Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
IXUS vs XLU: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, IXUS 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: $57.6bn for iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF and $23.9bn for State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF.
Pair scorecard
IXUS costs 0.01 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 17.1 points; IXUS is 2.4 times larger.
| Measure | IXUS | XLU |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +14.1% | −3.0% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 4.9%, high on Sep 4, 2026 | 9.1%, high on Feb 27, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | MSCI ACWI ex USA IMI | Utilities Select Sector Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.07% | 0.08% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $57.6bn | $23.9bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 13.5% | 58.7% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Nov 2, 2012 to Oct 23, 2026 · 729 weekly returnsXLU returned more: +271.9% to +177.4%. IXUS swung less: 15.8% to 18.0%. XLU fell slightly less at its worst: −32.1% to −34.6%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | IXUS | XLU | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +177.4% | +271.9% | XLU | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +7.5% | +9.8% | XLU | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +90.2% | +134.7% | XLU | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 15.8% | 18.0% | IXUS | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 11.3% | 12.4% | IXUS (slight) | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −34.6% | −32.1% | XLU (slight) | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.42 | 0.51 | XLU | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.59 | 0.74 | XLU | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.22 | 0.31 | XLU | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 729 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, IXUS 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
IXUS and XLU on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
IXUS and XLU do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. IXUS follows MSCI ACWI ex USA IMI and XLU follows Utilities 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 IXUS returned +14.1% and XLU −3.0% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 17.1 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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IXUS
IXUS tracks the MSCI Total International Stock. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +14.1% with distributions reinvested, against +14.3% for its benchmark, the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.07% 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 4,584 positions, with the top ten at 13.5%. It sat 4.9% below its high of Sep 4, 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, IXUS or XLU?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IXUS returned +14.1% and XLU −3.0%.
- Which is cheaper, IXUS or XLU?
- IXUS is cheaper, by 0.01 percentage points a year. That is about $1 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, IXUS against XLU, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ixus-vs-xlu
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). IXUS against XLU. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ixus-vs-xlu
[IXUS against XLU (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ixus-vs-xlu)
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