Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
MAGS vs XLC: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, MAGS returned +5.8% to XLC's −10.4%; 5% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $5.5bn on Oct 28, 2026 for Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF, and $22.1bn on Oct 27, 2026 for State Street Communication Services Select Sector SPDR ETF.
Pair scorecard
XLC costs 0.22 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 16.2 points; XLC is 4.0 times larger.
| Measure | MAGS | XLC |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +5.8% | −10.4% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 4.1%, high on Oct 13, 2026 | 13.3%, high on Jan 30, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | No index, actively managed | Communication Services Select Sector Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.30% | 0.08% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $5.5bn | $22.1bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 5% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 29.3% | 75.3% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Jun 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Apr 21, 2023 to Oct 23, 2026 · 183 weekly returnsMAGS returned more: +189.1% to +90.1%. XLC swung less: 16.1% to 24.0%. XLC fell less at its worst: −16.9% to −26.6%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | MAGS | XLC | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +189.1% | +90.1% | MAGS | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +35.2% | +20.0% | MAGS | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +181.4% | +82.9% | MAGS | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 24.0% | 16.1% | XLC | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 14.5% | 10.6% | XLC | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −26.6% | −16.9% | XLC | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 1.19 | 0.93 | MAGS | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 1.97 | 1.41 | MAGS | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 1.33 | 1.18 | MAGS | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 183 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, MAGS and XLC hold 5% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Jun 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
5% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
MAGS and XLC on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
No client brief for this pair: the two funds' holdings are dated 119 days apart.
MAGS
MAGS is actively managed and tracks no index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +5.8% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.30% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 22% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 8 positions, with the top ten at 29.3%. It sat 4.1% below its high of Oct 13, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
XLC
XLC tracks an index of Communication services. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −10.4% 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 23 positions, with the top ten at 75.3%. It sat 13.3% below its high of Jan 30, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, MAGS or XLC?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, MAGS returned +5.8% and XLC −10.4%.
- Which is cheaper, MAGS or XLC?
- XLC is cheaper, by 0.22 percentage points a year. That is about $22 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, MAGS against XLC, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/mags-vs-xlc
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). MAGS against XLC. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/mags-vs-xlc
[MAGS against XLC (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/mags-vs-xlc)
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