GLTR vs. XLB

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Aberdeen Standard Physical Precious Metals Basket Shares ETF (GLTR) and Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLB).

GLTR and XLB are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. GLTR is a passively managed fund by Aberdeen that tracks the performance of the ETFS Physical Precious Metals Basket Index. It was launched on Oct 22, 2010. XLB is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the Materials Select Sector Index. It was launched on Dec 16, 1998. Both GLTR and XLB 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

GLTR vs. XLB - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Aberdeen Standard Physical Precious Metals Basket Shares ETF (GLTR) and Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLB). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

GLTR vs. XLB - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
GLTR Aberdeen Standard Physical Precious Metals Basket Shares ETF	6.38%	87.25%	20.63%	2.01%	-0.25%	-9.60%	29.52%	20.96%	-2.85%	12.94%
XLB Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF	10.68%	9.94%	0.15%	12.46%	-12.30%	27.44%	20.46%	24.13%	-14.88%	24.01%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, GLTR achieves a 6.38% return, which is significantly lower than XLB's 10.68% return. Over the past 10 years, GLTR has outperformed XLB with an annualized return of 14.10%, while XLB has yielded a comparatively lower 10.45% annualized return.

GLTR

• 1D: 4.98%
• 1M: -14.74%
• YTD: 6.38%
• 6M: 32.20%
• 1Y: 68.93%
• 3Y*: 33.85%
• 5Y*: 18.37%
• 10Y*: 14.10%

XLB

• 1D: 1.79%
• 1M: -6.02%
• YTD: 10.68%
• 6M: 12.59%
• 1Y: 18.51%
• 3Y*: 9.53%
• 5Y*: 6.79%
• 10Y*: 10.45%

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

GLTR vs. XLB - Expense Ratio Comparison

GLTR has a 0.60% expense ratio, which is higher than XLB's 0.13% expense ratio.

GLTR

Aberdeen Standard Physical Precious Metals Basket Shares ETF

XLB

Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF

Return for Risk

GLTR vs. XLB — Risk / Return Rank

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

GLTR

GLTR Risk / Return Rank: 85
GLTR Sharpe Ratio Rank: 89
GLTR Sortino Ratio Rank: 83
GLTR Omega Ratio Rank: 89
GLTR Calmar Ratio Rank: 85
GLTR Martin Ratio Rank: 80

XLB

XLB Risk / Return Rank: 54
XLB Sharpe Ratio Rank: 53
XLB Sortino Ratio Rank: 56
XLB Omega Ratio Rank: 49
XLB Calmar Ratio Rank: 58
XLB 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.

GLTR vs. XLB - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Aberdeen Standard Physical Precious Metals Basket Shares ETF (GLTR) and Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLB). 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.

	GLTR	XLB	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.87	0.89	+0.98
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.11	1.38	+0.73
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.36	1.18	+0.18
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.38	1.35	+1.03
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	8.28	4.72	+3.56
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

GLTR vs. XLB - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current GLTR Sharpe Ratio is 1.87, which is higher than the XLB Sharpe Ratio of 0.89. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of GLTR and XLB, 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

	GLTR	XLB	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.87	0.89	+0.98
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.80	0.36	+0.44
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.70	0.51	+0.19
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.34	0.36	-0.01

Correlation

The correlation between GLTR and XLB is 0.25, 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

GLTR vs. XLB - Dividend Comparison

GLTR has not paid dividends to shareholders, while XLB's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.75%.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
GLTR Aberdeen Standard Physical Precious Metals Basket Shares ETF	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
XLB Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF	1.75%	1.92%	1.92%	2.00%	2.26%	1.62%	1.72%	1.98%	2.20%	1.66%	1.95%	2.24%

Drawdowns

GLTR vs. XLB - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum GLTR drawdown since its inception was -55.70%, smaller than the maximum XLB drawdown of -59.83%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GLTR and XLB.

Drawdown Indicators

	GLTR	XLB	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-55.70%	-59.83%	+4.13%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-29.70%	-14.64%	-15.06%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-29.70%	-24.72%	-4.98%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-29.70%	-37.27%	+7.57%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-23.32%	-6.39%	-16.93%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-28.89%	-10.88%	-18.01%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	8.54%	4.20%	+4.34%

Volatility

GLTR vs. XLB - Volatility Comparison

Aberdeen Standard Physical Precious Metals Basket Shares ETF (GLTR) has a higher volatility of 13.48% compared to Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLB) at 6.28%. This indicates that GLTR's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than XLB based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	GLTR	XLB	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	13.48%	6.28%	+7.20%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	35.75%	12.53%	+23.22%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	37.11%	20.95%	+16.16%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	23.16%	18.91%	+4.25%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	20.28%	20.62%	-0.34%