ETF Versus

SPLG vs XLF

State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF vs State Street Financial 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
XLF SPDR

State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) is an exchange-traded fund issued by SPDR that provides exposure to us sector - financials securities. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.08%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.56%. Launched in 1998, the fund has a 28-year track record.

AUM: $50.3B ER: 0.08% Yield: 1.56% Since: Dec 16, 1998

Quick Verdict

SPLG has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.00% vs 0.08%), saving about $159 per $10,000 over 10 years. Over the past year, SPLG has significantly outperformed with a 29.7% return vs 10.4%.

Key Metrics

Metric SPLG XLF
Expense Ratio N/A 0.08%
Dividend Yield N/A 1.6%
Fund Family SPDR SPDR
Category US Large Cap Blend US Sector - Financials

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

85 102 119 136 153 170 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2024-12 2026-04
SPLG +65.4%
XLF +43.5%

Performance Comparison

Period SPLG XLF Difference
1 Month +0.54% +2.07% -1.53%
3 Months -2.18% -8.36% +6.18%
6 Months +2.59% -3.78% +6.37%
YTD -0.46% -7.76% +7.30%
1 Year +29.69% +10.37% +19.32%
3 Years +66.15% +56.68% +9.47%
5 Years +65.40% +43.54% +21.86%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period SPLG Fees XLF 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 XLF
Annualized Volatility 16.9% 18.7%
Max Drawdown -25.4% -26.9%
Sharpe Ratio 0.42 0.24

Dividend Comparison

Metric SPLG XLF
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.88 $0.79
Dividend Yield 1.10% 1.56%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

XLF Top Holdings

NameWeight
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.BRK.B12.15%
JPMorgan Chase & Co.JPM11.42%
Visa Inc.V7.08%
Mastercard IncorporatedMA5.60%
Bank of America CorporationBAC4.77%
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.GS3.70%
Wells Fargo & CompanyWFC3.63%
Citigroup Inc.C2.98%
Morgan StanleyMS2.93%
American Express CompanyAXP2.32%

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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