Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
XLB vs XLI: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, XLB returned +18.5% to XLI's +10.2%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $8.1bn for State Street Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF and $30.8bn for State Street Industrial Select Sector SPDR ETF.
Pair scorecard
Both cost 0.08% a year; their one-year returns differ by 8.3 points; XLI is 3.8 times larger.
Points (pts) are percentage points.
| Measure | XLB | XLI |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +18.5% | +10.2% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 9.4%, high on Aug 14, 2026 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Materials Select Sector Index | Industrial Select Sector Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.08% | 0.08% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $8.1bn | $30.8bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 58.5% | 37.8% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Dec 31, 1998 to Oct 23, 2026 · 1,451 weekly returnsXLI returned more: +998.8% to +771.9%. XLI swung slightly less: 20.6% to 22.5%. XLB fell slightly less at its worst: −59.0% to −61.6%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | XLB | XLI | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +771.9% | +998.8% | XLI | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +8.1% | +9.0% | XLI | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +368.2% | +570.3% | XLI | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 22.5% | 20.6% | XLI (slight) | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 15.6% | 14.4% | XLI (slight) | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −59.0% | −61.6% | XLB (slight) | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.38 | 0.44 | XLI | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.55 | 0.62 | XLI | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.14 | 0.15 | XLI (slight) | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 1,451 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, XLB and XLI hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Oct 27, 2026.
half
0% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
XLB and XLI on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
XLB and XLI do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. XLB follows Materials Select Sector Index and XLI follows Industrial Select Sector Index.
- Holdings in common. 0% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Oct 27, 2026).
- One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 XLB returned +18.5% and XLI +10.2% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 8.3 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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XLB
XLB tracks an index of Materials. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +18.5% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.08% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 25 positions, with the top ten at 58.5%.
XLI
XLI tracks an index of Industrials. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +10.2% with distributions reinvested, against +13.6% for its benchmark, the S&P 500 Index. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 84 positions, with the top ten at 37.8%. It sat 9.4% below its high of Aug 14, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
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How this is computed
Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.
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ETFIQ, XLB against XLI, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/xlb-vs-xli
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). XLB against XLI. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/xlb-vs-xli
[XLB against XLI (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/xlb-vs-xli)
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