SPYD vs XLU
State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ETF vs State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF
Last updated: 2026-04-10
State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ETF (SPYD) is an exchange-traded fund issued by SPDR that provides exposure to U.S. dividend-paying stocks selected for yield or dividend growth. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.07%. The fund offers a high dividend yield of 4.33%. Launched in 2015, the fund has a 11-year track record.
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.
Quick Verdict
Both funds have nearly identical expense ratios (0.07% vs 0.08%), so fees are not a differentiator here. Over the past year, XLU has significantly outperformed with a 25.8% return vs 15.3%. Income investors may prefer SPYD for its higher yield (4.3% vs 2.5%).
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
0 of top 10 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)
SPYD Top Holdings
| Name | Weight |
|---|---|
| APA CorporationAPA | 1.78% |
| LyondellBasell Industries N.V.LYB | 1.75% |
| Dow Inc.DOW | 1.69% |
| EOG Resources, Inc.EOG | 1.57% |
| Edison InternationalEIX | 1.50% |
| Verizon Communications Inc.VZ | 1.49% |
| Phillips 66PSX | 1.45% |
| AT&T Inc.T | 1.42% |
| Target CorporationTGT | 1.42% |
| Chevron CorporationCVX | 1.41% |
XLU Top Holdings
| Name | Weight |
|---|---|
| NextEra Energy, Inc.NEE | 13.52% |
| The Southern CompanySO | 7.38% |
| Duke Energy CorporationDUK | 7.06% |
| Constellation Energy CorporationCEG | 6.11% |
| American Electric Power Company, Inc.AEP | 5.02% |
| SempraSRE | 4.45% |
| Dominion Energy, Inc.D | 3.72% |
| Entergy CorporationETR | 3.57% |
| Exelon CorporationEXC | 3.47% |
| Vistra Corp.VST | 3.42% |
Which One Should You Choose?
Choose XLU if...
recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.
Choose SPYD if...
you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.