Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
XLU vs XLY: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, XLU returned −3.0% to XLY's −3.6%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $23.9bn for State Street Utilities 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 0.6 points; XLU is 1.1 times larger.
Points (pts) are percentage points.
| Measure | XLU | XLY |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | −3.0% | −3.6% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 9.1%, high on Feb 27, 2026 | 6.8%, high on Jan 12, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Utilities Select Sector Index | Consumer Discretionary Select Sector Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.08% | 0.08% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $23.9bn | $22.4bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 58.7% | 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 +640.5%. XLU swung less: 18.1% to 22.0%. XLU fell less at its worst: −48.3% to −58.4%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | XLU | XLY | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +640.5% | +1,083.0% | XLY | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +7.4% | +9.3% | XLY | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +181.6% | +765.7% | XLY | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 18.1% | 22.0% | XLU | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 12.8% | 15.0% | XLU | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −48.3% | −58.4% | XLU | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.39 | 0.43 | XLY (slight) | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.55 | 0.64 | XLY | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.15 | 0.16 | XLY (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, XLU 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
XLU and XLY on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
XLU and XLY do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. XLU follows Utilities 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 (similar). Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 XLU returned −3.0% and XLY −3.6% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 0.6 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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XLU
XLU tracks an index of Utilities. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −3.0% 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 32 positions, with the top ten at 58.7%. It sat 9.1% below its high of Feb 27, 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
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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, XLU against XLY, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/xlu-vs-xly
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). XLU against XLY. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/xlu-vs-xly
[XLU against XLY (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/xlu-vs-xly)
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