Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
SDY vs XLF: how they differ
SDY and XLF hold 5% of their weight in the same names, and SDY returned more over the year.
State Street(R) SPDR(R) S&P(R) Dividend ETF and State Street(R) Financial Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, SDY and XLF hold 5% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | SDY | XLF |
|---|---|---|
| TRAVELERS COS INC/THE | 0.66% | 0.97% |
| AFLAC INC | 0.85% | 0.65% |
| AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL INC | 0.69% | 0.62% |
| CHUBB LTD | 0.52% | 1.52% |
| S+P GLOBAL INC | 0.40% | 1.55% |
| CINCINNATI FINANCIAL CORP | 0.85% | 0.33% |
| T ROWE PRICE GROUP INC | 0.98% | 0.29% |
| WR BERKLEY CORP | 0.24% | 0.26% |
| BROWN + BROWN INC | 0.46% | 0.24% |
| ASSURANT INC | 0.59% | 0.17% |
| GLOBE LIFE INC | 0.30% | 0.17% |
| JACK HENRY + ASSOCIATES INC | 0.47% | 0.14% |
| Only in SDY | Only in XLF |
|---|---|
| VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC 3.33% | JPMORGAN CHASE + CO 11.81% |
| ACCENTURE PLC CL A 2.94% | BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY INC CL B 11.59% |
| REALTY INCOME CORP 2.12% | VISA INC CLASS A SHARES 7.60% |
| CHEVRON CORP 2.09% | MASTERCARD INC A 5.69% |
| PEPSICO INC 1.95% | BANK OF AMERICA CORP 5.09% |
| MEDTRONIC PLC 1.82% | GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INC 3.75% |
| TARGET CORP 1.74% | WELLS FARGO + CO 3.41% |
| NIKE INC CL B 1.53% | MORGAN STANLEY 3.18% |
Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Sep 10, 2026.
| SDY State Street(R) SPDR(R) S&P(R) Dividend ETF | XLF State Street(R) Financial Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | State Street | State Street |
| What it is | SPDR S&P Dividend | Financials |
| Total return, 1 year | +11.0% | +7.6% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −6.5 pts | −9.9 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.35% | 0.08% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 84.6% | 100.0% |
| Holdings | 157 | 79 |
SDY in plain words
SDY is an index equity fund tracking the SPDR S&P Dividend. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +11.0% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.35% a year. By its holdings filed for Sep 10, 2026, 85% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 157 positions, with the top ten at 20.5%. It sat 3.9% below its high of Aug 24, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
XLF in plain words
XLF is an index equity fund tracking the Financials. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +7.6% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.08% a year. By its holdings filed for Sep 10, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 79 positions, with the top ten at 57.3%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, SDY or XLF?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, SDY returned +11.0% and XLF returned +7.6%, so SDY returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, SDY or XLF?
- SDY charges 0.35% a year and XLF charges 0.08%, so XLF is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do SDY and XLF overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 85% of SDY and 100% of XLF by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 5% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
Other comparisons
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Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, SDY against XLF, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/sdy-vs-xlf Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources