Which returned more over the last year, GOVT or XLF?

In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GOVT returned −1.0% and XLF returned +7.6%, so XLF returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.

Which is cheaper, GOVT or XLF?

GOVT charges 0.05% a year and XLF charges 0.08%, so GOVT is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.

ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

GOVT vs XLF: how they differ

GOVT and XLF hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and XLF returned more over the year.

iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF and State Street(R) Financial Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF.

What they hold in common

By the books each fund has filed, GOVT and XLF hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.

Largest positions each one holds and the other does not
Only in GOVT	Only in XLF
United States of America 5.31%	Berkshire Hathaway Inc 12.10%
United States of America 2.96%	JPMorgan Chase & Co 11.57%
United States of America 2.63%	Visa Inc 7.51%
United States of America 2.09%	Mastercard Inc 5.47%
United States of America 1.61%	Bank of America Corp 4.91%
United States of America 1.57%	Goldman Sachs Group Inc/The 3.94%
United States of America 1.53%	Wells Fargo & Co 3.34%
United States of America 1.51%	Morgan Stanley 3.31%

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 Apr 30, 2026 and Jun 30, 2026.

GOVT and XLF on the fields both publish, as of Sep 12, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
	GOVT iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF	XLF State Street(R) Financial Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF
Where it sits	Core index fund	Core index fund
Issuer	iShares	State Street
What it is	U.S. Treasury Bond	Financials
Total return, 1 year	−1.0%	+7.6%
S&P 500 over the same days	+17.5%	+17.5%
Gap to the S&P 500	−18.5 pts	−9.9 pts
Expense ratio	0.05%	0.08%
Holdings	223	76

GOVT in plain words

GOVT is a bond fund tracking the U.S. Treasury Bond. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned −1.0% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.05% a year. It sat 8.4% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 on Sep 11, 2026.

XLF in plain words

XLF is an index equity fund tracking the Financials. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +7.6% 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 76 positions, with the top ten at 57.7%.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, GOVT or XLF?: In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GOVT returned −1.0% and XLF returned +7.6%, so XLF returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
Which is cheaper, GOVT or XLF?: GOVT charges 0.05% a year and XLF charges 0.08%, so GOVT is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

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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.

GOVT against XLF, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 12, 2026. Every figure is arithmetic on a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page. ETFIQ, GOVT against XLF, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/GOVT-XLF Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources