VNQ vs XLE — 20-Year Performance Comparison
Real Estate (REIT) vs Energy — backtested 2005–2024
XLE wins$46,866 vs $37,027 on $10,000 over 20 years
VNQReal Estate (REIT)
Final value$37,027
CAGR+6.8%
Max drawdown-47.3%
Best year+41% (2021)
Years won12 of 20
XLEEnergy
Final value$46,866
CAGR+8.0%
Max drawdown-42.8%
Best year+64% (2022)
Years won8 of 20
Growth of $10,000
2005–2024VNQXLE
VNQ$37,027
XLE$46,866
50/50 mix$49,455
50/50 blend: $49,455 (+8.3%/yr CAGR)
Splitting equally between VNQ and XLE would have outperformed both individually — diversification smoothed the ride. Try a custom split →
Year-by-year: VNQ vs XLE
| Year | VNQ | XLE | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | +4.8% | +5.4% | XLE |
| 2023 | +11.8% | +2.2% | VNQ |
| 2022 | -26.2% | +64.2% | XLE |
| 2021 | +40.5% | +53.4% | XLE |
| 2020 | -4.7% | -31.8% | VNQ |
| 2019 | +28.9% | +11.8% | VNQ |
| 2018 | -6.0% | -18.2% | VNQ |
| 2017 | +4.9% | -1.0% | VNQ |
| 2016 | +8.6% | +27.4% | XLE |
| 2015 | +2.4% | -21.1% | VNQ |
| 2014 | +30.4% | -7.8% | VNQ |
| 2013 | +2.3% | +25.1% | XLE |
| 2012 | +17.6% | +4.6% | VNQ |
| 2011 | +8.6% | +14.9% | XLE |
| 2010 | +28.4% | +20.6% | VNQ |
| 2009 | +30.1% | +13.3% | VNQ |
| 2008 | -37.0% | -37.6% | VNQ |
| 2007 | -16.3% | +35.0% | XLE |
| 2006 | +35.2% | +24.4% | VNQ |
| 2005 | +11.6% | +40.2% | XLE |
More comparisons
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