ETF Versus

SPY vs XLU

State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust vs State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-02

SPY State Street

State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) is an exchange-traded fund issued by State Street that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. equities across growth and value styles. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.09%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.13%. Launched in 1993, the fund has a 33-year track record.

AUM: $712.1B ER: 0.09% Yield: 1.13% Since: 1993-01-29
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

Both funds have delivered similar 1-year returns (16.0% vs 16.7%), tracking closely. Income investors may prefer XLU for its higher yield (2.6% vs 1.1%).

Key Metrics

Metric SPY XLU
Expense Ratio 0.09% 0.09%
Dividend Yield 1.1% 2.6%
Fund Family State Street State Street
Category US Large Cap Blend US Sector - Utilities

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

85 103 121 139 157 175 2021-04 2022-06 2023-10 2024-12 2026-04
SPY +61.1%
XLU +43.3%

Performance Comparison

Period SPY XLU Difference
1 Month -3.75% -1.55% -2.20%
3 Months -4.15% +7.32% -11.47%
6 Months -2.50% +3.24% -5.74%
YTD -4.15% +7.32% -11.47%
1 Year +16.00% +16.70% -0.70%
3 Years +59.35% +37.86% +21.49%
5 Years +61.15% +43.29% +17.86%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period SPY Fees XLU Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $179 $179 $0
$10,000 20 years $771 $771 $0
$10,000 30 years $2,486 $2,486 $0
$50,000 10 years $896 $896 $0
$50,000 30 years $12,428 $12,428 $0
$100,000 30 years $24,855 $24,855 $0

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric SPY XLU
Annualized Volatility 17.1% 17.1%
Max Drawdown -25.4% -28.1%
Sharpe Ratio 0.38 0.24

Dividend Comparison

Metric SPY XLU
Annual Dividend (per share) $7.38 $1.19
Dividend Yield 1.13% 2.57%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

SPY Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA Corp775.46%
Apple Inc687.37%
Microsoft Corp615.05%
Amazon.com Inc384.22%
Broadcom Inc279.66%
Alphabet Inc249.68%
Meta Platforms Inc245.99%
Tesla Inc216.23%
Berkshire Hathaway Inc157.72%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose XLU if...

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

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