ETF Versus

XLB vs XLP

State Street Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF vs State Street Consumer Staples 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
XLP SPDR

State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) is an exchange-traded fund issued by SPDR that provides exposure to us sector - consumer staples securities. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.08%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 2.63%. Launched in 1998, the fund has a 28-year track record.

AUM: $14.5B ER: 0.08% Yield: 2.63% Since: Dec 16, 1998

Quick Verdict

Over the past year, XLB has significantly outperformed with a 32.9% return vs 4.3%. Income investors may prefer XLP for its higher yield (2.6% vs 1.7%).

Key Metrics

Metric XLB XLP
Expense Ratio 0.08% 0.08%
Dividend Yield 1.7% 2.6%
Fund Family SPDR SPDR
Category US Sector - Materials US Sector - Consumer Staples

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

80 91 102 113 124 135 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
XLB +29.3%
XLP +19.4%

Performance Comparison

Period XLB XLP Difference
1 Month +4.22% -2.20% +6.42%
3 Months +7.06% +3.17% +3.89%
6 Months +17.75% +6.28% +11.47%
YTD +12.63% +6.48% +6.15%
1 Year +32.89% +4.25% +28.64%
3 Years +28.85% +9.45% +19.40%
5 Years +29.33% +19.39% +9.94%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period XLB Fees XLP 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 XLP
Annualized Volatility 18.9% 13.2%
Max Drawdown -25.7% -17.8%
Sharpe Ratio 0.13 -0.01

Dividend Comparison

Metric XLB XLP
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.87 $2.18
Dividend Yield 1.68% 2.63%
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%

XLP Top Holdings

NameWeight
Walmart Inc.WMT12.01%
Costco Wholesale CorporationCOST9.72%
The Procter & Gamble CompanyPG7.23%
The Coca-Cola CompanyKO6.42%
Philip Morris International Inc.PM5.32%
Mondelez International, Inc.MDLZ4.79%
Altria Group, Inc.MO4.57%
PepsiCo, Inc.PEP4.57%
Colgate-Palmolive CompanyCL4.31%
Target CorporationTGT3.70%

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 XLP if...

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

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