Which is better, VTI or XLV?

VTI and XLV tie on the headline Buffett-Fit score (50/100 each). The decision comes down to which underlying framework you trust most — VTI leads on none; XLV leads on none. The pillar-by-pillar breakdown is on this page.

Should I buy VTI or XLV?

This page is an educational comparison, not investment advice. Both VTI and XLV are graded against the same Buffett 5-pillar framework (moat, earnings durability, management quality, financial health, valuation) plus six other documented investor frameworks. Read the side-by-side breakdown to see which one matches the criteria you care about most — and always do your own research before making any investment decision.

Is VTI better than XLV for value investing?

The two are close on the headline Buffett-Fit score (50/100 vs 50/100), so "better for value investing" depends on which pillar you weight most. The five Buffett pillars + six other frameworks are broken down side-by-side on this page so you can pick the one that fits your style.

What's the difference between VTI and XLV on Warren Buffett's framework?

Both stocks are evaluated on the same five pillars: economic moat (durable competitive advantage), earnings durability (consistent profitability), management quality (capital allocation), financial health (conservative balance sheet), and valuation (margin of safety). VTI currently scores 50/100 (C grade); XLV scores 50/100 (C grade). The "Where each wins" section on this page breaks down which pillar each stock dominates.

Which has the stronger moat, VTI or XLV?

Moat strength is one of the five pillars in the Buffett-Fit score on this page. VTI and XLV are each scored on ROIC sustainability, gross-margin durability, and qualitative signals like brand strength, switching costs, network effects, and regulatory barriers. The pillar breakdown on this page shows the moat sub-score side-by-side so you can see which one has the more durable competitive advantage.

Which is more undervalued, VTI or XLV?

Valuation is one of the five Buffett-Fit pillars on this page. Both stocks are scored on owner-earnings yield, price-to-intrinsic-value vs the underlying compounding rate, and the margin of safety relative to a conservative DCF. The valuation sub-score in the table below tells you which one currently trades at a more attractive price relative to its underlying business quality.

Are VTI and XLV both Financial Services stocks?

Yes — both Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) and State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) operate in the Financial Services sector. That makes this a direct sector-peer comparison, which is the apples-to-apples way to use the Buffett-Fit framework: the score weighs each stock against its sector's specific quality and valuation benchmarks (sector-relative bonus), so the cross-stock comparison isn't distorted by inter-sector base-rate differences.

Is this VTI vs XLV comparison investment advice?

No. This page is an educational pattern-match against documented public frameworks (Buffett, Graham, Fisher, Lynch, Greenblatt, Munger, Smith), not personalised investment advice. The scores reflect how closely each stock matches each framework's documented criteria — they are not buy/hold/sell recommendations. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial adviser for personalised advice.

Stock comparison

Vanguard Total Market

VTI$623.4BFinancials Market cap, Sector

State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF

XLV$37.84BFinancials Market cap, Sector

Overall winner

Tie

VTI 00 XLV

Scored across Buffett, Graham, Lynch and Greenblatt - plus a side-by-side metric table covering valuation, quality, growth and balance sheet.

Fit scores by strategy

VTI0wins

0winsXLV

Warren Buffett

50D

D50

Benjamin Graham

50D

D50

Philip Fisher

50D

D50

Peter Lynch

50D

D50

Joel Greenblatt

50D

D50

Charlie Munger

50D

D50

Terry Smith

50D

D50

Side-by-side metrics

Metric	VTI	XLV
Market cap	Winner: $623.4B	$37.84B
P/E (TTM)	-	-
EV/EBIT	-	-
ROIC (TTM)	-	-
Gross margin	-	-
Net margin	-	-
Revenue CAGR 5y	-	-
EPS CAGR 5y	-	-
Debt / Equity	-	-
Dividend yield	-	-

Where each one wins

The metrics with the biggest gap between the two - sorted so the most decisive edges read first.

VTI leads on

Market cap$623.4Bvs $37.84B+94%

XLV leads on

No clear edges - the other side wins or ties on every measured metric.

More like VTI

VTI vs AZA.ST VTI vs FBK.MI VTI vs IBKD.SI VTI vs BGN.MI

More like XLV

XLV vs AZA.ST XLV vs FBK.MI XLV vs IBKD.SI XLV vs BGN.MI

Read the full Buffett-Brain analysis for VTI Read the full Buffett-Brain analysis for XLV

Related on invest-like

Strongest Moat Highest ROIC Warren Buffett strategy Economic Moat

Key terms in this analysis

ROIC Free Cash Flow (FCF)Economic Moat P/E Ratio Margin of Safety Quality Score

Educational tool. Fit scores are deterministic projections from public financials onto each investor's published criteria - not personal recommendations or advice.