ETF Versus

VEA vs XLK

Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets Index Fund ETF Shares vs State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-02

VEA Vanguard

Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets Index Fund ETF Shares (VEA) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to equities in developed international markets outside the U.S.. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 2.88%. Launched in 2007, the fund has a 19-year track record.

AUM: $198.8B ER: 0.03% Yield: 2.88% Since: Jul 20, 2007
XLK

State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to us sector - technology securities. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.08%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.57%. Launched in 1998, the fund has a 28-year track record.

AUM: $82.2B ER: 0.08% Yield: 0.57% Since: Dec 16, 1998

Quick Verdict

VEA has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.03% vs 0.08%), saving about $99 per $10,000 over 10 years. XLK has edged ahead over the past year (29.7% vs 27.7%). Income investors may prefer VEA for its higher yield (2.9% vs 0.6%).

Key Metrics

Metric VEA XLK
Expense Ratio 0.03% 0.08%
Dividend Yield 2.9% 0.6%
Fund Family Vanguard N/A
Category International Developed US Sector - Technology

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

70 100 130 160 190 220 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
VEA +29.0%
XLK +95.1%

Performance Comparison

Period VEA XLK Difference
1 Month -5.61% -3.32% -2.29%
3 Months +3.07% -6.51% +9.58%
6 Months +6.68% -5.23% +11.91%
YTD +3.07% -6.51% +9.58%
1 Year +27.70% +29.73% -2.03%
3 Years +43.04% +78.96% -35.92%
5 Years +28.99% +95.13% -66.14%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period VEA Fees XLK Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $60 $159 $99
$10.000 20 years $258 $686 $427
$10.000 30 years $835 $2.212 $1.377
$50.000 10 years $299 $797 $497
$50.000 30 years $4.176 $11.061 $6.886
$100.000 30 years $8.352 $22.123 $13.771

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric VEA XLK
Annualized Volatility 16.4% 24.7%
Max Drawdown -32.3% -34.0%
Sharpe Ratio 0.12 0.49

Dividend Comparison

Metric VEA XLK
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.88 $0.77
Dividend Yield 2.88% 0.57%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 9 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

VEA Top Holdings

NameWeight
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.!krx/0059302.18%
ASML Holding N.V.!ams/ASML1.77%
SK hynix Inc.!krx/0006601.24%
Roche Holding AGROC1.L1.03%
Novartis AG!swx/NOVN1.00%
HSBC Holdings plc!lon/HSBA0.99%
AstraZeneca PLC!lon/AZN0.98%
Nestlé S.A.!swx/NESN0.86%
Toyota Motor Corporation!tyo/72030.80%

XLK Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA15.50%
Apple Inc.AAPL13.63%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT10.05%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO5.37%
Micron Technology, Inc.MU3.39%
Palantir Technologies Inc.PLTR2.98%
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.AMD2.95%
Cisco Systems, Inc.CSCO2.73%
Applied Materials, Inc.AMAT2.42%
Lam Research CorporationLRCX2.38%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose VEA if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose XLK if...

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

Choose VEA if...

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

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