Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
SPY vs XLU: how they differ
SPY and XLU hold 2% of their weight in the same names, and SPY returned more over the year.
SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust and State Street(R) Utilities Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, SPY and XLU hold 2% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | SPY | XLU |
|---|---|---|
| NEXTERA ENERGY INC | 0.26% | 13.01% |
| SOUTHERN CO/THE | 0.15% | 7.49% |
| DUKE ENERGY CORP | 0.14% | 7.04% |
| CONSTELLATION ENERGY | 0.14% | 6.92% |
| AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER | 0.10% | 5.08% |
| DOMINION ENERGY INC | 0.09% | 4.33% |
| SEMPRA | 0.08% | 4.16% |
| ENTERGY CORP | 0.07% | 3.66% |
| XCEL ENERGY INC | 0.07% | 3.56% |
| VISTRA CORP | 0.07% | 3.53% |
| EXELON CORP | 0.07% | 3.36% |
| CONSOLIDATED EDISON INC | 0.06% | 2.98% |
| Only in SPY | Only in XLU |
|---|---|
| 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% | |
| 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 | XLU State Street(R) Utilities 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 | Utilities |
| Total return, 1 year | +17.5% | +2.4% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | 0.0 pts | −15.1 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.09% | 0.08% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Holdings | 505 | 32 |
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%.
XLU in plain words
XLU is an index equity fund tracking the Utilities. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +2.4% 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 32 positions, with the top ten at 58.8%. It sat 10.0% below its high of Feb 27, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, SPY or XLU?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, SPY returned +17.5% and XLU returned +2.4%, so SPY returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, SPY or XLU?
- SPY charges 0.09% a year and XLU charges 0.08%, so XLU is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do SPY and XLU overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 100% of SPY and 100% of XLU by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 2% 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 XLU, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/spy-vs-xlu Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources