Which returned more over the last year, GOVT or XLB?

In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GOVT returned −1.0% and XLB returned +12.0%, so XLB returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.

Which is cheaper, GOVT or XLB?

GOVT charges 0.05% a year and XLB charges 0.08%, so GOVT is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.

ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

GOVT vs XLB: how they differ

GOVT and XLB hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and XLB returned more over the year.

iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF and State Street(R) Materials Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF.

What they hold in common

By the books each fund has filed, GOVT and XLB hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.

Largest positions each one holds and the other does not
Only in GOVT	Only in XLB
US TREASURY N/B 0.60%	LINDE PLC 12.91%
TREASURY NOTE (OTR) 0.55%	NEWMONT CORP 8.14%
TREASURY BOND (OLD) 0.42%	FREEPORT MCMORAN INC 6.19%
TREASURY NOTE (2OLD) 0.25%	CORTEVA INC 5.11%
TREASURY BOND (OTR) 0.16%	AIR PRODUCTS + CHEMICALS INC 4.78%
BLK CSH FND TREASURY SL AGENCY 0.11%	ECOLAB INC 4.75%
TREASURY NOTE (OLD) 0.11%	SHERWIN WILLIAMS CO/THE 4.70%
TREASURY BOND (2OLD) 0.08%	NUCOR CORP 4.59%

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 Sep 10, 2026.

GOVT and XLB on the fields both publish, as of Sep 13, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
	GOVT iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF	XLB State Street(R) Materials Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF
Where it sits	Core index fund	Core index fund
Issuer	iShares	State Street
What it is	U.S. Treasury Bond	Materials
Total return, 1 year	−1.0%	+12.0%
S&P 500 over the same days	+17.5%	+17.5%
Gap to the S&P 500	−18.5 pts	−5.5 pts
Expense ratio	0.05%	0.08%
Holdings	216	27

GOVT in plain words

GOVT is a bond fund tracking the U.S. Treasury Bond. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned −1.0% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.05% a year. It sat 8.4% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 on Sep 11, 2026.

XLB in plain words

XLB is an index equity fund tracking the Materials. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +12.0% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.08% a year. By its holdings filed for Sep 10, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 27 positions, with the top ten at 59.4%. It sat 5.1% below its high of Aug 26, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, GOVT or XLB?: In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GOVT returned −1.0% and XLB returned +12.0%, so XLB returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
Which is cheaper, GOVT or XLB?: GOVT charges 0.05% a year and XLB charges 0.08%, so GOVT is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

Where to next

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.

GOVT against XLB, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 13, 2026. Every figure is arithmetic on a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page. ETFIQ, GOVT against XLB, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/govt-vs-xlb Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources