PortfoliosLab logoPortfoliosLab logo

Documentation

Upgrade your plan
IAI vs. XLFI
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

IAI vs. XLFI

Last updated Aug 4, 2026
Documentation

IAI (iShares U.S. Broker-Dealers & Securities Exchanges ETF) and XLFI (State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - IAI is a Financials Equities fund tracking the Dow Jones U.S. Select Investment Services Index, while XLFI is a Derivative Income fund actively managed by State Street. IAI is passively managed, while XLFI is actively managed. Over the past year, IAI returned 10.86% vs 12.57% for XLFI. Their 0.74 correlation means they have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently. IAI charges 0.38%/yr vs 0.35%/yr for XLFI.

Performance

IAI vs. XLFI - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares U.S. Broker-Dealers & Securities Exchanges ETF (IAI) and State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETF (XLFI). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Loading charts...

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, IAI achieves a 5.15% return, which is significantly higher than XLFI's 4.34% return.

IAI

1D
0.57%
1M
1.65%
6M
1.99%
YTD
5.15%
1Y
10.86%
3Y*
26.32%
5Y*
14.47%
10Y*
18.54%
ALL TIME*
8.25%

XLFI

1D
1.13%
1M
3.25%
6M
5.06%
YTD
4.34%
1Y
12.57%
3Y*
—
5Y*
—
10Y*
—
ALL TIME*
9.86%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Liquidity Comparison

PositionAvg. Volume Value (2W)Avg. Volume Value (1M)Avg. Volume Value (3M)

IAI

iShares U.S. Broker-Dealers & Securities Exchanges ETF
$10.94M$13.67M$19.10M

XLFI

State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETF
$182.20K$220.07K$173.47K

IAI vs. XLFI - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)2025
IAI
iShares U.S. Broker-Dealers & Securities Exchanges ETF		5.15%2.96%
XLFI
State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETF		4.34%5.40%

Correlation

The correlation between IAI and XLFI is 0.74, which is moderate. They have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently, sharing some price drivers without tracking each other closely.

Correlation
Correlation (1Y)
Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.

0.74

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 30, 2025

0.74

The correlation between IAI and XLFI has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.74 to 0.74 - a consistent structural relationship.

IAI vs. XLFI - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors
IAI
XLFI

Financial Services

99.9%
100.4%

Technology

0.1%

-

Basic Materials

-

-

Communication Services

-

-

Consumer Cyclical

-

-

Consumer Defensive

-

-

Energy

-

-

Healthcare

-

-

Industrials

-

-

Real Estate

-

-

Utilities

-

-

Financial Services

IAI
99.9%
XLFI
100.4%

Technology

IAI
0.1%
XLFI

-

Basic Materials

IAI

-

XLFI

-

Communication Services

IAI

-

XLFI

-

Consumer Cyclical

IAI

-

XLFI

-

Consumer Defensive

IAI

-

XLFI

-

Energy

IAI

-

XLFI

-

Healthcare

IAI

-

XLFI

-

Industrials

IAI

-

XLFI

-

Real Estate

IAI

-

XLFI

-

Utilities

IAI

-

XLFI

-

Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs

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

iShares U.S. Broker-Dealers & Securities Exchanges ETF

State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETF

Often compared with IAI:
IAI vs. KCEIAI vs. XLFIAI vs. SPYIAI vs. QQQIAI vs. KIEIAI vs. FASIAI vs. SOXX
Often compared with XLFI:
XLFI vs. XLFXLFI vs. EUFNXLFI vs. PBPXLFI vs. KREXLFI vs. FXOXLFI vs. IVVWXLFI vs. IYF

Return for Risk

IAI vs. XLFI — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.
IAI
IAI Risk / Return Rank: 2424
Overall Rank
IAI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 2424
Sharpe Ratio Rank
IAI Sortino Ratio Rank: 2424
Sortino Ratio Rank
IAI Omega Ratio Rank: 2424
Omega Ratio Rank
IAI Calmar Ratio Rank: 2323
Calmar Ratio Rank
IAI Martin Ratio Rank: 2424
Martin Ratio Rank
XLFI
XLFI Risk / Return Rank: 3535
Overall Rank
XLFI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 3939
Sharpe Ratio Rank
XLFI Sortino Ratio Rank: 3636
Sortino Ratio Rank
XLFI Omega Ratio Rank: 3838
Omega Ratio Rank
XLFI Calmar Ratio Rank: 3030
Calmar Ratio Rank
XLFI Martin Ratio Rank: 3131
Martin Ratio Rank
The rank (0–100) uses a weighted average of the Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin percentile ranks for the trailing 12 months. Higher means stronger historical risk-adjusted performance within the peer group.

IAI vs. XLFI - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares U.S. Broker-Dealers & Securities Exchanges ETF (IAI) and State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETF (XLFI). 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.

Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.

IAIXLFIDifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
0.54
1.07

-0.53

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
0.87
1.45

-0.58

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.11

1.20

-0.09

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

0.66

1.06

-0.40

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

1.83

2.98

-1.16

IAI vs. XLFI - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current IAI Sharpe Ratio is 0.54, which is lower than the XLFI Sharpe Ratio of 1.07. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of IAI and XLFI, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Loading charts...

Drawdowns

IAI vs. XLFI - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum IAI drawdown since its inception was -75.46%, which is greater than XLFI's maximum drawdown of -11.89%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IAI and XLFI.

Loading charts...

Drawdown Indicators

IAIXLFIDifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-75.46%

-11.89%

-63.57%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-16.52%

-11.89%

-4.63%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-23.14%

—

—

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-28.84%

—

—

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-40.38%

—

—

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-4.58%

0.00%

-4.58%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-22.50%

-3.01%

-19.49%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

5.96%

4.22%

+1.74%

Volatility

IAI vs. XLFI - Volatility Comparison

iShares U.S. Broker-Dealers & Securities Exchanges ETF (IAI) has a higher volatility of 6.40% compared to State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETF (XLFI) at 2.84%. This indicates that IAI's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than XLFI based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Loading charts...

Volatility by Period

IAIXLFIDifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

6.40%

2.84%

+3.56%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

16.12%

9.14%

+6.98%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

20.14%

11.82%

+8.32%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

21.52%

11.88%

+9.64%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

22.76%

11.88%

+10.88%

IAI vs. XLFI - Expense Ratio Comparison

IAI has a 0.38% expense ratio, which is higher than XLFI's 0.35% expense ratio.

Dividends

IAI vs. XLFI - Dividend Comparison

IAI's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.09%, less than XLFI's 12.13% yield.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
IAI
iShares U.S. Broker-Dealers & Securities Exchanges ETF		1.09%0.95%1.05%1.80%2.14%1.31%1.55%1.52%1.58%1.37%1.49%1.31%
XLFI
State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETF		12.13%5.57%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

IAI and XLFI have a correlation of 0.74, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

IAI has higher volatility (6.40%) compared to XLFI (2.84%). In terms of maximum drawdown, IAI dropped -75.46% vs XLFI's -11.89%.

On 1-year performance, XLFI leads with 12.57% vs 10.86% for IAI. On fees, XLFI is cheaper at 0.35% per year. On volatility, XLFI has been the lower-risk option at 2.84%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Over the 1-year period, XLFI has performed better with a 12.57% return vs 10.86%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

XLFI is cheaper with a 0.35% expense ratio, compared with 0.38% for IAI.

XLFI has the higher dividend yield at 12.13%, compared with 1.09% for IAI.

IAI is categorized as Financials Equities, while XLFI is Derivative Income. They also come from different issuers: iShares and State Street. Their fees differ too: 0.38% for IAI and 0.35% for XLFI.

XLFI currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.07 vs 0.54), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.

Portfolio Optimizer

Find the right allocation for IAI and XLFI

Add both to a portfolio and optimize allocations for your target — whether that's maximizing returns, minimizing drawdowns, or balancing risk across holdings.

Open Portfolio Optimizer