Materials ETFs
XLB vs VAW.
Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund (S&P 500 materials sector) against Vanguard Materials ETF (MSCI US IMI Materials 25/50) — fees, long-horizon total returns, holdings overlap, and sector tilt, side by side.
Performance · total returndaily bars · as of 2026-07-16
| XLB | VAW | SPREAD | |
|---|---|---|---|
| YTD (cumulative) | +13.1% | +9.58% | +3.55 pp |
| 1Y CAGR | +16.0% | +15.8% | +0.18 pp |
| 3Y CAGR | +8.98% | +8.88% | +0.10 pp |
| 5Y CAGR | +6.74% | +6.83% | -0.09 pp |
| 10Y CAGR | +9.80% | +9.56% | +0.24 pp |
| Since inception CAGR | +8.27% | +8.96% | -0.69 pp |
Total return: dividend- and split-adjusted daily closes (distributions reinvested). Spread is XLB minus VAW. XLB since-inception measured from first available bar December 22, 1998. VAW since-inception measured from first available bar January 30, 2004. Since-inception spans differ — compare that row with care.
Fund facts
| XLB | VAW | |
|---|---|---|
| Name | State Street Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF | Vanguard Materials Index Fund ETF Shares |
| Category | Natural Resources | Natural Resources |
| Style | Passive | Passive |
| Expense ratio | 0.08% | 0.09% |
| Assets (AUM) | $8.2B | $4.5B |
| Dividend yield | 1.67% | 1.39% |
| Avg volume (3-mo) | 11.3M | 55K |
| Inception | December 16, 1998 | January 26, 2004 |
| Benchmark proxy | S&P 500 | S&P 500 |
XLB costs 0.01 pp less per year — about $1.00 per $10,000 invested.
Holdings overlaptop-25 holdings · coverage XLB 58.3% · VAW 56.1%
49.5%of portfolio weight overlaps9 shared of top 10
| Shared holding | XLB | VAW | MIN |
|---|---|---|---|
| LINLinde PLC | 14.04% | 15.69% | 14.04% |
| NEMNewmont Corp | 5.84% | 6.58% | 5.84% |
| FCXFreeport-McMoRan Inc | 5.29% | 5.90% | 5.29% |
| SHWSherwin-Williams Co | 4.93% | 5.28% | 4.93% |
| CRHCRH PLC | 4.66% | 4.67% | 4.66% |
| ECLEcolab Inc | 4.72% | 4.62% |
Sector tilt XLB VAW
Basic Materials84.6% / 89.3%-4.7pp
Consumer Cyclical15.4% / 9.5%+5.9pp
Industrials— / 0.6%
Healthcare
More materials etfs
ALAN GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE · alanglobalintelligence.comdaily bars as of 2026-07-16 · fund facts · issuer-verified · holdings · fund data provider
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For information and research only. Not investment advice. ALAN does not place trades or execute orders. Figures come from the sources shown and can lag the market; verify independently before making decisions. Past performance is not predictive of future results.