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