Which returned more over the last year, TLT or XLF?

In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, TLT returned −6.4% and XLF returned +7.6%, so XLF returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.

Which is cheaper, TLT or XLF?

TLT charges 0.15% a year and XLF charges 0.08%, so XLF is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.

ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

TLT vs XLF: how they differ

TLT and XLF hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and XLF returned more over the year.

iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF and State Street(R) Financial Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF.

What they hold in common

By the books each fund has filed, TLT and XLF hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.

Largest positions each one holds and the other does not
Only in TLT	Only in XLF
TREASURY BOND (2OLD) 4.16%	JPMORGAN CHASE + CO 11.81%
TREASURY BOND (OLD) 4.05%	BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY INC CL B 11.59%
TREASURY BOND (OTR) 1.03%	VISA INC CLASS A SHARES 7.60%
TREASURY BOND 0.02%	MASTERCARD INC A 5.69%
	BANK OF AMERICA CORP 5.09%
	GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INC 3.75%
	WELLS FARGO + CO 3.41%
	MORGAN STANLEY 3.18%

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.

TLT and XLF on the fields both publish, as of Sep 13, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
	TLT iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF	XLF State Street(R) Financial Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF
Where it sits	Core index fund	Core index fund
Issuer	iShares	State Street
What it is	20+ year Treasuries	Financials
Total return, 1 year	−6.4%	+7.6%
S&P 500 over the same days	+17.5%	+17.5%
Gap to the S&P 500	−23.9 pts	−9.9 pts
Expense ratio	0.15%	0.08%
Holdings	41	79

TLT in plain words

TLT is a bond fund tracking the 20+ year Treasuries. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned −6.4% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year. It sat 42.9% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 on Sep 11, 2026.

XLF in plain words

XLF is an index equity fund tracking the Financials. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +7.6% 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 79 positions, with the top ten at 57.3%.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, TLT or XLF?: In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, TLT returned −6.4% and XLF returned +7.6%, so XLF returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
Which is cheaper, TLT or XLF?: TLT charges 0.15% a year and XLF charges 0.08%, so XLF is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

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.

TLT against XLF, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 13, 2026. Every figure is arithmetic on a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page. ETFIQ, TLT against XLF, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/tlt-vs-xlf Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources