XTL vs. SPYG

Last updated Jun 3, 2026

XTL (SPDR S&P Telecom ETF) and SPYG (State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - XTL is a Communications Equities fund tracking the S&P Telecom Select Industry Index, while SPYG is a S&P 500 fund tracking the S&P 500 Growth Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, XTL returned 16.95%/yr vs 18.32%/yr for SPYG. A 0.66 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined. XTL charges 0.35%/yr vs 0.04%/yr for SPYG.

Performance

XTL vs. SPYG - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in SPDR S&P Telecom ETF (XTL) and State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF (SPYG). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, XTL achieves a 62.17% return, which is significantly higher than SPYG's 14.87% return. Over the past 10 years, XTL has underperformed SPYG with an annualized return of 16.95%, while SPYG has yielded a comparatively higher 18.32% annualized return.

XTL

• 1D: 3.28%
• 1M: 8.43%
• YTD: 62.17%
• 6M: 70.46%
• 1Y: 143.57%
• 3Y*: 50.79%
• 5Y*: 20.95%
• 10Y*: 16.95%

SPYG

• 1D: -0.15%
• 1M: 8.31%
• YTD: 14.87%
• 6M: 14.92%
• 1Y: 36.19%
• 3Y*: 28.58%
• 5Y*: 16.62%
• 10Y*: 18.32%

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

XTL vs. SPYG - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
XTL SPDR S&P Telecom ETF	62.17%	44.95%	34.89%	-1.17%	-19.18%	21.58%	22.46%	12.51%	-6.60%	0.56%
SPYG State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF	14.87%	22.09%	35.99%	30.02%	-29.41%	32.01%	33.46%	30.84%	-0.12%	27.24%

Correlation

The correlation between XTL and SPYG is 0.60, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.60
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.56
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.66
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.67
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 28, 2011	0.66

The correlation between XTL and SPYG shifts across timeframes, from 0.56 (3 years) to 0.67 (10 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

XTL vs. SPYG - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	XTL	SPYG
Technology	61.4%	51.9%
Communication Services	36.1%	16.8%
Real Estate	2.6%	0.6%
Basic Materials	-	0.3%
Consumer Cyclical	-	8.9%
Consumer Defensive	-	1.0%
Energy	-	0.1%
Financial Services	-	8.5%
Healthcare	-	5.8%
Industrials	-	5.0%
Utilities	-	1.2%

Return for Risk

XTL vs. SPYG — Risk / Return Rank

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

XTL

XTL Risk / Return Rank: 96
XTL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 97
XTL Sortino Ratio Rank: 95
XTL Omega Ratio Rank: 94
XTL Calmar Ratio Rank: 96
XTL Martin Ratio Rank: 97

SPYG

SPYG Risk / Return Rank: 63
SPYG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 68
SPYG Sortino Ratio Rank: 66
SPYG Omega Ratio Rank: 64
SPYG Calmar Ratio Rank: 54
SPYG Martin Ratio Rank: 62

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.

XTL vs. SPYG - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for SPDR S&P Telecom ETF (XTL) and State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF (SPYG). 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.

	XTL	SPYG	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	5.02	2.27	+2.75
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	5.29	3.07	+2.22
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.70	1.39	+0.31
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	9.91	2.71	+7.20
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	45.66	11.22	+34.43
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

XTL vs. SPYG - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current XTL Sharpe Ratio is 5.02, which is higher than the SPYG Sharpe Ratio of 2.27. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XTL and SPYG, 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

	XTL	SPYG	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	5.02	2.27	+2.75
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.84	0.79	+0.05
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.72	0.89	-0.17
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.54	0.36	+0.19

Drawdowns

XTL vs. SPYG - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XTL drawdown since its inception was -37.01%, smaller than the maximum SPYG drawdown of -67.63%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XTL and SPYG.

Drawdown Indicators

	XTL	SPYG	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-37.01%	-67.63%	+30.62%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-14.70%	-13.76%	-0.94%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-22.79%	-22.14%	-0.65%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-37.01%	-32.67%	-4.34%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-37.01%	-32.67%	-4.34%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	0.00%	-0.15%	+0.15%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-9.77%	-24.33%	+14.56%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.19%	3.32%	-0.13%

Volatility

XTL vs. SPYG - Volatility Comparison

SPDR S&P Telecom ETF (XTL) has a higher volatility of 8.05% compared to State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF (SPYG) at 4.15%. This indicates that XTL's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SPYG based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	XTL	SPYG	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.05%	4.15%	+3.90%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	22.61%	12.43%	+10.18%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	28.78%	16.04%	+12.74%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	25.04%	21.17%	+3.87%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	23.51%	20.65%	+2.86%

XTL vs. SPYG - Expense Ratio Comparison

XTL has a 0.35% expense ratio, which is higher than SPYG's 0.04% expense ratio.

Dividends

XTL vs. SPYG - Dividend Comparison

XTL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.80%, more than SPYG's 0.46% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
SPYG State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF	0.46%	0.52%	0.60%	1.15%	1.03%	0.62%	0.90%	1.37%	1.51%	1.41%	1.55%	1.57%
XTL SPDR S&P Telecom ETF	0.80%	1.05%	0.62%	0.80%	0.74%	1.25%	0.88%	0.92%	1.90%	2.08%	1.11%	1.38%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both XTL and SPYG in my portfolio?

XTL and SPYG have a correlation of 0.60, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, XTL or SPYG?

XTL has higher volatility (8.05%) compared to SPYG (4.15%). In terms of maximum drawdown, XTL dropped -37.01% vs SPYG's -67.63%.

Which ETF is better, XTL or SPYG?

On 10-year performance, SPYG leads with 18.32% vs 16.95% for XTL. On fees, SPYG is cheaper at 0.04% per year. On volatility, SPYG has been the lower-risk option at 4.15%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF has performed better, XTL or SPYG?

Over the 10-year period, SPYG has performed better with a 18.32% return vs 16.95%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

Which ETF is cheaper, XTL or SPYG?

SPYG is cheaper with a 0.04% expense ratio, compared with 0.35% for XTL.

Which ETF pays a higher dividend yield, XTL or SPYG?

XTL has the higher dividend yield at 0.80%, compared with 0.46% for SPYG.

What is the main difference between XTL and SPYG?

XTL is categorized as Communications Equities, while SPYG is S&P 500. XTL tracks S&P Telecom Select Industry Index, while SPYG tracks S&P 500 Growth Index. Their fees differ too: 0.35% for XTL and 0.04% for SPYG.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

XTL currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (5.02 vs 2.27), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.