Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

vsCompare their flowsaskIQ about these two fundsAsk the committee about these two funds
Across categories

XLC vs XLV: Differences, Returns & Fees

Share
Share on XDownload as PDF

Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, XLC returned −10.4% to XLV's +25.6%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.

askIQ about this page

askIQ about XLC and XLV

Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $22.1bn for State Street Communication Services Select Sector SPDR ETF and $47.0bn for State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF.

At a glance
−10.4%
XLC total return, 1 year
+25.6%
XLV total return, 1 year
0.08%
XLC expense ratio
0.08%
XLV expense ratio

Pair scorecard

Both cost 0.08% a year; their one-year returns differ by 36.0 points; XLV is 2.1 times larger.

XLC vs XLV: Differences, Returns & Fees
MeasureXLCXLV
Return
Total return, 1 year−10.4%+25.6%
Drawdown
Below its high13.3%, high on Jan 30, 2026
Benchmark
What it tracksCommunication Services Select Sector IndexHealth Care Select Sector Index
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.08%0.08%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026$22.1bn$47.0bn
Holdings
Holdings in common0%
Top ten holdings, share of the fund75.3%60.6%

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

Risk and return

Jun 29, 2018 to Oct 23, 2026 · 434 weekly returns
XLC XLV
Return
Total return edge XLV +131.1% +147.2%
Annualized edge XLV (slight) +10.6% +11.5%
Price return edge Tie +113.0% +114.8%
Risk
Volatility edge XLV 20.0% 17.5%
Max drawdown edge XLV −45.9% −24.3%
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge XLV 0.46 0.55
Sortino edge XLV 0.66 0.79
Calmar edge XLV 0.23 0.47
Reading

XLV returned more: +147.2% to +131.1%. XLV swung less: 17.5% to 20.0%. XLV fell less at its worst: −24.3% to −45.9%.

Full scorecard

9 measures, with how each is measured
Open ↓
Risk and return: XLC vs XLV: Differences, Returns & Fees
MeasureXLCXLVEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+131.1%+147.2%XLVPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+10.6%+11.5%XLV (slight)Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return+113.0%+114.8%TiePrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility20.0%17.5%XLVSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation14.0%12.1%XLVLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−45.9%−24.3%XLVDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.460.55XLVReturn above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino0.660.79XLVReturn above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Calmar0.230.47XLVAnnualized 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

0%

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

0 half 100%

half

0% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first XLC XLV
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 XLV
ELI LILLY + CO 15.77%
JOHNSON + JOHNSON 9.96%
ABBVIE INC 7.78%
UNITEDHEALTH GROUP INC 5.66%
MERCK + CO. INC. 5.38%
THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC INC 3.94%
AMGEN INC 3.72%
GILEAD SCIENCES INC 3.03%
Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

XLC State Street Communication Services Select Sector SPDR ETF XLV State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF
Where it sits Stock ETF Stock ETF
What it is Tracks an index of Communication services Tracks an index of Health care
Total return, 1 year −10.4% +25.6%
Expense ratio 0.08% 0.08%
Already in the S&P 500 99.8% 99.7%
Holdings 23 62
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 $22.1bn $47.0bn

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

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-82FFB5ABE5

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

  1. What each follows. XLC follows Communication Services Select Sector Index and XLV follows Health Care Select Sector Index.
  2. Holdings in common. 0% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Oct 27, 2026).
  3. One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 XLC returned −10.4% and XLV +25.6% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 36.0 points.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

The two-page PDF for this pair is coming. Save the comparison to follow its changes. Free. It needs an email sign-in, once.

Your saved page · Privacy.

Alert

XLC and XLV flows, by email on Sundays.

One-click unsubscribe. See Privacy.

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.

XLV

XLV tracks an index of Health care. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +25.6% 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 62 positions, with the top ten at 60.6%.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, XLC or XLV?
In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, XLC returned −10.4% and XLV +25.6%.
Which is cheaper, XLC or XLV?
Neither: XLC and XLV both charge 0.08% a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
How much do XLC and XLV overlap with the S&P 500?
By their latest filed holdings, 100% of XLC and 100% of XLV by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds.
Other comparisons
Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

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

Open data →

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