ETF Versus

SPLG vs XLC

State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF vs State Street Communication Services Select Sector SPDR ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-10

SPLG SPDR

State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF (SPLG) is an exchange-traded fund issued by SPDR that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. equities across growth and value styles. Launched in 2009, the fund has a 17-year track record.

AUM: N/A ER: N/A Yield: N/A Since: 2009-01-02
XLC SPDR

State Street Communication Services Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLC) is an exchange-traded fund issued by SPDR that provides exposure to us sector - communication securities. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.08%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.23%. Launched in 2018, the fund has a 8-year track record.

AUM: $24.6B ER: 0.08% Yield: 1.23% Since: Jun 18, 2018

Quick Verdict

SPLG has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.00% vs 0.08%), saving about $159 per $10,000 over 10 years. SPLG has edged ahead over the past year (29.7% vs 25.9%).

Key Metrics

Metric SPLG XLC
Expense Ratio N/A 0.08%
Dividend Yield N/A 1.2%
Fund Family SPDR SPDR
Category US Large Cap Blend US Sector - Communication

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

55 78 101 124 147 170 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2024-12 2026-04
SPLG +65.4%
XLC +48.7%

Performance Comparison

Period SPLG XLC Difference
1 Month +0.54% -2.66% +3.20%
3 Months -2.18% -3.11% +0.93%
6 Months +2.59% +0.04% +2.55%
YTD -0.46% -2.57% +2.11%
1 Year +29.69% +25.85% +3.84%
3 Years +66.15% +94.19% -28.04%
5 Years +65.40% +48.66% +16.74%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period SPLG Fees XLC Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $0 $159 $159
$10,000 20 years $0 $686 $686
$10,000 30 years $0 $2,212 $2,212
$50,000 10 years $0 $797 $797
$50,000 30 years $0 $11,061 $11,061
$100,000 30 years $0 $22,123 $22,123

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric SPLG XLC
Annualized Volatility 16.9% 20.7%
Max Drawdown -25.4% -47.2%
Sharpe Ratio 0.42 0.27

Dividend Comparison

Metric SPLG XLC
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.88 $1.40
Dividend Yield 1.10% 1.23%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

XLC Top Holdings

NameWeight
Meta Platforms, Inc.META13.83%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG6.65%
Live Nation Entertainment, Inc.LYV4.71%
Netflix, Inc.NFLX4.57%
The Walt Disney CompanyDIS4.50%
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.TTWO4.48%
EchoStar CorporationSATS4.47%
Omnicom Group Inc.OMC4.37%
Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.WBD4.35%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose SPLG if...

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

Choose SPLG if...

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

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