DIA vs. XLF

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (DIA) and Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF).

DIA and XLF are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. DIA is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. It was launched on Jan 14, 1998. XLF is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the Financial Select Sector Index. It was launched on Dec 16, 1998. Both DIA and XLF are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

DIA vs. XLF - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (DIA) and Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

DIA vs. XLF - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
DIA SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF	-2.78%	14.71%	14.82%	16.02%	-7.02%	20.83%	9.59%	24.70%	-3.74%	28.08%
XLF Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund	-9.27%	14.90%	30.56%	12.03%	-10.59%	34.80%	-1.74%	31.88%	-13.06%	22.00%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, DIA achieves a -2.78% return, which is significantly higher than XLF's -9.27% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with DIA having a 12.28% annualized return and XLF not far ahead at 12.45%.

DIA

• 1D: 0.49%
• 1M: -4.64%
• YTD: -2.78%
• 6M: 1.02%
• 1Y: 12.67%
• 3Y*: 13.76%
• 5Y*: 8.92%
• 10Y*: 12.28%

XLF

• 1D: 0.14%
• 1M: -3.13%
• YTD: -9.27%
• 6M: -6.60%
• 1Y: 0.91%
• 3Y*: 17.30%
• 5Y*: 9.37%
• 10Y*: 12.45%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

DIA vs. XLF - Expense Ratio Comparison

DIA has a 0.16% expense ratio, which is higher than XLF's 0.13% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

DIA

SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF

XLF

Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund

Return for Risk

DIA vs. XLF — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

DIA

DIA Risk / Return Rank: 41
DIA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 38
DIA Sortino Ratio Rank: 40
DIA Omega Ratio Rank: 39
DIA Calmar Ratio Rank: 43
DIA Martin Ratio Rank: 44

XLF

XLF Risk / Return Rank: 13
XLF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 13
XLF Sortino Ratio Rank: 12
XLF Omega Ratio Rank: 12
XLF Calmar Ratio Rank: 13
XLF Martin Ratio Rank: 13

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

DIA vs. XLF - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (DIA) and Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	DIA	XLF	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.76	0.05	+0.71
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.19	0.19	+1.00
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.16	1.03	+0.14
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.17	0.05	+1.11
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	4.26	0.16	+4.10
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

DIA vs. XLF - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current DIA Sharpe Ratio is 0.76, which is higher than the XLF Sharpe Ratio of 0.05. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of DIA and XLF, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	DIA	XLF	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.76	0.05	+0.71
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.61	0.50	+0.10
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.70	0.56	+0.14
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.47	0.20	+0.27

Correlation

The correlation between DIA and XLF is 0.81, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

DIA vs. XLF - Dividend Comparison

DIA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.51%, less than XLF's 1.60% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
DIA SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF	1.51%	1.43%	1.61%	1.81%	1.91%	1.58%	1.87%	1.85%	2.24%	1.97%	2.26%	2.33%
XLF Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund	1.60%	1.31%	1.42%	1.71%	2.04%	1.63%	2.03%	1.87%	2.08%	1.48%	21.10%	1.95%

Drawdowns

DIA vs. XLF - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum DIA drawdown since its inception was -51.87%, smaller than the maximum XLF drawdown of -82.69%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for DIA and XLF.

Drawdown Indicators

	DIA	XLF	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-51.87%	-82.69%	+30.82%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-10.79%	-14.79%	+4.00%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-20.76%	-25.81%	+5.05%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-36.70%	-42.86%	+6.16%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.94%	-11.89%	+4.95%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-7.17%	-20.10%	+12.93%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.95%	4.96%	-2.01%

Volatility

DIA vs. XLF - Volatility Comparison

SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (DIA) and Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) have volatilities of 4.94% and 4.76%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	DIA	XLF	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.94%	4.76%	+0.18%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.24%	11.45%	-2.21%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	16.81%	19.25%	-2.44%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	14.73%	18.69%	-3.96%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	17.50%	22.18%	-4.68%