VB vs XLV Overlap

VB is a small-cap U.S. equity ETF from Vanguard, while XLV is a health care sector ETF from SPDR. VB and XLV show limited overlap, with an estimated weighted overlap of 2.61%. They share 17 holdings in the loaded dataset, led by HOLX, INCY, and COO.

2.6% overlap
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17Shared Holdings
OK
Low Overlap

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Quick Answer

VB is a small-cap U.S. equity ETF from Vanguard, while XLV is a health care sector ETF from SPDR. VB and XLV show limited overlap, with an estimated weighted overlap of 2.61%. They share 17 holdings in the loaded dataset, led by HOLX, INCY, and COO.

  • 2.61% weighted overlap across 17 shared holdings.
  • The top three shared holdings explain 25.25% of the measured overlap.
  • VB is the broader fund, while XLV is more targeted.
  • The overlap is mostly explained by the top shared positions rather than sector labels alone.
  • Holding both can still add materially different exposure.

Data Freshness

VB holdings
Mar 12, 2026
XLV holdings
Mar 12, 2026
Overlap computed
Mar 15, 2026
Data source
Financial Modeling Prep

Review the methodology for the overlap formula and refresh policy.

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About These ETFs

ETF A

VB

Vanguard Small-Cap ETF

Issuer
Vanguard
Asset class
Small/Micro Cap Equity
Expense ratio
0.03%
AUM
$169B
Inception
Jan 26, 2004

ETF B

XLV

State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF

Issuer
SPDR
Asset class
Equity
Expense ratio
0.08%
AUM
$40B
Inception
Dec 16, 1998

What Stands Out In This Comparison

01

What This Means

VB is a small-cap U.S. equity ETF from Vanguard, while XLV is a health care sector ETF from SPDR. VB and XLV do not own much of the same portfolio weight. That usually means you are combining different parts of the market, with only a small amount of duplication through names like HOLX, INCY, and COO.

02

How They Differ

VB is a small-cap U.S. equity ETF from Vanguard, while XLV is a health care sector ETF from SPDR. VB is the broader fund, while XLV is the more targeted sleeve. VB has the lower expense ratio, while XLV charges more for its exposure.

03

What Drives The Overlap

The overlap is driven by a relatively small set of large shared positions. The top three shared holdings account for 25.25% of the score, which means the result is heavily influenced by the biggest common weights rather than a long tail of tiny positions.

04

When One May Fit Better

If you want the broader portfolio building block, VB is usually the wider choice. If you want the more focused tilt, XLV is the narrower expression. VB has the lower expense ratio, while XLV charges more for its exposure.

Overlap Driver Snapshot

Concentration

The top three shared holdings explain 25.25% of the full overlap score.

That helps show whether the score comes from a handful of giant shared positions or from a broader mix of common holdings.

Shared Sector Tilt

Sector tags are not consistently available for the biggest shared positions in this dataset, so this comparison leans more on the specific holdings than on sector labels.

Top Shared Holdings

These are the holdings contributing the most to the overlap score between VB and XLV.

HoldingVB Wt.XLV Wt.Overlap
HOLX0.22%0.30%0.22%
INCY0.22%0.29%0.22%
COO0.21%0.27%0.21%
MRNA0.21%0.34%0.21%
VTRS0.20%0.29%0.20%
RVTY0.16%0.18%0.16%
SOLV0.15%0.18%0.15%
ALGN0.15%0.20%0.15%
CNC0.14%0.31%0.14%
UHS0.14%0.19%0.14%

Why These ETFs Overlap

VB is a small-cap U.S. equity ETF from Vanguard, while XLV is a health care sector ETF from SPDR. The overlap exists because both funds allocate meaningful weight to the same holdings. In this dataset, the biggest shared drivers are HOLX, INCY, and COO, which appear in both portfolios and push the overlap score higher.

Holding both VB and XLV can make sense if you want exposure to different sleeves of the market. The overlap is small enough that both funds may still improve diversification.

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Frequently Asked Questions About VB and XLV

What is the overlap between VB and XLV?+
VB and XLV currently show an estimated weighted overlap of 2.61% based on the loaded holdings data.
How many holdings do VB and XLV share?+
They share 17 holdings in the current dataset.
Is the VB and XLV overlap high?+
The current verdict is Low Overlap. That means the two ETFs have limited duplication in portfolio weight.
Why do VB and XLV overlap?+
VB and XLV overlap because the same large positions appear in both funds. In this comparison, the top three shared holdings explain 25.25% of the measured overlap score.
Which ETF is broader, VB or XLV?+
VB is the broader fund, while XLV is the more targeted sleeve. That does not automatically make one better, but it helps explain why the pair can overlap while still serving different roles.

How Overlap Is Calculated

A straightforward approach used by portfolio analysts.

Overlap = sum(min(Weight_A, Weight_B)) for each shared holding

For every stock that appears in both ETFs, we take the smaller of the two weights. Adding up all those minimums gives the total overlap percentage. A score of 100% means the two ETFs hold the exact same stocks in the same proportions.

Want the full explanation? Read the methodology page.

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