Which paid more, XLCI or XLEI?

Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, XLCI paid 11.1% of its starting price in cash and XLEI paid 22.3%, so XLEI paid more. Cash paid is not the same as money made: the price change matters too.

Which returned more once distributions are counted, XLCI or XLEI?

With every distribution reinvested, XLCI returned +0.7% and XLEI +39.2% over the year to Nov 4, 2026.

Which is cheaper, XLCI or XLEI?

XLCI and XLEI both charge 0.35% a year, so neither is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Income ETFs

XLCI vs XLEI: Dividend Yield & Total Return

Share on X Download as PDF

Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, XLEI paid 22.3% of its price in cash against XLCI’s 11.1%, and returned more with it reinvested.

askIQ about this page

askIQ about XLCI and XLEI

Net assets on Nov 3, 2026: $3.4m for State Street Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETF and $209m for State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETF.

XLCI on its own →XLEI on its own →

At a glance

11.1%

XLCI cash paid, 1 year

22.3%

XLEI cash paid, 1 year

+0.7%

XLCI total return, 1 year

+39.2%

XLEI total return, 1 year

XLCI · 1 year to Nov 4, 2026 6.5 pts ahead of XLC

XLCI

+0.7%

XLC

−5.8%

6.5 pts ahead of XLC

XLCI over 1 year: paid 11.1%, price −10.0%, total +0.7%, XLC −5.8%, +6.5 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

XLC

−5.8%

XLCI

+0.7%

6.5 pts ahead of XLC

Total return, distributions reinvested

6.5 pts ahead of XLC

XLCI over 1 year: paid 11.1%, price −10.0%, total +0.7%, XLC −5.8%, +6.5 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

XLC

−5.8%

XLCI

+0.7%

6.5 pts ahead of XLC

11.1% of it arrived as cash. Total return, distributions reinvested. XLCI over 1 year: paid 11.1%, price −10.0%, total +0.7%, XLC −5.8%, +6.5 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.

XLEI · 1 year to Nov 4, 2026 10.6 pts behind XLE

XLEI

+39.2%

XLE

+49.8%

10.6 pts behind XLE

XLEI over 1 year: paid 22.3%, price +13.8%, total +39.2%, XLE +49.8%, −10.6 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

XLE

+49.8%

XLEI

+39.2%

22.3% of it arrived as cash

10.6 pts behind XLE

Total return, distributions reinvested

10.6 pts behind XLE

XLEI over 1 year: paid 22.3%, price +13.8%, total +39.2%, XLE +49.8%, −10.6 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

XLE

+49.8%

XLEI

+39.2%

10.6 pts behind XLE

22.3% of it arrived as cash. Both charts share one scale, with zero at the line. XLEI over 1 year: paid 22.3%, price +13.8%, total +39.2%, XLE +49.8%, −10.6 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

Both cost 0.35% a year; their one-year returns differ by 38.5 points; XLEI is far larger, $209m against $3.4m.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

XLCI vs XLEI: Dividend Yield & Total Return
Measure	XLCI	XLEI
Paid and earned
Measure	XLCI	XLEI
Total return, 1 year	+0.7%	+39.2%
Price change, 1 year	fell 10.0%	rose 13.8%
Return of capital, issuer estimate	100% of the Nov 5, 2026 payment
Against its benchmark
Measure	XLCI	XLEI
Benchmark	Communication services, measured through XLC	Energy sector, measured through XLE
Cost and size
Measure	XLCI	XLEI
Expense ratio	0.35%	0.35%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026	$3.4m	$209m
Holdings
Measure	XLCI	XLEI
Holdings in common	0%

ETFIQ Distribution Coverage Score · XLEI scores higher How much of what it paid out did its total return cover?

IQ Income Score20.1XLCI82.3XLEI

How much of its payouts the fund's total return covered, ranked against 167 income ETFs not writing on a single company. 100 is best. How it is computed

XLCI 20.1

XLEI 82.3

0.3, the lowest in this set 99.7, the highest

One year only, and a ratio of two published numbers: it says nothing about where a distribution came from. All income ETFs ranked by it →

Method

Risk and return

Aug 8, 2025 to Oct 30, 2026 · 64 weekly returns

XLCI XLEI

Return

Total return edge XLEI −2.8% +55.9%

Annualized edge XLEI −2.3% +43.4%

Price return edge XLEI −15.0% +22.3%

Risk

Volatility edge XLCI 13.2% 15.6%

Max drawdown edge XLEI −10.8% −7.9%

Downside capture 84.5% 78.9%

Beta 0.79 0.67

Risk-adjusted

Sharpe edge XLEI −0.40 2.15

Sortino edge XLEI −0.52 3.42

Treynor −0.067 0.501

Calmar edge XLEI −0.21 5.47

Against the benchmark

Alpha +0.5% a year +5.1% a year

Alpha t-stat 0.17 1.28

Information ratio 0.43 −1.04

Tracking error 4.7% 8.6%

Each against its own benchmark: XLCI against XLC, Aug 8, 2025 to Oct 30, 2026; XLEI against XLE, Aug 8, 2025 to Oct 30, 2026.

Reading

From Aug 2025 to Oct 2026, XLEI returned more: +55.9% to −2.8%. XLCI swung less: 13.2% to 15.6%. XLEI fell less at its worst: −7.9% to −10.8%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓

Risk and return: XLCI vs XLEI: Dividend Yield & Total Return
Measure	XLCI	XLEI	Edge	How it is measured
Return
Total return	−2.8%	+55.9%	XLEI	Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized	−2.3%	+43.4%	XLEI	Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return	−15.0%	+22.3%	XLEI	Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility	13.2%	15.6%	XLCI	Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation	10.2%	9.8%	XLEI (slight)	Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown	−10.8%	−7.9%	XLEI	Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture	71.9%	57.9%		Share of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture	84.5%	78.9%		Share of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta	0.79	0.67	Not an edge	How far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared	0.94	0.92	Not an edge	Share of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe	−0.40	2.15	XLEI	Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino	−0.52	3.42	XLEI	Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor	−0.067	0.501		Return above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar	−0.21	5.47	XLEI	Annualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
Benchmark	XLC	XLE		The ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha	+0.5% a year	+5.1% a year	Not significant	Yearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat	0.17	1.28	Not an edge	How sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range	−5.3% to +6.3%	−2.9% to +13.2%	Includes zero	The 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio	0.43	−1.04		Return against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error	4.7%	8.6%	Not an edge	How far weekly returns stray from the benchmark, annualized.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 64 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

What they share

By the books each fund has filed, XLCI and XLEI hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Nov 3, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

0% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first XLCI XLEI

Only in one fund ↓

Only in XLCI

STATE STREET COMMUNICATION SER 100.11%

STATE STREET COMMUNICATION SER NOV26 116 CALL -0.00%

STATE STREET COMMUNICATION SER NOV26 111 CALL -0.02%

STATE STREET COMMUNICATION SER NOV26 114 CALL -0.04%

STATE STREET COMMUNICATION SER NOV26 103 CALL -0.09%

Only in XLEI

STATE STREET ENERGY SELECT SEC 100.78%

STATE STREET ENERGY SELECT SEC NOV26 70.5 CALL -0.02%

STATE STREET ENERGY SELECT SEC NOV26 72.5 CALL -0.02%

STATE STREET ENERGY SELECT SEC NOV26 69 CALL -0.04%

STATE STREET ENERGY SELECT SEC NOV26 71 CALL -0.07%

STATE STREET ENERGY SELECT SEC NOV26 70 CALL -0.76%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

XLCI State Street Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETF · Covered call on XLC, paying monthly XLEI State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETF · Covered call on XLE, paying monthly

Issuer State Street State Street

Strategy covered call covered call

Benchmark Communication services (XLC) Energy sector (XLE)

Pays monthly monthly

Payout rate, annualized 13.7% 22.0%

Expense ratio 0.35% 0.35%

Cash paid, 1 year 11.1% 22.3%

Price change, 1 year −10.0% +13.8%

Total return, 1 year +0.7% +39.2%

Benchmark return, 1 year −5.8% +49.8%

Ahead or behind +6.5 pts −10.6 pts

Return of capital, latest estimate 100% 100%

Age 1.3 years 1.3 years

Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026 $3.4m $209m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ. Cash paid: distributions over the window, as a share of the starting price. Payout rate: the latest payment, annualized, over today’s price.

Window by window

Window by window: XLCI vs XLEI: Dividend Yield & Total Return
	Total return		Cash paid		Against the benchmark
Window	XLCI	XLEI	XLCI	XLEI	XLCI	XLEI
3 months	−2.9%	+9.7%	2.7%	5.3%	+2.1 pts	−1.8 pts
6 months	−6.0%	+14.8%	5.4%	10.5%	+4.0 pts	+1.9 pts
1 year	+0.7%	+39.2%	11.1%	22.3%	+6.6 pts	−10.6 pts
Since launchXLCI Jul 2025 · XLEI Jul 2025	+3.2%	+41.9%	14.3%	27.2%	+3.0 pts	−8.4 pts

Open this comparison in the app →

Client brief:

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

About each fund

XLCI

Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, XLCI paid 11.1% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price fell 10.0%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +0.7%. Communication services (XLC) returned −5.8% over the same days, so a holder was ahead by 6.5 pts. At its price on Nov 4, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 13.7%, paid monthly. State Street estimates that 100% of the distribution paid Nov 5, 2026 was a return of capital (its 19a-1 notice). That is a tax label, not a measure of erosion.

XLEI

Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, XLEI paid 22.3% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price rose 13.8%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +39.2%. Energy sector (XLE) returned +49.8% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 10.6 pts. At its price on Nov 4, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 22.0%, paid monthly.

Questions people ask

Which paid more, XLCI or XLEI?: Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, XLCI paid 11.1% of its starting price in cash and XLEI paid 22.3%, so XLEI paid more. Cash paid is not the same as money made: the price change matters too.
Which returned more once distributions are counted, XLCI or XLEI?: With every distribution reinvested, XLCI returned +0.7% and XLEI +39.2% over the year to Nov 4, 2026.
Which is cheaper, XLCI or XLEI?: XLCI and XLEI both charge 0.35% a year, so neither is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

XLCI vs WEEI XLCI vs MDST XLCI vs AIPI XLCI vs NDIV XLEI vs MDST XLEI vs AIPI XLEI vs CHPY XLEI vs YRAM

Where to next

Communication services (XLC) →Energy sector (XLE) →XLCI on its own →XLEI on its own →XLCI dividend history →XLCI holdings →XLEI dividend history →XLEI holdings →Method →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

XLCI and XLEI filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

XLCI and XLEI prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

XLCI 19a-1 distribution notice ↗

State Street website ↗

XLEI 19a-1 distribution notice ↗

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

How this is computed

It is a place in a set, not a rating or a recommendation.

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

Every number is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, XLCI against XLEI, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/income/xlci-vs-xlei

Open data →

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