Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
GOVT vs XLE: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, GOVT returned −1.5% to XLE's +61.2%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $42.8bn for iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF and $45.2bn for State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF.
Pair scorecard
GOVT costs 0.03 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 62.7 points; XLE is 1.1 times larger.
| Measure | GOVT | XLE |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | −1.5% | +61.2% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 8.1%, high on Aug 4, 2020 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | ICE U.S. Treasury Core Bond Index | Energy Select Sector Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.05% | 0.08% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $42.8bn | $45.2bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| In the S&P 500, by weight | 100% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 78.1% | |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, GOVT and XLE 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
GOVT and XLE on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
GOVT
GOVT tracks an index of U.S. Treasury Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −1.5% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.05% a year. It sat 8.1% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 on Oct 28, 2026.
XLE
XLE tracks an index of Energy. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +61.2% 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 22 positions, with the top ten at 78.1%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, GOVT or XLE?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GOVT returned −1.5% and XLE +61.2%.
- Which is cheaper, GOVT or XLE?
- GOVT is cheaper, by 0.03 percentage points a year. That is about $3 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, GOVT against XLE, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/govt-vs-xle
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). GOVT against XLE. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/govt-vs-xle
[GOVT against XLE (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/govt-vs-xle)
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