Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
SDY vs XLV: how they differ
SDY and XLV hold 7% of their weight in the same names, and XLV returned more over the year.
State Street(R) SPDR(R) S&P(R) Dividend ETF and State Street(R) Health Care Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, SDY and XLV hold 7% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | SDY | XLV |
|---|---|---|
| MEDTRONIC PLC | 1.82% | 1.97% |
| ABBOTT LABORATORIES | 1.26% | 3.01% |
| ABBVIE INC | 1.22% | 7.54% |
| JOHNSON + JOHNSON | 0.97% | 10.73% |
| BECTON DICKINSON AND CO | 1.41% | 0.81% |
| CARDINAL HEALTH INC | 0.41% | 0.93% |
| CENCORA INC | 0.40% | 1.04% |
| STERIS PLC | 0.53% | 0.35% |
| SSI US GOV MONEY MARKET CLASS | 0.12% | 0.19% |
| WEST PHARMACEUTICAL SERVICES | 0.10% | 0.41% |
| Only in SDY | Only in XLV |
|---|---|
| VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC 3.33% | ELI LILLY + CO 14.87% |
| ACCENTURE PLC CL A 2.94% | MERCK + CO. INC. 5.98% |
| REALTY INCOME CORP 2.12% | UNITEDHEALTH GROUP INC 5.90% |
| CHEVRON CORP 2.09% | THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC INC 3.75% |
| PEPSICO INC 1.95% | AMGEN INC 3.46% |
| TARGET CORP 1.74% | GILEAD SCIENCES INC 3.01% |
| NIKE INC CL B 1.53% | PFIZER INC 2.64% |
| KENVUE INC 1.48% | VERTEX PHARMACEUTICALS INC 2.19% |
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 | XLV State Street(R) Health Care 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 | Health care |
| Total return, 1 year | +11.0% | +20.4% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −6.5 pts | +2.9 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.35% | 0.08% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 84.6% | 100.0% |
| Holdings | 157 | 63 |
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.
XLV in plain words
XLV is an index equity fund tracking the Health care. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +20.4% 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 63 positions, with the top ten at 60.9%. It sat 5.9% below its high of Aug 19, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, SDY or XLV?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, SDY returned +11.0% and XLV returned +20.4%, so XLV returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, SDY or XLV?
- SDY charges 0.35% a year and XLV charges 0.08%, so XLV is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do SDY and XLV overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 85% of SDY and 100% of XLV by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 7% 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 XLV, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/sdy-vs-xlv Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources