XLU vs. HIGH.L

Last updated Jun 9, 2026

XLU (State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF) and HIGH.L (iShares EUR High Yield Corporate Bond UCITS ETF EUR (Acc)) are both exchange-traded funds - XLU is a Utilities Equities fund tracking the Utilities Select Sector Index, while HIGH.L is a European High Yield Bonds fund tracking the Bloomberg Pan Euro HY Euro TR EUR. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, XLU returned 9.10%/yr vs 1.47%/yr for HIGH.L. At a 0.17 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. XLU charges 0.08%/yr vs 0.50%/yr for HIGH.L.

Performance

XLU vs. HIGH.L - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU) and iShares EUR High Yield Corporate Bond UCITS ETF EUR (Acc) (HIGH.L). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Different Trading Currencies

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

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, XLU achieves a 2.66% return, which is significantly higher than HIGH.L's -1.19% return.

XLU

• 1D: -1.87%
• 1M: -2.68%
• YTD: 2.66%
• 6M: 3.35%
• 1Y: 10.26%
• 3Y*: 12.85%
• 5Y*: 9.10%
• 10Y*: 8.99%

HIGH.L

• 1D: -0.08%
• 1M: -1.99%
• YTD: -1.19%
• 6M: 0.22%
• 1Y: 4.05%
• 3Y*: 8.56%
• 5Y*: 1.47%
• 10Y*: —

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

XLU vs. HIGH.L - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
XLU State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF	2.66%	16.03%	23.31%	-7.18%	1.44%	17.70%	0.51%	25.93%	3.94%	-0.93%
HIGH.L iShares EUR High Yield Corporate Bond UCITS ETF EUR (Acc)	-1.19%	18.98%	-0.83%	15.11%	-14.77%	-4.19%	10.05%	7.62%	-7.91%	1.16%

Correlation

The correlation between XLU and HIGH.L is 0.14, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.14
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.19
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.22
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 22, 2017	0.17

XLU vs. HIGH.L - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	XLU	HIGH.L
Utilities	100.0%	-
Basic Materials	-	-
Communication Services	-	-
Consumer Cyclical	-	-
Consumer Defensive	-	-
Energy	-	-
Financial Services	-	100.0%
Healthcare	-	-
Industrials	-	-
Real Estate	-	-
Technology	-	-

Return for Risk

XLU vs. HIGH.L — Risk / Return Rank

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

XLU

XLU Risk / Return Rank: 22
XLU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 22
XLU Sortino Ratio Rank: 21
XLU Omega Ratio Rank: 21
XLU Calmar Ratio Rank: 26
XLU Martin Ratio Rank: 21

HIGH.L

HIGH.L Risk / Return Rank: 25
HIGH.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 23
HIGH.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 24
HIGH.L Omega Ratio Rank: 24
HIGH.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 23
HIGH.L Martin Ratio Rank: 30

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.

XLU vs. HIGH.L - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU) and iShares EUR High Yield Corporate Bond UCITS ETF EUR (Acc) (HIGH.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.

	XLU	HIGH.L	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.71	0.52	+0.19
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.04	0.79	+0.25
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.13	1.09	+0.04
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.12	0.54	+0.58
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	2.47	1.59	+0.88
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

XLU vs. HIGH.L - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current XLU Sharpe Ratio is 0.71, which is higher than the HIGH.L Sharpe Ratio of 0.52. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XLU and HIGH.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

	XLU	HIGH.L	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.71	0.52	+0.19
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.53	0.14	+0.39
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.47	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.40	0.20	+0.20

Drawdowns

XLU vs. HIGH.L - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XLU drawdown since its inception was -51.98%, which is greater than HIGH.L's maximum drawdown of -31.47%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XLU and HIGH.L.

Drawdown Indicators

	XLU	HIGH.L	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-51.98%	-31.47%	-20.51%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-9.18%	-7.40%	-1.78%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-17.26%	-7.61%	-9.65%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-25.26%	-31.42%	+6.16%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-36.07%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-8.18%	-4.07%	-4.11%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-10.22%	-8.41%	-1.81%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.16%	2.53%	+1.63%

Volatility

XLU vs. HIGH.L - Volatility Comparison

State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU) has a higher volatility of 5.60% compared to iShares EUR High Yield Corporate Bond UCITS ETF EUR (Acc) (HIGH.L) at 2.11%. This indicates that XLU's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than HIGH.L based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	XLU	HIGH.L	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.60%	2.11%	+3.49%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	11.70%	5.84%	+5.86%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	14.64%	7.83%	+6.81%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.34%	10.52%	+6.82%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	19.27%	10.92%	+8.35%

XLU vs. HIGH.L - Expense Ratio Comparison

XLU has a 0.08% expense ratio, which is lower than HIGH.L's 0.50% expense ratio.

Dividends

XLU vs. HIGH.L - Dividend Comparison

XLU's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.73%, while HIGH.L has not paid dividends to shareholders.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
HIGH.L iShares EUR High Yield Corporate Bond UCITS ETF EUR (Acc)	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
XLU State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF	2.73%	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

Can I hold both XLU and HIGH.L in my portfolio?

XLU and HIGH.L have a correlation of 0.14, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which ETF is better, XLU or HIGH.L?

On fees, XLU is cheaper at 0.08% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF is cheaper, XLU or HIGH.L?

XLU is cheaper with a 0.08% expense ratio, compared with 0.50% for HIGH.L.

What is the main difference between XLU and HIGH.L?

XLU is categorized as Utilities Equities, while HIGH.L is European High Yield Bonds. XLU tracks Utilities Select Sector Index, while HIGH.L tracks Bloomberg Pan Euro HY Euro TR EUR. They also come from different issuers: State Street and iShares. Their fees differ too: 0.08% for XLU and 0.50% for HIGH.L.