XLU vs. SO

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLU) and The Southern Company (SO).

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

Performance

XLU vs. SO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLU) and The Southern Company (SO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

XLU vs. SO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
XLU Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund	8.25%	16.03%	23.31%	-7.18%	1.44%	17.70%	0.51%	25.93%	3.94%	12.05%
SO The Southern Company	11.56%	9.47%	21.72%	2.21%	8.24%	16.34%	0.63%	51.65%	-3.75%	2.42%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, XLU achieves a 8.25% return, which is significantly lower than SO's 11.56% return. Over the past 10 years, XLU has underperformed SO with an annualized return of 9.74%, while SO has yielded a comparatively higher 10.97% annualized return.

XLU

• 1D: -0.07%
• 1M: -3.18%
• YTD: 8.25%
• 6M: 6.77%
• 1Y: 19.71%
• 3Y*: 14.12%
• 5Y*: 10.80%
• 10Y*: 9.74%

SO

• 1D: -0.42%
• 1M: -0.88%
• YTD: 11.56%
• 6M: 3.49%
• 1Y: 8.42%
• 3Y*: 15.56%
• 5Y*: 13.29%
• 10Y*: 10.97%

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

Return for Risk

XLU vs. SO — Risk / Return Rank

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

XLU

XLU Risk / Return Rank: 71
XLU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 74
XLU Sortino Ratio Rank: 71
XLU Omega Ratio Rank: 67
XLU Calmar Ratio Rank: 84
XLU Martin Ratio Rank: 61

SO

SO Risk / Return Rank: 55
SO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 61
SO Sortino Ratio Rank: 51
SO Omega Ratio Rank: 49
SO Calmar Ratio Rank: 57
SO Martin Ratio Rank: 58

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. SO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLU) and The Southern Company (SO). 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	SO	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.25	0.51	+0.75
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.71	0.81	+0.90
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.23	1.10	+0.13
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.29	0.63	+1.67
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.51	1.53	+3.98
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. SO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current XLU Sharpe Ratio is 1.25, which is higher than the SO Sharpe Ratio of 0.51. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XLU and SO, 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

	XLU	SO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.25	0.51	+0.75
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.63	0.72	-0.09
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.51	0.50	+0.01
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.41	0.63	-0.22

Correlation

The correlation between XLU and SO is 0.75, 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

XLU vs. SO - Dividend Comparison

XLU's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.59%, less than SO's 3.07% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
XLU Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund	2.59%	2.71%	2.96%	3.39%	2.92%	2.79%	3.14%	2.95%	3.33%	3.33%	3.41%	3.67%
SO The Southern Company	3.07%	3.37%	3.47%	3.96%	3.78%	3.82%	4.13%	3.86%	5.42%	4.78%	4.52%	4.60%

Drawdowns

XLU vs. SO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XLU drawdown since its inception was -51.98%, which is greater than SO's maximum drawdown of -38.43%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XLU and SO.

Drawdown Indicators

	XLU	SO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-51.98%	-38.43%	-13.55%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-9.18%	-14.99%	+5.81%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-25.26%	-23.28%	-1.98%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-36.07%	-38.43%	+2.36%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-3.18%	-2.61%	-0.57%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-10.26%	-6.88%	-3.38%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.82%	6.14%	-2.32%

Volatility

XLU vs. SO - Volatility Comparison

Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLU) and The Southern Company (SO) have volatilities of 5.09% and 4.89%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	XLU	SO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.09%	4.89%	+0.20%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.35%	12.17%	-1.82%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	15.82%	16.68%	-0.86%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.18%	18.47%	-1.29%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	19.21%	21.90%	-2.69%