VWO vs XLU: 0% overlap
Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF and Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund share 0.3% of their portfolios by weight — computed as Σ min(wA, wB) over every holding both funds own.
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.
Top shared holdings
VWO and XLU hold 2 of the same securities. The ten contributing most to the overlap figure:
| Holding | in VWO | in XLU | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| CASH | 4.2% | 0.3% | 3.9% |
| SRE | 0.0% | 4.2% | 4.2% |
Where VWO 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.
| Sector | VWO | XLU | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utilities | 2.1% | 99.7% | −97.5pp |
| Information Technology | 31.6% | 0.0% | +31.6pp |
| Financials | 17.2% | 0.0% | +17.2pp |
| Unclassified | 9.3% | 0.0% | +9.3pp |
| Consumer Discretionary | 7.9% | 0.0% | +7.9pp |
| Industrials | 5.9% | 0.0% | +5.9pp |
| Materials | 5.7% | 0.0% | +5.7pp |
| Communication Services | 5.4% | 0.0% | +5.4pp |
Δ is VWO 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
95.8% of VWO by weight, held in no part of XLU.
95.4% of XLU by weight, held in no part of VWO.
A large count with a small weight is the usual shape: the positions one fund adds are typically its smallest ones.
Concentration and cost
| VWO | XLU | |
|---|---|---|
| Top 10 holdings | 30.3% | 58.0% |
| Positions held | 5,003 | 33 |
| Cost per $10,000 held, per year | $6 | $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 VWO and XLU overlap?
VWO and XLU overlap 0.3% by portfolio weight — largely distinct portfolios. They share 2 holdings. The figure comes from current issuer holdings files (VWO as of 2026-06-30, XLU as of 2026-07-23).
How is the overlap between VWO and XLU calculated?
As the sum of the smaller weight in each fund, over every holding both funds own: Σ min(wA, wB). If VWO 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 VWO and XLU?
That depends on your goals — we state facts, not advice. At 0.3% overlap, each fund still contributes meaningfully distinct exposure.
What does VWO own that XLU doesn't?
VWO holds 5,003 positions and XLU holds 33; 5,001 of VWO's positions don't appear in XLU at all, and they are 95.8% of VWO by weight.
You probably hold more than two funds
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Related comparisons
Sources: issuer holdings files, VWO as of 2026-06-30, XLU as of 2026-07-23. Weights are fractions of each fund. Diagnostics, not advice.