ETF Versus

XLE vs XLU

State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF vs State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-10

XLE SPDR

State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) is an exchange-traded fund issued by SPDR that provides exposure to us sector - energy securities. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.08%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 2.62%. Launched in 1998, the fund has a 28-year track record.

AUM: $40.6B ER: 0.08% Yield: 2.62% Since: Dec 16, 1998
XLU SPDR

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.

AUM: $25.1B ER: 0.08% Yield: 2.51% Since: Dec 16, 1998

Quick Verdict

Over the past year, XLE has significantly outperformed with a 47.9% return vs 25.8%.

Key Metrics

Metric XLE XLU
Expense Ratio 0.08% 0.08%
Dividend Yield 2.6% 2.5%
Fund Family SPDR SPDR
Category US Sector - Energy US Sector - Utilities

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

85 120 155 190 225 260 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
XLE +138.2%
XLU +46.2%

Performance Comparison

Period XLE XLU Difference
1 Month -0.09% +2.70% -2.79%
3 Months +22.85% +11.36% +11.49%
6 Months +31.81% +4.33% +27.48%
YTD +24.71% +9.81% +14.90%
1 Year +47.91% +25.77% +22.14%
3 Years +31.68% +36.00% -4.32%
5 Years +138.15% +46.16% +91.99%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period XLE Fees XLU 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 XLE XLU
Annualized Volatility 26.1% 17.2%
Max Drawdown -26.9% -28.1%
Sharpe Ratio 0.63 0.27

Dividend Comparison

Metric XLE XLU
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.49 $1.19
Dividend Yield 2.62% 2.51%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 10 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

XLE Top Holdings

NameWeight
Exxon Mobil CorporationXOM23.09%
Chevron CorporationCVX17.03%
ConocoPhillipsCOP7.23%
SLB N.V.SLB4.33%
The Williams Companies, Inc.WMB4.30%
EOG Resources, Inc.EOG4.21%
Valero Energy CorporationVLO4.08%
Marathon Petroleum CorporationMPC3.82%
Phillips 66PSX3.78%
Kinder Morgan, Inc.KMI3.60%

XLU Top Holdings

NameWeight
NextEra Energy, Inc.NEE13.52%
The Southern CompanySO7.38%
Duke Energy CorporationDUK7.06%
Constellation Energy CorporationCEG6.11%
American Electric Power Company, Inc.AEP5.02%
SempraSRE4.45%
Dominion Energy, Inc.D3.72%
Entergy CorporationETR3.57%
Exelon CorporationEXC3.47%
Vistra Corp.VST3.42%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose XLE if...

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

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