ETF Versus

SPSM vs XLE

State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 600 Small Cap ETF vs State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-10

SPSM SPDR

State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 600 Small Cap ETF (SPSM) is an exchange-traded fund issued by SPDR that provides exposure to small-cap U.S. equities with higher growth potential and volatility. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.52%. Launched in 2013, the fund has a 13-year track record.

AUM: $14.6B ER: 0.03% Yield: 1.52% Since: Jul 8, 2013
XLE SPDR

State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) is an exchange-traded fund issued by SPDR that provides exposure to us sector - energy securities. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.08%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 2.62%. Launched in 1998, the fund has a 28-year track record.

AUM: $40.6B ER: 0.08% Yield: 2.62% Since: Dec 16, 1998

Quick Verdict

SPSM has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.03% vs 0.08%), saving about $99 per $10,000 over 10 years. Over the past year, XLE has significantly outperformed with a 47.9% return vs 37.6%. Income investors may prefer XLE for its higher yield (2.6% vs 1.5%).

Key Metrics

Metric SPSM XLE
Expense Ratio 0.03% 0.08%
Dividend Yield 1.5% 2.6%
Fund Family SPDR SPDR
Category US Small Cap US Sector - Energy

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 112 149 186 223 260 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
SPSM +18.5%
XLE +138.2%

Performance Comparison

Period SPSM XLE Difference
1 Month +4.27% -0.09% +4.36%
3 Months +2.71% +22.85% -20.14%
6 Months +11.44% +31.81% -20.37%
YTD +7.01% +24.71% -17.70%
1 Year +37.58% +47.91% -10.33%
3 Years +34.97% +31.68% +3.29%
5 Years +18.48% +138.15% -119.67%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period SPSM Fees XLE 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 SPSM XLE
Annualized Volatility 21.5% 26.1%
Max Drawdown -28.7% -26.9%
Sharpe Ratio 0.06 0.63

Dividend Comparison

Metric SPSM XLE
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.77 $1.49
Dividend Yield 1.52% 2.62%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

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

SPSM Top Holdings

NameWeight
Viavi Solutions Inc.VIAV0.60%
FormFactor, Inc.FORM0.57%
Eastman Chemical CompanyEMN0.53%
Primoris Services CorporationPRIM0.53%
Element Solutions IncESI0.53%
Argan, Inc.AGX0.51%
Semtech CorporationSMTC0.51%
ESCO Technologies Inc.ESE0.50%
Match Group, Inc.MTCH0.49%
Viasat, Inc.VSAT0.48%

XLE Top Holdings

NameWeight
Exxon Mobil CorporationXOM23.09%
Chevron CorporationCVX17.03%
ConocoPhillipsCOP7.23%
SLB N.V.SLB4.33%
The Williams Companies, Inc.WMB4.30%
EOG Resources, Inc.EOG4.21%
Valero Energy CorporationVLO4.08%
Marathon Petroleum CorporationMPC3.82%
Phillips 66PSX3.78%
Kinder Morgan, Inc.KMI3.60%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose SPSM if...

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

Choose XLE if...

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

Choose XLE if...

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

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