SPY vs XLF
State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust vs State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF
Last updated: 2026-04-10
State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) is an exchange-traded fund issued by SPDR that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. equities across growth and value styles. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.09%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.09%. Launched in 1993, the fund has a 33-year track record.
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.
Quick Verdict
Both funds have nearly identical expense ratios (0.08% vs 0.09%), so fees are not a differentiator here. Over the past year, SPY has significantly outperformed with a 29.6% return vs 10.4%.
Key Metrics
Performance Chart
Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)
Performance Comparison
Fee Impact Over Time
Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns
Risk Metrics
Based on 5 years of daily returns
Dividend Comparison
Top Holdings
1 of top 9 holdings overlap (11% overlap in top holdings)
SPY Top Holdings
| Name | Weight |
|---|---|
| NVIDIA CorporationNVDA | 7.61% |
| Apple Inc.AAPL | 6.54% |
| Microsoft CorporationMSFT | 4.78% |
| Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN | 3.72% |
| Broadcom Inc.AVGO | 2.86% |
| Alphabet Inc.GOOG | 2.53% |
| Meta Platforms, Inc.META | 2.31% |
| Tesla, Inc.TSLA | 1.66% |
| Berkshire Hathaway Inc.BRK.B | 1.51% |
XLF Top Holdings
| Name | Weight |
|---|---|
| Berkshire Hathaway Inc.BRK.B | 12.15% |
| JPMorgan Chase & Co.JPM | 11.42% |
| Visa Inc.V | 7.08% |
| Mastercard IncorporatedMA | 5.60% |
| Bank of America CorporationBAC | 4.77% |
| The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.GS | 3.70% |
| Wells Fargo & CompanyWFC | 3.63% |
| Citigroup Inc.C | 2.98% |
| Morgan StanleyMS | 2.93% |
| American Express CompanyAXP | 2.32% |
Which One Should You Choose?
Choose SPY if...
recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.
Choose XLF if...
you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.