VFIFX vs XLU: 1% overlap

Vanguard Target Retirement 2050 and Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund share 1.4% of their portfolios by weight — computed as Σ min(wA, wB) over every holding both funds own.

Different holding dates. These holdings were published about 4 months apart — VFIFX as of 2026-03-31, the rest through 2026-07-23. 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
1.4%
VFIFX expense ratio
0.08%
XLU expense ratio
0.08%

Top shared holdings

VFIFX and XLU hold 32 of the same securities. The ten contributing most to the overlap figure:

Holdingin VFIFXin XLUΔ
CASH1.9%0.3%1.6%
NEE0.1%12.9%12.8%
DTE0.1%2.1%2.0%
SO0.1%7.5%7.4%
DUK0.1%7.0%6.9%
CEG0.1%6.1%6.0%
AEP0.1%5.1%5.0%
SRE0.0%4.2%4.2%
D0.0%4.3%4.3%
PPL0.0%1.9%1.8%

Where VFIFX and XLU 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.

SectorVFIFXXLUΔ
Utilities2.4%99.7%97.2pp
Information Technology26.1%0.0%+26.1pp
Financials14.1%0.0%+14.1pp
Industrials10.5%0.0%+10.5pp
Consumer Discretionary7.5%0.0%+7.5pp
Health Care6.9%0.0%+6.9pp
Unclassified6.3%0.0%+6.3pp
Communication Services5.9%0.0%+5.9pp

Δ is VFIFX minus XLU, 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 VFIFX
16,650 positions

97.0% of VFIFX by weight, held in no part of XLU.

Only in XLU
0 positions

0.0% of XLU by weight, held in no part of VFIFX.

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

Concentration and cost

VFIFXXLU
Top 10 holdings19.3%58.0%
Positions held633
Cost per $10,000 held, per year$8$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 VFIFX and XLU overlap?

VFIFX and XLU overlap 1.4% by portfolio weight — largely distinct portfolios. They share 32 holdings. The figure comes from current issuer holdings files (VFIFX as of 2026-03-31, XLU as of 2026-07-23).

How is the overlap between VFIFX and XLU calculated?

As the sum of the smaller weight in each fund, over every holding both funds own: Σ min(wA, wB). If VFIFX holds a stock at 6% and XLU 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 VFIFX and XLU?

That depends on your goals — we state facts, not advice. At 1.4% overlap, each fund still contributes meaningfully distinct exposure.

What does VFIFX own that XLU doesn't?

VFIFX holds 6 positions and XLU holds 33; 16,650 of VFIFX's positions don't appear in XLU at all, and they are 97.0% of VFIFX by weight.

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Related comparisons

Sources: issuer holdings files, VFIFX as of 2026-03-31, XLU as of 2026-07-23. Weights are fractions of each fund. Diagnostics, not advice.