ETF Versus

XLF vs XLRE

State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF vs State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-02

XLF State Street

State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) is an exchange-traded fund issued by State Street that provides exposure to us sector - financials securities. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.09%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.60%. Launched in 1998, the fund has a 28-year track record.

AUM: N/A ER: 0.09% Yield: 1.60% Since: 1998-12-22
XLRE State Street

State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLRE) is an exchange-traded fund issued by State Street that provides exposure to us sector - real estate securities. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.09%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.39%. Launched in 2015, the fund has a 11-year track record.

AUM: N/A ER: 0.09% Yield: 3.39% Since: 2015-10-08

Quick Verdict

Both funds have delivered similar 1-year returns (-1.3% vs -1.8%), tracking closely. Income investors may prefer XLRE for its higher yield (3.4% vs 1.6%).

Key Metrics

Metric XLF XLRE
Expense Ratio 0.09% 0.09%
Dividend Yield 1.6% 3.4%
Fund Family State Street State Street
Category US Sector - Financials US Sector - Real Estate

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

80 97 114 131 148 165 2021-04 2022-06 2023-10 2024-12 2026-04
XLF +42.5%
XLRE +2.4%

Performance Comparison

Period XLF XLRE Difference
1 Month -3.34% -5.47% +2.13%
3 Months -9.89% +2.30% -12.19%
6 Months -7.82% -0.84% -6.98%
YTD -9.89% +2.30% -12.19%
1 Year -1.32% -1.83% +0.51%
3 Years +53.68% +11.56% +42.12%
5 Years +42.49% +2.43% +40.06%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period XLF Fees XLRE 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 XLF XLRE
Annualized Volatility 18.7% 19.1%
Max Drawdown -26.9% -37.9%
Sharpe Ratio 0.23 -0.12

Dividend Comparison

Metric XLF XLRE
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.79 $1.40
Dividend Yield 1.60% 3.39%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose XLRE if...

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

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