ETF Versus

SPLG vs XLV

State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF vs State Street Health Care 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
XLV SPDR

State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) is an exchange-traded fund issued by SPDR that provides exposure to us sector - healthcare securities. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.08%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.70%. Launched in 1998, the fund has a 28-year track record.

AUM: $39.2B ER: 0.08% Yield: 1.70% 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 9.6%.

Key Metrics

Metric SPLG XLV
Expense Ratio N/A 0.08%
Dividend Yield N/A 1.7%
Fund Family SPDR SPDR
Category US Large Cap Blend US Sector - Healthcare

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%
XLV +25.2%

Performance Comparison

Period SPLG XLV Difference
1 Month +0.54% -3.26% +3.80%
3 Months -2.18% -6.04% +3.86%
6 Months +2.59% +4.17% -1.58%
YTD -0.46% -4.91% +4.45%
1 Year +29.69% +9.62% +20.07%
3 Years +66.15% +10.45% +55.70%
5 Years +65.40% +25.24% +40.16%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period SPLG Fees XLV 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 XLV
Annualized Volatility 16.9% 14.6%
Max Drawdown -25.4% -18.1%
Sharpe Ratio 0.42 0.07

Dividend Comparison

Metric SPLG XLV
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.88 $2.51
Dividend Yield 1.10% 1.70%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

XLV Top Holdings

NameWeight
Eli Lilly and CompanyLLY14.06%
Johnson & JohnsonJNJ10.80%
AbbVie Inc.ABBV6.97%
Merck & Co., Inc.MRK5.66%
UnitedHealth Group IncorporatedUNH5.16%
Amgen Inc.AMGN3.56%
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.TMO3.49%
Abbott LaboratoriesABT3.32%
Gilead Sciences, Inc.GILD3.27%
Intuitive Surgical, Inc.ISRG3.00%

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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