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Should You Invest in the Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE)?
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Looking for broad exposure to the Energy - Broad segment of the equity market? You should consider the Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on December 16, 1998.
Passively managed ETFs are becoming increasingly popular with institutional as well as retail investors due to their low cost, transparency, flexibility and tax efficiency. They are excellent vehicles for long term investors.
Sector ETFs are also funds of convenience, offering many ways to gain low risk and diversified exposure to a broad group of companies in particular sectors. Energy - Broad is one of the 16 broad Zacks sectors within the Zacks Industry classification. It is currently ranked 16, placing it in bottom 0%.
Index Details
The fund is sponsored by State Street Investment Management. It has amassed assets over $26.4 billion, making it the largest ETF attempting to match the performance of the Energy - Broad segment of the equity market. XLE seeks to match the performance of the Energy Select Sector Index before fees and expenses.
The Energy Select Sector Index includes companies from the following industries: oil, gas & consumable fuels and energy equipment & services.
Costs
Since cheaper funds tend to produce better results than more expensive funds, assuming all other factors remain equal, it is important for investors to pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.08%, making it the least expensive product in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 3.37%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure which minimizes single stock risk, it is still important to look into a fund's holdings before investing. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation in the Energy sector -- about 100% of the portfolio.
Looking at individual holdings, Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM) accounts for about 23.24% of total assets, followed by Chevron Corp (CVX) and Conocophillips (COP).
The top 10 holdings account for about 73.31% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF has added roughly 0.82% and is down about 1.59% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 08/11/2025), respectively. XLE has traded between $76.44 and $97.27 during this last 52-week period.
The ETF has a beta of 0.79 and standard deviation of 23.98% for the trailing three-year period, making it a high risk choice in the space. With about 26 holdings, it has more concentrated exposure than peers.
Alternatives
Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, XLE is an excellent option for investors seeking exposure to the Energy ETFs segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.
iShares Global Energy ETF (IXC) tracks S&P Global 1200 Energy Sector Index and the Vanguard Energy ETF (VDE) tracks MSCI US Investable Market Energy 25/50 Index. iShares Global Energy ETF has $1.76 billion in assets, Vanguard Energy ETF has $6.97 billion. IXC has an expense ratio of 0.41%, and VDE charges 0.09%.
Bottom Line
To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.
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Should You Invest in the Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE)?
Looking for broad exposure to the Energy - Broad segment of the equity market? You should consider the Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on December 16, 1998.
Passively managed ETFs are becoming increasingly popular with institutional as well as retail investors due to their low cost, transparency, flexibility and tax efficiency. They are excellent vehicles for long term investors.
Sector ETFs are also funds of convenience, offering many ways to gain low risk and diversified exposure to a broad group of companies in particular sectors. Energy - Broad is one of the 16 broad Zacks sectors within the Zacks Industry classification. It is currently ranked 16, placing it in bottom 0%.
Index Details
The fund is sponsored by State Street Investment Management. It has amassed assets over $26.4 billion, making it the largest ETF attempting to match the performance of the Energy - Broad segment of the equity market. XLE seeks to match the performance of the Energy Select Sector Index before fees and expenses.
The Energy Select Sector Index includes companies from the following industries: oil, gas & consumable fuels and energy equipment & services.
Costs
Since cheaper funds tend to produce better results than more expensive funds, assuming all other factors remain equal, it is important for investors to pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.08%, making it the least expensive product in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 3.37%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure which minimizes single stock risk, it is still important to look into a fund's holdings before investing. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation in the Energy sector -- about 100% of the portfolio.
Looking at individual holdings, Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM) accounts for about 23.24% of total assets, followed by Chevron Corp (CVX) and Conocophillips (COP).The top 10 holdings account for about 73.31% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF has added roughly 0.82% and is down about 1.59% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 08/11/2025), respectively. XLE has traded between $76.44 and $97.27 during this last 52-week period.
The ETF has a beta of 0.79 and standard deviation of 23.98% for the trailing three-year period, making it a high risk choice in the space. With about 26 holdings, it has more concentrated exposure than peers.
Alternatives
Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, XLE is an excellent option for investors seeking exposure to the Energy ETFs segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.
iShares Global Energy ETF (IXC) tracks S&P Global 1200 Energy Sector Index and the Vanguard Energy ETF (VDE) tracks MSCI US Investable Market Energy 25/50 Index. iShares Global Energy ETF has $1.76 billion in assets, Vanguard Energy ETF has $6.97 billion. IXC has an expense ratio of 0.41%, and VDE charges 0.09%.
Bottom Line
To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.