Which returned more over the last year, DGRO or XLC?

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, DGRO returned +18.8% and XLC −10.4%.

Which is cheaper, DGRO or XLC?

Neither: DGRO and XLC both charge 0.08% a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

How much do DGRO and XLC overlap with the S&P 500?

By their latest filed holdings, 92% of DGRO and 100% of XLC by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

DGRO vs XLC: Differences, Returns & Fees

Share on X Download as PDF

Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, DGRO returned +18.8% to XLC's −10.4%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.

askIQ about this page

askIQ about DGRO and XLC

Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $44.6bn for iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF and $22.1bn for State Street Communication Services Select Sector SPDR ETF.

DGRO on its own →XLC on its own →

At a glance

+18.8%

DGRO total return, 1 year

−10.4%

XLC total return, 1 year

0.08%

DGRO expense ratio

0.08%

XLC expense ratio

Pair scorecard

Both cost 0.08% a year; their one-year returns differ by 29.2 points; DGRO is 2.0 times larger.

DGRO vs XLC: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	DGRO	XLC
Return
Measure	DGRO	XLC
Total return, 1 year	+18.8%	−10.4%
Drawdown
Measure	DGRO	XLC
Below its high		13.3%, high on Jan 30, 2026
Benchmark
Measure	DGRO	XLC
What it tracks	Morningstar US Dividend Growth Index	Communication Services Select Sector Index
Cost and size
Measure	DGRO	XLC
Expense ratio	0.08%	0.08%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026	$44.6bn	$22.1bn
Holdings
Measure	DGRO	XLC
Holdings in common	0%
Top ten holdings, share of the fund	27.2%	75.3%

Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method

What they share

By the books each fund has filed, DGRO and XLC hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Oct 27, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

0% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first DGRO XLC

FOX CLASS A 0.02% 1.83%

FOX CLASS B 0.02% 1.09%

Only in one fund ↓

Only in DGRO

EXXONMOBIL HOLDINGS CORP 3.24%

MICROSOFT 3.14%

APPLE 3.11%

ABBVIE 3.00%

JOHNSON & JOHNSON 2.77%

JPMORGAN CHASE & CO 2.68%

BROADCOM INC 2.55%

PROCTER & GAMBLE 2.42%

Only in XLC

META PLATFORMS INC CLASS A 21.45%

ALPHABET INC CL A 12.27%

ALPHABET INC CL C 9.82%

WALT DISNEY CO 5.33%

TAKE TWO INTERACTIVE SOFTWRE 4.80%

COMCAST CORP CLASS A 4.48%

VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC 4.45%

APPLOVIN CORP CLASS A 4.34%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

DGRO iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF XLC State Street Communication Services Select Sector SPDR ETF

Where it sits Stock ETF Stock ETF

Issuer iShares State Street

What it is Tracks an index of Dividend Growth Tracks an index of Communication services

Total return, 1 year +18.8% −10.4%

Expense ratio 0.08% 0.08%

Already in the S&P 500 91.8% 99.8%

Holdings 393 23

Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 $44.6bn $22.1bn

DGRO and XLC on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Alert

About each fund

DGRO

DGRO tracks an index of Dividend Growth. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +18.8% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.08% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 92% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 393 positions, with the top ten at 27.2%.

XLC

XLC tracks an index of Communication services. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −10.4% with distributions reinvested. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 23 positions, with the top ten at 75.3%. It sat 13.3% below its high of Jan 30, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, DGRO or XLC?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, DGRO returned +18.8% and XLC −10.4%.
Which is cheaper, DGRO or XLC?: Neither: DGRO and XLC both charge 0.08% a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
How much do DGRO and XLC overlap with the S&P 500?: By their latest filed holdings, 92% of DGRO and 100% of XLC by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds.

Other comparisons

DGRO vs VOX DGRO vs XLY DGRO vs XLU DGRO vs VHT VTV vs XLC FDVV vs XLC VLUE vs XLC SPYD vs XLC

Where to next

DGRO on its own →XLC on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →DGRO dividend history →DGRO holdings →XLC dividend history →XLC holdings →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

DGRO filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

DGRO prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for DGRO ↗

XLC filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

XLC prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

State Street website ↗

Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.

How this is computed

Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, DGRO against XLC, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/dgro-vs-xlc

Open data →

Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.