Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLC) Performance
XLC total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- −9.5% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- −7.3% total return
- 5 years
- +6.7% a year
- Since first price
- +10.4% a year since 2018
XLC trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | XLC total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −6.3% | −6.3% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +0.5% | +0.1% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | −9.6% | −10.1% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | −9.5% | −10.4% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | −7.3% | −8.5% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +63.3%+17.8%/yr | +57.8% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +38.4%+6.7%/yr | +31.3% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionJun 19, 2018 | +129.1%+10.4%/yr | +111.2% | — | — | — |
Total return from adjusted closes (distributions reinvested, before tax). Periods of 3 years or more are also shown annualized. Price only excludes distributions.
Growth of $10,000: XLC vs SPY
From Jun 19, 2018: XLC grew to $22,912, SPY to $31,234.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
XLC returns by calendar year
6 of 7 full years positive. Best 2023 (+52.8%), worst 2022 (−37.6%). 2026 is year to date.
XLC annual returns table
| Year | XLC | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | −9.5% | −11.7% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +23.1% | −18.0% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +34.7% | −6.4% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +52.8% | −12.0% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −37.6% | −41.5% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +16.0% | −14.3% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +26.9% | −30.1% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +31.0% | −11.0% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
Largest drop = deepest fall from a high within that calendar year.
Calendar-year return vs largest drop within the year
Most years include a sizable fall at some point even when the year ends higher.
XLC largest drawdowns
Now 11.3% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2021 | −46.7% | Nov 3, 2022 | Jun 4, 2024 | 1.2 years | 2.8 years |
| Feb 19, 2020 | −30.1% | Mar 20, 2020 | Jul 10, 2020 | 30 days | 5 months |
| Jul 25, 2018 | −24.3% | Dec 24, 2018 | Jul 26, 2019 | 5 months | 1.0 years |
| Feb 14, 2025 | −18.0% | Apr 8, 2025 | Jun 24, 2025 | 53 days | 4 months |
| Jan 30, 2026 | −11.7% | Jul 23, 2026 | not yet | 6 months | 9 months so far |
| Sep 2, 2020 | −11.3% | Sep 23, 2020 | Nov 24, 2020 | 21 days | 3 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
XLC risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +20.6% | +7.9% | +11.4% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 13.6% | 18.5% | 18.8% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.13 | 0.31 | 0.53 |
| Sortino ratio | 2.01 | 0.45 | 0.81 |
| Best month | +7.8% | +14.8% | +14.8% |
| Worst month | −7.2% | −14.1% | −14.1% |
| Best 12 months | +43.8% | +52.8% | +67.0% |
| Worst 12 months | −5.1% | −39.7% | −39.7% |
| Positive months | 64% | 60% | 62% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.87 | 0.96 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.80 | 0.82 | — |
From monthly total returns. Sharpe and Sortino use 1–3 month T-bills (BIL) as the risk-free rate, so they need history from 2007 on.
XLC rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 89 | −39.7% | +21.0% | +67.0% | 80% |
| 3-year (a year) | 65 | −2.8% | +10.4% | +36.6% | 95% |
| 5-year (a year) | 41 | +6.5% | +12.8% | +17.9% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2018. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
XLC performance overview
Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLC) returned −7.3% over the past year and +6.7% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2018 it has returned +10.4% a year, turning $10,000 into about $22,912. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −46.7%, from Sep 1, 2021 to Nov 3, 2022, and it took 1.6 years to get back to the old high. XLC finished 6 of its 7 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2023 (+52.8%) and the worst 2022 (−37.6%). Volatility has been 18.8% a year.
Related: XLC chart, XLC holdings, XLC dividends, XLC valuation. See the XLC overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
XLC performance FAQ
What is the XLC return over the past year?
XLC returned −7.3% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it fell 8.5%.
What is the average annual return of XLC?
XLC has returned +6.7% a year over 5 years, +10.4% a year since June 19, 2018 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in XLC be worth?
$10,000 invested in XLC at its first recorded close on June 19, 2018 would be worth about $22,912 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for XLC?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −37.6%. The best was 2023 at +52.8%.
What is the biggest drawdown of XLC?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −46.7% between September 1, 2021 and November 3, 2022. It recovered to the old high on June 4, 2024, 1.6 years after the bottom.
How volatile is XLC?
Over the past 3 years XLC had an annualized volatility of 13.6% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.13 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).