC 4.61% |
| Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd 0.75% | COMCAST CORP CLASS A 4.61% |
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 Apr 30, 2026 and Sep 10, 2026.
| VWO Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fund | XLC State Street(R) Communication Services Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | Vanguard | State Street |
| What it is | Emerging markets | Communication services |
| Total return, 1 year | +15.6% | −2.0% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −1.9 pts | −19.5 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.06% | 0.08% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| Holdings | 6355 | 26 |
VWO in plain words
VWO is an index equity fund tracking the Emerging markets. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +15.6% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.06% a year. By its holdings filed for Apr 30, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 6355 positions, with the top ten at 26.8%.
XLC in plain words
XLC is an index equity fund tracking the Communication services. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned −2.0% 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 26 positions, with the top ten at 70.4%. It sat 5.7% below its high of Jan 30, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, VWO or XLC?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VWO returned +15.6% and XLC returned −2.0%, so VWO returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, VWO or XLC?
- VWO charges 0.06% a year and XLC charges 0.08%, so VWO is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do VWO and XLC overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of VWO and 100% of XLC 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.
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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, VWO against XLC, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vwo-vs-xlc Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources