UTWO vs. XLU
UTWO (US Treasury 2 Year Note ETF) and XLU (State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - UTWO is a Government Bonds fund tracking the ICE BofA Current 2 Year US Treasury Index - Benchmark TR Gross, while XLU is a Utilities Equities fund tracking the Utilities Select Sector Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 3 years, UTWO returned 3.78%/yr vs 13.74%/yr for XLU. At a 0.17 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. UTWO charges 0.15%/yr vs 0.08%/yr for XLU.
Performance
UTWO vs. XLU - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, UTWO achieves a 0.33% return, which is significantly lower than XLU's 3.11% return.
UTWO
- 1D
- -0.04%
- 1M
- 0.07%
- YTD
- 0.33%
- 6M
- 0.63%
- 1Y
- 3.13%
- 3Y*
- 3.78%
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
XLU
- 1D
- -0.43%
- 1M
- -5.74%
- YTD
- 3.11%
- 6M
- 1.25%
- 1Y
- 9.11%
- 3Y*
- 13.74%
- 5Y*
- 9.25%
- 10Y*
- 9.15%
UTWO vs. XLU - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UTWO US Treasury 2 Year Note ETF | 0.33% | 4.79% | 3.71% | 3.45% | -0.81% |
XLU State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF | 3.11% | 16.03% | 23.31% | -7.18% | -4.80% |
Correlation
The correlation between UTWO and XLU is 0.17, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.17 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.16 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Aug 10, 2022 | 0.17 |
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Return for Risk
UTWO vs. XLU — Risk / Return Rank
UTWO
XLU
UTWO vs. XLU - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for US Treasury 2 Year Note ETF (UTWO) and State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (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.
| UTWO | XLU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +1.71 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +2.90 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.47 | 1.12 | +0.36 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.50 | 1.00 | +2.50 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 12.89 | 2.24 | +10.65 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| UTWO | XLU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.33 | 0.63 | +1.71 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | — | 0.54 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | — | 0.48 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 1.45 | 0.40 | +1.05 |
Drawdowns
UTWO vs. XLU - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum UTWO drawdown since its inception was -2.04%, smaller than the maximum XLU drawdown of -51.98%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for UTWO and XLU.
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Drawdown Indicators
| UTWO | XLU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -2.04% | -51.98% | +49.94% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -0.90% | -9.18% | +8.28% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -1.08% | -17.26% | +16.18% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | — | -25.26% | — |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -36.07% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.38% | -7.78% | +7.40% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -0.49% | -10.22% | +9.73% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.24% | 4.09% | -3.85% |
Volatility
UTWO vs. XLU - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for US Treasury 2 Year Note ETF (UTWO) is 0.36%, while State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU) has a volatility of 5.41%. This indicates that UTWO experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than XLU based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| UTWO | XLU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.36% | 5.41% | -5.05% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 0.92% | 11.53% | -10.61% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.35% | 14.57% | -13.22% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 2.07% | 17.32% | -15.25% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 2.07% | 19.26% | -17.19% |
UTWO vs. XLU - Expense Ratio Comparison
UTWO has a 0.15% expense ratio, which is higher than XLU's 0.08% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.
Dividends
UTWO vs. XLU - Dividend Comparison
UTWO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.50%, more than XLU's 2.72% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UTWO US Treasury 2 Year Note ETF | 3.50% | 3.63% | 4.22% | 4.39% | 1.22% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
XLU State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF | 2.72% | 2.71% | 2.96% | 3.39% | 2.92% | 2.79% | 3.14% | 2.95% | 3.33% | 3.33% | 3.41% | 3.67% |
Frequently Asked Questions
UTWO and XLU have a correlation of 0.17, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
XLU has higher volatility (5.41%) compared to UTWO (0.36%). In terms of maximum drawdown, UTWO dropped -2.04% vs XLU's -51.98%.
On 3-year performance, XLU leads with 13.74% vs 3.78% for UTWO. On fees, XLU is cheaper at 0.08% per year. On volatility, UTWO has been the lower-risk option at 0.36%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 3-year period, XLU has performed better with a 13.74% return vs 3.78%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
XLU is cheaper with a 0.08% expense ratio, compared with 0.15% for UTWO.
UTWO has the higher dividend yield at 3.50%, compared with 2.72% for XLU.
UTWO is categorized as Government Bonds, while XLU is Utilities Equities. UTWO tracks ICE BofA Current 2 Year US Treasury Index - Benchmark TR Gross, while XLU tracks Utilities Select Sector Index. They also come from different issuers: US Benchmark Series and State Street. Their fees differ too: 0.15% for UTWO and 0.08% for XLU.
UTWO currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.33 vs 0.63), 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.
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