SPSM vs. XLU

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about SPDR Portfolio S&P 600 Small Cap ETF (SPSM) and Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLU).

SPSM and XLU are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. SPSM is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the S&P SmallCap 600 Index. It was launched on Jul 8, 2013. XLU is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the Utilities Select Sector Index. It was launched on Dec 16, 1998. Both SPSM and XLU 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

SPSM vs. XLU - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in SPDR Portfolio S&P 600 Small Cap ETF (SPSM) and Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLU). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

SPSM vs. XLU - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
SPSM SPDR Portfolio S&P 600 Small Cap ETF	4.17%	6.11%	8.55%	16.11%	-16.12%	26.67%	11.69%	25.85%	-11.17%	15.44%
XLU Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund	8.77%	16.03%	23.31%	-7.18%	1.44%	17.70%	0.51%	25.93%	3.94%	12.05%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SPSM achieves a 4.17% return, which is significantly lower than XLU's 8.77% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with SPSM having a 10.12% annualized return and XLU not far behind at 9.79%.

SPSM

• 1D: 0.66%
• 1M: -4.08%
• YTD: 4.17%
• 6M: 5.65%
• 1Y: 20.97%
• 3Y*: 10.75%
• 5Y*: 4.29%
• 10Y*: 10.12%

XLU

• 1D: 0.48%
• 1M: -1.98%
• YTD: 8.77%
• 6M: 6.26%
• 1Y: 19.98%
• 3Y*: 14.30%
• 5Y*: 10.90%
• 10Y*: 9.79%

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

SPSM vs. XLU - Expense Ratio Comparison

SPSM has a 0.05% expense ratio, which is lower than XLU's 0.13% 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%.

XLU

Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund

SPSM

SPDR Portfolio S&P 600 Small Cap ETF

Return for Risk

SPSM vs. XLU — Risk / Return Rank

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

SPSM

SPSM Risk / Return Rank: 52
SPSM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 50
SPSM Sortino Ratio Rank: 52
SPSM Omega Ratio Rank: 48
SPSM Calmar Ratio Rank: 54
SPSM Martin Ratio Rank: 56

XLU

XLU Risk / Return Rank: 66
XLU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 70
XLU Sortino Ratio Rank: 66
XLU Omega Ratio Rank: 62
XLU Calmar Ratio Rank: 79
XLU Martin Ratio Rank: 52

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.

SPSM vs. XLU - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for SPDR Portfolio S&P 600 Small Cap ETF (SPSM) and Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLU). 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.

	SPSM	XLU	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.93	1.27	-0.34
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.44	1.73	-0.29
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.19	1.23	-0.04
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.44	2.21	-0.77
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.80	5.31	+0.49
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SPSM vs. XLU - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SPSM Sharpe Ratio is 0.93, which is comparable to the XLU Sharpe Ratio of 1.27. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SPSM and XLU, 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

	SPSM	XLU	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.93	1.27	-0.34
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.20	0.64	-0.44
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.44	0.51	-0.07
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.42	0.41	0.00

Correlation

The correlation between SPSM and XLU is 0.29, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

SPSM vs. XLU - Dividend Comparison

SPSM's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.58%, less than XLU's 2.58% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
SPSM SPDR Portfolio S&P 600 Small Cap ETF	1.58%	1.62%	1.85%	1.61%	1.38%	1.40%	1.34%	1.58%	1.82%	1.51%	1.49%	2.37%
XLU Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund	2.58%	2.71%	2.96%	3.39%	2.92%	2.79%	3.14%	2.95%	3.33%	3.33%	3.41%	3.67%

Drawdowns

SPSM vs. XLU - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SPSM drawdown since its inception was -42.89%, smaller than the maximum XLU drawdown of -51.98%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SPSM and XLU.

Drawdown Indicators

	SPSM	XLU	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-42.89%	-51.98%	+9.09%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-14.82%	-9.18%	-5.64%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-27.94%	-25.26%	-2.68%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-42.89%	-36.07%	-6.82%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.18%	-2.72%	-2.46%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-8.02%	-10.26%	+2.24%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.68%	3.82%	-0.14%

Volatility

SPSM vs. XLU - Volatility Comparison

SPDR Portfolio S&P 600 Small Cap ETF (SPSM) has a higher volatility of 6.26% compared to Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLU) at 5.09%. This indicates that SPSM's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than XLU based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SPSM	XLU	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.26%	5.09%	+1.17%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	12.95%	10.36%	+2.59%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	22.56%	15.79%	+6.77%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	21.54%	17.18%	+4.36%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	22.97%	19.21%	+3.76%