SPHQ vs. XLG

Last updated Jun 3, 2026

SPHQ (Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF) and XLG (Invesco S&P 500 Top 50 ETF) are both S&P 500 funds from Invesco - SPHQ tracks the S&P 500 Quality Index while XLG tracks the S&P 500 Top 50 Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, SPHQ returned 14.98%/yr vs 17.41%/yr for XLG. Their correlation of 0.84 suggests significant overlap in exposure. SPHQ charges 0.15%/yr vs 0.20%/yr for XLG.

Performance

SPHQ vs. XLG - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF (SPHQ) and Invesco S&P 500 Top 50 ETF (XLG). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SPHQ achieves a 15.16% return, which is significantly higher than XLG's 8.82% return. Over the past 10 years, SPHQ has underperformed XLG with an annualized return of 14.98%, while XLG has yielded a comparatively higher 17.41% annualized return.

SPHQ

• 1D: 1.26%
• 1M: 6.56%
• YTD: 15.16%
• 6M: 16.32%
• 1Y: 23.61%
• 3Y*: 22.29%
• 5Y*: 14.73%
• 10Y*: 14.98%

XLG

• 1D: -0.29%
• 1M: 5.06%
• YTD: 8.82%
• 6M: 8.60%
• 1Y: 30.80%
• 3Y*: 24.94%
• 5Y*: 16.76%
• 10Y*: 17.41%

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

SPHQ vs. XLG - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
SPHQ Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF	15.16%	13.25%	25.44%	24.83%	-15.76%	28.03%	17.36%	33.64%	-7.10%	19.10%
XLG Invesco S&P 500 Top 50 ETF	8.82%	19.51%	33.49%	38.16%	-24.29%	30.77%	24.15%	32.04%	-3.59%	23.04%

Correlation

The correlation between SPHQ and XLG is 0.62, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.62
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.78
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.85
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.87
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Dec 7, 2005	0.84

Over the past year, the correlation between SPHQ and XLG has dropped to 0.62 - well below their long-term average of 0.84, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.

SPHQ vs. XLG - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	SPHQ	XLG
Technology	28.1%	43.9%
Industrials	24.3%	1.9%
Consumer Defensive	15.4%	5.8%
Financial Services	13.3%	9.6%
Healthcare	8.4%	7.0%
Consumer Cyclical	4.6%	11.3%
Basic Materials	2.2%	0.6%
Communication Services	2.0%	17.1%
Utilities	1.0%	-
Energy	0.7%	2.7%
Real Estate	-	-

Return for Risk

SPHQ vs. XLG — Risk / Return Rank

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

SPHQ

SPHQ Risk / Return Rank: 56
SPHQ Sharpe Ratio Rank: 54
SPHQ Sortino Ratio Rank: 57
SPHQ Omega Ratio Rank: 51
SPHQ Calmar Ratio Rank: 54
SPHQ Martin Ratio Rank: 63

XLG

XLG Risk / Return Rank: 62
XLG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 70
XLG Sortino Ratio Rank: 68
XLG Omega Ratio Rank: 68
XLG Calmar Ratio Rank: 51
XLG Martin Ratio Rank: 55

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.

SPHQ vs. XLG - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF (SPHQ) and Invesco S&P 500 Top 50 ETF (XLG). 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.

	SPHQ	XLG	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.88	2.33	-0.45
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.73	3.14	-0.42
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.32	1.41	-0.09
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.70	2.55	+0.14
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	11.50	9.60	+1.90
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SPHQ vs. XLG - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SPHQ Sharpe Ratio is 1.88, which is comparable to the XLG Sharpe Ratio of 2.33. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SPHQ and XLG, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	SPHQ	XLG	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.88	2.33	-0.45
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.90	0.90	0.00
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.84	0.93	-0.09
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.53	0.63	-0.10

Drawdowns

SPHQ vs. XLG - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SPHQ drawdown since its inception was -57.83%, which is greater than XLG's maximum drawdown of -52.39%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SPHQ and XLG.

Drawdown Indicators

	SPHQ	XLG	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-57.83%	-52.39%	-5.44%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-8.90%	-12.41%	+3.51%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-16.57%	-20.70%	+4.13%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-25.04%	-28.02%	+2.98%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-31.60%	-30.46%	-1.14%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	0.00%	-0.29%	+0.29%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-10.70%	-7.64%	-3.06%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.08%	3.30%	-1.22%

Volatility

SPHQ vs. XLG - Volatility Comparison

Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF (SPHQ) has a higher volatility of 3.55% compared to Invesco S&P 500 Top 50 ETF (XLG) at 2.92%. This indicates that SPHQ's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than XLG based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SPHQ	XLG	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.55%	2.92%	+0.63%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.20%	9.73%	+0.47%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	12.62%	13.28%	-0.66%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	16.45%	18.68%	-2.23%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	17.87%	18.84%	-0.97%

SPHQ vs. XLG - Expense Ratio Comparison

SPHQ has a 0.15% expense ratio, which is lower than XLG's 0.20% expense ratio. Despite the difference, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

Dividends

SPHQ vs. XLG - Dividend Comparison

SPHQ's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.04%, more than XLG's 0.59% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
SPHQ Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF	1.04%	1.09%	1.15%	1.42%	1.85%	1.19%	1.55%	1.51%	1.85%	1.57%	1.67%	2.29%
XLG Invesco S&P 500 Top 50 ETF	0.59%	0.64%	0.72%	0.97%	1.34%	0.94%	1.25%	1.58%	2.00%	1.85%	2.00%	2.09%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both SPHQ and XLG in my portfolio?

SPHQ and XLG have a correlation of 0.62, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, SPHQ or XLG?

SPHQ has higher volatility (3.55%) compared to XLG (2.92%). In terms of maximum drawdown, SPHQ dropped -57.83% vs XLG's -52.39%.

Which ETF is better, SPHQ or XLG?

On 10-year performance, XLG leads with 17.41% vs 14.98% for SPHQ. On fees, SPHQ is cheaper at 0.15% per year. On volatility, XLG has been the lower-risk option at 2.92%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF has performed better, SPHQ or XLG?

Over the 10-year period, XLG has performed better with a 17.41% return vs 14.98%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

Which ETF is cheaper, SPHQ or XLG?

SPHQ is cheaper with a 0.15% expense ratio, compared with 0.20% for XLG.

Which ETF pays a higher dividend yield, SPHQ or XLG?

SPHQ has the higher dividend yield at 1.04%, compared with 0.59% for XLG.

What is the main difference between SPHQ and XLG?

SPHQ tracks S&P 500 Quality Index, while XLG tracks S&P 500 Top 50 Index. Their fees differ too: 0.15% for SPHQ and 0.20% for XLG.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

XLG currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.33 vs 1.88), 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.