XLP vs. XTL

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) and SPDR S&P Telecom ETF (XTL).

XLP and XTL are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. XLP is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the S&P Consumer Staples Select Sector. It was launched on Dec 16, 1998. XTL is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the S&P Telecom Select Industry Index. It was launched on Jan 26, 2011. Both XLP and XTL 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

XLP vs. XTL - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) and SPDR S&P Telecom ETF (XTL). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

XLP vs. XTL - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
XLP State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF	6.13%	1.52%	12.20%	-0.82%	-0.81%	17.20%	10.11%	27.43%	-8.07%	12.98%
XTL SPDR S&P Telecom ETF	23.17%	44.95%	34.89%	-1.17%	-19.18%	21.58%	22.46%	12.51%	-6.60%	0.56%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, XLP achieves a 6.13% return, which is significantly lower than XTL's 23.17% return. Over the past 10 years, XLP has underperformed XTL with an annualized return of 7.17%, while XTL has yielded a comparatively higher 13.98% annualized return.

XLP

• 1D: 0.12%
• 1M: -8.41%
• YTD: 6.13%
• 6M: 6.04%
• 1Y: 3.16%
• 3Y*: 5.99%
• 5Y*: 6.59%
• 10Y*: 7.17%

XTL

• 1D: 3.63%
• 1M: 2.55%
• YTD: 23.17%
• 6M: 34.97%
• 1Y: 90.69%
• 3Y*: 33.71%
• 5Y*: 15.84%
• 10Y*: 13.98%

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

XLP vs. XTL - Expense Ratio Comparison

XLP has a 0.08% expense ratio, which is lower than XTL's 0.35% expense ratio.

XTL

SPDR S&P Telecom ETF

XLP

State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF

Return for Risk

XLP vs. XTL — Risk / Return Rank

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

XLP

XLP Risk / Return Rank: 20
XLP Sharpe Ratio Rank: 19
XLP Sortino Ratio Rank: 18
XLP Omega Ratio Rank: 17
XLP Calmar Ratio Rank: 25
XLP Martin Ratio Rank: 22

XTL

XTL Risk / Return Rank: 97
XTL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 98
XTL Sortino Ratio Rank: 97
XTL Omega Ratio Rank: 95
XTL Calmar Ratio Rank: 98
XTL Martin Ratio Rank: 98

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.

XLP vs. XTL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) and SPDR S&P Telecom ETF (XTL). 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.

	XLP	XTL	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.23	2.97	-2.74
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.42	3.46	-3.03
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.05	1.47	-0.42
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.49	6.09	-5.59
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	1.19	22.21	-21.03
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

XLP vs. XTL - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current XLP Sharpe Ratio is 0.23, which is lower than the XTL Sharpe Ratio of 2.97. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XLP and XTL, 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

	XLP	XTL	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.23	2.97	-2.74
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.50	0.65	-0.14
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.49	0.60	-0.11
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.44	0.46	-0.02

Correlation

The correlation between XLP and XTL is 0.38, 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

XLP vs. XTL - Dividend Comparison

XLP's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.65%, more than XTL's 1.05% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
XLP State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF	2.65%	2.75%	2.77%	2.63%	2.47%	2.28%	2.50%	2.57%	3.04%	2.62%	2.53%	2.52%
XTL SPDR S&P Telecom ETF	1.05%	1.05%	0.62%	0.80%	0.74%	1.25%	0.88%	0.92%	1.90%	2.08%	1.11%	1.38%

Drawdowns

XLP vs. XTL - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XLP drawdown since its inception was -35.90%, roughly equal to the maximum XTL drawdown of -37.01%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XLP and XTL.

Drawdown Indicators

	XLP	XTL	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-35.90%	-37.01%	+1.11%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-9.69%	-14.70%	+5.01%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-16.30%	-37.01%	+20.71%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-24.51%	-37.01%	+12.50%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-8.41%	-4.72%	-3.69%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-7.06%	-9.86%	+2.80%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.03%	4.03%	0.00%

Volatility

XLP vs. XTL - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) is 3.93%, while SPDR S&P Telecom ETF (XTL) has a volatility of 12.08%. This indicates that XLP experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than XTL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	XLP	XTL	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.93%	12.08%	-8.15%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.34%	23.47%	-14.13%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	13.90%	30.72%	-16.82%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	13.14%	24.67%	-11.53%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	14.69%	23.25%	-8.56%