Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
SLV vs XLB: how they differ
SLV is a commodity fund and XLB an equity index fund, and over the year SLV returned more, +53.8% against +12.0%.
iShares Silver Trust and State Street(R) Materials Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF.
| SLV iShares Silver Trust | XLB State Street(R) Materials Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | State Street |
| What it is | Silver | Materials |
| Total return, 1 year | +53.8% | +12.0% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +36.3 pts | −5.5 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.50% | 0.08% |
| Holdings | not filed | 27 |
SLV in plain words
SLV is a commodity fund tracking the Silver. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +53.8% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.50% a year. It sat 45.0% below its high of Jan 28, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
XLB in plain words
XLB is an index equity fund tracking the Materials. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +12.0% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.08% 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 27 positions, with the top ten at 59.4%. It sat 5.1% below its high of Aug 26, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, SLV or XLB?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, SLV returned +53.8% and XLB returned +12.0%, so SLV returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, SLV or XLB?
- SLV charges 0.50% a year and XLB charges 0.08%, so XLB is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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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, SLV against XLB, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/slv-vs-xlb Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources