VAWvsXLBETF Comparison
Vanguard Materials ETF (VAW) and State Street Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLB) belong to the same industry segment: US Materials. VAW's top 3 sector exposures are Non-Energy Materials, Energy and Industrials. In contrast, XLB's top sector exposures are Non-Energy Materials, VAW is more expensive with a Total Expense Ratio (TER) of 0.09%, versus 0.08% for XLB. VAW is up 8.57% year-to-date (YTD) with -$111M in YTD flows. XLB performs better with 12.34% YTD performance, and +$2.46B in YTD flows. Run a side-by-side ETF comparison of VAW and XLB below, and assess how they stack up in performance, liquidity, risk, exposure, holdings, and more, helping you select the best ETF for your investments.
VAW vs XLB performance and flow charts
Performance
Cumulative Flows
| 1M | 3M | YTD | 1Y | 3Y | 5Y | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perf. | VAW XLB | -4.37%-2.55% | -4.93%-2.29% | +8.57%+12.34% | +13.80%+14.33% | +27.75%+28.40% | +40.97%+40.59% |
| Flows | VAW XLB | -$17M+$324M | -$30M+$986M | -$111M+$2.46B | -$187M+$2.28B | -$441M+$1.62B | -$1.28B-$1.15B |
| 3M | 1Y | 3Y | 5Y | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volatility | VAW XLB | +20.63%+19.33% | +18.57%+17.55% | +17.83%+17.17% | +19.80%+19.03% |
| Max drawdown | VAW XLB | -6.75%-6.44% | -13.41%-12.34% | -23.20%-23.18% | -25.44%-24.78% |
| Max drawdown duration | VAW XLB | 56d37d | 138d156d | 430d445d | 679d679d |
VAW | XLB | |
Last sale 7/20/2026 at 1:30 PM | $221.28 | $50.03 |
| Previous close 07/17/2026 | $223.61 | $50.53 |
| Consolidated volume 07/17/2026 | ||
| Average volume 30 days | ||
| Average discount or premium 30 days | ||
| Average Bid/Ask spread 30 days |
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VAW | XLB | |
|---|---|---|
| Tracking error | ||
| Tracking difference | ||
| 1 year cumulative return difference | ||
| Best | ||
| Worst | ||
| Daily return difference | ||
| Average | ||
| Worst | ||
VAW | XLB | |
|---|---|---|
| Last price | $221.28 | $50.03 |
| 1D performance | -1.04% | -0.99% |
| AuM | $2.93 B | $8.38 B |
| E/R | 0.09% | 0.08% |
VAW | XLB | |
|---|---|---|
| Management strategy | Passive | Passive |
| Provider | Vanguard | State Street Investment Management |
| Benchmark | MSCI US IMI Materials 25/50 Index | S&P Materials Select Sector Index |
| N° of holdings | 112 | 26 |
| Asset class | Equities | Equities |
| Trailing 12m distribution yield | Join | Join |
| Inception date | January 26, 2004 | December 16, 1998 |
| ESG | No | No |
Countries
Sectors
Diversification
Total weight of top 15 holdings out of 15
Total weight of top 15 holdings out of 15
