The Vanguard Energy ETF, Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF and Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF are all beating the S&P 500 so far in 2026, a stretch in which the benchmark has gained almost 4% but investors have still been leaning toward steadier corners of the market.
The Vanguard Energy ETF tracks the MSCI US Investable Market Energy 25/50 Index and has more than doubled in price over the past five years. It charges an expense ratio of 0.09%, holds 108 stocks and has total assets worth $10.21 billion, with Exxon Mobil Corp., Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Williams Companies and EOG Resources among its top five holdings. The Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF, with an expense ratio of 0.04%, owns 615 stocks and manages about $75.36 billion in assets, with Broadcom, JPMorgan Chase and Exxon Mobil among its largest positions. The Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF, which invests in companies that sell everyday essentials such as food, beverages and household products, has a beta of 0.30, owns 106 stocks and has total assets of $7.87 billion, with Walmart, Costco Wholesale and Procter & Gamble among its top holdings.
The move into these vanguard funds comes as market volatility in 2026 has been driven by changing interest-rate expectations, geopolitical tensions and mixed earnings across sectors. Energy can help protect against inflation and has historically done well when oil prices rise, while the high-dividend fund is a defensive, income-focused choice and the consumer-staples fund tends to hold up because demand for everyday essentials stays steady even during slowdowns.
That split leaves investors making a simple tradeoff: chase the broad market’s gains or sit in funds built to weather a rougher patch. For now, the stronger run belongs to the defensive side of the ledger.