ETF Versus

SPDW vs XLF

State Street SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF vs State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-10

SPDW SPDR

State Street SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF (SPDW) is an exchange-traded fund issued by SPDR that provides exposure to equities in developed international markets outside the U.S.. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.04%. Launched in 2007, the fund has a 19-year track record.

AUM: $38.2B ER: 0.03% Yield: 3.04% Since: Apr 20, 2007
XLF SPDR

State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) is an exchange-traded fund issued by SPDR that provides exposure to us sector - financials securities. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.08%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.56%. Launched in 1998, the fund has a 28-year track record.

AUM: $50.3B ER: 0.08% Yield: 1.56% Since: Dec 16, 1998

Quick Verdict

SPDW has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.03% vs 0.08%), saving about $99 per $10,000 over 10 years. Over the past year, SPDW has significantly outperformed with a 39.9% return vs 10.4%. Income investors may prefer SPDW for its higher yield (3.0% vs 1.6%).

Key Metrics

Metric SPDW XLF
Expense Ratio 0.03% 0.08%
Dividend Yield 3.0% 1.6%
Fund Family SPDR SPDR
Category International Developed US Sector - Financials

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

70 88 106 124 142 160 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
SPDW +33.0%
XLF +43.5%

Performance Comparison

Period SPDW XLF Difference
1 Month +2.75% +2.07% +0.68%
3 Months +4.27% -8.36% +12.63%
6 Months +12.72% -3.78% +16.50%
YTD +7.12% -7.76% +14.88%
1 Year +39.87% +10.37% +29.50%
3 Years +48.69% +56.68% -7.99%
5 Years +32.96% +43.54% -10.58%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period SPDW Fees XLF Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $60 $159 $99
$10,000 20 years $258 $686 $427
$10,000 30 years $835 $2,212 $1,377
$50,000 10 years $299 $797 $497
$50,000 30 years $4,176 $11,061 $6,886
$100,000 30 years $8,352 $22,123 $13,771

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric SPDW XLF
Annualized Volatility 16.4% 18.7%
Max Drawdown -33.0% -26.9%
Sharpe Ratio 0.16 0.24

Dividend Comparison

Metric SPDW XLF
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.47 $0.79
Dividend Yield 3.05% 1.56%
Distribution Frequency Semi-Annual or Annual Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 10 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

SPDW Top Holdings

NameWeight
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.!lon/SMSN2.13%
ASML Holding N.V.!ams/ASML1.71%
SK hynix Inc.!krx/0006601.19%
AstraZeneca PLC!lon/AZN0.99%
HSBC Holdings plc!lon/HSBA0.97%
Novartis AG!swx/NOVN0.93%
Roche Holding AG!swx/ROP0.87%
Shell plc!lon/SHEL0.83%
Nestlé S.A.!swx/NESN0.81%
Toyota Motor Corporation!tyo/72030.81%

XLF Top Holdings

NameWeight
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.BRK.B12.15%
JPMorgan Chase & Co.JPM11.42%
Visa Inc.V7.08%
Mastercard IncorporatedMA5.60%
Bank of America CorporationBAC4.77%
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.GS3.70%
Wells Fargo & CompanyWFC3.63%
Citigroup Inc.C2.98%
Morgan StanleyMS2.93%
American Express CompanyAXP2.32%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose SPDW if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose SPDW if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

Choose SPDW if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

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