VGT vs. XLK

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT) and State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK).

VGT and XLK are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. VGT is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the MSCI US Investable Market Information Technology 25/50 Index. It was launched on Mar 25, 2004. XLK is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the S&P Technology Select Sector Daily Capped 35/20 Index. It was launched on Dec 16, 1998. Both VGT and XLK are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

VGT vs. XLK - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT) and State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

VGT vs. XLK - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
VGT Vanguard Information Technology ETF	-7.34%	21.77%	29.30%	52.66%	-29.70%	30.45%	46.04%	48.62%	2.46%	37.08%
XLK State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF	-7.57%	24.61%	21.63%	56.02%	-27.73%	34.74%	43.62%	49.86%	-1.68%	34.26%

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both stocks are quite close, with VGT having a -7.34% return and XLK slightly lower at -7.57%. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with VGT having a 21.35% annualized return and XLK not far behind at 20.82%.

VGT

• 1D: 4.34%
• 1M: -3.89%
• YTD: -7.34%
• 6M: -6.36%
• 1Y: 29.19%
• 3Y*: 22.58%
• 5Y*: 14.54%
• 10Y*: 21.35%

XLK

• 1D: 4.24%
• 1M: -4.10%
• YTD: -7.57%
• 6M: -5.44%
• 1Y: 29.46%
• 3Y*: 21.58%
• 5Y*: 15.31%
• 10Y*: 20.82%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

VGT vs. XLK - Expense Ratio Comparison

VGT has a 0.09% expense ratio, which is higher than XLK's 0.08% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

VGT

Vanguard Information Technology ETF

XLK

State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF

Return for Risk

VGT vs. XLK — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

VGT

VGT Risk / Return Rank: 67
VGT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 65
VGT Sortino Ratio Rank: 69
VGT Omega Ratio Rank: 66
VGT Calmar Ratio Rank: 73
VGT Martin Ratio Rank: 61

XLK

XLK Risk / Return Rank: 69
XLK Sharpe Ratio Rank: 66
XLK Sortino Ratio Rank: 69
XLK Omega Ratio Rank: 67
XLK Calmar Ratio Rank: 75
XLK Martin Ratio Rank: 65

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

VGT vs. XLK - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT) and State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	VGT	XLK	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.08	1.10	-0.02
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.65	1.66	-0.02
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.23	1.23	0.00
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.77	1.85	-0.09
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.47	5.98	-0.51
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VGT vs. XLK - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VGT Sharpe Ratio is 1.08, which is comparable to the XLK Sharpe Ratio of 1.10. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VGT and XLK, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	VGT	XLK	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.08	1.10	-0.02
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.58	0.62	-0.04
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.88	0.86	+0.02
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.61	0.36	+0.25

Correlation

The correlation between VGT and XLK is 0.96, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

VGT vs. XLK - Dividend Comparison

VGT's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.44%, less than XLK's 0.57% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
VGT Vanguard Information Technology ETF	0.44%	0.40%	0.60%	0.65%	0.91%	0.64%	0.82%	1.11%	1.29%	0.99%	1.31%	1.28%
XLK State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF	0.57%	0.54%	0.66%	0.76%	1.04%	0.65%	0.92%	1.16%	1.60%	1.37%	1.74%	1.79%

Drawdowns

VGT vs. XLK - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VGT drawdown since its inception was -54.63%, smaller than the maximum XLK drawdown of -82.05%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VGT and XLK.

Drawdown Indicators

	VGT	XLK	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-54.63%	-82.05%	+27.42%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-16.40%	-15.92%	-0.48%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-35.07%	-33.56%	-1.51%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-35.07%	-33.56%	-1.51%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-12.77%	-12.36%	-0.41%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-8.00%	-35.17%	+27.17%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	5.30%	4.93%	+0.37%

Volatility

VGT vs. XLK - Volatility Comparison

Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT) and State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) have volatilities of 7.99% and 8.06%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VGT	XLK	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.99%	8.06%	-0.07%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	16.31%	16.43%	-0.12%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	27.24%	27.02%	+0.22%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	25.07%	24.72%	+0.35%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	24.48%	24.33%	+0.15%