Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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REMX vs XLU: Differences, Returns & Fees

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Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, REMX returned −19.2% to XLU's −3.0%, and XLU charges 0.08% to REMX's 0.53%.

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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $1.5bn for VanEck Rare Earth and Strategic Metals ETF and $23.9bn for State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF.

At a glance
−19.2%
REMX total return, 1 year
−3.0%
XLU total return, 1 year
0.53%
REMX expense ratio
0.08%
XLU expense ratio

Pair scorecard

XLU costs 0.45 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 16.2 points; XLU is 15.9 times larger.

REMX vs XLU: Differences, Returns & Fees
MeasureREMXXLU
Return
Total return, 1 year−19.2%−3.0%
Drawdown
Below its all-time high75.1%, high on Apr 11, 2011
Below its high9.1%, high on Feb 27, 2026
Against its benchmark
What it tracksRare earth and critical materialsUtilities Select Sector Index
Against its benchmark, 1 yearbehind by 32.6 pts
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.53%0.08%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026$1.5bn$23.9bn
Holdings
Holdings in common0%
Top ten holdings, share of the fund61%58.7%

Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method

What they share

0%

By the books each fund has filed, REMX and XLU hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Oct 27, 2026.

0 half 100%

half

0% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first REMX XLU
Only in one fund ↓
Only in REMX
Sociedad Quimica Y Minera De Chile Sa 9.02%
Albemarle Corp 8.87%
China Northern Rare Earth Group High-Te 7.12%
Mp Materials Corp 6.90%
Lynas Rare Earths Ltd 6.35%
Pilbara Minerals Ltd 5.55%
Jinduicheng Molybdenum Co Ltd 5.04%
Xiamen Tungsten Co Ltd 4.46%
Only in XLU
NEXTERA ENERGY INC 12.76%
SOUTHERN CO 7.91%
DUKE ENERGY CORP 7.22%
CONSTELLATION ENERGY 6.33%
AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER 5.26%
DOMINION ENERGY INC 4.26%
SEMPRA 4.12%
ENTERGY CORP 3.75%
Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

REMX VanEck Rare Earth and Strategic Metals ETF XLU State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF
Where it sits Thematic ETF Stock ETF
What it is Rare earth and critical materials Tracks an index of Utilities
Total return, 1 year −19.2% −3.0%
Its benchmark over the same days +13.4% (ACWI) not measured
Gap to its benchmark −32.6 pts vs ACWI not measured
Expense ratio 0.53% 0.08%
Already in the S&P 500 8.6% 99.7%
Holdings 32 32
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 $1.5bn $23.9bn

REMX and XLU on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

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About each fund
REMX

By weight, 9% of REMX's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500; its active share against the S&P 500 is 100%. The top ten holdings are 61% of the fund across 32 positions, as published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 the fund returned −19.2% with distributions reinvested against +13.4% for its benchmark, the MSCI ACWI Index, so a holder was behind by 32.6 pts. It sits 75.1% below its all-time high of Apr 11, 2011.

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

Are REMX and XLU in the same category?
REMX is a thematic ETF and XLU is a stock ETF, so they do different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and holdings.
Which returned more over the last year, REMX or XLU?
In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, REMX returned −19.2% and XLU −3.0%.
Which is cheaper, REMX or XLU?
XLU is cheaper, by 0.45 percentage points a year. That is about $45 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
How much do REMX and XLU overlap with the S&P 500?
By their latest filed holdings, 9% of REMX and 100% of XLU by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds.
Other comparisons
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ETFIQ, REMX against XLU, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/remx-vs-xlu

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