EWX vs. XLU

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Small Cap ETF (EWX) and Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLU).

EWX and XLU are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. EWX is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the S&P Emerging Markets Under USD2 Billion Index. It was launched on May 12, 2008. XLU is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the Utilities Select Sector Index. It was launched on Dec 16, 1998. Both EWX and XLU 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

EWX vs. XLU - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Small Cap ETF (EWX) and Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLU). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

EWX vs. XLU - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
EWX SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Small Cap ETF	1.07%	15.46%	6.81%	18.13%	-15.00%	18.15%	14.84%	15.59%	-18.75%	34.12%
XLU Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund	8.77%	16.03%	23.31%	-7.18%	1.44%	17.70%	0.51%	25.93%	3.94%	12.05%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, EWX achieves a 1.07% return, which is significantly lower than XLU's 8.77% return. Over the past 10 years, EWX has underperformed XLU with an annualized return of 8.33%, while XLU has yielded a comparatively higher 9.79% annualized return.

EWX

• 1D: 0.36%
• 1M: -3.63%
• YTD: 1.07%
• 6M: 0.32%
• 1Y: 20.02%
• 3Y*: 12.47%
• 5Y*: 6.50%
• 10Y*: 8.33%

XLU

• 1D: 0.48%
• 1M: -1.98%
• YTD: 8.77%
• 6M: 6.26%
• 1Y: 19.98%
• 3Y*: 14.30%
• 5Y*: 10.90%
• 10Y*: 9.79%

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

EWX vs. XLU - Expense Ratio Comparison

EWX has a 0.65% expense ratio, which is higher than XLU's 0.13% expense ratio.

EWX

SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Small Cap ETF

XLU

Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund

Return for Risk

EWX vs. XLU — Risk / Return Rank

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

EWX

EWX Risk / Return Rank: 65
EWX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 67
EWX Sortino Ratio Rank: 64
EWX Omega Ratio Rank: 65
EWX Calmar Ratio Rank: 60
EWX Martin Ratio Rank: 67

XLU

XLU Risk / Return Rank: 66
XLU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 70
XLU Sortino Ratio Rank: 66
XLU Omega Ratio Rank: 62
XLU Calmar Ratio Rank: 79
XLU Martin Ratio Rank: 52

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.

EWX vs. XLU - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Small Cap ETF (EWX) and Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLU). 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.

	EWX	XLU	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.22	1.27	-0.05
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.68	1.73	-0.05
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.25	1.23	+0.01
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.61	2.21	-0.60
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	7.23	5.31	+1.92
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

EWX vs. XLU - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current EWX Sharpe Ratio is 1.22, which is comparable to the XLU Sharpe Ratio of 1.27. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of EWX and XLU, 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

	EWX	XLU	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.22	1.27	-0.05
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.43	0.64	-0.21
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.49	0.51	-0.02
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.19	0.41	-0.23

Correlation

The correlation between EWX and XLU is 0.35, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

EWX vs. XLU - Dividend Comparison

EWX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.88%, more than XLU's 2.58% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
EWX SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Small Cap ETF	2.88%	2.91%	2.90%	2.32%	3.00%	2.77%	2.24%	2.73%	3.26%	2.30%	2.46%	3.04%
XLU Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund	2.58%	2.71%	2.96%	3.39%	2.92%	2.79%	3.14%	2.95%	3.33%	3.33%	3.41%	3.67%

Drawdowns

EWX vs. XLU - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum EWX drawdown since its inception was -63.90%, which is greater than XLU's maximum drawdown of -51.98%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for EWX and XLU.

Drawdown Indicators

	EWX	XLU	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-63.90%	-51.98%	-11.92%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.90%	-9.18%	-3.72%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-24.67%	-25.26%	+0.59%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-43.00%	-36.07%	-6.93%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.62%	-2.72%	-2.90%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-13.28%	-10.26%	-3.02%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.88%	3.82%	-0.94%

Volatility

EWX vs. XLU - Volatility Comparison

SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Small Cap ETF (EWX) has a higher volatility of 6.64% compared to Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLU) at 5.09%. This indicates that EWX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than XLU based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	EWX	XLU	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.64%	5.09%	+1.55%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.51%	10.36%	+0.15%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	16.45%	15.79%	+0.66%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	15.12%	17.18%	-2.06%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	17.08%	19.21%	-2.13%