Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
XLB vs XLF: how they differ
XLB and XLF hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and XLB returned more over the year.
State Street(R) Materials Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF and State Street(R) Financial Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, XLB and XLF hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | XLB | XLF |
|---|---|---|
| SSI US GOV MONEY MARKET CLASS | 0.05% | 0.15% |
| Only in XLB | Only in XLF |
|---|---|
| LINDE PLC 12.91% | JPMORGAN CHASE + CO 11.81% |
| NEWMONT CORP 8.14% | BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY INC CL B 11.59% |
| FREEPORT MCMORAN INC 6.19% | VISA INC CLASS A SHARES 7.60% |
| CORTEVA INC 5.11% | MASTERCARD INC A 5.69% |
| AIR PRODUCTS + CHEMICALS INC 4.78% | BANK OF AMERICA CORP 5.09% |
| ECOLAB INC 4.75% | GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INC 3.75% |
| SHERWIN WILLIAMS CO/THE 4.70% | WELLS FARGO + CO 3.41% |
| NUCOR CORP 4.59% | 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.
| XLB State Street(R) Materials Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF | XLF State Street(R) Financial Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | State Street | State Street |
| What it is | Materials | Financials |
| Total return, 1 year | +12.0% | +7.6% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −5.5 pts | −9.9 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.08% | 0.08% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Holdings | 27 | 79 |
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.
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. 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, XLB or XLF?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, XLB returned +12.0% and XLF returned +7.6%, so XLB returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, XLB or XLF?
- XLB charges 0.08% a year and XLF charges 0.08%, so XLB is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do XLB and XLF overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 100% of XLB and 100% of XLF by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 0% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
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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, XLB against XLF, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/xlb-vs-xlf Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources