Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
XLP vs XLY: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, XLP returned +13.8% to XLY's −3.6%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
askIQ about this page
askIQ about XLP and XLYNet assets on Oct 27, 2026: $14.6bn for State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF and $22.4bn for State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF.
Pair scorecard
Both cost 0.08% a year; their one-year returns differ by 17.4 points; XLY is 1.5 times larger.
Points (pts) are percentage points.
| Measure | XLP | XLY |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +13.8% | −3.6% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 3.5%, high on Oct 22, 2026 | 6.8%, high on Jan 12, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Consumer Staples Select Sector Index | Consumer Discretionary Select Sector Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.08% | 0.08% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $14.6bn | $22.4bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 62.9% | 68.5% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Dec 31, 1998 to Oct 23, 2026 · 1,451 weekly returnsXLY returned more: +1,083.0% to +522.3%. XLP swung less: 14.3% to 22.0%. XLP fell less at its worst: −34.6% to −58.4%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | XLP | XLY | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +522.3% | +1,083.0% | XLY | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +6.8% | +9.3% | XLY | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +225.0% | +765.7% | XLY | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 14.3% | 22.0% | XLP | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 10.3% | 15.0% | XLP | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −34.6% | −58.4% | XLP | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.41 | 0.43 | XLY (slight) | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.57 | 0.64 | XLY | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.20 | 0.16 | XLP | 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 XLY 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 XLY on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
XLP and XLY do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. XLP follows Consumer Staples Select Sector Index and XLY follows Consumer Discretionary 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 XLY −3.6% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 17.4 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.
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.
XLY
XLY tracks an index of Consumer discretionary. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −3.6% 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 48 positions, with the top ten at 68.5%. It sat 6.8% below its high of Jan 12, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
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.
Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown
ETFIQ, XLP against XLY, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/xlp-vs-xly
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). XLP against XLY. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/xlp-vs-xly
[XLP against XLY (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/xlp-vs-xly)
Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.