Compare Financial Products Side by Side
Pick up to three listings from the directory, then weigh them against each other on the attributes that decide the choice — fees, minimums, features, regulation and ratings.
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What you're comparing
You have 2 listings in the compare tray: Consumer Staples SPDR (XLP) (Sector ETF — Staples) and Communication Services SPDR (XLC) (Sector ETF — Comms). Below, each row shows the attribute, what it measures, and which listing leads when the value can be ranked numerically.
| Rating | 4.5 (110) | 4.4 (100) |
|---|---|---|
Expense ratio (lower is better) Annual fee deducted from NAV daily — the single biggest controllable drag on long-term returns. | 0.09% | 0.09% |
AUM (higher is better) Total assets in the fund — higher AUM usually means tighter spreads and lower closure risk. | $15B+ | $18B+ |
Index tracked The benchmark methodology that decides what the fund actually owns and how it's weighted. | S&P Cons Staples Select | S&P Comms Services Select |
Dividend yield (higher is better) Trailing 12-month income paid by the fund as a percentage of price. | ~2.5% | ~0.8% |
| Regulation | SEC, Investment Company Act 1940 | SEC, Investment Company Act 1940 |
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| Headquarters | Boston, MA, United States | Boston, MA, United States |
| Founded | 1998 | 2018 |
| License | — | — |
| Experience level | Beginner | Beginner |
| Visit | — | — |
Bottom line
Across the attributes that can be ranked numerically: Consumer Staples SPDR (XLP) leads on expense ratio (0.09%); Communication Services SPDR (XLC) leads on aum ($18B+); Consumer Staples SPDR (XLP) leads on dividend yield (~2.5%). Use this as a starting point — your own situation (account type, deposit size, jurisdiction) decides which of those leads actually matters.
How to use this comparison
Side-by-side comparisons make trade-offs visible — but only if you compare on the dimensions that actually drive the decision. A 0.10% expense-ratio difference between two near-identical broad-market ETFs is real, but rarely the deciding factor for a $5,000 investment. A 5-year track record difference between two robo-advisors usually matters less than whether they support the account type you need.
Before you commit to one option, write down two or three deal-breakers. Maybe it's "must support a SEP IRA". Maybe it's "must have a no-fee checking account included". Filter against those first, then look at marginal differences.
Where possible, every numeric attribute in the table is sourced from the business's own disclosures or a regulator filing. We refresh claimed and verified listings on at least a quarterly cycle; unclaimed listings rely on our last editor review, and we mark the date so you can judge how recent the information is.