VUG vs XLK ETF Comparison
Vanguard Morningstar Growth ETF vs State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF
VUG and XLK are effectively level
VUG and XLK are effectively level on the AIQ Score; the factor table below shows where each one holds its advantage.
Vanguard Morningstar Growth ETF
State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF
The Algovestiq AIQ Score does not currently separate VUG and XLK as of Sep 2, 2026. Both names are scored on the same 0–100 scale across Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience, and the factor table below shows where each one holds its advantage.
Compare Vanguard Morningstar Growth ETF and State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF across performance, expense ratio, dividend yield, drawdown, volatility and the Algovestiq AIQ Score.
AIQ Factor Divergence
Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.
- Risk Resilience15%76 vs 60VUG +16
- Value30%30 vs 36XLK +6
- Quality30%76 vs 74Even
- Momentum25%53 vs 54Even
Neither name separates cleanly on the covered dimensions.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-09-01, compared against the prior scored session 2026-08-31.
Largest factor move: Momentum -6
No new signals fired.
Largest factor move: Momentum -8
No new signals fired.
VUG's lead narrowed by 1 AIQ points in the latest snapshot.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — VUG and XLK both carry a full feed there.
Which one fits your objective
The same two names rank differently depending on what you are optimizing for. All six reads are shown at once — none of them is hidden behind a toggle.
Balanced
EvenNeither separates on the overall score.
Growth
EvenGrowth figures are not covered for both names.
Value
XLKXLK on the peer-relative Value factor, by 6 points.
Momentum
EvenThe two are level on Momentum.
Lower downside
VUGVUG on Risk Resilience, by 16 points.
Analyst upside
EvenAnalyst targets are level or not covered for both names.
Fund facts, side by side
Two funds tracking overlapping universes are separated by cost and risk far more than by holdings. Those lead here.
| Measure | VUG | XLK | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expense ratio | 0.03% | 0.08% | Lower is better — it compounds against you every year you hold. |
| Assets under management | $372.0B | $121.4B | Larger funds generally carry tighter spreads. |
| Holdings | 166 | 73 | More holdings means broader diversification, not better returns. |
| Average volume | 1,787,878 | 6,005,380 | Liquidity — matters most if you trade size. |
| Annualized volatility | 17.9% | 26.4% | Lower is a steadier ride for the same exposure. |
| Max drawdown | -16.7% | -16.1% | The worst peak-to-trough loss on record for the fund. |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.62 | 1.26 | Return per unit of risk. Higher is better. |
| Beta | 1.33 | 1.75 | Sensitivity to the broad market. Neither direction is better — it depends on the role in your portfolio. |
Where the exposure actually sits
VUG and XLK share 87.86% of their weighted exposure across 41 common holdings.
XLK is the more concentrated of the two: its ten largest positions are 99.82% of the fund, against 95.57% for VUG (74 holdings vs 147). Concentration cuts both ways — it is what drives outperformance when the top names work, and what makes the drawdown deeper when they do not.
106 holdings are unique to VUG and 33 to XLK. Owning both adds little diversification — they are largely the same exposure in different wrappers.
Largest shared positions
| Holding | VUG | XLK | Shared |
|---|---|---|---|
| AAPLApple Inc | 25.19% | 25.02% | 25.02% |
| MSFTMicrosoft Corp | 19.19% | 20.26% | 19.19% |
| NVDANVIDIA Corp | 12.81% | 14.37% | 12.81% |
| AVGOBroadcom Inc | 4.46% | 4.71% | 4.46% |
| AMDAdvanced Micro Devices Inc | 4.34% | 7.86% | 4.34% |
| AMATApplied Materials Inc | 2.27% | 4.77% | 2.27% |
| LRCXLam Research Corp | 2.06% | 4.95% | 2.06% |
| PANWPalo Alto Networks Inc | 1.54% | 4.07% | 1.54% |
Shared weight is the lower of the two positions — the portion of capital both funds genuinely have in the same security.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
How each independent group of evidence reads the pair.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | Even | 56 vs 56 |
| Fundamentals | Not covered | Not covered |
| Valuation | XLK | Value 30 vs 36 |
| Technicals | XLK | Price vs 50-day 1.2% vs 0.4%; vs 200-day 6.2% vs 15% |
| Risk Resilience | VUG | Risk Resilience 76 vs 60 |
| Analyst expectations | Not covered | Not covered |
AIQ Decision Stability
The two are close enough that your objective, not the score, should decide.
- The AIQ gap is narrow at 0 points. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The lead has been steady session to session. (supports the conclusion holding)
How the comparison changed
120 daily snapshots · Apr 20 – Sep 1VUG lead: Stable — the AIQ differential has held near 0 points over 30 sessions.
- Today
- Level
- 56 vs 56
- 7 sessions ago
- Level
- 57 vs 57
- 30 sessions ago
- VUG +2
- 60 vs 58
- 90 sessions ago
- XLK +1
- 50 vs 51
The lead changed hands 2 times in this window, most recently on Jun 29 when VUG moved ahead of XLK.
AIQ Signal Divergence
Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.
3 bullish / 1 bearish / 2 neutral, conflicted
- Golden Cross Active — bullish, trend, long horizon (5.16%)
- Bollinger Band Squeeze — neutral, volatility, short horizon
- EMA Ribbon Expansion Bullish — bullish, trend, medium horizon
3 bullish / 1 bearish, conflicted
- Golden Cross Active — bullish, trend, long horizon (14.27%)
- EMA Ribbon Expansion Bullish — bullish, trend, medium horizon
- Uptrend Structure Active — bullish, trend, long horizon
Price vs model alignment
Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.
Price is up while the AIQ Score moved down 2 points over the same session — price and model disagree (price +0.22%, AIQ -2 points).
Price and the AIQ Score both moved down over the latest session (price -0.23%, AIQ -1 points).
The full evidence
Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.
Technicals
XLK has the stronger structure| Metric | VUG | XLK |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 40.6 | 40.9 |
| ADX (14) | 14.4 | 12.3 |
| Price vs 50-day | 1.2% | 0.4% |
| Price vs 200-day | 6.2% | 15% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 11.3% | 21% |
Risk
VUG is the more resilient| Metric | VUG | XLK |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 1.33 | 1.75 |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.62 | 1.26 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.95 | 1.96 |
| Max drawdown | -16.7% | -16.1% |
| Current drawdown | -3.2% | -7.3% |
| Annualized volatility | 17.9% | 26.4% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -1.8% | -2.6% |
Straight answers
Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.
Which is better value, VUG or XLK?
XLK is the better-valued of the two on the peer-relative Value factor. XLK on the peer-relative Value factor, by 6 points. The Value factor reads valuation relative to sector peers and to the company's own fundamental quality, so it is not the same as simply having the lower multiple.
Which has stronger growth, VUG or XLK?
Growth figures are not covered for both names. Growth here is measured on reported revenue and earnings, not on forward estimates — it describes what the businesses have delivered, not what the Street expects next.
Which has stronger momentum, VUG or XLK?
The two are level on Momentum. Momentum carries 25% of the AIQ composite. It has documented persistence over three- to twelve-month horizons, which makes it a timing input rather than a reason to hold something indefinitely.
Which is riskier, VUG or XLK?
VUG is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. VUG on Risk Resilience, by 16 points. The Risk Resilience factor weights 15% of the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.
Is VUG more profitable than XLK?
Margin data is not comparable for both names in the current snapshot.
What do the current signals say about VUG and XLK?
VUG: 3 bullish / 1 bearish / 2 neutral, conflicted. XLK: 3 bullish / 1 bearish, conflicted. A conflicted state means bullish and bearish rules are active on the same name at once — the technical evidence is not pointing one way, and a decision taken on it carries more timing risk. The most decision-relevant rule on VUG is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon). On XLK it is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon).
Compare VUG and XLK with others
How this comparison is scored
The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality (30%), Value (30%), Momentum (25%) and Risk (15%). Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.
The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.
How to use side-by-side comparison →This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.