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Home/Markets & Investing/INDEX FUND EXPENSE RATIO · VANGUARD

International and Energy ETFs Outpace S&P 500 in 2026

NR

Noa Radcliffe

index fund expense ratio · Apr 14, 2026

International and Energy ETFs Outpace S&P 500 in 2026

Source: DojiDoji Data Terminal

Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund (VXUS) is up nearly 8% year-to-date, while the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) has risen 28% year-to-date. These gains outpace the iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV), which is essentially flat year-to-date.

Related Brief14h ago
etfs

Owning more shares after a split doesn’t make you richer — it just makes the price per share smaller

Owning more shares after a split doesn’t make you richer — it just makes the price per share smaller. Five Vanguard ETFs are executing stock splits effective April 21, adjusting share counts and prices without altering underlying value. The split ratios range from 4:1 to 8:1, with the Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT) splitting 8:1 and the Vanguard Real Estate ETF (VNQ) splitting 4:1. The other funds — Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG), Vanguard Mega Cap Growth ETF (MGK), and Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF (VO) — are splitting 6:1, 6:1, and 5:1, respectively. Each split increases the number of shares investors hold while reducing the per-share price proportionally. For example, a $718 share of VGT becomes eight shares near $89.75. The total value of an investor’s holdings in these ETFs remains unchanged after the split.

This divergence in performance is driven by a softer U.S. dollar and lower valuations in European and Asian markets, which have boosted VXUS. XLE's growth is attributed to WTI crude oil surging to $114 per barrel, a price that represents the 99.6th percentile over the past 12 months. This oil surge has resulted in wider margins and stronger free cash flow for energy companies.

Related Brief9h ago
investing

The Case for VOO and Chill: Why Most Investors Should Skip Stock Picking

For most investors, buying a broad-market ETF like the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) is a more reliable strategy than picking individual stocks. In 2025, VOO returned 17.8%—a benchmark that eluded 79% of U.S. large-cap active managers. That underperformance isn’t an anomaly. Last year was the fourth-worst on record for active managers trailing the S&P 500 since S&P Dow Jones Indices began tracking the data in 2002. Even professionals, armed with resources far beyond the reach of retail investors, fail to beat the market with consistency. Warren Buffett, arguably the greatest investor of all time, has long argued that ordinary investors can outperform the pros by embracing low-cost index funds and adding to their holdings steadily over time. He’s called them the most sensible equity investment for the vast majority of people. The data behind VOO’s performance versus active management isn’t just compelling—it’s conclusive.

For investors seeking U.S. large-cap exposure without the concentration in mega-cap technology, the Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF (RSP) has outperformed the cap-weighted S&P 500. RSP is up 3% year-to-date, compared to IVV's flat performance. RSP assigns roughly the same weight to each of the 500 companies in the index, reducing the concentration of Information Technology, which represents 33% of the S&P 500.

Related Brief12h ago
exchange-traded funds

ETF Expense Ratios Compound into Long-Term Retirement Gaps

Small fees compound over long retirement horizons to create significant differences in final investor returns. Two funds tracking the same index can cost differently. The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) charges an expense ratio of 0.03%, while the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) charges 0.0945%. U.S.-listed ETFs held about $14.21 trillion in assets as of early 2026. These costs are part of a broader set of factors including liquidity and intended use that affect long-term outcomes.

In April 2026, the Federal Reserve has held rates steady at 3.75% after cutting 75 basis points over the prior year. The VIX is near 19. The iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVUS) and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) both carry an expense ratio of 0.03%.

Related Brief14h ago
geopolitical risk

Oil Spikes as Trump Blocks Strait of Hormuz

The Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) fell 0.46% and the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) fell 0.45% in pre-market trading on Monday, April 13, 2026. The declines follow President Donald Trump's order to block the Strait of Hormuz after peace talks in Islamabad between the U.S. and Iran failed. Brent crude rose 5.9% to $104.04 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate crude jumped 7.8% to $102.29 per barrel.

Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF (RSP) rose 3% year-to-date.

Related Brief1d ago
exchange-traded funds

Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF's 33% Bank Exposure Shifts Returns to RBA Cash Rate

VAS ETF investors see their returns tied to the RBA cash rate through the fund's heavy weighting in the bank sector. At the end of February 2026, approximately one third of the fund was invested in ASX bank shares, including Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Westpac Banking Corp, ANZ Group Holdings Ltd, and National Australia Bank Ltd. The fund tracks the S&P/ASX 300 Index, which contains significant bank exposure. This exposure is the mechanism by which a higher RBA cash rate increases the loan interest rate banks earn on transaction account balances, which pay little or no interest to customers. This increases the bank's net interest margin (NIM), which increases bank earnings. Because bank performance plays an important role in the index's overall return, increased bank earnings increase the overall return of the S&P/ASX 300 Index, which in turn increases the return for VAS ETF investors.

index fund expense ratioVanguard

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