Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
CTA vs XLU: how they differ
CTA and XLU hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and CTA returned more over the year.
Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF and State Street(R) Utilities Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, CTA and XLU hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in CTA | Only in XLU |
|---|---|
| SIMPLIFY EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 81.69% | NextEra Energy Inc 12.93% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 3.72% | Southern Co/The 7.62% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 3.44% | Duke Energy Corp 6.97% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 2.76% | Constellation Energy Corp 5.61% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 2.75% | American Electric Power Co Inc 5.26% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 2.20% | Sempra 4.28% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 1.37% | Dominion Energy Inc 4.24% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 1.07% | Entergy Corp 3.71% |
Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Jun 30, 2026.
| CTA Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF | XLU State Street(R) Utilities Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | Simplify | State Street |
| What it is | Simplify Managed Futures Strategy | Utilities |
| Total return, 1 year | +17.0% | +2.4% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −0.5 pts | −15.1 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.75% | 0.08% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| Holdings | 10 | 31 |
CTA in plain words
CTA is an index equity fund tracking the Simplify Managed Futures Strategy. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +17.0% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.75% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 10 positions, with the top ten at 100.0%. It sat 5.3% below its high of May 4, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
XLU in plain words
XLU is an index equity fund tracking the Utilities. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +2.4% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.08% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 31 positions, with the top ten at 57.7%. It sat 10.0% below its high of Feb 27, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, CTA or XLU?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, CTA returned +17.0% and XLU returned +2.4%, so CTA returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, CTA or XLU?
- CTA charges 0.75% a year and XLU charges 0.08%, so XLU is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do CTA and XLU overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of CTA and 100% of XLU by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 0% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
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Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, CTA against XLU, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/CTA-XLU Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources