Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
EWY vs XLB: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, EWY returned +79.7% to XLB's +18.5%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $24.4bn on Oct 28, 2026 for iShares MSCI South Korea ETF, and $8.1bn on Oct 27, 2026 for State Street Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF.
Pair scorecard
XLB costs 0.51 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 61.2 points; EWY is 2.8 times larger.
| Measure | EWY | XLB |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +79.7% | +18.5% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 24.3%, high on Jun 18, 2026 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | MSCI Korea 25/50 Daily 25 Capped Index | Materials Select Sector Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.59% | 0.08% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 26, 2026 | $22.5bn | $8.0bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 60.9% | 58.5% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, EWY and XLB hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Oct 27, 2026.
half
0% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
EWY and XLB on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
EWY
EWY tracks the MSCI South Korea. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +79.7% with distributions reinvested, against +16.3% for its benchmark, the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.59% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 78 positions, with the top ten at 60.9%. It sat 24.3% below its high of Jun 18, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
XLB
XLB tracks an index of Materials. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +18.5% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.08% a year. 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 25 positions, with the top ten at 58.5%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, EWY or XLB?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EWY returned +79.7% and XLB +18.5%.
- Which is cheaper, EWY or XLB?
- XLB is cheaper, by 0.51 percentage points a year. That is about $51 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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.
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ETFIQ, EWY against XLB, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ewy-vs-xlb
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). EWY against XLB. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ewy-vs-xlb
[EWY against XLB (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ewy-vs-xlb)
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