ESIC.L vs. XLE

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

ESIC.L (iShares MSCI Europe Consumer Discretionary Sector UCITS ETF EUR (Acc)) and XLE (State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - ESIC.L is a Consumer Discretionary Equities fund tracking the Cat 50%MSCI Wld/CD NR&50%MSCI Wld/CS NR, while XLE is a Energy Equities fund tracking the Energy Select Sector Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, ESIC.L returned -1.55%/yr vs 21.76%/yr for XLE. At a 0.07 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. ESIC.L charges 0.18%/yr vs 0.08%/yr for XLE.

Performance

ESIC.L vs. XLE - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a £10,000 investment in iShares MSCI Europe Consumer Discretionary Sector UCITS ETF EUR (Acc) (ESIC.L) and State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Different Trading Currencies

ESIC.L is traded in GBP, while XLE is traded in USD. To make them comparable, the XLE values have been converted to GBP using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ESIC.L achieves a -11.67% return, which is significantly lower than XLE's 32.80% return.

ESIC.L

• 1D: 0.48%
• 1M: 7.15%
• YTD: -11.67%
• 6M: -11.51%
• 1Y: -3.34%
• 3Y*: -2.82%
• 5Y*: -1.55%
• 10Y*: —

XLE

• 1D: 0.07%
• 1M: -0.27%
• YTD: 32.80%
• 6M: 28.44%
• 1Y: 49.42%
• 3Y*: 14.79%
• 5Y*: 21.76%
• 10Y*: 10.81%

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

ESIC.L vs. XLE - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
ESIC.L iShares MSCI Europe Consumer Discretionary Sector UCITS ETF EUR (Acc)	-11.67%	7.11%	-1.15%	12.93%	-11.01%	14.25%	5.78%
XLE State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF	32.80%	0.19%	7.40%	-5.60%	83.86%	54.73%	-2.31%

Correlation

The correlation between ESIC.L and XLE is -0.16, meaning they tend to move in opposite directions. This is especially valuable for risk management - when one declines, the other has historically tended to hold steady or rise.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.16
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	-0.00
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.07
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Nov 24, 2020	0.07

The correlation between ESIC.L and XLE shifts across timeframes, from -0.16 (1 year) to 0.07 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

ESIC.L vs. XLE - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	ESIC.L	XLE
Consumer Cyclical	95.6%	-
Technology	2.9%	-
Communication Services	1.0%	-
Industrials	0.5%	-
Basic Materials	-	-
Consumer Defensive	-	-
Energy	-	100.0%
Financial Services	-	-
Healthcare	-	-
Real Estate	-	-
Utilities	-	-

Return for Risk

ESIC.L vs. XLE — Risk / Return Rank

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

ESIC.L

ESIC.L Risk / Return Rank: 7
ESIC.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 7
ESIC.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 7
ESIC.L Omega Ratio Rank: 7
ESIC.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 8
ESIC.L Martin Ratio Rank: 7

XLE

XLE Risk / Return Rank: 70
XLE Sharpe Ratio Rank: 74
XLE Sortino Ratio Rank: 67
XLE Omega Ratio Rank: 64
XLE Calmar Ratio Rank: 79
XLE Martin Ratio Rank: 65

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.

ESIC.L vs. XLE - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares MSCI Europe Consumer Discretionary Sector UCITS ETF EUR (Acc) (ESIC.L) and State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE). 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.

	ESIC.L	XLE	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	-0.17	2.28	-2.46
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	-0.12	2.92	-3.04
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.99	1.37	-0.39
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.15	3.62	-3.77
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	-0.35	10.37	-10.72
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ESIC.L vs. XLE - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ESIC.L Sharpe Ratio is -0.17, which is lower than the XLE Sharpe Ratio of 2.28. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ESIC.L and XLE, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	ESIC.L	XLE	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.17	2.28	-2.46
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.07	0.85	-0.92
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.37	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.11	0.28	-0.17

Drawdowns

ESIC.L vs. XLE - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ESIC.L drawdown since its inception was -28.93%, smaller than the maximum XLE drawdown of -62.74%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ESIC.L and XLE.

Drawdown Indicators

	ESIC.L	XLE	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-28.93%	-62.74%	+33.81%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-21.82%	-13.73%	-8.09%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-23.39%	-22.57%	-0.82%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-28.93%	-22.59%	-6.34%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-62.74%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-15.64%	-7.19%	-8.45%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-9.39%	-14.61%	+5.22%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	9.50%	4.78%	+4.72%

Volatility

ESIC.L vs. XLE - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for iShares MSCI Europe Consumer Discretionary Sector UCITS ETF EUR (Acc) (ESIC.L) is 6.36%, while State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) has a volatility of 8.94%. This indicates that ESIC.L experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than XLE based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ESIC.L	XLE	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.36%	8.94%	-2.58%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	15.17%	17.50%	-2.33%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	19.03%	21.86%	-2.83%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	20.84%	25.76%	-4.92%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	20.37%	29.34%	-8.97%

ESIC.L vs. XLE - Expense Ratio Comparison

ESIC.L has a 0.18% expense ratio, which is higher than XLE's 0.08% 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%.

Dividends

ESIC.L vs. XLE - Dividend Comparison

ESIC.L has not paid dividends to shareholders, while XLE's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.54%.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
ESIC.L iShares MSCI Europe Consumer Discretionary Sector UCITS ETF EUR (Acc)	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
XLE State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF	2.54%	3.28%	3.36%	3.55%	3.68%	4.21%	5.62%	6.72%	3.54%	3.03%	2.26%	3.39%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both ESIC.L and XLE in my portfolio?

ESIC.L and XLE have a correlation of -0.16, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which ETF is better, ESIC.L or XLE?

On fees, XLE is cheaper at 0.08% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF is cheaper, ESIC.L or XLE?

XLE is cheaper with a 0.08% expense ratio, compared with 0.18% for ESIC.L.

What is the main difference between ESIC.L and XLE?

ESIC.L is categorized as Consumer Discretionary Equities, while XLE is Energy Equities. ESIC.L tracks Cat 50%MSCI Wld/CD NR&50%MSCI Wld/CS NR, while XLE tracks Energy Select Sector Index. They also come from different issuers: iShares and State Street. Their fees differ too: 0.18% for ESIC.L and 0.08% for XLE.