ETF Versus

XLB vs XLV

State Street Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF vs State Street Health Care 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
XLV SPDR

State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) is an exchange-traded fund issued by SPDR that provides exposure to us sector - healthcare securities. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.08%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.70%. Launched in 1998, the fund has a 28-year track record.

AUM: $39.2B ER: 0.08% Yield: 1.70% Since: Dec 16, 1998

Quick Verdict

Over the past year, XLB has significantly outperformed with a 32.9% return vs 9.6%.

Key Metrics

Metric XLB XLV
Expense Ratio 0.08% 0.08%
Dividend Yield 1.7% 1.7%
Fund Family SPDR SPDR
Category US Sector - Materials US Sector - Healthcare

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%
XLV +25.2%

Performance Comparison

Period XLB XLV Difference
1 Month +4.22% -3.26% +7.48%
3 Months +7.06% -6.04% +13.10%
6 Months +17.75% +4.17% +13.58%
YTD +12.63% -4.91% +17.54%
1 Year +32.89% +9.62% +23.27%
3 Years +28.85% +10.45% +18.40%
5 Years +29.33% +25.24% +4.09%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period XLB Fees XLV 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 XLV
Annualized Volatility 18.9% 14.6%
Max Drawdown -25.7% -18.1%
Sharpe Ratio 0.13 0.07

Dividend Comparison

Metric XLB XLV
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.87 $2.51
Dividend Yield 1.68% 1.70%
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%

XLV Top Holdings

NameWeight
Eli Lilly and CompanyLLY14.06%
Johnson & JohnsonJNJ10.80%
AbbVie Inc.ABBV6.97%
Merck & Co., Inc.MRK5.66%
UnitedHealth Group IncorporatedUNH5.16%
Amgen Inc.AMGN3.56%
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.TMO3.49%
Abbott LaboratoriesABT3.32%
Gilead Sciences, Inc.GILD3.27%
Intuitive Surgical, Inc.ISRG3.00%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose XLB if...

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

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