LNG vs. XLE

Last updated Aug 1, 2026

LNG (Cheniere Energy, Inc.) is a stock, while XLE (State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF) is Energy Equities fund tracking the Energy Select Sector Index. Over the past 10 years, LNG returned 21.52%/yr vs 10.52%/yr for XLE. Their 0.42 correlation means their historical movements had little consistent relationship.

Performance

LNG vs. XLE - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Cheniere Energy, Inc. (LNG) and State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both stocks are quite close, with LNG having a 36.26% return and XLE slightly lower at 35.03%. Over the past 10 years, LNG has outperformed XLE with an annualized return of 21.52%, while XLE has yielded a comparatively lower 10.52% annualized return.

LNG

• 1D: 2.14%
• 1M: 8.06%
• 6M: 25.23%
• YTD: 36.26%
• 1Y: 12.83%
• 3Y*: 19.21%
• 5Y*: 26.62%
• 10Y*: 21.52%
• ALL TIME*: 12.85%

XLE

• 1D: 1.00%
• 1M: 12.76%
• 6M: 18.26%
• YTD: 35.03%
• 1Y: 40.82%
• 3Y*: 14.62%
• 5Y*: 23.67%
• 10Y*: 10.52%
• ALL TIME*: 8.87%

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

Liquidity Comparison

Position	Avg. Volume Value (2W)	Avg. Volume Value (1M)	Avg. Volume Value (3M)
LNG Cheniere Energy, Inc.	$449.81M	$470.16M	$533.59M
XLE State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF	$1.70B	$1.73B	$1.97B

LNG vs. XLE - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
LNG Cheniere Energy, Inc.	36.26%	-8.70%	27.18%	15.02%	49.30%	69.48%	-1.70%	3.18%	9.94%	29.95%
XLE State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF	35.03%	7.88%	5.56%	-0.63%	64.32%	53.28%	-32.67%	11.74%	-18.22%	-0.89%

Correlation

The correlation between LNG and XLE is 0.61, 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.	0.61
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history.	0.56
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period.	0.58
Correlation (10Y) Provides a long-term view across more market conditions.	0.59
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Dec 22, 1998	0.42

The correlation between LNG and XLE shifts across timeframes, from 0.42 (all time) to 0.61 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Return for Risk

LNG vs. XLE — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.

LNG

LNG Risk / Return Rank: 57
LNG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 62
LNG Sortino Ratio Rank: 56
LNG Omega Ratio Rank: 54
LNG Calmar Ratio Rank: 58
LNG Martin Ratio Rank: 57

XLE

XLE Risk / Return Rank: 76
XLE Sharpe Ratio Rank: 84
XLE Sortino Ratio Rank: 79
XLE Omega Ratio Rank: 76
XLE Calmar Ratio Rank: 78
XLE Martin Ratio Rank: 62

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.

LNG vs. XLE - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Cheniere Energy, Inc. (LNG) and State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE). 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.

	LNG	XLE	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.49	1.95	-1.46
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	0.88	2.53	-1.65
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.10	1.32	-0.21
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.54	2.74	-2.20
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	1.00	7.32	-6.32

LNG vs. XLE - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current LNG Sharpe Ratio is 0.49, which is lower than the XLE Sharpe Ratio of 1.95. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of LNG and XLE, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Drawdowns

LNG vs. XLE - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum LNG drawdown since its inception was -97.84%, which is greater than XLE's maximum drawdown of -71.26%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for LNG and XLE.

Drawdown Indicators

	LNG	XLE	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-97.84%	-71.26%	-26.58%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-24.09%	-14.98%	-9.11%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-24.87%	-20.14%	-4.73%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-24.87%	-26.04%	+1.17%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-57.53%	-66.81%	+9.28%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-11.02%	-4.13%	-6.89%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-43.02%	-17.93%	-25.09%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	12.86%	5.62%	+7.24%

Volatility

LNG vs. XLE - Volatility Comparison

Cheniere Energy, Inc. (LNG) has a higher volatility of 9.48% compared to State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) at 5.85%. This indicates that LNG's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than XLE based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	LNG	XLE	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	9.48%	5.85%	+3.63%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	23.32%	16.71%	+6.61%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	26.45%	21.05%	+5.40%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	30.42%	25.77%	+4.65%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	32.28%	29.57%	+2.71%

Dividends

LNG vs. XLE - Dividend Comparison

LNG's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.82%, less than XLE's 2.55% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
LNG Cheniere Energy, Inc.	0.82%	1.06%	0.84%	0.95%	0.92%	0.33%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
XLE State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF	2.55%	3.28%	3.36%	3.55%	3.68%	4.21%	5.62%	6.72%	3.54%	3.03%	2.26%	3.39%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both LNG and XLE in my portfolio?

LNG and XLE have a correlation of 0.61, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, LNG or XLE?

LNG has higher volatility (9.48%) compared to XLE (5.85%). In terms of maximum drawdown, LNG dropped -97.84% vs XLE's -71.26%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

XLE currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.95 vs 0.49), 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.