VIPIX vs XLK

VIPIX vs XLK

Which is better, VIPIX or XLK?

Inflation Protection against Large Cap Growth.

VIPIX has a lower expense ratio.

Lower Fees: VIPIX

MarketXLS is not an investment adviser. This comparison is generated automatically from market data and is for information only. A Best mark means the better reading on that one measure, not a recommendation to buy.

Side-by-Side Comparison

MetricVIPIXXLK
Expense Ratio0.07%Best0.08%
AUM$12.4B$119.7B
Dividend Yield5.21%0.43%
Holdings8177
YTD Price Return-2.03%+30.06%
1Y Price Return-5.76%+38.47%
3Y Price Return (annualized)-0.82%+30.10%
5Y Price Return (annualized)-5.16%+19.12%
Volatility (annualized)6.6%Best24.0%
Max Drawdown-24.4%Best-34.0%
Fund FamilyVanguard (US)SPDR State Street Global Advisors
CategoryFixed IncomeEquity
StyleInflation ProtectionLarge Cap Growth
InceptionDec 12, 2003Dec 16, 1998

Not shown on this pair: $10,000 over 5 years, Top 10 Weight.

A price return is not the return of a fund that pays its income out. The coupon or distribution never appears in the price, so the return rows carry no winner here. VIPIX currently yields 5.21% and XLK 0.43%.

Volatility and max drawdown are measured over the window both funds cover: Sep 14, 2021 to Sep 11, 2026 (5 years).

VIPIX vs XLK Performance

Vanguard Inflation Protected Securities Fund Insti Shs (VIPIX) is a mutual fund from Vanguard (US) and State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) is an ETF from SPDR State Street Global Advisors. Over the past year VIPIX's price moved -5.76% and XLK's +38.47%, before the income each one paid out.

Over three years, VIPIX compounded at -0.82% per year against +30.10% for XLK; over five years the annualized figures are -5.16% and +19.12% respectively.

Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns

XLK has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 24.0% compared with 6.6% for VIPIX. Lower volatility generally means a smoother ride, though it often comes with lower long-run returns.

The deepest peak-to-trough decline in our data was -24.4% for VIPIX and -34.0% for XLK. Drawdown depth is what each fund did in the worst stretch of the window measured above.

The two funds' monthly returns correlate at 0.58. They move together some of the time, and apart the rest.

Fees and Cost Over Time

VIPIX charges 0.07% per year while XLK charges 0.08%. On a $10,000 position that is $7 vs $8 annually, a gap of $1 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, VIPIX currently yields 5.21% against 0.43% for XLK.

Structure and taxes

VIPIX is a mutual fund and XLK is an ETF. A mutual fund prices once a day at net asset value and may carry a purchase minimum. An ETF trades through the day at whatever the market pays for it.

In a taxable account the difference that usually matters is distributions. An ETF can meet redemptions in kind, so it rarely has to sell holdings and rarely passes a capital gain to the people who held it; a mutual fund that sells holdings to meet redemptions can distribute a realised gain at year end to everyone still in the fund, whether or not they sold anything themselves. In a tax-deferred account that difference largely disappears. Both are descriptions of how the two wrappers work, not a recommendation.

Tax-loss harvesting works on either wrapper.

Holdings Overlap

We hold position weights for 52 holdings in VIPIX and 74 in XLK, totalling 74.3% and 100.0% of the two funds. The two books name no position in common, so there is no overlap percentage to show.

0 positions in common, counted across the 52 positions we hold weights for in VIPIX and 74 in XLK, against full books of 81 and 77.

What only one of them owns

Measured across the 52 and 74 positions we hold weights for.

VIPIX holds 51 positions XLK does not, 74.3% of the fund.

Largest: TII 0.125 01/15/32 3.86%, TII 2.125 01/15/35 3.51%, TII 0.125 01/15/30 3.39%, TII 1.75 01/15/34 3.34%, TII 1.875 07/15/34 3.32%

You are not choosing between two funds in isolation.

Whichever of VIPIX and XLK you pick has to sit alongside everything else you own. Add the rest and see what the combination actually holds.

VIPIXXLK

Free for up to 10 holdings. No account needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, VIPIX or XLK?

VIPIX has an expense ratio of 0.07% while XLK charges 0.08%. VIPIX is the cheaper option, by $1 a year on a $10,000 investment.

Which is riskier, VIPIX or XLK?

XLK has been the more volatile fund at 24.0% annualized versus 6.6% for VIPIX. Worst drawdown: VIPIX -24.4% vs XLK -34.0%.

Should I hold both VIPIX and XLK?

VIPIX and XLK have a monthly-return correlation of 0.58, so their returns are far enough apart for the mix to behave differently from either one alone. This is information, not a recommendation.

Which pays a higher dividend, VIPIX or XLK?

VIPIX yields 5.21% while XLK yields 0.43%, so VIPIX currently pays the higher dividend yield.

Is it better to hold VIPIX or XLK in a taxable account?

XLK is an ETF and VIPIX is a mutual fund. An ETF can meet redemptions in kind, so it rarely distributes a capital gain to the people holding it. A mutual fund that sells holdings to meet redemptions can pass a realised gain to every holder at year end. In a tax-deferred account that difference largely disappears. This is information, not a recommendation.

Is XLK better than VIPIX?

VIPIX has a lower expense ratio. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.