Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
REMX vs XLU: how they differ
Over the year REMX returned more, +21.9% against +2.4%, and XLU charges 0.08% against 0.53%.
VanEck Rare Earth and Strategic Metals ETF and State Street(R) Utilities Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, REMX and XLU hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in REMX | Only in XLU |
|---|---|
| Xiamen Tungsten Co Ltd 7.28% | NextEra Energy Inc 12.93% |
| Albemarle Corp 7.24% | Southern Co/The 7.62% |
| China Northern Rare Earth Group High-Tec 7.06% | Duke Energy Corp 6.97% |
| PLS Group Ltd 6.84% | Constellation Energy Corp 5.61% |
| Lynas Rare Earths Ltd 6.80% | American Electric Power Co Inc 5.26% |
| MP Materials Corp 6.20% | Sempra 4.28% |
| Jinduicheng Molybdenum Co Ltd 5.94% | Dominion Energy Inc 4.24% |
| Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile SA 4.92% | 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.
| REMX VanEck Rare Earth and Strategic Metals ETF | XLU State Street(R) Utilities Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Thematic ETF | Core index fund |
| Issuer | VanEck | State Street |
| What it is | Miners and metals | Utilities |
| Total return, 1 year | +21.9% | +2.4% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +4.4 pts | −15.1 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.53% | 0.08% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 7.2% | 100.0% |
| Holdings | 30 | 31 |
REMX in plain words
By weight, 7% of REMX's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500; its active share against the S&P 500 is 100%. The top ten holdings are 61% of the fund across 30 positions, as filed for Jun 30, 2026. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 the fund returned +21.9% with distributions reinvested against +17.5% for the S&P 500, so a holder was ahead by 4.4 pts. It sits 67.6% below its all-time high of Apr 11, 2011.
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, REMX or XLU?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, REMX returned +21.9% and XLU returned +2.4%, so REMX returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, REMX or XLU?
- REMX charges 0.53% a year and XLU charges 0.08%, so XLU is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do REMX and XLU overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 7% of REMX 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.
- Are REMX and XLU the same kind of fund?
- No. REMX is a thematic ETF and XLU is an index ETF, so they are built for different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and what each actually holds.
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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, REMX against XLU, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/REMX-XLU Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources