ETF Versus

SPLG vs XLU

State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF vs State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-10

SPLG SPDR

State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF (SPLG) is an exchange-traded fund issued by SPDR that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. equities across growth and value styles. Launched in 2009, the fund has a 17-year track record.

AUM: N/A ER: N/A Yield: N/A Since: 2009-01-02
XLU SPDR

State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU) is an exchange-traded fund issued by SPDR that provides exposure to us sector - utilities securities. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.08%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 2.51%. Launched in 1998, the fund has a 28-year track record.

AUM: $25.1B ER: 0.08% Yield: 2.51% Since: Dec 16, 1998

Quick Verdict

SPLG has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.00% vs 0.08%), saving about $159 per $10,000 over 10 years. SPLG has edged ahead over the past year (29.7% vs 25.8%).

Key Metrics

Metric SPLG XLU
Expense Ratio N/A 0.08%
Dividend Yield N/A 2.5%
Fund Family SPDR SPDR
Category US Large Cap Blend US Sector - Utilities

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

85 102 119 136 153 170 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2024-12 2026-04
SPLG +65.4%
XLU +46.2%

Performance Comparison

Period SPLG XLU Difference
1 Month +0.54% +2.70% -2.16%
3 Months -2.18% +11.36% -13.54%
6 Months +2.59% +4.33% -1.74%
YTD -0.46% +9.81% -10.27%
1 Year +29.69% +25.77% +3.92%
3 Years +66.15% +36.00% +30.15%
5 Years +65.40% +46.16% +19.24%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period SPLG Fees XLU Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $0 $159 $159
$10,000 20 years $0 $686 $686
$10,000 30 years $0 $2,212 $2,212
$50,000 10 years $0 $797 $797
$50,000 30 years $0 $11,061 $11,061
$100,000 30 years $0 $22,123 $22,123

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric SPLG XLU
Annualized Volatility 16.9% 17.2%
Max Drawdown -25.4% -28.1%
Sharpe Ratio 0.42 0.27

Dividend Comparison

Metric SPLG XLU
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.88 $1.19
Dividend Yield 1.10% 2.51%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

XLU Top Holdings

NameWeight
NextEra Energy, Inc.NEE13.52%
The Southern CompanySO7.38%
Duke Energy CorporationDUK7.06%
Constellation Energy CorporationCEG6.11%
American Electric Power Company, Inc.AEP5.02%
SempraSRE4.45%
Dominion Energy, Inc.D3.72%
Entergy CorporationETR3.57%
Exelon CorporationEXC3.47%
Vistra Corp.VST3.42%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose SPLG if...

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

Choose SPLG if...

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

Related Comparisons