VBR vs XLB: 3% overlap

Vanguard Small-Cap Value ETF and Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund share 3.4% of their portfolios by weight — computed as Σ min(wA, wB) over every holding both funds own.

Different holding dates. These holdings were published 27 days apart — VBR as of 2026-06-30, the rest through 2026-07-27. Each fund is compared using its most recent file, so any trading in between shows up as a difference.

Hold both, 50/50
2.0Effective Funds

You would hold two tickers and get the diversification of 2.0. Two funds that shared nothing would score 2.0; two identical funds score 1.0.

Overlap
3.4%
VBR expense ratio
0.05%
XLB expense ratio
0.08%

Top shared holdings

VBR and XLB hold 13 of the same securities. The ten contributing most to the overlap figure:

Holdingin VBRin XLBΔ
SW0.5%3.5%3.0%
DD0.4%2.5%2.1%
CF0.4%2.4%2.1%
BALL0.4%2.3%1.9%
STLD0.3%4.0%3.7%
AVY0.3%1.7%1.4%
IP0.2%3.0%2.8%
DOW0.2%2.7%2.5%
IFF0.2%2.6%2.4%
ALB0.2%1.8%1.6%

Where VBR and XLB differ

Sector weights as a share of each fund, ordered by the size of the gap rather than the size of the sector — two funds that overlap heavily still usually diverge somewhere.

SectorVBRXLBΔ
Materials7.2%99.8%92.6pp
Industrials18.8%0.0%+18.8pp
Financials18.3%0.0%+18.3pp
Consumer Discretionary11.4%0.0%+11.4pp
Real Estate9.8%0.0%+9.8pp
Information Technology9.4%0.0%+9.4pp
Health Care8.0%0.0%+8.0pp
Utilities5.2%0.0%+5.2pp

Δ is VBR minus XLB, in percentage points. Sector data is not published by every issuer, so “Unclassified” is a real category rather than a gap in the table.

What each fund holds alone

Only in VBR
826 positions

95.9% of VBR by weight, held in no part of XLB.

Only in XLB
14 positions

70.4% of XLB by weight, held in no part of VBR.

A large count with a small weight is the usual shape: the positions one fund adds are typically its smallest ones.

Concentration and cost

VBRXLB
Top 10 holdings6.2%56.9%
Positions held83928
Cost per $10,000 held, per year$5$8

Cost is the expense ratio applied to $10,000; it excludes any brokerage commission, bid-ask spread or tax consequence. Figures are facts about the funds, not a suggestion about which to hold.

Frequently asked

How much do VBR and XLB overlap?

VBR and XLB overlap 3.4% by portfolio weight — largely distinct portfolios. They share 13 holdings. The figure comes from current issuer holdings files (VBR as of 2026-06-30, XLB as of 2026-07-27).

How is the overlap between VBR and XLB calculated?

As the sum of the smaller weight in each fund, over every holding both funds own: Σ min(wA, wB). If VBR holds a stock at 6% and XLB holds the same stock at 4%, 4% counts as shared. The result is bounded between 0% and 100%, and it is computed after looking through any fund-of-funds to the underlying holdings.

Is it redundant to hold both VBR and XLB?

That depends on your goals — we state facts, not advice. At 3.4% overlap, each fund still contributes meaningfully distinct exposure.

What does VBR own that XLB doesn't?

VBR holds 839 positions and XLB holds 28; 826 of VBR's positions don't appear in XLB at all, and they are 95.9% of VBR by weight.

You probably hold more than two funds

This page compares VBR and XLB. Paste your whole portfolio — brokerage, 401(k), IRA — and see the overlap across every fund at once, plus what you actually own underneath them and your own Effective Funds number. Free, no account, nothing stored.

X-ray my portfolio — free →

Watch VBR vs XLB

We re-read both funds’ published holdings every weeknight. Leave an address and we'll tell you when what's inside actually changes.

Not sending yet — email alerts are built but switched off, and you'll be among the first when they turn on. No spam, one-click unsubscribe.

Related comparisons

Sources: issuer holdings files, VBR as of 2026-06-30, XLB as of 2026-07-27. Weights are fractions of each fund. Diagnostics, not advice.