ETF Versus

XLB vs XLF

State Street Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF vs State Street Financial 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
XLF SPDR

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.

AUM: $50.3B ER: 0.08% Yield: 1.56% Since: Dec 16, 1998

Quick Verdict

Over the past year, XLB has significantly outperformed with a 32.9% return vs 10.4%.

Key Metrics

Metric XLB XLF
Expense Ratio 0.08% 0.08%
Dividend Yield 1.7% 1.6%
Fund Family SPDR SPDR
Category US Sector - Materials US Sector - Financials

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

80 96 112 128 144 160 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
XLB +29.3%
XLF +43.5%

Performance Comparison

Period XLB XLF Difference
1 Month +4.22% +2.07% +2.15%
3 Months +7.06% -8.36% +15.42%
6 Months +17.75% -3.78% +21.53%
YTD +12.63% -7.76% +20.39%
1 Year +32.89% +10.37% +22.52%
3 Years +28.85% +56.68% -27.83%
5 Years +29.33% +43.54% -14.21%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period XLB Fees XLF 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 XLF
Annualized Volatility 18.9% 18.7%
Max Drawdown -25.7% -26.9%
Sharpe Ratio 0.13 0.24

Dividend Comparison

Metric XLB XLF
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.87 $0.79
Dividend Yield 1.68% 1.56%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 10 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%

XLF Top Holdings

NameWeight
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.BRK.B12.15%
JPMorgan Chase & Co.JPM11.42%
Visa Inc.V7.08%
Mastercard IncorporatedMA5.60%
Bank of America CorporationBAC4.77%
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.GS3.70%
Wells Fargo & CompanyWFC3.63%
Citigroup Inc.C2.98%
Morgan StanleyMS2.93%
American Express CompanyAXP2.32%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose XLB if...

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

Related Comparisons