The Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) was launched on December 16, 1998, and is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Energy - Broad segment of the equity market.
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 also provide investors access to a broad group of companies in particular sectors that offer low risk and diversified exposure. Energy - Broad is one of the 16 broad Zacks sectors within the Zacks Industry classification. It is currently ranked 13, placing it in bottom 19%.
Index Details
The fund is sponsored by State Street Investment Management. It has amassed assets over $25.77 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
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 3.34%.
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 Energy sector -- about 100% of the portfolio.
Looking at individual holdings, Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM) accounts for about 22.85% of total assets, followed by Chevron Corp (CVX) and Conocophillips (COP).
The top 10 holdings account for about 76.11% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF return is roughly 3.38% so far this year and is down about 3.79% in the last one year (as of 10/15/2025). In that past 52-week period, it has traded between $76.44 and $97.27.
The ETF has a beta of 0.77 and standard deviation of 22.41% for the trailing three-year period, making it a high risk choice in the space. With about 24 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 a great 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 $1.78 billion in assets, Vanguard Energy ETF has $7.01 billion. IXC has an expense ratio of 0.4%, 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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Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE): ETF Research ReportsThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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