ETF Versus

ICLN vs LIT

iShares Global Clean Energy ETF vs Global X Lithium & Battery Tech ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-02

iShares Global Clean Energy ETF (ICLN) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to thematic - clean energy securities. It charges an above-average expense ratio of 0.39%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.47%. Launched in 2008, the fund has a 18-year track record.

AUM: $2.1B ER: 0.39% Yield: 1.47% Since: Jun 24, 2008
LIT

Global X Lithium & Battery Tech ETF (LIT) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to thematic - lithium & battery securities. It charges a high expense ratio of 0.75%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.42%. Launched in 2010, the fund has a 16-year track record.

AUM: $1.7B ER: 0.75% Yield: 0.42% Since: Jul 22, 2010

Quick Verdict

ICLN is significantly cheaper at 0.39% vs 0.75% expense ratio, saving you approximately $686 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Over the past year, LIT has significantly outperformed with a 92.8% return vs 58.8%. Income investors may prefer ICLN for its higher yield (1.5% vs 0.4%).

Key Metrics

Metric ICLN LIT
Expense Ratio 0.39% 0.75%
Dividend Yield 1.5% 0.4%
Fund Family N/A N/A
Category Thematic - Clean Energy Thematic - Lithium & Battery

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

40 64 88 112 136 160 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
ICLN -23.4%
LIT +23.0%

Performance Comparison

Period ICLN LIT Difference
1 Month -0.44% -1.04% +0.60%
3 Months +6.73% +12.33% -5.60%
6 Months +14.21% +26.43% -12.22%
YTD +6.73% +12.33% -5.60%
1 Year +58.83% +92.80% -33.97%
3 Years -6.70% +17.60% -24.30%
5 Years -23.35% +23.00% -46.35%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period ICLN Fees LIT Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $767 $1.453 $686
$10.000 20 years $3.253 $6.064 $2.811
$10.000 30 years $10.349 $18.984 $8.634
$50.000 10 years $3.835 $7.266 $3.431
$50.000 30 years $51.746 $94.918 $43.172
$100.000 30 years $103.492 $189.836 $86.344

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric ICLN LIT
Annualized Volatility 27.2% 31.6%
Max Drawdown -59.0% -67.0%
Sharpe Ratio -0.23 0.15

Dividend Comparison

Metric ICLN LIT
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.27 $0.32
Dividend Yield 1.47% 0.42%
Distribution Frequency Semi-Annual or Annual Semi-Annual or Annual

Top Holdings

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

ICLN Top Holdings

NameWeight
Nextpower Inc.NXT10.18%
Bloom Energy CorporationBE9.29%
First Solar, Inc.FSLR5.94%
Iberdrola, S.A.!bme/IBE5.60%
China Yangtze Power Co., Ltd.!sha/6009004.76%
Ormat Technologies, Inc.ORA3.21%
Enphase Energy, Inc.ENPH3.05%
Equatorial S.A.!bvmf/EQTL32.79%
Vestas Wind Systems A/S!cph/VWS2.50%
EDP, S.A.!eli/EDP2.16%

LIT Top Holdings

NameWeight
Rio Tinto GroupRIO20.53%
Albemarle CorporationALB7.41%
Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.!krx/0064004.76%
Panasonic Holdings Corporation!tyo/67524.27%
Ganfeng Lithium Group Co., Ltd.!she/0024604.26%
Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A.SQM4.09%
PLS Group Limited!asx/PLS3.98%
NAURA Technology Group Co., Ltd.!she/0023713.80%
Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited!she/3007503.72%
BYD Co Ltd Class HBY6.DE3.19%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose ICLN if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose LIT if...

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

Choose ICLN if...

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

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