XLY vs. VCR

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) and Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF (VCR).

XLY and VCR are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. XLY is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector Index. It was launched on Dec 16, 1998. VCR is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the MSCI US Investable Market Consumer Discretionary 25/50 Index. It was launched on Jan 26, 2004. Both XLY and VCR 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

XLY vs. VCR - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) and Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF (VCR). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

XLY vs. VCR - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
XLY Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund	-7.86%	7.37%	26.51%	39.64%	-36.27%	27.93%	29.63%	28.39%	1.58%	22.82%
VCR Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF	-7.95%	5.77%	24.27%	40.38%	-35.15%	24.86%	48.36%	27.45%	-2.31%	22.82%

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both stocks are quite close, with XLY having a -7.86% return and VCR slightly lower at -7.95%. Over the past 10 years, XLY has underperformed VCR with an annualized return of 11.88%, while VCR has yielded a comparatively higher 12.56% annualized return.

XLY

• 1D: 0.75%
• 1M: -4.68%
• YTD: -7.86%
• 6M: -8.57%
• 1Y: 10.93%
• 3Y*: 14.60%
• 5Y*: 6.19%
• 10Y*: 11.88%

VCR

• 1D: 0.80%
• 1M: -4.51%
• YTD: -7.95%
• 6M: -8.86%
• 1Y: 10.82%
• 3Y*: 13.67%
• 5Y*: 4.88%
• 10Y*: 12.56%

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

XLY vs. VCR - Expense Ratio Comparison

XLY has a 0.13% expense ratio, which is higher than VCR's 0.10% 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%.

XLY

Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund

VCR

Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF

Return for Risk

XLY vs. VCR — Risk / Return Rank

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

XLY

XLY Risk / Return Rank: 28
XLY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 25
XLY Sortino Ratio Rank: 27
XLY Omega Ratio Rank: 25
XLY Calmar Ratio Rank: 31
XLY Martin Ratio Rank: 30

VCR

VCR Risk / Return Rank: 27
VCR Sharpe Ratio Rank: 24
VCR Sortino Ratio Rank: 27
VCR Omega Ratio Rank: 25
VCR Calmar Ratio Rank: 30
VCR Martin Ratio Rank: 29

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.

XLY vs. VCR - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) and Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF (VCR). 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.

	XLY	VCR	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.46	0.45	+0.02
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.85	0.83	+0.02
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.11	1.11	0.00
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.81	0.77	+0.04
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	2.66	2.51	+0.15
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

XLY vs. VCR - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current XLY Sharpe Ratio is 0.46, which is comparable to the VCR Sharpe Ratio of 0.45. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XLY and VCR, 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

	XLY	VCR	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.46	0.45	+0.02
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.26	0.20	+0.06
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.54	0.56	-0.02
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.42	0.49	-0.08

Correlation

The correlation between XLY and VCR is 0.97, 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

XLY vs. VCR - Dividend Comparison

XLY's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.81%, more than VCR's 0.79% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
XLY Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund	0.81%	0.79%	0.72%	0.78%	1.00%	0.53%	0.82%	1.28%	1.34%	1.20%	1.71%	1.43%
VCR Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF	0.79%	0.74%	0.74%	0.84%	0.98%	0.79%	1.71%	1.17%	1.37%	1.21%	1.60%	1.32%

Drawdowns

XLY vs. VCR - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XLY drawdown since its inception was -59.05%, roughly equal to the maximum VCR drawdown of -61.54%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XLY and VCR.

Drawdown Indicators

	XLY	VCR	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-59.05%	-61.54%	+2.49%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-14.98%	-15.59%	+0.61%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-39.67%	-39.20%	-0.47%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-39.67%	-39.20%	-0.47%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-11.64%	-12.14%	+0.50%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-9.58%	-9.43%	-0.15%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.54%	4.78%	-0.24%

Volatility

XLY vs. VCR - Volatility Comparison

Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) and Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF (VCR) have volatilities of 7.36% and 7.41%, 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

	XLY	VCR	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.36%	7.41%	-0.05%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	13.63%	13.96%	-0.33%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	23.65%	24.28%	-0.63%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	23.73%	23.94%	-0.21%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	21.97%	22.33%	-0.36%