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VSEC vs. XLE
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

Performance

VSEC vs. XLE - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in VSE Corporation (VSEC) and State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VSEC achieves a 20.05% return, which is significantly lower than XLE's 33.31% return. Over the past 10 years, VSEC has outperformed XLE with an annualized return of 20.73%, while XLE has yielded a comparatively lower 10.08% annualized return.


VSEC

1D
6.54%
1M
-10.81%
6M
8.58%
YTD
20.05%
1Y
41.88%
3Y*
57.61%
5Y*
36.29%
10Y*
20.73%
ALL TIME*
18.40%

XLE

1D
-1.28%
1M
10.47%
6M
19.08%
YTD
33.31%
1Y
41.66%
3Y*
14.20%
5Y*
23.80%
10Y*
10.08%
ALL TIME*
8.81%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Liquidity Comparison


PositionAvg. Volume Value (2W)Avg. Volume Value (1M)Avg. Volume Value (3M)
$69.15M$86.19M$94.21M
$1.70B$1.73B$1.97B

VSEC vs. XLE - Yearly Performance Comparison


2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
VSEC
VSE Corporation
20.05%82.26%47.93%39.19%-22.35%59.55%2.54%28.56%-37.81%25.45%
XLE
State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF
33.31%7.88%5.56%-0.63%64.32%53.28%-32.67%11.74%-18.22%-0.89%

Correlation

The correlation between VSEC and XLE is -0.18, meaning they have often moved in opposite directions in the past. This relationship can weaken or reverse as market conditions change.


Correlation
Correlation (1Y)
Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.

-0.18

Correlation (3Y)
Balances recent behavior with more history.

0.10

Correlation (5Y)
Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period.

0.20

Correlation (10Y)
Provides a long-term view across more market conditions.

0.29

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Dec 22, 1998

0.24

The correlation between VSEC and XLE shifts across timeframes, from -0.18 (1 year) to 0.29 (10 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

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Return for Risk

VSEC vs. XLE — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.

VSEC
VSEC Risk / Return Rank: 7070
Overall Rank
VSEC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 6969
Sharpe Ratio Rank
VSEC Sortino Ratio Rank: 6868
Sortino Ratio Rank
VSEC Omega Ratio Rank: 6666
Omega Ratio Rank
VSEC Calmar Ratio Rank: 7272
Calmar Ratio Rank
VSEC Martin Ratio Rank: 7474
Martin Ratio Rank

XLE
XLE Risk / Return Rank: 7575
Overall Rank
XLE Sharpe Ratio Rank: 8484
Sharpe Ratio Rank
XLE Sortino Ratio Rank: 7979
Sortino Ratio Rank
XLE Omega Ratio Rank: 7676
Omega Ratio Rank
XLE Calmar Ratio Rank: 7878
Calmar Ratio Rank
XLE Martin Ratio Rank: 6161
Martin Ratio Rank
The rank (0–100) uses a weighted average of the Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin percentile ranks for the trailing 12 months. Higher means stronger historical risk-adjusted performance within the peer group.

VSEC vs. XLE - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for VSE Corporation (VSEC) and State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE). 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.

Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.


VSECXLEDifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility

-1.25

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk

-1.16

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.17

1.32

-0.15

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

1.39

2.79

-1.41

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

3.60

7.45

-3.86

VSEC vs. XLE - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VSEC Sharpe Ratio is 0.75, which is lower than the XLE Sharpe Ratio of 1.99. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VSEC and XLE, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.


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Drawdowns

VSEC vs. XLE - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VSEC drawdown since its inception was -76.09%, which is greater than XLE's maximum drawdown of -71.26%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VSEC and XLE.


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Drawdown Indicators


VSECXLEDifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-76.09%

-71.26%

-4.83%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-30.31%

-14.98%

-15.33%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-30.31%

-20.14%

-10.17%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-47.58%

-26.04%

-21.54%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-76.09%

-66.81%

-9.28%

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-12.94%

-5.35%

-7.59%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-30.58%

-17.93%

-12.65%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

11.68%

5.60%

+6.08%

Volatility

VSEC vs. XLE - Volatility Comparison

VSE Corporation (VSEC) has a higher volatility of 17.52% compared to State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) at 6.13%. This indicates that VSEC's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than XLE based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.


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Volatility by Period


VSECXLEDifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

17.52%

6.13%

+11.39%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

48.39%

16.74%

+31.65%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

56.39%

21.04%

+35.35%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

47.04%

25.77%

+21.27%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

47.33%

29.58%

+17.75%

Dividends

VSEC vs. XLE - Dividend Comparison

VSEC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.19%, less than XLE's 2.58% yield.


PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
VSEC
VSE Corporation
0.19%0.23%0.42%0.77%0.85%0.59%0.94%0.89%1.00%0.54%0.51%0.68%
XLE
State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF
2.58%3.28%3.36%3.55%3.68%4.21%5.62%6.72%3.54%3.03%2.26%3.39%

Frequently Asked Questions


VSEC and XLE have a correlation of -0.18, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

VSEC has higher volatility (17.52%) compared to XLE (6.13%). In terms of maximum drawdown, VSEC dropped -76.09% vs XLE's -71.26%.

XLE currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.99 vs 0.75), 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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