Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
SPY vs XLE: how they differ
SPY and XLE hold 4% of their weight in the same names, and XLE returned more over the year.
SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust and State Street(R) Energy Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, SPY and XLE hold 4% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | SPY | XLE |
|---|---|---|
| EXXONMOBIL HOLDINGS CORP | 1.05% | 20.13% |
| CHEVRON CORP | 0.61% | 15.18% |
| CONOCOPHILLIPS | 0.26% | 6.36% |
| MARATHON PETROLEUM CORP | 0.17% | 5.63% |
| VALERO ENERGY CORP | 0.17% | 5.38% |
| PHILLIPS 66 | 0.16% | 5.52% |
| WILLIAMS COS INC | 0.14% | 3.59% |
| SLB LTD | 0.13% | 4.49% |
| EOG RESOURCES INC | 0.12% | 4.15% |
| US DOLLAR | 0.18% | 0.12% |
| TARGA RESOURCES CORP | 0.10% | 3.58% |
| KINDER MORGAN INC | 0.09% | 3.46% |
| Only in SPY | Only in XLE |
|---|---|
| NVIDIA CORP 8.08% | SSI US GOV MONEY MARKET CLASS 0.36% |
| APPLE INC 7.33% | XAE ENERGY SEP26 0.03% |
| MICROSOFT CORP 5.59% | |
| AMAZON.COM INC 3.77% | |
| ALPHABET INC CL A 2.98% | |
| BROADCOM INC 2.61% | |
| ALPHABET INC CL C 2.39% | |
| META PLATFORMS INC CLASS A 2.16% |
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 | XLE State Street(R) Energy 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 | Energy |
| Total return, 1 year | +17.5% | +50.7% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | 0.0 pts | +33.2 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.09% | 0.08% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Holdings | 505 | 24 |
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%.
XLE in plain words
XLE is an index equity fund tracking the Energy. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +50.7% 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 24 positions, with the top ten at 74.0%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, SPY or XLE?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, SPY returned +17.5% and XLE returned +50.7%, so XLE returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, SPY or XLE?
- SPY charges 0.09% a year and XLE charges 0.08%, so XLE is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do SPY and XLE overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 100% of SPY and 100% of XLE by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 4% 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, SPY against XLE, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/spy-vs-xle Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources