State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU) belongs to the Utilities Equities category. Below you'll find alternative ETFs from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with XLU. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to XLU
XLU charges 0.08% annually. No ETFs in the Utilities 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 Utilities Index ETF | 0.08% | 2.35B | Oct 2013 | XLU vs FUTY | |
| Vanguard Utilities ETF | 0.09% | 10.60B | Jan 2004 | XLU vs VPU | |
| Invesco S&P SmallCap Utilities & Communication Ser... | 0.29% | 17.23M | Apr 2010 | XLU vs PSCU | |
| State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR Premium ... | 0.35% | 18.80M | Jul 2025 | XLU vs XLUI | |
| SPDR S&P Global Infrastructure ETF | 0.40% | 964.74M | Jan 2007 | XLU vs GII |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to XLU
XLU has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 27. There are 13 ETFs in the Utilities Equities category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 76.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALPS Electrification Infrastructure ETF | 76 | 204.46M | Apr 2025 | XLU vs ELFY | |
| First Trust EIP Power Solutions ETF | 70 | 25.87M | Aug 2019 | XLU vs FPWR | |
| Global X U.S. Electrification ETF | 68 | 463.66M | Dec 2024 | XLU vs ZAP | |
| SPDR S&P Global Infrastructure ETF | 52 | 964.74M | Jan 2007 | XLU vs GII | |
| iShares U.S. Power Infrastructure ETF | 44 | 387.80M | Jan 2012 | XLU vs POWR |
Top Performing XLU Alternatives (YTD)
XLU is at 6.99% YTD. There are 15 ETFs in the Utilities Equities category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 26.69%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALPS Electrification Infrastructure ETF | 26.69% | 204.46M | Apr 2025 | XLU vs ELFY | |
| Global X U.S. Electrification ETF | 18.94% | 463.66M | Dec 2024 | XLU vs ZAP | |
| iShares U.S. Power Infrastructure ETF | 17.55% | 387.80M | Jan 2012 | XLU vs POWR | |
| First Trust EIP Power Solutions ETF | 14.10% | 25.87M | Aug 2019 | XLU vs FPWR | |
| iShares Infrastructure Active ETF | 13.47% | — | Jul 2025 | XLU vs BILT |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to XLU
XLU has 14.69% 1-year volatility. There are 13 ETFs in the Utilities Equities category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 10.28%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iShares Infrastructure Active ETF | 10.28% | — | Jul 2025 | XLU vs BILT | |
| FlexShares STOXX Global Broad Infrastructure Index... | 10.49% | 2.99B | Oct 2013 | XLU vs NFRA | |
| First Trust EIP Power Solutions ETF | 10.57% | 25.87M | Aug 2019 | XLU vs FPWR | |
| SPDR S&P Global Infrastructure ETF | 10.86% | 964.74M | Jan 2007 | XLU vs GII | |
| State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR Premium ... | 11.17% | 18.80M | Jul 2025 | XLU vs XLUI |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to XLU
XLU has a 1-year max drawdown of -9.18%. There are 13 ETFs in the Utilities Equities category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -5.02%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Trust EIP Power Solutions ETF | -5.02% | 25.87M | Aug 2019 | XLU vs FPWR | |
| SPDR S&P Global Infrastructure ETF | -5.94% | 964.74M | Jan 2007 | XLU vs GII | |
| iShares U.S. Power Infrastructure ETF | -7.09% | 387.80M | Jan 2012 | XLU vs POWR | |
| Global X U.S. Electrification ETF | -7.23% | 463.66M | Dec 2024 | XLU vs ZAP | |
| FlexShares STOXX Global Broad Infrastructure Index... | -7.28% | 2.99B | Oct 2013 | XLU vs NFRA |
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 | XLU vs SPY | |
| SPDR Gold Shares | Gold, Precious Metals | 22 | -4.79% | 138.96B | Nov 2004 | XLU vs GLD | |
| State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF | Technology Equities | 66 | 28.25% | 130.33B | Dec 1998 | XLU 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 | XLU vs SPYG | |
| State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ... | S&P 500, Dividend | 47 | 12.56% | 7.30B | Oct 2015 | XLU vs SPYD | |
| State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF | Energy Equities | 42 | 23.49% | 36.84B | Dec 1998 | XLU vs XLE | |
| SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust | Gold, Precious Metals | 22 | -4.72% | 28.75B | Jun 2018 | XLU vs GLDM | |
| State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF | S&P 500 | 59 | 8.21% | 148.87B | Nov 2005 | XLU vs SPYM | |
| SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF | Government Bonds, Ultrashort Bond | 100 | 1.67% | 46.54B | May 2007 | XLU vs BIL | |
| State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF | Financials Equities | 15 | -0.77% | 51.89B | Dec 1998 | XLU vs XLF |
Often Compared With XLU
Investors most often compare XLU with XLP, UTES, IDU. These 20 comparison targets span 8 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare XLU with Any Fund or Stock
Compare XLU with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair XLU with funds that move differently
State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to XLU.
Explore XLU Diversifiers