Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
SCHF vs XLU: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, SCHF returned +17.6% to XLU's −3.0%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $69.7bn on Aug 31, 2026 for Schwab International Equity ETF, and $23.9bn on Oct 27, 2026 for State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF.
Pair scorecard
SCHF costs 0.05 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 20.6 points.
| Measure | SCHF | XLU |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +17.6% | −3.0% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 4.4%, high on Aug 25, 2026 | 9.1%, high on Feb 27, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | FTSE Developed ex US Index | Utilities Select Sector Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.03% | 0.08% |
| Net assets, SCHF as of Aug 31, 2026 and XLU as of Oct 27, 2026 | $69.7bn | $23.9bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 13.8% | 58.7% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Aug 31, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Nov 13, 2009 to Oct 23, 2026 · 884 weekly returnsXLU returned more: +419.5% to +222.5%. SCHF and XLU swung about the same: 17.1% and 17.2%. XLU fell slightly less at its worst: −32.1% to −33.8%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | SCHF | XLU | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +222.5% | +419.5% | XLU | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +7.1% | +10.2% | XLU | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +106.8% | +189.9% | XLU | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 17.1% | 17.2% | Tie | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 12.1% | 11.8% | XLU (slight) | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −33.8% | −32.1% | XLU (slight) | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.40 | 0.56 | XLU | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.56 | 0.82 | XLU | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.21 | 0.32 | XLU | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 884 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, SCHF and XLU hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Aug 31, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
0% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
SCHF and XLU on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
SCHF and XLU do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. SCHF follows FTSE Developed ex US Index and XLU follows Utilities Select Sector Index.
- Holdings in common. 0% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Aug 31, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026).
- One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 SCHF returned +17.6% and XLU −3.0% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 20.6 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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SCHF
SCHF tracks an index of International Equity. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +17.6% with distributions reinvested, against +12.1% for its benchmark, the MSCI EAFE Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. By its holdings filed for Aug 31, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 1,475 positions, with the top ten at 13.8%. It sat 4.4% below its high of Aug 25, 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, SCHF or XLU?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, SCHF returned +17.6% and XLU −3.0%.
- Which is cheaper, SCHF or XLU?
- SCHF is cheaper, by 0.05 percentage points a year. That is about $5 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, SCHF against XLU, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/schf-vs-xlu
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). SCHF against XLU. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/schf-vs-xlu
[SCHF against XLU (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/schf-vs-xlu)
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