POWR vs. XLUI

Last updated Aug 6, 2026

POWR (iShares U.S. Power Infrastructure ETF) and XLUI (State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - POWR is a Infrastructure Equities fund tracking the S&P U.S. Power Infrastructure Select Index, while XLUI is a Utilities Equities fund actively managed by State Street. POWR is passively managed, while XLUI is actively managed. Over the past year, POWR returned 17.32% vs 5.95% for XLUI. Their 0.44 correlation means their historical movements had little consistent relationship. POWR charges 0.40%/yr vs 0.35%/yr for XLUI.

Performance

POWR vs. XLUI - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares U.S. Power Infrastructure ETF (POWR) and State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETF (XLUI). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, POWR achieves a 13.36% return, which is significantly higher than XLUI's 6.25% return.

POWR

• 1D: -1.01%
• 1M: -3.18%
• 6M: 7.64%
• YTD: 13.36%
• 1Y: 17.32%
• 3Y*: 7.97%
• 5Y*: 16.00%
• 10Y*: 8.15%
• ALL TIME*: 4.13%

XLUI

• 1D: -1.26%
• 1M: -2.98%
• 6M: 4.95%
• YTD: 6.25%
• 1Y: 5.95%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —
• ALL TIME*: 6.43%

*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)
POWR iShares U.S. Power Infrastructure ETF	$6.65M	$6.89M	$7.30M
XLUI State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETF	$900.10K	$759.88K	$675.34K

POWR vs. XLUI - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025
POWR iShares U.S. Power Infrastructure ETF	13.36%	0.26%
XLUI State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETF	6.25%	0.27%

Correlation

The correlation between POWR and XLUI is 0.45, which is low. Their historical price movements had little consistent relationship.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.	0.45
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 30, 2025	0.44

POWR vs. XLUI - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	POWR	XLUI
Utilities	58.2%	-
Industrials	23.7%	-
Energy	12.4%	-
Technology	5.4%	-
Basic Materials	0.1%	-
Communication Services	-	-
Consumer Cyclical	-	-
Consumer Defensive	-	-
Financial Services	-	100.4%
Healthcare	-	-
Real Estate	-	-

Return for Risk

POWR vs. XLUI — Risk / Return Rank

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

POWR

POWR Risk / Return Rank: 39
POWR Sharpe Ratio Rank: 35
POWR Sortino Ratio Rank: 34
POWR Omega Ratio Rank: 33
POWR Calmar Ratio Rank: 44
POWR Martin Ratio Rank: 47

XLUI

XLUI Risk / Return Rank: 23
XLUI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 21
XLUI Sortino Ratio Rank: 19
XLUI Omega Ratio Rank: 20
XLUI Calmar Ratio Rank: 27
XLUI Martin Ratio Rank: 26

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.

POWR vs. XLUI - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares U.S. Power Infrastructure ETF (POWR) and State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETF (XLUI). 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.

	POWR	XLUI	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.01	0.53	+0.48
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.46	0.77	+0.69
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.18	1.10	+0.08
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.78	0.99	+0.79
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	6.11	2.33	+3.78

POWR vs. XLUI - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current POWR Sharpe Ratio is 1.01, which is higher than the XLUI Sharpe Ratio of 0.53. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of POWR and XLUI, 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

POWR vs. XLUI - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum POWR drawdown since its inception was -65.98%, which is greater than XLUI's maximum drawdown of -6.01%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for POWR and XLUI.

Drawdown Indicators

	POWR	XLUI	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-65.98%	-6.01%	-59.97%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-9.77%	-6.01%	-3.76%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-23.14%	—	—
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-25.09%	—	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-63.42%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.75%	-5.39%	-0.36%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-17.98%	-1.90%	-16.08%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.84%	2.56%	+0.28%

Volatility

POWR vs. XLUI - Volatility Comparison

iShares U.S. Power Infrastructure ETF (POWR) has a higher volatility of 5.32% compared to State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETF (XLUI) at 3.49%. This indicates that POWR's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than XLUI based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	POWR	XLUI	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.32%	3.49%	+1.83%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	13.52%	8.87%	+4.65%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	17.29%	11.38%	+5.91%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	22.92%	11.32%	+11.60%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	25.50%	11.32%	+14.18%

POWR vs. XLUI - Expense Ratio Comparison

POWR has a 0.40% expense ratio, which is higher than XLUI's 0.35% expense ratio.

Dividends

POWR vs. XLUI - Dividend Comparison

POWR's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.69%, less than XLUI's 14.96% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
POWR iShares U.S. Power Infrastructure ETF	5.69%	7.56%	4.36%	4.16%	4.82%	3.94%	3.96%	5.71%	3.17%	3.11%	2.75%	3.42%
XLUI State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETF	14.96%	7.12%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both POWR and XLUI in my portfolio?

POWR and XLUI have a correlation of 0.45, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, POWR or XLUI?

POWR has higher volatility (5.32%) compared to XLUI (3.49%). In terms of maximum drawdown, POWR dropped -65.98% vs XLUI's -6.01%.

Which ETF is better, POWR or XLUI?

On 1-year performance, POWR leads with 17.32% vs 5.95% for XLUI. On fees, XLUI is cheaper at 0.35% per year. On volatility, XLUI has been the lower-risk option at 3.49%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF has performed better, POWR or XLUI?

Over the 1-year period, POWR has performed better with a 17.32% return vs 5.95%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

Which ETF is cheaper, POWR or XLUI?

XLUI is cheaper with a 0.35% expense ratio, compared with 0.40% for POWR.

Which ETF pays a higher dividend yield, POWR or XLUI?

XLUI has the higher dividend yield at 14.96%, compared with 5.69% for POWR.

What is the main difference between POWR and XLUI?

POWR is categorized as Infrastructure Equities, while XLUI is Utilities Equities. They also come from different issuers: iShares and State Street. Their fees differ too: 0.40% for POWR and 0.35% for XLUI.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

POWR currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.01 vs 0.53), 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.