Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
IYR vs XLE: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, IYR returned +3.4% to XLE's +61.2%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $3.9bn on Oct 28, 2026 for iShares U.S. Real Estate ETF, and $45.2bn on Oct 27, 2026 for State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF.
Pair scorecard
XLE costs 0.29 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 57.8 points; XLE is 11.5 times larger.
| Measure | IYR | XLE |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +3.4% | +61.2% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 8.6%, high on Jul 28, 2026 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Dow Jones U.S. Real Estate Capped Index | Energy Select Sector Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.37% | 0.08% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 26, 2026 | $4.0bn | $46.1bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 52.5% | 78.1% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Jun 30, 2000 to Oct 23, 2026 · 1,373 weekly returnsXLE returned more: +817.3% to +685.9%. IYR swung less: 23.1% to 26.8%. XLE fell slightly less at its worst: −68.9% to −73.5%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | IYR | XLE | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +685.9% | +817.3% | XLE | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +8.1% | +8.8% | XLE (slight) | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +178.2% | +357.0% | XLE | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 23.1% | 26.8% | IYR | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 16.0% | 19.3% | IYR | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −73.5% | −68.9% | XLE (slight) | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.38 | 0.38 | Tie | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.54 | 0.53 | Tie | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.11 | 0.13 | XLE | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 1,373 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, IYR 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
IYR and XLE on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
IYR and XLE do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. IYR follows Dow Jones U.S. Real Estate Capped 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 IYR returned +3.4% and XLE +61.2% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 57.8 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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IYR
IYR tracks an index of U.S. Real Estate. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +3.4% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.37% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 80% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 59 positions, with the top ten at 52.5%. It sat 8.6% below its high of Jul 28, 2026 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, IYR or XLE?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IYR returned +3.4% and XLE +61.2%.
- Which is cheaper, IYR or XLE?
- XLE is cheaper, by 0.29 percentage points a year. That is about $29 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, IYR against XLE, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iyr-vs-xle
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). IYR against XLE. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iyr-vs-xle
[IYR against XLE (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iyr-vs-xle)
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