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REMX vs. XLB
Performance
Return for Risk
Dividends
Drawdowns
Volatility

REMX vs. XLB

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about VanEck Vectors Rare Earth/Strategic Metals ETF (REMX) and Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLB).

REMX and XLB are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. REMX is a passively managed fund by VanEck that tracks the performance of the MVIS Global Rare Earth/Strategic Metals Index. It was launched on Oct 27, 2010. XLB is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the Materials Select Sector Index. It was launched on Dec 16, 1998. Both REMX and XLB 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

REMX vs. XLB - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in VanEck Vectors Rare Earth/Strategic Metals ETF (REMX) and Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLB). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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REMX vs. XLB - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
REMX
VanEck Vectors Rare Earth/Strategic Metals ETF		19.05%92.95%-35.02%-19.18%-31.13%79.81%64.82%0.74%-49.63%82.60%
XLB
Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF		10.68%9.94%0.15%12.46%-12.30%27.44%20.46%24.13%-14.88%24.01%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, REMX achieves a 19.05% return, which is significantly higher than XLB's 10.68% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with REMX having a 10.24% annualized return and XLB not far ahead at 10.45%.

REMX

1D
2.95%
1M
-11.88%
YTD
19.05%
6M
36.14%
1Y
126.68%
3Y*
4.04%
5Y*
5.20%
10Y*
10.24%

XLB

1D
1.79%
1M
-6.02%
YTD
10.68%
6M
12.59%
1Y
18.51%
3Y*
9.53%
5Y*
6.79%
10Y*
10.45%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs

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

VanEck Vectors Rare Earth/Strategic Metals ETF

Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF

Often compared with REMX:
REMX vs. LITREMX vs. RAREREMX vs. USARREMX vs. COPXREMX vs. GNRREMX vs. WTREREMX vs. VVMX.DE
Often compared with XLB:
XLB vs. VAWXLB vs. XLEXLB vs. SPYXLB vs. XLYXLB vs. FMATXLB vs. XLKXLB vs. GUNR

REMX vs. XLB - Expense Ratio Comparison

REMX has a 0.59% expense ratio, which is higher than XLB's 0.13% expense ratio.

REMX
VanEck Vectors Rare Earth/Strategic Metals ETF
XLB
Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF

Return for Risk

REMX vs. XLB — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.
REMX
REMX Risk / Return Rank: 9595
Overall Rank
REMX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 9797
Sharpe Ratio Rank
REMX Sortino Ratio Rank: 9595
Sortino Ratio Rank
REMX Omega Ratio Rank: 9292
Omega Ratio Rank
REMX Calmar Ratio Rank: 9797
Calmar Ratio Rank
REMX Martin Ratio Rank: 9595
Martin Ratio Rank
XLB
XLB Risk / Return Rank: 5454
Overall Rank
XLB Sharpe Ratio Rank: 5353
Sharpe Ratio Rank
XLB Sortino Ratio Rank: 5656
Sortino Ratio Rank
XLB Omega Ratio Rank: 4949
Omega Ratio Rank
XLB Calmar Ratio Rank: 5858
Calmar Ratio Rank
XLB Martin Ratio Rank: 5252
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.

REMX vs. XLB - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for VanEck Vectors Rare Earth/Strategic Metals ETF (REMX) and Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLB). 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.

REMXXLBDifference

Sharpe ratio

Return per unit of total volatility

2.65

0.89

+1.76

Sortino ratio

Return per unit of downside risk

3.08

1.38

+1.70

Omega ratio

Gain probability vs. loss probability

1.39

1.18

+0.21

Calmar ratio

Return relative to maximum drawdown

5.10

1.35

+3.75

Martin ratio

Return relative to average drawdown

15.16

4.72

+10.44

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

REMX vs. XLB - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current REMX Sharpe Ratio is 2.65, which is higher than the XLB Sharpe Ratio of 0.89. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of REMX and XLB, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

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Sharpe Ratios by Period

REMXXLBDifference

Sharpe Ratio (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

2.65

0.89

+1.76

Sharpe Ratio (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.13

0.36

-0.23

Sharpe Ratio (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

0.28

0.51

-0.23

Sharpe Ratio (All Time)

Calculated using the full available price history

-0.10

0.36

-0.45

Correlation

The correlation between REMX and XLB is 0.59, 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

REMX vs. XLB - Dividend Comparison

REMX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.48%, less than XLB's 1.75% yield.

TTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
REMX
VanEck Vectors Rare Earth/Strategic Metals ETF		1.48%1.76%2.56%0.00%1.56%5.25%0.81%1.64%12.43%2.89%2.23%4.77%
XLB
Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF		1.75%1.92%1.92%2.00%2.26%1.62%1.72%1.98%2.20%1.66%1.95%2.24%

Drawdowns

REMX vs. XLB - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum REMX drawdown since its inception was -90.20%, which is greater than XLB's maximum drawdown of -59.83%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for REMX and XLB.

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Drawdown Indicators

REMXXLBDifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-90.20%

-59.83%

-30.37%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-23.35%

-14.64%

-8.71%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-73.34%

-24.72%

-48.62%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-73.34%

-37.27%

-36.07%

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-59.70%

-6.39%

-53.31%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-67.01%

-10.88%

-56.13%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

7.86%

4.20%

+3.66%

Volatility

REMX vs. XLB - Volatility Comparison

VanEck Vectors Rare Earth/Strategic Metals ETF (REMX) has a higher volatility of 17.39% compared to Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLB) at 6.28%. This indicates that REMX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than XLB based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

REMXXLBDifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

17.39%

6.28%

+11.11%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

37.90%

12.53%

+25.37%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

48.30%

20.95%

+27.35%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

39.76%

18.91%

+20.85%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

36.61%

20.62%

+15.99%