FXUvsXLUETF Comparison
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First Trust Utilities AlphaDEX ETF (FXU) and State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU) belong to the same industry segment: US Utilities. FXU's top 3 sector exposures are Utilities, Energy and Business Services. In contrast, XLU's top sector exposures are Utilities. FXU is more expensive with a Total Expense Ratio (TER) of 0.61%, versus 0.08% for XLU. FXU is up 4.2% year-to-date (YTD) with -$1.08B in YTD flows. XLU performs worse with -0.75% YTD performance, and +$484M in YTD flows. Run a side-by-side ETF comparison of FXU and XLU below, and assess how they stack up in performance, liquidity, risk, exposure, holdings, and more, helping you select the best ETF for your investments.
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FXU vs XLU performance and flow charts
Performance
Cumulative Flows
Historic performance and flows
Data as of 09/11/2026
| 1M | 3M | YTD | 1Y | 3Y | 5Y | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perf. | FXU XLU | -3.27%-5.63% | -2.90%-5.98% | +4.20%-0.75% | +6.85%+0.31% | +64.95%+40.22% | +66.03%+42.64% |
| Flows | FXU XLU | -$14M+$64M | -$28M+$409M | -$1.08B+$484M | -$1.00B+$1.18B | +$243M+$3.01B | +$321M+$5.72B |
Volatility and drawdown
| 3M | 1Y | 3Y | 5Y | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volatility | FXU XLU | +14.14%+14.69% | +13.75%+15.39% | +15.72%+16.45% | +16.68%+17.43% |
| Max drawdown | FXU XLU | -7.65%-9.65% | -9.09%-11.25% | -11.79%-13.20% | -21.82%-25.30% |
| Max drawdown duration | FXU XLU | 75d50d | 155d197d | 78d89d | 604d688d |
Trading data
FXU | XLU | |
Last sale 9/15/2026 at 1:30 PM | $45.60 | $41.32 |
| Previous close 09/14/2026 | $46.03 | $41.82 |
| Consolidated volume 09/14/2026 | ||
| Average volume 30 days | ||
| Average discount or premium 30 days | ||
| Average Bid/Ask spread 30 days |
Replication quality
Data as of August 31, 2026
1-year trailing difference
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FXU | XLU | |
|---|---|---|
| Tracking error | ||
| Tracking difference | ||
| 1 year cumulative return difference | ||
| Best | ||
| Worst | ||
| Daily return difference | ||
| Average | ||
| Worst | ||
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Main metrics
Last update 9/15/2026 at 1:30 PM
Live
Closed
FXU | XLU | |
|---|---|---|
| Last price | $45.60 | $41.32 |
| 1D performance | -0.93% | -1.20% |
| AuM | $773.54 M | $21.72 B |
| E/R | 0.61% | 0.08% |
Characteristics
FXU | XLU | |
|---|---|---|
| Management strategy | Passive | Passive |
| Provider | First Trust | State Street Investment Management |
| Benchmark | StrataQuant Utilities Index | S&P Utilities Select Sector Index |
| N° of holdings | 40 | 31 |
| Asset class | Equities | Equities |
| Trailing 12m distribution yield | Join | Join |
| Inception date | May 8, 2007 | December 16, 1998 |
| ESG | No | No |
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Exposure
Countries
FXU
USA
99.6%
Other
0.4%
XLU
USA
99.7%
Other
0.3%
Sectors
FXU
Utilities
87.61%
Energy
9.26%
Other
3.13%
XLU
Utilities
99.7%
Other
0.3%
Diversification
FXU
Total weight of top 15 holdings out of 15
57.85%
XLU
Total weight of top 15 holdings out of 15
72.23%
Top 15 holdings
Data as of July 31, 2026
FXU
UGI Corp.
4.65%
National Fuel Gas Co.
4.61%
PG&E Corp.
4.52%
The AES Corp.
4.27%
Edison International
4.25%
Eversource Energy
4.23%
Consolidated Edison, Inc.
4.15%
Exelon Corp.
4.10%
Essential Utilities, Inc.
3.58%
Duke Energy Corp.
3.29%
PPL Corp.
3.28%
OGE Energy Corp.
3.26%
Evergy, Inc.
3.26%
MDU Resources Group, Inc.
3.25%
Pinnacle West Capital Corp.
3.15%
XLU
NextEra Energy, Inc.
13.07%
The Southern Co.
7.68%
Duke Energy Corp.
7.05%
Constellation Energy Corp.
6.05%
American Electric Power Co., Inc.
5.01%
Dominion Energy, Inc.
4.39%
Sempra
4.17%
Entergy Corp.
3.55%
Xcel Energy, Inc.
3.52%
Vistra Corp.
3.39%
Exelon Corp.
3.38%
Consolidated Edison, Inc.
2.89%
PG&E Corp.
2.76%
Public Service Enterprise Group, Inc.
2.75%
WEC Energy Group, Inc.
2.57%
Frequently asked questions about FXU and XLU
How have the FXU and XLU ETFs performed in 2026?
As of September 11, 2026, FXU is up 4.2% year-to-date (YTD), while XLU has lost -0.75%. That puts FXU better performer ahead so far this year.
Which ETF is attracting more investor money: FXU or XLU?
Year-to-date, the FXU ETF saw -$1.08B in flows, compared to +$484M for XLU.
Which ETF is more volatile: FXU or XLU?
Over the past year, FXU had a volatility of 13.75%, while XLU experienced 15.39%.
Which ETF is bigger: FXU or XLU?
As of September 11, 2026, FXU holds $773.54 M in assets under management (AUM), while XLU manages $21.72 B.
What sectors do the FXU and XLU ETFs invest in?
FXU leans toward sectors like Utilities and Energy. Meanwhile, XLU focuses on Utilities.
What are the top holdings of the FXU ETF and XLU ETF?
FXU top holdings include UGI Corp., National Fuel Gas Co. and PG&E Corp.. XLU holds in its top three: NextEra Energy, Inc., The Southern Co. and Duke Energy Corp..
Which ETF is more diversified: FXU or XLU?
FXU holds 40 securities with 57.85% of its assets in the top 15. XLU has 31 securities and a top 15 weight of 72.23%.
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