Looking for broad exposure to the Consumer Staples - Broad segment of the equity market? You should consider the State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP Quick QuoteXLP - 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.

Additionally, sector ETFs offer convenient ways to gain low risk and diversified exposure to a broad group of companies in particular sectors. Consumer Staples - Broad is one of the 16 broad Zacks sectors within the Zacks Industry classification. It is currently ranked 14, placing it in bottom 13%.

Index Details

The fund is sponsored by State Street Investment Management. It has amassed assets over $16.54 billion, making it the largest ETF attempting to match the performance of the Consumer Staples - Broad segment of the equity market. XLP seeks to match the performance of the Consumer Staples Select Sector Index before fees and expenses.

The Consumer Staples Select Sector Index seeks to provide an effective representation of the consumer staples sector of the S&P 500 Index.

Costs

When considering an ETF's total return, expense ratios are an important factor, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts in the long term if all other factors remain equal.

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 2.52%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

ETFs offer a diversified exposure and thus minimize single stock risk but it is still important to delve into a fund's holdings before investing. Most ETFs are very transparent products and many disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

This ETF has heaviest allocation in the Consumer Staples sector -- about 100% of the portfolio.

Looking at individual holdings, Walmart Inc (WMT) accounts for about 11.91% of total assets, followed by Costco Wholesale Corp (COST) and Procter + Gamble Co/the (PG).

The top 10 holdings account for about 62.95% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

Year-to-date, the State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF return is roughly 9.09% so far, and is up roughly 9.52% over the last 12 months (as of 03/16/2026). XLP has traded between $75.6 and $90.01 in this past 52-week period.

The ETF has a beta of 0.49 and standard deviation of 11.73% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 39 holdings, it has more concentrated exposure than peers.

Alternatives

State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF carries a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Thus, XLP is a good option for those seeking exposure to the Consumer Staples ETFs area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.

Fidelity MSCI Consumer Staples Index ETF (FSTA) tracks MSCI USA IMI Consumer Staples Index and the Vanguard Consumer Staples Index Fund ETF Shares (VDC) tracks MSCI US Investable Market Consumer Staples 25/50 Index. Fidelity MSCI Consumer Staples Index ETF has $1.44 billion in assets, Vanguard Consumer Staples Index Fund ETF Shares has $7.94 billion. FSTA has an expense ratio of 0.08%, and VDC charges 0.09%.

Bottom Line

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