The Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLRE) Performance
XLRE total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +8.0% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +3.7% total return
- 5 years
- +1.1% a year
- 10 years
- +6.6% a year
- Since first price
- +6.8% a year since 2015
XLRE trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | XLRE total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +1.7% | +1.7% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | −4.5% | −5.3% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | −1.5% | −3.2% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +8.0% | +5.5% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +3.7% | +0.2% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +45.3%+13.3%/yr | +31.1% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +5.8%+1.1%/yr | −10.7% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| 10 years | +90.2%+6.6%/yr | +34.7% | +315.9%+15.3%/yr | +538.9%+20.4%/yr | +14.0%+1.3%/yr |
| Since inceptionOct 8, 2015 | +105.8%+6.8%/yr | +40.9% | — | — | — |
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: XLRE vs SPY
From Oct 8, 2015: XLRE grew to $20,579, SPY to $45,180.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
XLRE returns by calendar year
7 of 10 full years positive. Best 2021 (+46.1%), worst 2022 (−26.3%). 2026 is year to date.
XLRE annual returns table
| Year | XLRE | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +8.0% | −11.1% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +2.6% | −14.3% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +5.1% | −11.4% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +12.4% | −21.1% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −26.3% | −32.7% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +46.1% | −8.3% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | −2.2% | −38.8% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +28.7% | −6.7% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −2.4% | −12.5% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | +10.7% | −4.7% | +21.7% | +32.7% | +3.6% |
| 2016 | +2.8% | −14.6% | +12.0% | +7.1% | +2.4% |
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.
XLRE largest drawdowns
Now 6.7% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 21, 2020 | −38.8% | Mar 23, 2020 | Apr 5, 2021 | 31 days | 1.1 years |
| Dec 31, 2021 | −34.1% | Oct 25, 2023 | Jun 9, 2026 | 1.8 years | 4.4 years |
| Aug 1, 2016 | −14.6% | Nov 10, 2016 | Nov 7, 2017 | 3 months | 1.3 years |
| Dec 30, 2015 | −13.4% | Feb 11, 2016 | Mar 17, 2016 | 43 days | 3 months |
| Dec 6, 2018 | −12.5% | Dec 24, 2018 | Jan 31, 2019 | 18 days | 56 days |
| Nov 13, 2017 | −12.3% | Feb 8, 2018 | Jul 5, 2018 | 3 months | 8 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
XLRE risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | Since 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +10.0% | +1.8% | +5.8% | +6.2% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 16.6% | 19.3% | 17.1% | 17.0% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.39 | -0.00 | 0.28 | 0.32 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.62 | -0.00 | 0.41 | 0.47 |
| Best month | +12.5% | +12.5% | +12.5% | +12.5% |
| Worst month | −8.7% | −13.2% | −15.1% | −15.1% |
| Best 12 months | +35.7% | +35.7% | +46.1% | +46.1% |
| Worst 12 months | −4.2% | −26.3% | −26.3% | −26.3% |
| Positive months | 61% | 53% | 59% | 59% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.87 | 0.96 | 0.84 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.65 | 0.78 | 0.75 | — |
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.
XLRE rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 121 | −26.3% | +4.9% | +46.1% | 69% |
| 3-year (a year) | 97 | −4.5% | +6.6% | +22.5% | 92% |
| 5-year (a year) | 73 | +1.1% | +6.7% | +14.7% | 100% |
| 10-year (a year) | 13 | +5.8% | +6.4% | +7.7% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2015. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
XLRE performance overview
The Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLRE) returned +3.7% over the past year and +6.6% a year over ten years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2015 it has returned +6.8% a year, turning $10,000 into about $20,579. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −38.8%, from Feb 21, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 1.0 years to get back to the old high. XLRE finished 7 of its 10 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2021 (+46.1%) and the worst 2022 (−26.3%). Volatility has been 17.0% a year.
Related: XLRE chart, XLRE holdings, XLRE dividends, XLRE valuation. See the XLRE overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
XLRE performance FAQ
What is the XLRE return over the past year?
XLRE returned +3.7% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 0.2%.
What is the average annual return of XLRE?
XLRE has returned +1.1% a year over 5 years, +6.6% a year over 10 years, +6.8% a year since October 8, 2015 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in XLRE be worth?
$10,000 invested in XLRE at its first recorded close on October 8, 2015 would be worth about $20,579 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for XLRE?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −26.3%. The best was 2021 at +46.1%.
What is the biggest drawdown of XLRE?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −38.8% between February 21, 2020 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on April 5, 2021, 1.0 years after the bottom.
How volatile is XLRE?
Over the past 3 years XLRE had an annualized volatility of 16.6% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.39 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).