State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) belongs to the Financials Equities category. Below you'll find alternative ETFs from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with XLF. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to XLF
XLF charges 0.08% annually. No ETFs in the Financials 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 Financials Index ETF | 0.08% | 2.17B | Oct 2013 | XLF vs FNCL | |
| Vanguard Financials ETF | 0.09% | 13.50B | Jan 2004 | XLF vs VFH | |
| Gabelli Financial Services Opportunities ETF | 0.10% | 50.20M | May 2022 | XLF vs GABF | |
| Portfolio Building Block European Banks Index ETF | 0.13% | 22.30M | Nov 2025 | XLF vs PBEU | |
| HSBC Holdings plc ADRhedged ETF | 0.19% | 5.04M | Oct 2024 | XLF vs HSBH |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to XLF
XLF has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 15. There are 25 ETFs in the Financials Equities category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 90.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HSBC Holdings plc ADRhedged ETF | 90 | 5.04M | Oct 2024 | XLF vs HSBH | |
| Themes Global Systemically Important Banks ETF | 80 | 24.99M | Dec 2023 | XLF vs GSIB | |
| Invesco KBW Bank ETF | 56 | 6.25B | Nov 2011 | XLF vs KBWB | |
| iShares MSCI Europe Financials ETF | 47 | 3.69B | Jan 2010 | XLF vs EUFN | |
| First Trust Nasdaq Bank ETF | 42 | 299.07M | Sep 2016 | XLF vs FTXO |
Top Performing XLF Alternatives (YTD)
XLF is at -0.77% YTD. There are 27 ETFs in the Financials Equities category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 26.93%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HSBC Holdings plc ADRhedged ETF | 26.93% | 5.04M | Oct 2024 | XLF vs HSBH | |
| First Trust NASDAQ ABA Community Bank Index Fund | 16.85% | 83.48M | Jun 2009 | XLF vs QABA | |
| Themes Global Systemically Important Banks ETF | 16.30% | 24.99M | Dec 2023 | XLF vs GSIB | |
| SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF | 14.14% | 4.33B | Jun 2006 | XLF vs KRE | |
| Portfolio Building Block European Banks Index ETF | 13.63% | 22.30M | Nov 2025 | XLF vs PBEU |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to XLF
XLF has 14.62% 1-year volatility. There are 4 ETFs in the Financials Equities category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 9.43%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RiverNorth Enhanced Pre-Merger SPAC ETF | 9.43% | 7.14M | Jul 2022 | XLF vs SPCZ | |
| iShares MSCI Kuwait ETF | 13.57% | 70.62M | Sep 2020 | XLF vs KWT | |
| iShares Global Financials ETF | 13.90% | 580.15M | Nov 2001 | XLF vs IXG | |
| iShares U.S. Financials ETF | 14.53% | 3.81B | May 2000 | XLF vs IYF | |
| Davis Select Financial ETF | 14.72% | 300.51M | Jan 2017 | XLF vs DFNL |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to XLF
XLF has a 1-year max drawdown of -14.79%. There are 20 ETFs in the Financials Equities category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -3.82%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RiverNorth Enhanced Pre-Merger SPAC ETF | -3.82% | 7.14M | Jul 2022 | XLF vs SPCZ | |
| iShares U.S. Insurance ETF | -7.62% | 376.18M | May 2006 | XLF vs IAK | |
| Invesco KBW Property & Casualty Insurance ETF | -9.56% | 254.21M | Dec 2010 | XLF vs KBWP | |
| Invesco S&P SmallCap Financials ETF | -9.91% | 26.65M | Apr 2010 | XLF vs PSCF | |
| iShares Global Financials ETF | -11.33% | 580.15M | Nov 2001 | XLF vs IXG |
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 $765B.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF | S&P 500 | 59 | 8.15% | 765.27B | Jan 1993 | XLF vs SPY | |
| SPDR Gold Shares | Gold, Precious Metals | 22 | -4.79% | 138.96B | Nov 2004 | XLF vs GLD | |
| State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF | Technology Equities | 66 | 28.25% | 130.33B | Dec 1998 | XLF vs XLK | |
| State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF | S&P 500, Large Cap Growth Equities | 45 | 8.70% | 52.13B | Sep 2000 | XLF vs SPYG | |
| State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ... | S&P 500, Dividend | 47 | 12.56% | 7.30B | Oct 2015 | XLF vs SPYD | |
| State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF | Energy Equities | 42 | 23.49% | 36.84B | Dec 1998 | XLF vs XLE | |
| SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust | Gold, Precious Metals | 22 | -4.72% | 28.75B | Jun 2018 | XLF vs GLDM | |
| State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF | S&P 500 | 59 | 8.21% | 148.87B | Nov 2005 | XLF vs SPYM | |
| State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF | Utilities Equities | 27 | 6.99% | 22.62B | Dec 1998 | XLF vs XLU | |
| SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF | Government Bonds, Ultrashort Bond | 100 | 1.67% | 46.54B | May 2007 | XLF vs BIL |
Often Compared With XLF
Investors most often compare XLF with XLV, KBE, JPM. These 20 comparison targets span 9 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare XLF with Any Fund or Stock
Compare XLF with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair XLF with funds that move differently
State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to XLF.
Explore XLF Diversifiers