Data as of .
XAR vs XME: which is really different?
XAR holds 35.0% of its weight in S&P 500 companies and XME 17.3%.
ETFIQ Off-Index Score: XME scores higher
How much of it is not the index it is sold as an alternative to?
A percentile among the 371 thematic ETFs with a holdings filing. It is a position in a set, not a rating, and neither end of it is a recommendation. All thematic ETFs ranked by it · How it is computed
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, XAR and XME hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | XAR | XME |
|---|---|---|
| SSI US GOV MONEY MARKET CLASS | 0.10% | 0.09% |
| US DOLLAR | 0.02% | 0.01% |
| Only in XAR | Only in XME |
|---|---|
| RTX CORP 3.34% | HECLA MINING CO 5.58% |
| VSE CORP 3.33% | NEWMONT CORP 5.33% |
| ATI INC 3.25% | COEUR MINING INC 5.17% |
| ARCHER AVIATION INC A 3.23% | ROYAL GOLD INC 5.05% |
| AXON ENTERPRISE INC 3.20% | URANIUM ENERGY CORP 4.58% |
| GENERAL DYNAMICS CORP 3.11% | FREEPORT MCMORAN INC 4.49% |
| GENERAL ELECTRIC 3.04% | CENTRUS ENERGY CORP CLASS A 4.23% |
| LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP 3.02% | CORE NATURAL RESOURCES INC 4.23% |
Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Sep 10, 2026.
Performance, window by window
| Window | Total return | vs the S&P 500 | vs the Nasdaq-100 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XAR | XME | XAR | XME | XAR | XME | |
| 3 months | −12.1% | −5.6% | −15.4 pts | −8.9 pts | −11.3 pts | −4.8 pts |
| 6 months | −7.2% | +4.3% | −23.2 pts | −11.7 pts | −27.9 pts | −16.3 pts |
| 1 year | +11.8% | +32.5% | −5.7 pts | +15.0 pts | −11.2 pts | +9.6 pts |
| 3 years | +114.1% | +123.5% | +36.2 pts | +45.6 pts | +19.0 pts | +28.4 pts |
| Since launch | +1042.3% | +160.8% | +288.5 pts | −643.6 pts | −366.6 pts | −1513.1 pts |
| XAR State Street(R) SPDR(R) S&P(R) Aerospace & Defense ETF Holds 49 stocks in defense, 35% of its weight in S&P 500 companies | XME State Street(R) SPDR(R) S&P(R) Metals & Mining ETF Holds 41 stocks in miners and metals, 17% of its weight in S&P 500 companies | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | State Street | State Street |
| Theme | Defense | Miners and metals |
| In the S&P 500 | 35.0% | 17.3% |
| Active share vs the S&P 500 | 97.9% | 99.6% |
| In the Nasdaq-100 | 3.2% | 0.0% |
| Holdings | 49 | 41 |
| Top ten, share of the fund | 31.4% | 46.8% |
| Expense ratio | 0.35% | 0.35% |
| Fee for the differing part | 0.36% | 0.35% |
| Total return, 1 year | +11.8% | +32.5% |
| vs the S&P 500 | −5.7 pts | +15.0 pts |
| vs the Nasdaq-100 | −11.2 pts | +9.6 pts |
| Below its high | −17.1% | −14.4% |
XAR in plain words
By weight, 35% of XAR's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500; its active share against the S&P 500 is 98%. The top ten holdings are 31% of the fund across 49 positions, as published by its issuer for Sep 10, 2026. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 the fund returned +11.8% with distributions reinvested against +17.5% for the S&P 500, so a holder was behind by 5.7 pts. It sits 17.1% below its all-time high of Aug 14, 2026.
XME in plain words
By weight, 17% of XME's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500; its active share against the S&P 500 is 100%. The top ten holdings are 47% of the fund across 41 positions, as published by its issuer for Sep 10, 2026. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 the fund returned +32.5% with distributions reinvested against +17.5% for the S&P 500, so a holder was ahead by 15.0 pts. It sits 14.4% below its all-time high of Jun 2, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which is more different from the S&P 500, XAR or XME?
- XAR has 35% of its weight in S&P 500 names and XME has 17%, so XME differs more from the index.
- Which is cheaper, XAR or XME?
- XAR charges 0.35% a year and XME charges 0.35%, so XAR is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, XAR against XME, data as of Sep 11, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/themes/xar-vs-xme Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.