FXU vs XLU: Grades, Fees and Holdings Compared

First Trust Utilities AlphaDEX Fund

FXUCNYSE Arca

State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF

XLUANYSE Arca

Overlap

55.4%by weight

Expense ratio

XLU −0.53pt a year

FXU0.61%XLU0.08%

Avg volume · 30D

XLU 98.7×the volume

FXU242KXLU23.9M

10Y return · a year

FXU +0.1pt

FXU+9.7%XLU+9.6%

FXU vs XLU Performance

Nov 2, 2021 – Nov 2, 2026

+77.4%FXU+50.9%XLU

Expense ratio: FXU 0.61%; XLU 0.08%, better
Fund size: FXU $768M; XLU $24.2B
1Y total return: FXU +8.9%, better; XLU +0.8%
Yield (12M): FXU 2.30%; XLU 2.78%, better
Holdings: FXU 41; XLU 34
Avg volume (30D): FXU 242K sh; XLU 23.9M sh, better
NAV per share: FXU $48.31; XLU $43.15
52W range

ETF.net Grade

Pillar letters and Scores for FXU, XLU, with each pillar’s weight
Pillar	FXU	XLU
Cost30% weight	F6	A90Higher
Mission25% weight	Not scored	A87
Risk15% weight	A71Higher	C40
Tradability15% weight	C52	A90Higher
Holdings10% weight	A78Higher	D36
Durability5% weight	C48	A76Higher

Rank among Utilities (Broad) funds

How we build Categories ›

Same Category. FXU and XLU are both graded against the same 10 Utilities (Broad) funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

Utilities (Broad)⁠

Category · 10 funds

See all 10 ›

XLU ranks 2nd and FXU 8th of 10 funds in the Utilities (Broad) Category.

Rank 1AFUTYFidelity MSCI Utilities Index ETFScore 76
Rank 2AXLUState Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETFScore 75
Rank 3BVPUVanguard Utilities ETFScore 66
Rank 7CPSCUInvesco S&P SmallCap Utilities & Communication Services ETFScore 47
Rank 8CFXUFirst Trust Utilities AlphaDEX FundScore 40
Rank 8CTRUUVanEck Utilities TruSector ETFScore 40

Our read on each fund

ETF.net Research

FXUCFirst Trust Utilities AlphaDEX Fund

XLUAState Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF

In short

FXU No data

XLU One of the original sector ETFs (1998), XLU is the plain way to own the S&P 500's utilities: roughly 30 electric, gas and water names, eight basis points a year, and one of the deepest trading markets in the category.

Stated mandate

FXU No data

XLU The fund seeks to track, before expenses, the price and yield performance of the Utilities Select Sector Index.

Why people hold it

FXU No data

XLU 0.08% a year, against a utilities-fund median closer to 0.37%. Only FUTY matches it; VPU sits a basis point behind.
Among the most actively traded funds in its category, with a market that has been running since 1998.
A straight index build: it holds the utilities slice of the S&P 500 and tracks that index closely. Pays quarterly.ssga.com
Cheap, liquid and tightly run, it stands among the strongest implementations in the broad utilities group.

Worth knowing

FXU No data

XLU About 30 names, all S&P 500 members. The largest utilities carry real weight, and mid and small caps sit outside the mandate; FUTY and VPU cast a wider net.ssga.com
One sector, one country. It moves with US utilities rather than the broad market, and that concentration cuts both ways.
Cash lands quarterly, not monthly, which matters if you are timing income.

Full FXU profile⁠

Full XLU profile⁠

FXU vs XLU Holdings

How FXU and XLU differ

Overlap by weight

55.4%

Shared holdings make up 95.8% of XLU and 75.5% of FXU.

Level by level

Holdings29 in both55.4%
Sector3 Sectors90.9%
Asset classEquity100%
Countryby domicile100%

Sector

Sector weights in FXU and XLU, widest gap first
Sector	More in FXUMore in XLU	FXU	XLU
Utilities	XLU +9.1 points	90.9%	100.0%
Industrials	FXU +5.0 points	5.0%	0.0%
Energy	FXU +4.1 points	4.1%	0.0%

Country, concentration and asset class

Country by domicile

Country weights in FXU and XLU, widest gap first
Country	More in FXUMore in XLU	FXU	XLU
United States	Same weight	100.0%	100.0%

Concentration

Weight in the 10 largest Holdings

FXU40.0%
XLU58.7%

Securities held

FXU40
XLU32

Asset class

FXU: Equity
XLU: Equity

Holdings

Only in FXU11
In both29
Only in XLU3

Only in FXU

11 securities, 24.3% of FXU by weight

UGI Corporation4.10%
National Fuel Gas Company3.96%
OGE Energy Corp.3.29%
MDU Resources Group, Inc.3.22%
Clearway Energy, Inc. (Class C)2.48%
Clean Harbors, Inc.2.21%
IDACORP, Inc.1.68%
Republic Services, Inc.0.88%
Waste Management, Inc.0.87%
Talen Energy Corporation0.83%
GFL Environmental Inc. (Subordinate Voting Shares)0.82%

Only in XLU

3 securities, 4.1% of XLU by weight

Vistra Corp3.28%
Aes Corp0.78%
Xau Utilities DEC26<0.01%

Weight gaps

All 29 Holdings in both funds, largest gap first.

Holding weights in FXU and XLU, widest gap first
Holding	More in FXUMore in XLU	FXU	XLU
NextEra Energy, Inc.NEE	XLU +10.96 points	1.67%	12.63%
The Southern CompanySO	XLU +6.18 points	1.71%	7.89%
Constellation Energy CorporationCEG	XLU +5.65 points	0.78%	6.43%
Duke Energy CorporationDUK	XLU +3.02 points	4.22%	7.24%
Entergy CorporationETR	XLU +2.94 points	0.84%	3.78%
American Electric Power Company, Inc.AEP	XLU +2.70 points	2.49%	5.19%
Dominion Energy, Inc.D	XLU +2.56 points	1.66%	4.22%
Pinnacle West Capital CorporationPNW	FXU +2.50 points	3.45%	0.95%
SempraSRE	XLU +2.47 points	1.67%	4.14%
Edison InternationalEIX	FXU +2.45 points	4.14%	1.69%
Eversource EnergyES	FXU +2.15 points	4.04%	1.89%
PG&E CorporationPCG	FXU +1.92 points	4.07%	2.15%
Evergy, Inc.EVRG	FXU +1.86 points	3.31%	1.45%
PPL CorporationPPL	FXU +1.30 points	3.28%	1.98%
American Water Works Company, Inc.AWK	XLU +1.24 points	0.84%	2.08%
Alliant Energy CorporationLNT	FXU +1.23 points	2.57%	1.34%
Atmos Energy CorporationATO	FXU +1.20 points	3.33%	2.13%
Consolidated Edison, Inc.ED	FXU +1.16 points	4.31%	3.15%
Ameren CorporationAEE	FXU +1.11 points	3.36%	2.25%
NiSource Inc.NI	FXU +1.02 points	2.59%	1.57%
WEC Energy Group, Inc.WEC	XLU +1.01 points	1.74%	2.75%
CMS Energy CorporationCMS	FXU +0.91 points	2.52%	1.61%
Exelon CorporationEXC	FXU +0.83 points	4.32%	3.49%
NRG Energy, Inc.NRG	XLU +0.75 points	0.76%	1.51%
DTE Energy CompanyDTE	FXU +0.46 points	2.52%	2.06%
CenterPoint Energy, Inc.CNP	XLU +0.31 points	1.74%	2.05%
Xcel Energy Inc.XEL	XLU +0.22 points	3.42%	3.64%
Public Service Enterprise Group IncorporatedPEG	XLU +0.21 points	2.50%	2.71%
FirstEnergy Corp.FE	XLU +0.16 points	1.64%	1.80%

All 40 FXU holdings⁠All 31 XLU holdings⁠

How we measure overlap

Each holding counts at its smaller weight in the two funds, summed over the full Holdings. Sector, country and asset class use the same rule on each fund’s split. Cash, FX and derivative lines stay out of the counts. Two bond funds get no overlap figure.

FXU vs XLU Cost

Overpaying FXU vs XLU

$10,309

On $10,000 over 30 years. 7% growth a year before fees, expense ratio only.

FXU 0.61%
$11,998
XLU 0.08%
$1,689

Amount$10,000

Years30 years

Cost over time

FXU 0.61%
XLU 0.08%
Overpaying

Year by year

Year	FXU	XLU	Overpaying
10	$1,093	$147	$946
20	$4,181	$575	$3,606
30	$11,998	$1,689	$10,309

Expense ratio

0.61%FXU
0.08%XLU, cheaper

XLU0.08%FXU0.61%

0.08%0.61%

Middle half of Utilities (Broad) funds
Median 0.33%

XLU cheapest of 10 funds

FXU 10th cheapest of 10 funds

FXU vs XLU Dividends

Last 12 months to Nov 2, 2026

Yield (12M): FXU 2.30%; XLU 2.78%, better
Payout (12M): FXU $1.12; XLU $1.21
Last payment: FXU $0.33; XLU $0.30
Ex-dividend: FXU Sep 24, 2026; XLU Sep 21, 2026
Paid on: FXU Sep 30, 2026; XLU Sep 23, 2026
Frequency: FXU Quarterly; XLU Quarterly

Distribution history

Per share, 2017 to 2026, same scale for both

FXUQuarterly · 39 paymentsAll FXU payments⁠

XLUQuarterly · 39 paymentsAll XLU payments⁠

FXU vs XLU Risk

Fall from peak · 5 years

Risk facts

VolatilityStd dev, 3 years: FXU 15.4%, betterXLU 16.0%
Return per unit of riskSharpe ratio, 3 years: FXU 1.10, betterXLU 0.77
Worst fallMax drawdown, 5 years: FXU −21.9%, betterXLU −25.3%
Market sensitivityBeta, 5 years: FXU 0.47XLU 0.49; Market = 1

FXU and XLU in the news

All news⁠

Category Rankings
Chips, AI and crypto took October's losses
Updated Nov 2, 2026XLU
Closing Bell
Fed holds rates, stocks rise a third day as long yields climb
Oct 28, 2026XLU
Closing Bell
Chip stocks drag Nasdaq to worst day since June as AI funding worries return
Oct 22, 2026XLU
Top Movers
Korea funds rose 4% Monday, well ahead of Seoul
Oct 19, 2026XLU
Closing Bell
Stocks higher on narrow tech and consumer rally
Oct 19, 2026XLU
Closing Bell
Tech funds routed as Nasdaq has its worst week since June
Oct 16, 2026XLU

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FXU vs XLU

In short

Stated mandate

Why people hold it