Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
SDY vs XLU: how they differ
SDY and XLU hold 12% of their weight in the same names, and SDY returned more over the year.
State Street(R) SPDR(R) S&P(R) Dividend ETF and State Street(R) Utilities Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, SDY and XLU hold 12% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | SDY | XLU |
|---|---|---|
| Edison International | 1.45% | 2.02% |
| WEC Energy Group Inc | 1.41% | 2.69% |
| Eversource Energy | 1.35% | 1.92% |
| Consolidated Edison Inc | 1.34% | 2.88% |
| Southern Co/The | 1.33% | 7.62% |
| Xcel Energy Inc | 1.26% | 3.54% |
| NextEra Energy Inc | 1.08% | 12.93% |
| Evergy Inc | 0.98% | 1.41% |
| Alliant Energy Corp | 0.95% | 1.39% |
| Atmos Energy Corp | 0.85% | 2.03% |
| Only in SDY | Only in XLU |
|---|---|
| Verizon Communications Inc 2.15% | Duke Energy Corp 6.97% |
| Realty Income Corp 2.14% | Constellation Energy Corp 5.61% |
| Kenvue Inc 1.76% | American Electric Power Co Inc 5.26% |
| Kimberly-Clark Corp 1.75% | Sempra 4.28% |
| AbbVie Inc 1.63% | Dominion Energy Inc 4.24% |
| QUALCOMM Inc 1.57% | Entergy Corp 3.71% |
| Texas Instruments Inc 1.56% | Vistra Corp 3.55% |
| Target Corp 1.55% | Exelon Corp 3.37% |
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.
| SDY State Street(R) SPDR(R) S&P(R) Dividend ETF | XLU State Street(R) Utilities Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | State Street | State Street |
| What it is | SPDR S&P Dividend | Utilities |
| Total return, 1 year | +11.0% | +2.4% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −6.5 pts | −15.1 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.35% | 0.08% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 84.6% | 100.0% |
| Holdings | 155 | 31 |
SDY in plain words
SDY is an index equity fund tracking the SPDR S&P Dividend. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +11.0% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.35% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 85% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 155 positions, with the top ten at 17.1%. It sat 3.9% below its high of Aug 24, 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, SDY or XLU?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, SDY returned +11.0% and XLU returned +2.4%, so SDY returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, SDY or XLU?
- SDY charges 0.35% a year and XLU charges 0.08%, so XLU is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do SDY and XLU overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 85% of SDY and 100% of XLU by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 12% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
Other comparisons
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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, SDY against XLU, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/SDY-XLU Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources