Which returned more over the last year, XLC or XLE?

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, XLC returned −10.4% and XLE +61.2%.

Which is cheaper, XLC or XLE?

Neither: XLC and XLE both charge 0.08% a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

How much do XLC and XLE overlap with the S&P 500?

By their latest filed holdings, 100% of XLC and 100% of XLE by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

XLC vs XLE: Differences, Returns & Fees

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Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, XLC returned −10.4% to XLE's +61.2%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.

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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $22.1bn for State Street Communication Services Select Sector SPDR ETF and $45.2bn for State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF.

XLC on its own →XLE on its own →

At a glance

−10.4%

XLC total return, 1 year

+61.2%

XLE total return, 1 year

0.08%

XLC expense ratio

0.08%

XLE expense ratio

Pair scorecard

Both cost 0.08% a year; their one-year returns differ by 71.6 points; XLE is 2.0 times larger.

XLC vs XLE: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	XLC	XLE
Return
Measure	XLC	XLE
Total return, 1 year	−10.4%	+61.2%
Drawdown
Measure	XLC	XLE
Below its high	13.3%, high on Jan 30, 2026
Benchmark
Measure	XLC	XLE
What it tracks	Communication Services Select Sector Index	Energy Select Sector Index
Cost and size
Measure	XLC	XLE
Expense ratio	0.08%	0.08%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026	$22.1bn	$45.2bn
Holdings
Measure	XLC	XLE
Holdings in common	0%
Top ten holdings, share of the fund	75.3%	78.1%

Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method

Risk and return

Jun 29, 2018 to Oct 23, 2026 · 434 weekly returns

XLC XLE

Return

Total return edge XLE +131.1% +160.6%

Annualized edge XLE +10.6% +12.2%

Price return edge XLC +113.0% +82.6%

Risk

Volatility edge XLC 20.0% 31.7%

Max drawdown edge XLC −45.9% −63.9%

Risk-adjusted

Sharpe edge XLC (slight) 0.46 0.44

Sortino edge XLC (slight) 0.66 0.61

Calmar edge XLC 0.23 0.19

Reading

XLE returned more: +160.6% to +131.1%. XLC swung less: 20.0% to 31.7%. XLC fell less at its worst: −45.9% to −63.9%.

Full scorecard

9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓

Risk and return: XLC vs XLE: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	XLC	XLE	Edge	How it is measured
Return
Total return	+131.1%	+160.6%	XLE	Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized	+10.6%	+12.2%	XLE	Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return	+113.0%	+82.6%	XLC	Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility	20.0%	31.7%	XLC	Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation	14.0%	22.6%	XLC	Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown	−45.9%	−63.9%	XLC	Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe	0.46	0.44	XLC (slight)	Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino	0.66	0.61	XLC (slight)	Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Calmar	0.23	0.19	XLC	Annualized return divided by the max drawdown.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 434 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

What they share

By the books each fund has filed, XLC and XLE hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Oct 27, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

0% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first XLC XLE

Only in one fund ↓

Only in XLC

META PLATFORMS INC CLASS A 21.45%

ALPHABET INC CL A 12.27%

ALPHABET INC CL C 9.82%

WALT DISNEY CO 5.33%

TAKE TWO INTERACTIVE SOFTWRE 4.80%

COMCAST CORP CLASS A 4.48%

VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC 4.45%

APPLOVIN CORP CLASS A 4.34%

Only in XLE

EXXONMOBIL HOLDINGS CORP 23.98%

CHEVRON CORP 18.21%

CONOCOPHILLIPS 7.18%

MARATHON PETROLEUM CORP 4.67%

PHILLIPS 66 4.41%

VALERO ENERGY CORP 4.26%

WILLIAMS COS INC 4.22%

EOG RESOURCES INC 4.07%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

XLC State Street Communication Services Select Sector SPDR ETF XLE State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF

Where it sits Stock ETF Stock ETF

Issuer State Street State Street

What it is Tracks an index of Communication services Tracks an index of Energy

Total return, 1 year −10.4% +61.2%

Expense ratio 0.08% 0.08%

Already in the S&P 500 99.8% 99.8%

Holdings 23 22

Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 $22.1bn $45.2bn

XLC and XLE on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-4EC1EC7448

XLC and XLE do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?

What each follows. XLC follows Communication Services Select Sector Index and XLE follows Energy 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 XLC returned −10.4% and XLE +61.2% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 71.6 points.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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About each fund

XLC

XLC tracks an index of Communication services. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −10.4% 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 23 positions, with the top ten at 75.3%. It sat 13.3% below its high of Jan 30, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.

XLE

XLE tracks an index of Energy. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +61.2% with distributions reinvested. 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 22 positions, with the top ten at 78.1%.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, XLC or XLE?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, XLC returned −10.4% and XLE +61.2%.
Which is cheaper, XLC or XLE?: Neither: XLC and XLE both charge 0.08% a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
How much do XLC and XLE overlap with the S&P 500?: By their latest filed holdings, 100% of XLC and 100% of XLE by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds.

Other comparisons

VDE vs XLC XLC vs XOP IYE vs XLC XLC vs XLV VOX vs XLE XLE vs XLV XLE vs XLF XLE vs XLY

Where to next

XLC on its own →XLE on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →XLC dividend history →XLC holdings →XLE dividend history →XLE holdings →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

XLC and XLE filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

XLC and XLE prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

State Street website ↗

Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.

How this is computed

Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, XLC against XLE, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/xlc-vs-xle

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Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.