Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLU) is an exchange-traded fund that seeks to track the performance of the Utilities Select Sector Index, which consists of U.S.-listed companies operating in the utilities sector. The ETF is managed by State Street Global Advisors and trades under the ticker XLU on NYSE Arca.
Classified as a U.S. sector equity ETF, XLU aims to reflect, before fees and expenses, the performance of the stocks included in the Utilities Select Sector Index. The fund follows a passive management strategy, maintaining a portfolio designed to replicate the composition and weighting of its benchmark index.
The index tracked by XLU includes companies classified within the utilities sector, such as those engaged in electricity generation and distribution, natural gas services, and water utilities.
Constituents are weighted by free-float-adjusted market capitalization. The index undergoes periodic reviews that may result in rebalancing and constituent changes, which are reflected in the ETF’s holdings.
Diversification and sector exposure
Electric utilities.
Natural gas utilities.
Water utilities.
Regulated public services.
Structure and costs
XLU shares are traded on the secondary market. Creation and redemption of shares are carried out by authorized participants, a mechanism designed to help keep the ETF’s market price aligned with its net asset value (NAV).
The fund charges a management fee and does not apply a performance fee. XLU makes periodic income distributions primarily derived from dividends paid by the underlying holdings.
History and evolution of the ETF
The Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund was launched in 1998 during the expansion of sector-based ETFs in the U.S. market. Over time, XLU has maintained its passive index replication approach focused on the utilities sector.
In recent years, the ETF has reflected the sector’s sensitivity to interest rate movements, given its historical association with defensive characteristics and dividend-paying companies, as well as developments related to energy transition and regulatory adjustments within the U.S. utilities market.