ETF Versus

MDY vs XLU

State Street SPDR S&P MIDCAP 400 ETF Trust vs State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-02

MDY State Street

State Street SPDR S&P MIDCAP 400 ETF Trust (MDY) is an exchange-traded fund issued by State Street that provides exposure to mid-cap U.S. companies balancing growth potential and stability. It charges a moderate expense ratio of 0.24%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.15%. Launched in 1995, the fund has a 31-year track record.

AUM: $24.2B ER: 0.24% Yield: 1.15% Since: 1995-05-04
XLU State Street

State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU) is an exchange-traded fund issued by State Street that provides exposure to us sector - utilities securities. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.09%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 2.57%. Launched in 1998, the fund has a 28-year track record.

AUM: N/A ER: 0.09% Yield: 2.57% Since: 1998-12-22

Quick Verdict

XLU is significantly cheaper at 0.09% vs 0.24% expense ratio, saving you approximately $296 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. XLU has edged ahead over the past year (16.7% vs 13.9%). Income investors may prefer XLU for its higher yield (2.6% vs 1.1%).

Key Metrics

Metric MDY XLU
Expense Ratio 0.24% 0.09%
Dividend Yield 1.1% 2.6%
Fund Family State Street State Street
Category US Mid Cap US Sector - Utilities

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

80 94 108 122 136 150 2021-04 2022-06 2023-10 2024-12 2026-04
MDY +27.8%
XLU +43.3%

Performance Comparison

Period MDY XLU Difference
1 Month -4.04% -1.55% -2.49%
3 Months +1.57% +7.32% -5.75%
6 Months +3.21% +3.24% -0.03%
YTD +1.57% +7.32% -5.75%
1 Year +13.95% +16.70% -2.75%
3 Years +35.56% +37.86% -2.30%
5 Years +27.83% +43.29% -15.46%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period MDY Fees XLU Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $475 $179 $296
$10,000 20 years $2,028 $771 $1,258
$10,000 30 years $6,497 $2,486 $4,011
$50,000 10 years $2,375 $896 $1,479
$50,000 30 years $32,483 $12,428 $20,056
$100,000 30 years $64,967 $24,855 $40,112

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric MDY XLU
Annualized Volatility 19.8% 17.1%
Max Drawdown -24.5% -28.1%
Sharpe Ratio 0.12 0.24

Dividend Comparison

Metric MDY XLU
Annual Dividend (per share) $7.12 $1.19
Dividend Yield 1.15% 2.57%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

MDY Top Holdings

NameWeight
Ciena Corp102.57%
Coherent Corp90.18%
Lumentum Holdings Inc81.25%
Flex Ltd69.47%
Twilio Inc67.05%
United Therapeutics Corp65.23%
Pure Storage Inc65.05%
Casey's General Stores Inc63.89%
Curtiss-Wright Corp63.20%
Illumina Inc62.31%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose XLU if...

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

Choose XLU if...

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

Choose XLU if...

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

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