State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) belongs to the Energy Equities category. Below you'll find alternative ETFs from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with XLE. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to XLE
XLE charges 0.08% annually. No ETFs in the Energy Equities category have lower expense ratios; the lowest-cost alternatives shown here go as low as 0.08%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fidelity MSCI Energy Index ETF | 0.08% | 1.75B | Oct 2013 | XLE vs FENY | |
| Vanguard Energy ETF | 0.09% | 11.00B | Sep 2004 | XLE vs VDE | |
| Portfolio Building Block Integrated Oil & Gas and ... | 0.13% | 416.91M | Nov 2025 | XLE vs PBOG | |
| Global X PureCap MSCI Energy ETF | 0.15% | — | Jul 2025 | XLE vs GXPE | |
| BP p.l.c. ADRhedged ETF | 0.19% | 2.19M | Jan 2025 | XLE vs BPH |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to XLE
XLE has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 61. There are 26 ETFs in the Energy Equities category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 93.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VanEck Oil Refiners ETF | 93 | 251.28M | Aug 2015 | XLE vs CRAK | |
| FT Energy Income Partners Strategy ETF | 90 | 563.46M | Nov 2022 | XLE vs EIPX | |
| VanEck Natural Resources ETF | 88 | 301.41M | Aug 2008 | XLE vs HAP | |
| Invesco Dynamic Oil & Gas Services ETF | 86 | 61.59M | Oct 2005 | XLE vs PXJ | |
| State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR Premium Inc... | 82 | 47.69M | Jul 2025 | XLE vs XLEI |
Top Performing XLE Alternatives (YTD)
XLE is at 29.95% YTD. There are 18 ETFs in the Energy Equities category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 71.73%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MicroSectors Oil & Gas Exploration & Production 3X... | 71.73% | 65.33M | Nov 2021 | XLE vs OILU | |
| Direxion Daily Energy Bull 2X Shares | 58.73% | 228.84M | Nov 2008 | XLE vs ERX | |
| Direxion Daily Energy Top 5 Bull 2X ETF | 53.80% | 2.82M | Oct 2025 | XLE vs TEXU | |
| Invesco Dynamic Oil & Gas Services ETF | 43.34% | 61.59M | Oct 2005 | XLE vs PXJ | |
| WEBs Energy XLE Defined Volatility ETF | 42.44% | — | Jul 2025 | XLE vs DVXE |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to XLE
XLE has 21.12% 1-year volatility. There are 39 ETFs in the Energy Equities category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 0.00%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global X Solar ETF | 0.00% | 5.05M | Sep 2021 | XLE vs RAYS | |
| Macquarie Global Listed Infrastructure ETF | 10.98% | 6.30M | Nov 2023 | XLE vs BILD | |
| FT Energy Income Partners Strategy ETF | 11.45% | 563.46M | Nov 2022 | XLE vs EIPX | |
| Bny Mellon Global Infrastructure Income ETF | 11.53% | 1.31B | Nov 2022 | XLE vs BKGI | |
| Westwood Salient Enhanced Midstream Income ETF | 12.10% | 152.76M | Apr 2024 | XLE vs MDST |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to XLE
XLE has a 1-year max drawdown of -14.98%. There are 34 ETFs in the Energy Equities category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -5.17%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FT Energy Income Partners Strategy ETF | -5.17% | 563.46M | Nov 2022 | XLE vs EIPX | |
| Westwood Salient Enhanced Midstream Income ETF | -5.98% | 152.76M | Apr 2024 | XLE vs MDST | |
| Macquarie Global Listed Infrastructure ETF | -6.05% | 6.30M | Nov 2023 | XLE vs BILD | |
| Bny Mellon Global Infrastructure Income ETF | -6.16% | 1.31B | Nov 2022 | XLE vs BKGI | |
| Tortoise North American Pipeline Fund | -6.84% | 685.69M | Jun 2015 | XLE vs TPYP |
Other ETFs from State Street
The 10 most viewed State Street ETFs shown here include SPY, GLD, XLK and span 10 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $789B.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF | S&P 500 | 71 | 13.49% | 789.06B | Jan 1993 | XLE vs SPY | |
| SPDR Gold Shares | Gold, Precious Metals | 29 | -1.68% | 130.32B | Nov 2004 | XLE vs GLD | |
| State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF | Technology Equities | 60 | 29.45% | 115.56B | Dec 1998 | XLE vs XLK | |
| State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF | S&P 500, Large Cap Growth Equities | 48 | 14.87% | 51.09B | Sep 2000 | XLE vs SPYG | |
| State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF | S&P 500 | 72 | 13.55% | 160.81B | Nov 2005 | XLE vs SPYM | |
| State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ... | S&P 500, Dividend | 69 | 17.85% | 8.75B | Oct 2015 | XLE vs SPYD | |
| SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust | Gold, Precious Metals | 30 | -1.57% | 27.37B | Jun 2018 | XLE vs GLDM | |
| SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF | Government Bonds, Ultrashort Bond | 100 | 2.11% | 47.03B | May 2007 | XLE vs BIL | |
| State Street SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF... | Large Cap Blend Equities | 73 | 13.83% | 44.89B | Jan 1998 | XLE vs DIA | |
| State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF | Health & Biotech Equities | 60 | 6.95% | 42.10B | Dec 1998 | XLE vs XLV |
Often Compared With XLE
Investors most often compare XLE with USO, XOP, XLU. These 20 comparison targets span 12 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare XLE with Any Fund or Stock
Compare XLE with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair XLE with funds that move differently
State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to XLE.
Explore XLE Diversifiers