ETF Versus

XLB vs XLC

State Street Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF vs State Street Communication Services Select Sector SPDR ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-10

XLB SPDR

State Street Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLB) is an exchange-traded fund issued by SPDR that provides exposure to us sector - materials securities. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.08%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.68%. Launched in 1998, the fund has a 28-year track record.

AUM: $7.0B ER: 0.08% Yield: 1.68% Since: Dec 16, 1998
XLC SPDR

State Street Communication Services Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLC) is an exchange-traded fund issued by SPDR that provides exposure to us sector - communication securities. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.08%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.23%. Launched in 2018, the fund has a 8-year track record.

AUM: $24.6B ER: 0.08% Yield: 1.23% Since: Jun 18, 2018

Quick Verdict

Over the past year, XLB has significantly outperformed with a 32.9% return vs 25.9%.

Key Metrics

Metric XLB XLC
Expense Ratio 0.08% 0.08%
Dividend Yield 1.7% 1.2%
Fund Family SPDR SPDR
Category US Sector - Materials US Sector - Communication

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

55 76 97 118 139 160 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
XLB +29.3%
XLC +48.7%

Performance Comparison

Period XLB XLC Difference
1 Month +4.22% -2.66% +6.88%
3 Months +7.06% -3.11% +10.17%
6 Months +17.75% +0.04% +17.71%
YTD +12.63% -2.57% +15.20%
1 Year +32.89% +25.85% +7.04%
3 Years +28.85% +94.19% -65.34%
5 Years +29.33% +48.66% -19.33%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

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

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric XLB XLC
Annualized Volatility 18.9% 20.7%
Max Drawdown -25.7% -47.2%
Sharpe Ratio 0.13 0.27

Dividend Comparison

Metric XLB XLC
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.87 $1.40
Dividend Yield 1.68% 1.23%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 9 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

XLB Top Holdings

NameWeight
Linde plcLIN14.06%
Newmont CorporationNEM7.76%
Freeport-McMoRan Inc.FCX5.63%
CRH plcCRH4.72%
Vulcan Materials CompanyVMC4.68%
The Sherwin-Williams CompanySHW4.66%
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.APD4.60%
Corteva, Inc.CTVA4.60%
Nucor CorporationNUE4.57%
Martin Marietta Materials, Inc.MLM4.50%

XLC Top Holdings

NameWeight
Meta Platforms, Inc.META13.83%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG6.65%
Live Nation Entertainment, Inc.LYV4.71%
Netflix, Inc.NFLX4.57%
The Walt Disney CompanyDIS4.50%
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.TTWO4.48%
EchoStar CorporationSATS4.47%
Omnicom Group Inc.OMC4.37%
Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.WBD4.35%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose XLB if...

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

Choose XLB if...

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

Related Comparisons