If you invested $1,000 in XLU — what it would be worth today
A $1,000 investment in Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLU) in January 2016 would be worth $3,670 as of August 2026 with dividends reinvested — 13.1% a year. Use the dropdowns above to try any amount, ticker, or starting month back to December 1998.
Over the same period, the same $1,000 would be worth $4,684 in the S&P 500 (SPY) and $7,427 in the Nasdaq-100 (QQQ). XLU trailed both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq-100 over that period.
What $1,000 in XLU would be worth today, by starting month#
each bar = one starting month, held to today$1,000 invested in XLU, by starting year#
| Invested in | Worth today | Same in QQQ | Multiple | Annualized |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | $3,670 | $7,427 | 3.7× | 13.1% |
| 2017 | $3,171 | $6,141 | 3.2× | 12.9% |
| 2018 | $2,865 | $4,475 | 2.9× | 13.1% |
| 2019 | $2,497 | $4,470 | 2.5× | 12.9% |
| 2020 | $1,865 | $3,403 | 1.9× | 10.0% |
| 2021 | $1,931 | $2,353 | 1.9× | 12.6% |
| 2022 | $1,631 | $2,029 | 1.6× | 11.4% |
| 2023 | $1,542 | $2,482 | 1.5× | 13.0% |
| 2024 | $1,625 | $1,742 | 1.6× | 21.0% |
| 2025 | $1,205 | $1,382 | 1.2× | 12.9% |
Methodology#
Investments are assumed made at the first trading day's close of the chosen year. "Dividends reinvested" uses split- and dividend-adjusted closes (a standard total-return approximation; taxes and fees excluded). "Price-only" uses split-adjusted closes. XLU data begins December 1998; values as of August 2026 and refresh daily. Past performance does not predict future returns; not investment advice.
See the live XLU chart and fundamentals on the XLU quote page or compare with the same investment in SPY.
FAQ
- How much would $1,000 invested in XLU be worth today?
- A $1,000 investment in Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLU) in January 2016 would be worth about $3,670 as of August 2026, with dividends reinvested. That works out to about 13.1% a year.
- How far back does the XLU calculation go?
- XLU data begins December 1998. You can pick any starting month from then to the present and see what your investment would be worth today.
- Does this include dividends?
- Yes. The default "dividends reinvested" view uses split- and dividend-adjusted closing prices — a standard total-return approximation that excludes taxes and fees. A price-only view (split-adjusted, no dividends) is also available.