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HIGH.L vs. XLU
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

HIGH.L vs. XLU

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

HIGH.L (iShares EUR High Yield Corporate Bond UCITS ETF EUR (Acc)) and XLU (State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - HIGH.L is a European High Yield Bonds fund tracking the Bloomberg Pan Euro HY Euro TR EUR, while XLU is a Utilities Equities fund tracking the Utilities Select Sector Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, HIGH.L returned 2.71%/yr vs 10.38%/yr for XLU. At a 0.12 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. HIGH.L charges 0.50%/yr vs 0.08%/yr for XLU.

Performance

HIGH.L vs. XLU - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a €10,000 investment in iShares EUR High Yield Corporate Bond UCITS ETF EUR (Acc) (HIGH.L) and State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Different Trading Currencies

HIGH.L is traded in EUR, while XLU is traded in USD. To make them comparable, the XLU values have been converted to EUR using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, HIGH.L achieves a 1.03% return, which is significantly lower than XLU's 4.83% return.

HIGH.L

1D
0.13%
1M
0.90%
YTD
1.03%
6M
1.37%
1Y
3.20%
3Y*
6.34%
5Y*
2.71%
10Y*
—

XLU

1D
0.39%
1M
-4.61%
YTD
4.83%
6M
2.26%
1Y
9.76%
3Y*
10.74%
5Y*
10.38%
10Y*
8.98%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

HIGH.L vs. XLU - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
HIGH.L
iShares EUR High Yield Corporate Bond UCITS ETF EUR (Acc)		1.03%4.81%5.78%11.51%-9.32%2.82%1.10%9.76%-3.46%0.37%
XLU
State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF		4.83%2.26%31.45%-9.96%7.73%26.51%-7.78%28.78%8.81%-2.31%

Correlation

The correlation between HIGH.L and XLU is 0.13, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

Correlation
Correlation (1Y)
Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

0.13

Correlation (3Y)
Calculated over the trailing 3-year period

0.13

Correlation (5Y)
Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.11

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 26, 2017

0.12

HIGH.L vs. XLU - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors
HIGH.L
XLU

Financial Services

100.0%

-

Basic Materials

-

-

Communication Services

-

-

Consumer Cyclical

-

-

Consumer Defensive

-

-

Energy

-

-

Healthcare

-

-

Industrials

-

-

Real Estate

-

-

Technology

-

-

Utilities

-

100.0%

Financial Services

HIGH.L
100.0%
XLU

-

Basic Materials

HIGH.L

-

XLU

-

Communication Services

HIGH.L

-

XLU

-

Consumer Cyclical

HIGH.L

-

XLU

-

Consumer Defensive

HIGH.L

-

XLU

-

Energy

HIGH.L

-

XLU

-

Healthcare

HIGH.L

-

XLU

-

Industrials

HIGH.L

-

XLU

-

Real Estate

HIGH.L

-

XLU

-

Technology

HIGH.L

-

XLU

-

Utilities

HIGH.L

-

XLU
100.0%

Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs

Search for stocks, ETFs, and funds for a quick comparison or use the comparison tool for more options.

iShares EUR High Yield Corporate Bond UCITS ETF EUR (Acc)

State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF

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Often compared with XLU:
XLU vs. VPUXLU vs. XLEXLU vs. XLPXLU vs. SPYXLU vs. FUTYXLU vs. UTESXLU vs. IDU

Return for Risk

HIGH.L vs. XLU — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.
HIGH.L
HIGH.L Risk / Return Rank: 2727
Overall Rank
HIGH.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 2626
Sharpe Ratio Rank
HIGH.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 2727
Sortino Ratio Rank
HIGH.L Omega Ratio Rank: 2727
Omega Ratio Rank
HIGH.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 2424
Calmar Ratio Rank
HIGH.L Martin Ratio Rank: 3232
Martin Ratio Rank
XLU
XLU Risk / Return Rank: 2424
Overall Rank
XLU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 2424
Sharpe Ratio Rank
XLU Sortino Ratio Rank: 2323
Sortino Ratio Rank
XLU Omega Ratio Rank: 2323
Omega Ratio Rank
XLU Calmar Ratio Rank: 2727
Calmar Ratio Rank
XLU Martin Ratio Rank: 2323
Martin Ratio Rank
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.

HIGH.L vs. XLU - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares EUR High Yield Corporate Bond UCITS ETF EUR (Acc) (HIGH.L) and State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (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.

HIGH.LXLUDifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
0.92
0.65

+0.27

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
1.47
0.98

+0.49

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.18

1.12

+0.06

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

1.11

1.04

+0.06

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

4.65

2.17

+2.48

Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

HIGH.L vs. XLU - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current HIGH.L Sharpe Ratio is 0.92, which is higher than the XLU Sharpe Ratio of 0.65. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of HIGH.L and XLU, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

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Sharpe Ratios by Period

HIGH.LXLUDifference

Sharpe Ratio (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

0.92

0.65

+0.27

Sharpe Ratio (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.51

0.59

-0.08

Sharpe Ratio (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

—

0.45

—

Sharpe Ratio (All Time)

Calculated using the full available price history

0.37

0.47

-0.10

Drawdowns

HIGH.L vs. XLU - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum HIGH.L drawdown since its inception was -25.42%, smaller than the maximum XLU drawdown of -38.13%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for HIGH.L and XLU.

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Drawdown Indicators

HIGH.LXLUDifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-25.42%

-38.13%

+12.71%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-2.88%

-9.41%

+6.53%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-3.70%

-15.27%

+11.57%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-14.64%

-28.16%

+13.52%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

—

-35.68%

—

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-0.14%

-7.25%

+7.11%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-2.72%

-9.84%

+7.12%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

0.69%

4.51%

-3.82%

Volatility

HIGH.L vs. XLU - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for iShares EUR High Yield Corporate Bond UCITS ETF EUR (Acc) (HIGH.L) is 1.09%, while State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU) has a volatility of 5.67%. This indicates that HIGH.L experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than XLU based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

HIGH.LXLUDifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

1.09%

5.67%

-4.58%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

2.91%

11.72%

-8.81%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

3.46%

15.26%

-11.80%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

5.32%

17.64%

-12.32%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

7.15%

19.94%

-12.79%

HIGH.L vs. XLU - Expense Ratio Comparison

HIGH.L has a 0.50% expense ratio, which is higher than XLU's 0.08% expense ratio.

Dividends

HIGH.L vs. XLU - Dividend Comparison

HIGH.L has not paid dividends to shareholders, while XLU's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.71%.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
HIGH.L
iShares EUR High Yield Corporate Bond 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%
XLU
State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF		2.71%2.71%2.96%3.39%2.92%2.79%3.14%2.95%3.33%3.33%3.41%3.67%

Frequently Asked Questions

HIGH.L and XLU have a correlation of 0.13, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

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

XLU is cheaper with a 0.08% expense ratio, compared with 0.50% for HIGH.L.

HIGH.L is categorized as European High Yield Bonds, while XLU is Utilities Equities. HIGH.L tracks Bloomberg Pan Euro HY Euro TR EUR, while XLU tracks Utilities Select Sector Index. They also come from different issuers: iShares and State Street. Their fees differ too: 0.50% for HIGH.L and 0.08% for XLU.

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