UTIL.L vs. XDWU.L

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

UTIL.L (SPDR MSCI Europe Utilities UCITS ETF) and XDWU.L (Xtrackers MSCI World Utilities UCITS ETF 1C) are both Utilities Equities funds tracking the MSCI World/Utilities NR USD, from State Street and Xtrackers respectively. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, UTIL.L returned 10.77%/yr vs 8.58%/yr for XDWU.L. A 0.56 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined. UTIL.L charges 0.18%/yr vs 0.25%/yr for XDWU.L.

Performance

UTIL.L vs. XDWU.L - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a €10,000 investment in SPDR MSCI Europe Utilities UCITS ETF (UTIL.L) and Xtrackers MSCI World Utilities UCITS ETF 1C (XDWU.L). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Different Trading Currencies

UTIL.L is traded in EUR, while XDWU.L is traded in USD. To make them comparable, the XDWU.L values have been converted to EUR using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, UTIL.L achieves a 13.22% return, which is significantly higher than XDWU.L's 7.33% return. Over the past 10 years, UTIL.L has outperformed XDWU.L with an annualized return of 10.77%, while XDWU.L has yielded a comparatively lower 8.58% annualized return.

UTIL.L

• 1D: 0.94%
• 1M: -4.47%
• YTD: 13.22%
• 6M: 13.96%
• 1Y: 27.26%
• 3Y*: 16.68%
• 5Y*: 11.88%
• 10Y*: 10.77%

XDWU.L

• 1D: 1.06%
• 1M: -4.73%
• YTD: 7.33%
• 6M: 6.17%
• 1Y: 14.17%
• 3Y*: 12.41%
• 5Y*: 10.19%
• 10Y*: 8.58%

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

UTIL.L vs. XDWU.L - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
UTIL.L SPDR MSCI Europe Utilities UCITS ETF	13.22%	33.98%	1.33%	13.09%	-6.77%	8.27%	11.82%	29.32%	3.35%	9.30%
XDWU.L Xtrackers MSCI World Utilities UCITS ETF 1C	7.33%	11.76%	19.34%	-2.71%	2.41%	19.26%	-4.52%	26.96%	5.12%	0.68%

Correlation

The correlation between UTIL.L and XDWU.L is 0.66, 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	0.66
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.63
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.65
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.56
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since May 17, 2016	0.56

The correlation between UTIL.L and XDWU.L has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.56 to 0.66 - a consistent structural relationship.

UTIL.L vs. XDWU.L - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	UTIL.L	XDWU.L
Utilities	95.4%	98.1%
Industrials	4.6%	1.4%
Basic Materials	-	-
Communication Services	-	-
Consumer Cyclical	-	-
Consumer Defensive	-	-
Energy	-	0.5%
Financial Services	-	-
Healthcare	-	-
Real Estate	-	-
Technology	-	-

Return for Risk

UTIL.L vs. XDWU.L — Risk / Return Rank

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

UTIL.L

UTIL.L Risk / Return Rank: 58
UTIL.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 54
UTIL.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 49
UTIL.L Omega Ratio Rank: 53
UTIL.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 74
UTIL.L Martin Ratio Rank: 59

XDWU.L

XDWU.L Risk / Return Rank: 38
XDWU.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 37
XDWU.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 35
XDWU.L Omega Ratio Rank: 35
XDWU.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 42
XDWU.L Martin Ratio Rank: 40

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.

UTIL.L vs. XDWU.L - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for SPDR MSCI Europe Utilities UCITS ETF (UTIL.L) and Xtrackers MSCI World Utilities UCITS ETF 1C (XDWU.L). 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.

	UTIL.L	XDWU.L	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.83	1.11	+0.72
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	2.39	1.59	+0.80
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.33	1.19	+0.14
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.72	1.85	+1.86
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	10.55	5.40	+5.15
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

UTIL.L vs. XDWU.L - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current UTIL.L Sharpe Ratio is 1.83, which is higher than the XDWU.L Sharpe Ratio of 1.11. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of UTIL.L and XDWU.L, 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

	UTIL.L	XDWU.L	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.83	1.11	+0.72
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.73	0.71	+0.03
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.61	0.62	-0.01
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.50	0.62	-0.12

Drawdowns

UTIL.L vs. XDWU.L - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum UTIL.L drawdown since its inception was -34.59%, roughly equal to the maximum XDWU.L drawdown of -33.47%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for UTIL.L and XDWU.L.

Drawdown Indicators

	UTIL.L	XDWU.L	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-34.59%	-33.47%	-1.12%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-7.30%	-7.62%	+0.32%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-13.48%	-12.65%	-0.83%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-22.12%	-23.34%	+1.22%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-34.59%	-33.47%	-1.12%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-4.93%	-5.85%	+0.92%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-5.98%	-7.73%	+1.75%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.58%	2.61%	-0.03%

Volatility

UTIL.L vs. XDWU.L - Volatility Comparison

SPDR MSCI Europe Utilities UCITS ETF (UTIL.L) has a higher volatility of 6.02% compared to Xtrackers MSCI World Utilities UCITS ETF 1C (XDWU.L) at 4.31%. This indicates that UTIL.L's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than XDWU.L based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	UTIL.L	XDWU.L	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.02%	4.31%	+1.71%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	12.91%	10.66%	+2.25%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	14.81%	12.69%	+2.12%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	16.22%	14.71%	+1.51%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	17.71%	17.87%	-0.16%

UTIL.L vs. XDWU.L - Expense Ratio Comparison

UTIL.L has a 0.18% expense ratio, which is lower than XDWU.L's 0.25% 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

UTIL.L vs. XDWU.L - Dividend Comparison

Neither UTIL.L nor XDWU.L has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both UTIL.L and XDWU.L in my portfolio?

UTIL.L and XDWU.L have a correlation of 0.66, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which ETF is better, UTIL.L or XDWU.L?

On fees, UTIL.L is cheaper at 0.18% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF is cheaper, UTIL.L or XDWU.L?

UTIL.L is cheaper with a 0.18% expense ratio, compared with 0.25% for XDWU.L.

What is the main difference between UTIL.L and XDWU.L?

Both ETFs track MSCI World/Utilities NR USD. They also come from different issuers: State Street and Xtrackers. Their fees differ too: 0.18% for UTIL.L and 0.25% for XDWU.L.