XLY vs. ^GSPC

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) and S&P 500 Index (^GSPC).

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

Performance

XLY vs. ^GSPC - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) and S&P 500 Index (^GSPC). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

XLY vs. ^GSPC - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
XLY Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund	-7.86%	7.37%	26.51%	39.64%	-36.27%	27.93%	29.63%	28.39%	1.58%	22.82%
^GSPC S&P 500 Index	-3.95%	16.39%	23.31%	24.23%	-19.44%	26.89%	16.26%	28.88%	-6.24%	19.42%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, XLY achieves a -7.86% return, which is significantly lower than ^GSPC's -3.95% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with XLY having a 11.88% annualized return and ^GSPC not far ahead at 12.24%.

XLY

• 1D: 0.75%
• 1M: -4.68%
• YTD: -7.86%
• 6M: -8.57%
• 1Y: 10.93%
• 3Y*: 14.60%
• 5Y*: 6.19%
• 10Y*: 11.88%

^GSPC

• 1D: 0.72%
• 1M: -4.45%
• YTD: -3.95%
• 6M: -2.02%
• 1Y: 16.73%
• 3Y*: 16.96%
• 5Y*: 10.34%
• 10Y*: 12.24%

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

Return for Risk

XLY vs. ^GSPC — Risk / Return Rank

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

XLY

XLY Risk / Return Rank: 28
XLY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 25
XLY Sortino Ratio Rank: 27
XLY Omega Ratio Rank: 25
XLY Calmar Ratio Rank: 31
XLY Martin Ratio Rank: 30

^GSPC

^GSPC Risk / Return Rank: 67
^GSPC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 63
^GSPC Sortino Ratio Rank: 64
^GSPC Omega Ratio Rank: 69
^GSPC Calmar Ratio Rank: 60
^GSPC Martin Ratio Rank: 77

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.

XLY vs. ^GSPC - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) and S&P 500 Index (^GSPC). 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.

	XLY	^GSPC	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.46	0.92	-0.45
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.85	1.41	-0.56
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.11	1.21	-0.11
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.81	1.41	-0.61
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	2.66	6.61	-3.95
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

XLY vs. ^GSPC - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current XLY Sharpe Ratio is 0.46, which is lower than the ^GSPC Sharpe Ratio of 0.92. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XLY and ^GSPC, 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

	XLY	^GSPC	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.46	0.92	-0.45
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.26	0.61	-0.35
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.54	0.68	-0.14
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.42	0.46	-0.04

Correlation

The correlation between XLY and ^GSPC is 0.83, 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.

Drawdowns

XLY vs. ^GSPC - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XLY drawdown since its inception was -59.05%, roughly equal to the maximum ^GSPC drawdown of -56.78%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XLY and ^GSPC.

Drawdown Indicators

	XLY	^GSPC	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-59.05%	-56.78%	-2.27%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-14.98%	-12.14%	-2.84%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-39.67%	-25.43%	-14.24%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-39.67%	-33.92%	-5.75%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-11.64%	-5.78%	-5.86%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-9.58%	-10.75%	+1.17%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.54%	2.60%	+1.94%

Volatility

XLY vs. ^GSPC - Volatility Comparison

Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) has a higher volatility of 7.36% compared to S&P 500 Index (^GSPC) at 5.37%. This indicates that XLY's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ^GSPC based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	XLY	^GSPC	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.36%	5.37%	+1.99%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	13.63%	9.55%	+4.08%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	23.65%	18.33%	+5.32%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	23.73%	16.90%	+6.83%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	21.97%	18.05%	+3.92%