IDU vs. XLV

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares U.S. Utilities ETF (IDU) and State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV).

IDU and XLV are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. IDU is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Utilities Index. It was launched on Jun 20, 2000. XLV is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the Health Care Select Sector Index. It was launched on Dec 16, 1998. Both IDU and XLV 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

IDU vs. XLV - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares U.S. Utilities ETF (IDU) and State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

IDU vs. XLV - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
IDU iShares U.S. Utilities ETF	8.18%	15.23%	23.23%	-5.02%	0.17%	16.96%	-1.07%	24.21%	3.93%	11.94%
XLV State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF	-4.18%	14.50%	2.47%	2.07%	-2.08%	26.04%	13.30%	20.45%	6.28%	21.77%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, IDU achieves a 8.18% return, which is significantly higher than XLV's -4.18% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with IDU having a 9.39% annualized return and XLV not far ahead at 9.80%.

IDU

• 1D: 0.43%
• 1M: -2.28%
• YTD: 8.18%
• 6M: 5.59%
• 1Y: 17.21%
• 3Y*: 14.43%
• 5Y*: 10.64%
• 10Y*: 9.39%

XLV

• 1D: 0.76%
• 1M: -6.43%
• YTD: -4.18%
• 6M: 3.83%
• 1Y: 4.90%
• 3Y*: 6.25%
• 5Y*: 6.59%
• 10Y*: 9.80%

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

IDU vs. XLV - Expense Ratio Comparison

IDU has a 0.42% expense ratio, which is higher than XLV's 0.08% expense ratio.

IDU

iShares U.S. Utilities ETF

XLV

State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF

Return for Risk

IDU vs. XLV — Risk / Return Rank

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

IDU

IDU Risk / Return Rank: 60
IDU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 63
IDU Sortino Ratio Rank: 59
IDU Omega Ratio Rank: 56
IDU Calmar Ratio Rank: 75
IDU Martin Ratio Rank: 50

XLV

XLV Risk / Return Rank: 18
XLV Sharpe Ratio Rank: 19
XLV Sortino Ratio Rank: 18
XLV Omega Ratio Rank: 18
XLV Calmar Ratio Rank: 17
XLV Martin Ratio Rank: 16

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.

IDU vs. XLV - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares U.S. Utilities ETF (IDU) and State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV). 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.

	IDU	XLV	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.14	0.28	+0.86
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.57	0.51	+1.06
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.21	1.06	+0.15
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.08	0.28	+1.80
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	4.99	0.58	+4.40
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

IDU vs. XLV - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current IDU Sharpe Ratio is 1.14, which is higher than the XLV Sharpe Ratio of 0.28. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of IDU and XLV, 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

	IDU	XLV	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.14	0.28	+0.86
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.65	0.45	+0.20
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.50	0.59	-0.09
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.43	0.46	-0.03

Correlation

The correlation between IDU and XLV is 0.45, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

IDU vs. XLV - Dividend Comparison

IDU's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.13%, more than XLV's 1.70% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
IDU iShares U.S. Utilities ETF	2.13%	2.23%	2.29%	2.79%	2.39%	2.39%	2.94%	2.71%	2.80%	2.62%	3.18%	4.22%
XLV State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF	1.70%	1.60%	1.67%	1.59%	1.47%	1.33%	1.49%	2.17%	1.57%	1.47%	1.60%	1.43%

Drawdowns

IDU vs. XLV - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum IDU drawdown since its inception was -53.88%, which is greater than XLV's maximum drawdown of -39.17%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IDU and XLV.

Drawdown Indicators

	IDU	XLV	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-53.88%	-39.17%	-14.71%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-8.45%	-10.76%	+2.31%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-24.11%	-17.11%	-7.00%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-36.18%	-28.40%	-7.78%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-2.88%	-7.41%	+4.53%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-11.43%	-7.12%	-4.31%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.53%	5.11%	-1.58%

Volatility

IDU vs. XLV - Volatility Comparison

iShares U.S. Utilities ETF (IDU) and State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) have volatilities of 4.77% and 4.79%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	IDU	XLV	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.77%	4.79%	-0.02%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.72%	10.29%	-0.57%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	15.18%	17.73%	-2.55%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	16.37%	14.56%	+1.81%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	18.68%	16.53%	+2.15%