Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
IWM vs XLU: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, IWM returned +14.1% to XLU's −3.0%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $75.5bn for iShares Russell 2000 ETF and $23.9bn for State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF.
Pair scorecard
XLU costs 0.11 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 17.1 points; IWM is 3.2 times larger.
| Measure | IWM | XLU |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +14.1% | −3.0% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 7.6%, high on Aug 14, 2026 | 9.1%, high on Feb 27, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Russell 2000 Index | Utilities Select Sector Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.19% | 0.08% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $75.5bn | $23.9bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 3.3% | 58.7% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, IWM and XLU 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
IWM and XLU on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
IWM
IWM tracks the Russell 2000. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +14.1% with distributions reinvested, against +14.3% for its benchmark, the Russell 2000 Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.19% 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 1,977 positions, with the top ten at 3.3%. It sat 7.6% below its high of Aug 14, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
XLU
XLU tracks an index of Utilities. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −3.0% 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 32 positions, with the top ten at 58.7%. It sat 9.1% below its high of Feb 27, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, IWM or XLU?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IWM returned +14.1% and XLU −3.0%.
- Which is cheaper, IWM or XLU?
- XLU is cheaper, by 0.11 percentage points a year. That is about $11 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, IWM against XLU, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iwm-vs-xlu
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). IWM against XLU. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iwm-vs-xlu
[IWM against XLU (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iwm-vs-xlu)
Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.