Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
FXI vs XLB: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, FXI returned −19.1% to XLB's +18.5%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $3.7bn on Oct 28, 2026 for iShares China Large-Cap ETF, and $8.1bn on Oct 27, 2026 for State Street Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF.
Pair scorecard
XLB costs 0.65 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 37.6 points; XLB is 2.2 times larger.
| Measure | FXI | XLB |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | −19.1% | +18.5% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 32.7%, high on Feb 17, 2021 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | FTSE China 50 Index | Materials Select Sector Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.73% | 0.08% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 26, 2026 | $3.7bn | $8.0bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 58.4% | 58.5% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Oct 15, 2004 to Oct 23, 2026 · 1,149 weekly returnsXLB returned more: +518.7% to +196.5%. XLB swung less: 21.9% to 27.3%. XLB fell less at its worst: −59.0% to −68.2%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | FXI | XLB | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +196.5% | +518.7% | XLB | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +5.0% | +8.6% | XLB | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +85.0% | +281.1% | XLB | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 27.3% | 21.9% | XLB | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 18.8% | 15.3% | XLB | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −68.2% | −59.0% | XLB | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.25 | 0.40 | XLB | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.36 | 0.58 | XLB | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.07 | 0.15 | XLB | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 1,149 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, FXI 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
FXI and XLB on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
FXI and XLB do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. FXI follows FTSE China 50 Index and XLB follows Materials Select Sector Index.
- Holdings in common. 0% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Oct 27, 2026).
- One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 FXI returned −19.1% and XLB +18.5% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 37.6 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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FXI
FXI tracks an index of China Large-Cap. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −19.1% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.73% 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 51 positions, with the top ten at 58.4%. It sat 32.7% below its high of Feb 17, 2021 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, FXI or XLB?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, FXI returned −19.1% and XLB +18.5%.
- Which is cheaper, FXI or XLB?
- XLB is cheaper, by 0.65 percentage points a year. That is about $65 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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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, FXI against XLB, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/fxi-vs-xlb
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). FXI against XLB. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/fxi-vs-xlb
[FXI against XLB (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/fxi-vs-xlb)
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