WFC vs. XLF

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) and Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF).

XLF is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the Financial Select Sector Index. It was launched on Dec 16, 1998.

Performance

WFC vs. XLF - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) and Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

WFC vs. XLF - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
WFC Wells Fargo & Company	-13.13%	35.57%	46.48%	22.94%	-11.92%	61.15%	-41.65%	21.44%	-21.83%	13.21%
XLF Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund	-9.27%	14.90%	30.56%	12.03%	-10.59%	34.80%	-1.74%	31.88%	-13.06%	22.00%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, WFC achieves a -13.13% return, which is significantly lower than XLF's -9.27% return. Over the past 10 years, WFC has underperformed XLF with an annualized return of 8.20%, while XLF has yielded a comparatively higher 12.45% annualized return.

WFC

• 1D: 1.21%
• 1M: -2.43%
• YTD: -13.13%
• 6M: 0.65%
• 1Y: 15.44%
• 3Y*: 32.53%
• 5Y*: 17.97%
• 10Y*: 8.20%

XLF

• 1D: 0.14%
• 1M: -3.13%
• YTD: -9.27%
• 6M: -6.60%
• 1Y: 0.91%
• 3Y*: 17.30%
• 5Y*: 9.37%
• 10Y*: 12.45%

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

Return for Risk

WFC vs. XLF — Risk / Return Rank

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

WFC

WFC Risk / Return Rank: 56
WFC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 60
WFC Sortino Ratio Rank: 51
WFC Omega Ratio Rank: 52
WFC Calmar Ratio Rank: 56
WFC Martin Ratio Rank: 60

XLF

XLF Risk / Return Rank: 13
XLF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 13
XLF Sortino Ratio Rank: 12
XLF Omega Ratio Rank: 12
XLF Calmar Ratio Rank: 13
XLF Martin Ratio Rank: 13

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.

WFC vs. XLF - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) and Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF). 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.

	WFC	XLF	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.53	0.05	+0.48
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.87	0.19	+0.67
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.12	1.03	+0.09
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.64	0.05	+0.59
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	1.99	0.16	+1.83
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

WFC vs. XLF - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current WFC Sharpe Ratio is 0.53, which is higher than the XLF Sharpe Ratio of 0.05. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of WFC and XLF, 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

	WFC	XLF	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.53	0.05	+0.48
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.60	0.50	+0.09
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.26	0.56	-0.31
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.33	0.20	+0.13

Correlation

The correlation between WFC and XLF is 0.80, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

WFC vs. XLF - Dividend Comparison

WFC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.17%, more than XLF's 1.60% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
WFC Wells Fargo & Company	2.17%	1.82%	2.14%	2.64%	2.66%	1.25%	4.04%	3.57%	3.56%	2.54%	2.75%	2.71%
XLF Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund	1.60%	1.31%	1.42%	1.71%	2.04%	1.63%	2.03%	1.87%	2.08%	1.48%	21.10%	1.95%

Drawdowns

WFC vs. XLF - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum WFC drawdown since its inception was -79.01%, roughly equal to the maximum XLF drawdown of -82.69%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for WFC and XLF.

Drawdown Indicators

	WFC	XLF	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-79.01%	-82.69%	+3.68%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-22.75%	-14.79%	-7.96%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-37.10%	-25.81%	-11.29%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-64.46%	-42.86%	-21.60%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-16.00%	-11.89%	-4.11%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-15.34%	-20.10%	+4.76%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	7.35%	4.96%	+2.39%

Volatility

WFC vs. XLF - Volatility Comparison

Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) has a higher volatility of 8.00% compared to Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) at 4.76%. This indicates that WFC's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than XLF based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	WFC	XLF	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.00%	4.76%	+3.24%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	19.90%	11.45%	+8.45%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	29.39%	19.25%	+10.14%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	30.17%	18.69%	+11.48%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	32.16%	22.18%	+9.98%