Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
IEF vs XLE: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, IEF returned −3.2% to XLE's +61.2%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $43.5bn for iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF and $45.2bn for State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF.
Pair scorecard
XLE costs 0.07 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 64.4 points.
| Measure | IEF | XLE |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | −3.2% | +61.2% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 13.1%, high on Aug 4, 2020 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | ICE U.S. Treasury 7-10 Year Bond Index | Energy Select Sector Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.15% | 0.08% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $43.5bn | $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
Risk and return
Aug 2, 2002 to Oct 23, 2026 · 1,264 weekly returnsXLE returned more: +1,181.1% to +116.1%. IEF swung less: 6.4% to 26.9%. IEF fell less at its worst: −23.3% to −68.9%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | IEF | XLE | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +116.1% | +1,181.1% | XLE | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +3.2% | +11.1% | XLE | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +9.0% | +560.3% | XLE | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 6.4% | 26.9% | IEF | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 4.6% | 19.2% | IEF | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −23.3% | −68.9% | IEF | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.25 | 0.46 | XLE | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.35 | 0.65 | XLE | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.14 | 0.16 | XLE | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 1,264 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, IEF 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
IEF and XLE on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
IEF and XLE do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. IEF follows ICE U.S. Treasury 7-10 Year Bond Index and XLE follows Energy 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 IEF returned −3.2% and XLE +61.2% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 64.4 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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IEF
IEF tracks an index of 7-10 Year Treasury Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −3.2% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year. It sat 13.1% 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, IEF or XLE?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IEF returned −3.2% and XLE +61.2%.
- Which is cheaper, IEF or XLE?
- XLE is cheaper, by 0.07 percentage points a year. That is about $7 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.
Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown
ETFIQ, IEF against XLE, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ief-vs-xle
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). IEF against XLE. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ief-vs-xle
[IEF against XLE (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ief-vs-xle)
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