Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
XLP vs XLV: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, XLP returned +13.8% to XLV's +25.6%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $14.6bn for State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF and $47.0bn for State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF.
Pair scorecard
Both cost 0.08% a year; their one-year returns differ by 11.8 points; XLV is 3.2 times larger.
| Measure | XLP | XLV |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +13.8% | +25.6% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 3.5%, high on Oct 22, 2026 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Consumer Staples Select Sector Index | Health Care Select Sector Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.08% | 0.08% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $14.6bn | $47.0bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 62.9% | 60.6% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Dec 31, 1998 to Oct 23, 2026 · 1,451 weekly returnsXLV returned more: +938.5% to +522.3%. XLP swung less: 14.3% to 17.4%. XLP fell slightly less at its worst: −34.6% to −37.9%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | XLP | XLV | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +522.3% | +938.5% | XLV | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +6.8% | +8.7% | XLV | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +225.0% | +589.5% | XLV | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 14.3% | 17.4% | XLP | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 10.3% | 12.2% | XLP | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −34.6% | −37.9% | XLP (slight) | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.41 | 0.47 | XLV | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.57 | 0.67 | XLV | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.20 | 0.23 | XLV | 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, XLP and XLV 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
XLP and XLV on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
XLP and XLV do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. XLP follows Consumer Staples Select Sector Index and XLV follows Health Care 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 XLP returned +13.8% and XLV +25.6% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 11.8 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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XLP
XLP tracks an index of Consumer staples. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +13.8% 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 36 positions, with the top ten at 62.9%. It sat 3.5% below its high of Oct 22, 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
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.
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ETFIQ, XLP against XLV, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/xlp-vs-xlv
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). XLP against XLV. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/xlp-vs-xlv
[XLP against XLV (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/xlp-vs-xlv)
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