Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
SPY vs XLC: how they differ
SPY and XLC hold 10% of their weight in the same names, and SPY returned more over the year.
SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust and State Street(R) Communication Services Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, SPY and XLC hold 10% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | SPY | XLC |
|---|---|---|
| ALPHABET INC CL A | 2.98% | 10.12% |
| ALPHABET INC CL C | 2.39% | 8.10% |
| META PLATFORMS INC CLASS A | 2.16% | 18.92% |
| NETFLIX INC | 0.49% | 4.57% |
| VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC | 0.32% | 5.03% |
| WALT DISNEY CO/THE | 0.28% | 4.76% |
| AT+T INC | 0.27% | 5.19% |
| COMCAST CORP CLASS A | 0.14% | 4.61% |
| APPLOVIN CORP CLASS A | 0.13% | 1.34% |
| T MOBILE US INC | 0.13% | 4.52% |
| WARNER BROS DISCOVERY INC | 0.11% | 4.61% |
| TAKE TWO INTERACTIVE SOFTWRE | 0.06% | 3.89% |
| Only in SPY | Only in XLC |
|---|---|
| NVIDIA CORP 8.08% | SSI US GOV MONEY MARKET CLASS 0.16% |
| APPLE INC 7.33% | |
| MICROSOFT CORP 5.59% | |
| AMAZON.COM INC 3.77% | |
| BROADCOM INC 2.61% | |
| MICRON TECHNOLOGY INC 1.69% | |
| TESLA INC 1.56% | |
| JPMORGAN CHASE + CO 1.45% |
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.
| SPY SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust | XLC State Street(R) Communication Services Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | State Street | State Street |
| What it is | S&P 500 | Communication services |
| Total return, 1 year | +17.5% | −2.0% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | 0.0 pts | −19.5 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.09% | 0.08% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Holdings | 505 | 26 |
SPY in plain words
SPY is an index equity fund tracking the S&P 500. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +17.5% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.09% 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 505 positions, with the top ten at 38.2%.
XLC in plain words
XLC is an index equity fund tracking the Communication services. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned −2.0% 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 26 positions, with the top ten at 70.4%. It sat 5.7% below its high of Jan 30, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, SPY or XLC?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, SPY returned +17.5% and XLC returned −2.0%, so SPY returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, SPY or XLC?
- SPY charges 0.09% a year and XLC charges 0.08%, so XLC is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do SPY and XLC overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 100% of SPY and 100% of XLC by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 10% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
Other comparisons
Where to next
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, SPY against XLC, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/spy-vs-xlc Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources