STXE vs VEXC: Grades, Fees and Holdings Compared

Strive Emerging Markets Ex-China ETF

STXEBNYSE

Vanguard Emerging Markets Ex-China ETF

VEXCANYSE Arca

Overlap

27.6%by weight

Expense ratio

VEXC −0.25pt a year

STXE0.32%VEXC0.07%

Avg volume · 30D

VEXC 2.1×the volume

STXE10.6KVEXC22.4K

STXE vs VEXC Performance

Nov 7, 2025 – Nov 9, 2026

+31.5%STXE+19.1%VEXC

Expense ratio: STXE 0.32%; VEXC 0.07%, better
Fund size: STXE $122M; VEXC $276M
1Y total return: STXE +31.5%, better; VEXC +19.1%
Yield (12M): STXE 3.14%; VEXC No data
Holdings: STXE 189; VEXC 1019
Avg volume (30D): STXE 10.6K sh; VEXC 22.4K sh, better
NAV per share: STXE $42.05; VEXC $87.28
52W range

ETF.net Grade

Pillar letters and Scores for STXE, VEXC, with each pillar’s weight
Pillar	STXE	VEXC
Cost30% weight	A71	A100Higher
Mission25% weight	A89	A93Higher
Risk15% weight	D34	A83Higher
Tradability15% weight	F17	B64Higher
Holdings10% weight	D31	C41Higher
Durability5% weight	C48	B55Higher

Rank among Emerging Markets Stocks funds

How we build Categories ›

Same Category. STXE and VEXC are both graded against the same 20 Emerging Markets Stocks funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

Emerging Markets Stocks⁠

Category · 20 funds

See all 20 ›

VEXC ranks 1st and STXE 14th of 20 funds in the Emerging Markets Stocks Category.

Rank 1AVEXCVanguard Emerging Markets Ex-China ETFScore 82
Rank 2AXCEMColumbia EM Core ex-China ETFScore 77
Rank 14BILFiShares Latin America 40 ETFScore 56
Rank 14BSTXEStrive Emerging Markets Ex-China ETFScore 56
Rank 16CASEAGlobal X FTSE Southeast Asia ETFScore 47

Our read on each fund

ETF.net Research

STXEBStrive Emerging Markets Ex-China ETF

VEXCAVanguard Emerging Markets Ex-China ETF

In short

STXE The emerging markets with China taken out at the index level: roughly 300 large and mid caps from the rest of the developing world, tracked passively for 0.32% a year, launched in 2023 as the ex-China idea went mainstream.

VEXC Vanguard's emerging markets, China removed. Same index-tracking discipline, 0.07% a year, a fraction of what the typical EM fund charges. Ex-China is no longer a niche idea; this is the cheap way to own it.

Stated mandate

STXE The Fund seeks to track, before fees and expenses, an index of emerging-market securities excluding China.

VEXC The fund invests in emerging-market stocks while excluding China and seeks to closely track the FTSE Emerging ex China Index.

Why people hold it

STXE Charges 0.32% a year, under the median expense ratio for its emerging-markets peer group.
The China exclusion is written into the index rules, not left to a manager's discretion, so exposure doesn't creep back in.
Spreads across about 300 large and mid cap names rather than a handful of megacaps, and pays out quarterly.
Plain passive indexing against a published Bloomberg benchmark, so the holdings and the rulebook are easy to check.

VEXC Charges 0.07% a year against a 0.49% median for emerging-markets funds, and undercuts the other top-graded names in the group, including XCEM at 0.16% and BKEM at 0.11%.
Rules-based, not opinion-based: it tracks the FTSE Emerging ex China Index, so the China carve-out is written into the mandate rather than left to a manager's discretion.vanguard.com
Splitting China out of emerging markets puts the sizing decision in your hands instead of accepting whatever weight a broad EM index assigns. Pays quarterly.vanguard.com
Ranks among the strongest implementations in its emerging-markets peer group on the things we measure: cost, mandate clarity, index discipline.

Worth knowing

STXE Trades thinly next to the category's heavyweights, which puts more weight on the bid-ask spread at the moment of the trade.
The ex-China shelf has cheaper index options: VEXC at 0.07% and XCEM at 0.16% cover similar ground.
A 2023 launch with a modest asset base, so the track record is short next to long-running emerging-markets funds.

VEXC Launched in 2025 and still thinly traded, so it lacks the trading heft of the giant EM funds. Spreads can be wider than the Vanguard name suggests.
Excluding an entire country by rule means results will drift away from broad EM funds, in both directions, depending on how China does.
The remaining basket screens more concentrated than most funds in the category, so a handful of countries and sectors drive much of the outcome.

Full STXE profile⁠

Full VEXC profile⁠

STXE vs VEXC Holdings

How STXE and VEXC differ

Overlap by weight

27.6%

Shared holdings make up 39.1% of STXE and 29.9% of VEXC.

Level by level

Holdings86 in both27.6%
Countryby domicile65.1%
Sector11 Sectors88.8%
Asset classStocks100%

Sector

Sector weights in STXE and VEXC, widest gap first
Sector	Gap	STXE	VEXC
Technology	STXE +9.5 points	52.5%	43.0%
Consumer Staples	VEXC +1.9 points	1.2%	3.1%
Materials	VEXC +1.9 points	5.8%	7.7%
Financials	STXE +1.7 points	22.5%	20.8%
Industrials	VEXC +1.6 points	4.5%	6.1%
Utilities	VEXC +1.4 points	1.5%	2.9%
Health Care	VEXC +1.3 points	1.2%	2.5%
Real Estate	VEXC +1.3 points	0.3%	1.6%
Consumer Discretionary	VEXC +0.8 points	3.7%	4.5%
Energy	VEXC +0.9 points	3.7%	4.6%
Communication	VEXC +0.1 points	3.2%	3.3%

Country, concentration and asset class

Country by domicile

Country weights in STXE and VEXC, widest gap first
Country	Gap	STXE	VEXC
South Korea	STXE +30.8 points	30.8%	0.0%
Taiwan	VEXC +12.0 points	36.4%	48.4%
South Africa	VEXC +11.7 points	3.8%	15.5%
India	VEXC +6.4 points	14.1%	20.5%
Brazil	VEXC +1.5 points	4.6%	6.1%
Poland	STXE +1.4 points	1.4%	0.0%
United States	STXE +1.0 points	1.0%	0.0%
Malaysia	VEXC +1.0 points	1.1%	2.1%
Other countries (9)	VEXC +0.8 points	6.7%	7.5%

Outside the US: STXE 0% developed, 100% emerging. VEXC 0% developed, 100% emerging.

Concentration

Weight in the 10 largest Holdings

STXE36.6%
VEXC36.3%

Securities held

STXE186
VEXC998

Asset class

STXE: Stocks
VEXC: Stocks

Holdings

Only in STXE100
In both86
Only in VEXC912

Only in STXE

100 securities, 61.1% of STXE by weight

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd13.13%
SK hynix Inc7.87%
HDFC Bank Ltd2.44%
ICICI Bank Ltd2.35%
Samsung Electronics Co Ltd1.87%
Reliance Industries Ltd1.74%
Bharti Airtel Ltd1.07%
Larsen & Toubro Ltd0.89%
Saudi Arabian Oil Co0.89%
Axis Bank Ltd0.85%
SK Square Co Ltd0.81%
Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd0.73%
KB Financial Group Inc0.69%
State Bank of India0.69%
OTP Bank Nyrt0.68%
Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co Ltd0.65%
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd0.65%
Bajaj Finance Ltd0.62%
Eternal Ltd0.61%
Shinhan Financial Group Co Ltd0.54%
Powszechna Kasa Oszczednosci Bank Polski SA0.53%
Delta Electronics Thailand PCL0.52%
Hyundai Motor Co0.51%
Saudi Arabian Mining Co0.48%
Emirates NBD Bank PJSC0.46%
Saudi Telecom Co0.45%
Hana Financial Group Inc0.45%
Celltrion Inc0.42%
Credicorp Ltd0.42%
Orlen SA0.41%
Samsung SDI Co Ltd0.40%
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd0.39%
NAVER Corp0.38%
Malayan Banking Bhd0.38%
Public Bank Bhd0.37%
Titan Co Ltd0.37%
First American Government Obligations Fund 12/01/20310.36%
National Bank of Greece SA0.33%
Kia Corp0.33%
Tata Steel Ltd0.33%
Southern Copper Corp0.33%
Kasikornbank PCL0.32%
Hindustan Unilever Ltd0.32%
Woori Financial Group Inc0.32%
Hanwha Aerospace Co Ltd0.32%
Bharat Electronics Ltd0.32%
Falabella SA0.31%
Bank Polska Kasa Opieki SA0.31%
NTPC Ltd0.30%
Adani Power Ltd0.30%

Only in VEXC

912 securities, 72.4% of VEXC by weight

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd24.33%
Twd/Usd Fwd 202610011.64%
HDFC Bank Ltd1.08%
Reliance Industries Ltd1.06%
ICICI Bank Ltd0.93%
Bharti Airtel Ltd0.73%
Saudi Arabian Oil Co0.51%
Infosys Ltd0.47%
OTP Bank Nyrt0.38%
Axis Bank Ltd0.38%
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd0.36%
Bajaj Finance Ltd0.35%
MSCI EmgMkt Dec260.34%
Larsen & Toubro Ltd0.34%
First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC0.31%
Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd0.30%
Saudi Arabian Mining Co0.29%
Tata Consultancy Services Ltd0.28%
Saudi Telecom Co0.27%
Nanya Technology Corp0.27%
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd0.26%
Global Unichip Corp0.26%
ASPEED Technology Inc0.25%
Malayan Banking Bhd0.24%
Jentech Precision Industrial Co Ltd0.24%
State Bank of India0.24%
Titan Co Ltd0.23%
Hindustan Unilever Ltd0.22%
Winbond Electronics Corp0.22%
Public Bank Bhd0.22%
CIMB Group Holdings Bhd0.21%
Brl/Usd Fwd 202610020.20%
NTPC Ltd0.20%
Maruti Suzuki India Ltd0.20%
International Container Terminal Services Inc0.20%
Tata Steel Ltd0.20%
Emirates NBD Bank PJSC0.20%
Eternal Ltd0.19%
Tenaga Nasional Bhd0.19%
Ptt Pcl/Foreign0.19%
SLCMT11420.19%
Bharat Electronics Ltd0.19%
Bizlink Holding Inc0.19%
Hindalco Industries Ltd0.18%
Shriram Finance Ltd0.18%
UltraTech Cement Ltd0.18%
MPI Corp0.18%
HCL Technologies Ltd0.17%
Zhen Ding Technology Holding Ltd0.16%
Divi's Laboratories Ltd0.16%

Weight gaps

All 86 Holdings in both funds, largest gap first.

Holding weights in STXE and VEXC, widest gap first
Holding	Gap	STXE	VEXC
Al Rajhi Bank	STXE +1.42 points	2.05%	0.63%
Grupo Mexico SAB de CV	STXE +1.04 points	1.49%	0.45%
Delta Electronics Inc	VEXC +0.81 points	0.93%	1.74%
MediaTek Inc	VEXC +0.59 points	2.31%	2.90%
Saudi National Bank/The	STXE +0.41 points	0.80%	0.39%
Anglogold Ashanti Plc	STXE +0.36 points	0.96%	0.60%
America Movil SAB de CV	STXE +0.34 points	0.55%	0.21%
Grupo Financiero Banorte SAB de CV	STXE +0.34 points	0.67%	0.33%
Naspers Ltd	STXE +0.30 points	0.71%	0.41%
Gold Fields Ltd	STXE +0.29 points	0.71%	0.42%
Capitec Limited	STXE +0.27 points	0.57%	0.30%
Industrias Penoles SAB de CV	STXE +0.25 points	0.37%	0.12%
Itau Unibanco Holdings SA	STXE +0.25 points	0.84%	0.59%
BSE Ltd	STXE +0.25 points	0.33%	0.08%
FirstRand Ltd	STXE +0.25 points	0.63%	0.38%
Kuwait Finance House KSCP	STXE +0.25 points	0.64%	0.39%
Qatar National Bank QPSC	STXE +0.23 points	0.47%	0.24%
Petroleo Brasileiro SA - Petrobras	STXE +0.23 points	0.72%	0.49%
MTN Group Ltd	STXE +0.23 points	0.47%	0.24%
Petroleo Brasileiro SA - Petrobras	STXE +0.22 points	0.77%	0.55%
Fomento Economico Mexicano SAB de CV	STXE +0.22 points	0.48%	0.26%
Standard Bank Group Ltd	STXE +0.22 points	0.52%	0.30%
Banco BTG Pactual SA	STXE +0.21 points	0.40%	0.19%
United Microelectronics Corp	VEXC +0.21 points	0.51%	0.72%
National Bank of Kuwait SAKP	STXE +0.21 points	0.51%	0.30%
Emirates Telecommunications Group Co PJSC	STXE +0.18 points	0.44%	0.26%
Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank PJSC	STXE +0.16 points	0.28%	0.12%
Weg SA	STXE +0.16 points	0.34%	0.18%
CTBC Financial Holding Co Ltd	STXE +0.15 points	0.63%	0.48%
Unimicron Technology Corp	VEXC +0.14 points	0.48%	0.62%
Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone Ltd	STXE +0.13 points	0.31%	0.18%
Cemex SAB de CV	STXE +0.13 points	0.31%	0.18%
Nan Ya Plastics Corp	STXE +0.12 points	0.62%	0.50%
Fubon Financial Holding Co Ltd	STXE +0.12 points	0.62%	0.50%
Asia Vital Components Co Ltd	VEXC +0.12 points	0.32%	0.44%
Chunghwa Telecom Co Ltd	STXE +0.11 points	0.33%	0.22%
Evergreen Marine Corp Taiwan Ltd	STXE +0.12 points	0.22%	0.10%
Valterra Platinum Ltd	STXE +0.12 points	0.38%	0.26%
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd	STXE +0.11 points	1.34%	1.23%
Yuanta Financial Holding Co Ltd	STXE +0.11 points	0.42%	0.31%
Wal-Mart de Mexico SAB de CV	STXE +0.11 points	0.27%	0.16%
Taiwan Mobile Co Ltd	STXE +0.10 points	0.17%	0.07%
Vale SA	STXE +0.10 points	0.72%	0.62%
Emaar Properties PJSC	STXE +0.10 points	0.46%	0.36%
Chroma ATE Inc	VEXC +0.10 points	0.21%	0.31%
Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank PJSC	STXE +0.10 points	0.28%	0.18%
Embraer SA	STXE +0.10 points	0.26%	0.16%
ASE Technology Holding Co Ltd	VEXC +0.10 points	0.84%	0.94%
Bank Rakyat Indonesia Persero Tbk PT	STXE +0.09 points	0.24%	0.15%
Hua Nan Financial Holdings Co Ltd	STXE +0.08 points	0.25%	0.17%
Axia Energia SA	STXE +0.08 points	0.26%	0.18%
Bank Central Asia Tbk PT	STXE +0.08 points	0.29%	0.21%
Cia de Saneamento Basico do Estado de Sao Paulo SABESP	STXE +0.07 points	0.23%	0.16%
PharmaEssentia Corp	STXE +0.07 points	0.22%	0.15%
Mega Financial Holding Co Ltd	STXE +0.07 points	0.30%	0.23%
Far EasTone Telecommunications Co Ltd	STXE +0.07 points	0.14%	0.07%
B3 SA - Brasil Bolsa Balcao	STXE +0.06 points	0.29%	0.23%
Ambev SA	STXE +0.06 points	0.22%	0.16%
First Financial Holding Co Ltd	STXE +0.06 points	0.23%	0.17%
Itausa SA	STXE +0.06 points	0.27%	0.21%
Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd	STXE +0.05 points	0.19%	0.14%
Accton Technology Corp	VEXC +0.05 points	0.30%	0.35%
Cathay Financial Holding Co Ltd	STXE +0.06 points	0.48%	0.42%
TS Financial Holding Co Ltd	STXE +0.06 points	0.45%	0.39%
Banco Bradesco SA	STXE +0.05 points	0.29%	0.24%
Quanta Computer Inc	STXE +0.05 points	0.40%	0.35%
Taiwan Cooperative Financial Holding Co Ltd	STXE +0.05 points	0.16%	0.11%
Largan Precision Co Ltd	VEXC +0.04 points	0.18%	0.22%
E.Sun Financial Holding Co Ltd	STXE +0.04 points	0.33%	0.29%
Formosa Plastics Corp	STXE +0.05 points	0.16%	0.11%
Uni-President Enterprises Corp	STXE +0.04 points	0.19%	0.15%
SinoPac Financial Holdings Co Ltd	STXE +0.04 points	0.27%	0.23%
Wiwynn Corp	VEXC +0.04 points	0.22%	0.26%
Gold Circuit Electronics Ltd	VEXC +0.04 points	0.12%	0.16%
KGI Financial Holding Co Ltd	STXE +0.03 points	0.28%	0.25%
Hon Precision Inc	STXE +0.03 points	0.16%	0.13%
Kuwaiti Dinar	STXE +0.03 points	0.03%	0.00%
Power Grid Corp of India Ltd	STXE +0.02 points	0.18%	0.16%
Realtek Semiconductor Corp	STXE +0.03 points	0.18%	0.15%
Yageo Corp	VEXC +0.02 points	0.32%	0.34%
King Slide Works Co Ltd	VEXC +0.02 points	0.25%	0.27%
Elite Material Co Ltd	VEXC +0.01 points	0.56%	0.57%
Asustek Computer Inc	STXE +0.01 points	0.27%	0.26%
Wistron Corp	STXE +0.01 points	0.23%	0.22%
Lite-On Technology Corp	VEXC +0.01 points	0.21%	0.22%
Advantech Co Ltd	Same weight	0.13%	0.13%

All 290 STXE holdings⁠All 988 VEXC holdings⁠

How we measure overlap

Each holding counts at its smaller weight in the two funds, summed over the full Holdings. Sector, country and asset class use the same rule on each fund’s split. Cash, FX and derivative lines stay out of the counts. Two bond funds get no overlap figure.

STXE vs VEXC Cost

Overpaying STXE vs VEXC

$5,062

On $10,000 over 30 years. 7% growth a year before fees, expense ratio only.

STXE 0.32%
$6,542
VEXC 0.07%
$1,480

Amount$10,000

Years30 years

Cost over time

STXE 0.32%
VEXC 0.07%
Overpaying

Year by year

Year	STXE	VEXC	Overpaying
10	$580	$128	$452
20	$2,250	$503	$1,747
30	$6,542	$1,480	$5,062

Expense ratio

0.32%STXE
0.07%VEXC, cheaper

VEXC0.07%STXE0.32%

0.07%0.91%

Middle half of Emerging Markets Stocks funds
Median 0.45%

VEXC cheapest of 20 funds

STXE 6th cheapest of 20 funds

STXE vs VEXC Dividends

Last 12 months to Nov 9, 2026

Yield (12M): STXE 3.14%; VEXC No data
Payout (12M): STXE $1.39; VEXC No data
Last payment: STXE $0.90; VEXC $0.54
Ex-dividend: STXE Sep 28, 2026; VEXC Sep 18, 2026
Paid on: STXE Sep 30, 2026; VEXC Sep 22, 2026
Frequency: STXE Quarterly; VEXC Quarterly

Distribution history

Per share, 2023 to 2026, same scale for both

STXEQuarterly · 12 paymentsAll STXE payments⁠

VEXCQuarterly · 4 paymentsAll VEXC payments⁠

STXE vs VEXC Risk

Fall from peak · 5 years

This chart needs five years of history for both funds.

Risk facts

VolatilityStd dev, 3 years: STXE 21.1%VEXC 19.6%since Nov 2025
Return per unit of riskSharpe ratio, 3 years: STXE 1.02VEXC 0.65since Nov 2025
Worst fallMax drawdown, 5 years: STXE −23.6%since Jan 2023VEXC −13.5%since Oct 2025
Market sensitivityBeta, 5 years: STXE 1.30VEXC 1.21; Market = 1

STXE and VEXC in the news

All news⁠

Filings Digest
11 Strive funds will move to NYSE Arca on Dec. 15
Oct 29, 2026STXE
First-Year Review
Vanguard Emerging Markets ex-China returned 27.4%; iShares MSCI ex China returned 48.6%
Oct 1, 2026VEXC
Deep Dive
Korea's 3.9% drop split two kinds of emerging-markets fund
Sep 20, 2026VEXC
Deep Dive
Korea funds gained 94% this year. China internet funds lost 28%
Sep 13, 2026VEXC
Deep Dive
Two $160 billion EM funds are 11 percentage points apart. Korea is why
Sep 5, 2026VEXC

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STXE vs VEXC

In short

Stated mandate

Why people hold it