ETF Versus

VDC vs XLP

Vanguard Consumer Staples Index Fund ETF Shares vs State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-02

VDC

Vanguard Consumer Staples Index Fund ETF Shares (VDC) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to us sector - consumer staples securities. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.09%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 2.15%. Launched in 2004, the fund has a 22-year track record.

AUM: $7.9B ER: 0.09% Yield: 2.15% Since: Jan 26, 2004
XLP

State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to us sector - consumer staples securities. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.08%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 2.67%. Launched in 1998, the fund has a 28-year track record.

AUM: $15.5B ER: 0.08% Yield: 2.67% Since: Dec 16, 1998

Quick Verdict

Both funds have nearly identical expense ratios (0.08% vs 0.09%), so fees are not a differentiator here. VDC has edged ahead over the past year (1.9% vs -0.4%). Income investors may prefer XLP for its higher yield (2.7% vs 2.1%).

Key Metrics

Metric VDC XLP
Expense Ratio 0.09% 0.08%
Dividend Yield 2.1% 2.7%
Fund Family N/A N/A
Category US Sector - Consumer Staples US Sector - Consumer Staples

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

95 103 111 119 127 135 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
VDC +24.4%
XLP +18.3%

Performance Comparison

Period VDC XLP Difference
1 Month -7.13% -8.17% +1.04%
3 Months +6.08% +4.85% +1.23%
6 Months +5.12% +4.40% +0.72%
YTD +6.08% +4.85% +1.23%
1 Year +1.85% -0.40% +2.25%
3 Years +14.90% +8.47% +6.43%
5 Years +24.39% +18.32% +6.07%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period VDC Fees XLP Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $179 $159 $20
$10.000 20 years $771 $686 $85
$10.000 30 years $2.486 $2.212 $273
$50.000 10 years $896 $797 $99
$50.000 30 years $12.428 $11.061 $1.366
$100.000 30 years $24.855 $22.123 $2.732

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric VDC XLP
Annualized Volatility 13.0% 13.1%
Max Drawdown -17.6% -17.8%
Sharpe Ratio 0.06 -0.02

Dividend Comparison

Metric VDC XLP
Annual Dividend (per share) $4.82 $2.18
Dividend Yield 2.15% 2.67%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

9 of top 10 holdings overlap (90% overlap in top holdings)

VDC Top Holdings

NameWeight
Walmart Inc.WMT14.89%
Costco Wholesale CorporationCOST11.61%
The Procter & Gamble CompanyPG9.85%
The Coca-Cola CompanyKO8.22%
PepsiCo, Inc.PEP4.62%
Philip Morris International Inc.PM4.48%
Altria Group, Inc.MO3.55%
Mondelez International, Inc.MDLZ2.47%
Colgate-Palmolive CompanyCL2.38%
Monster Beverage CorporationMNST1.98%

XLP Top Holdings

NameWeight
Walmart Inc.WMT11.87%
Costco Wholesale CorporationCOST9.64%
The Procter & Gamble CompanyPG7.31%
The Coca-Cola CompanyKO6.41%
Philip Morris International Inc.PM5.61%
Mondelez International, Inc.MDLZ4.80%
PepsiCo, Inc.PEP4.62%
Altria Group, Inc.MO4.59%
Colgate-Palmolive CompanyCL4.39%
Target CorporationTGT3.71%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose VDC if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

Choose XLP if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

Either works if...

you just need broad us sector - consumer staples exposure. Both are solid options — pick whichever your brokerage offers commission-free.