IWR vs XLU Overlap

IWR is a mid-cap U.S. equity ETF from IShares, while XLU is a utilities ETF from SPDR. IWR and XLU show limited overlap, with an estimated weighted overlap of 5.83%. They share 24 holdings in the loaded dataset, led by VST, EXC, and XEL.

5.8% overlap
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24Shared Holdings
OK
Low Overlap

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Quick Answer

IWR is a mid-cap U.S. equity ETF from IShares, while XLU is a utilities ETF from SPDR. IWR and XLU show limited overlap, with an estimated weighted overlap of 5.83%. They share 24 holdings in the loaded dataset, led by VST, EXC, and XEL.

  • 5.83% weighted overlap across 24 shared holdings.
  • The top three shared holdings explain 20.5% of the measured overlap.
  • IWR is the broader fund, while XLU is more targeted.
  • The overlap is mostly explained by the top shared positions rather than sector labels alone.
  • Holding both can still add materially different exposure.

Data Freshness

IWR holdings
Mar 12, 2026
XLU holdings
Mar 12, 2026
Overlap computed
Mar 15, 2026
Data source
Financial Modeling Prep

Review the methodology for the overlap formula and refresh policy.

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About These ETFs

ETF A

IWR

iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF

Issuer
IShares
Asset class
Equity
Expense ratio
0.18%
AUM
$48B
Inception
Jul 17, 2001

ETF B

XLU

State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF

Issuer
SPDR
Asset class
Equity
Expense ratio
0.08%
AUM
$24B
Inception
Dec 16, 1998

What Stands Out In This Comparison

01

What This Means

IWR is a mid-cap U.S. equity ETF from IShares, while XLU is a utilities ETF from SPDR. IWR and XLU do not own much of the same portfolio weight. That usually means you are combining different parts of the market, with only a small amount of duplication through names like VST, EXC, and XEL.

02

How They Differ

IWR is a mid-cap U.S. equity ETF from IShares, while XLU is a utilities ETF from SPDR. IWR is the broader fund, while XLU is the more targeted sleeve. XLU has the lower expense ratio, while IWR charges more for its exposure.

03

What Drives The Overlap

The overlap is driven by a relatively small set of large shared positions. The top three shared holdings account for 20.5% of the score, which means the result is heavily influenced by the biggest common weights rather than a long tail of tiny positions.

04

When One May Fit Better

If you want the broader portfolio building block, IWR is usually the wider choice. If you want the more focused tilt, XLU is the narrower expression. XLU has the lower expense ratio, while IWR charges more for its exposure.

Overlap Driver Snapshot

Concentration

The top three shared holdings explain 20.5% of the full overlap score.

That helps show whether the score comes from a handful of giant shared positions or from a broader mix of common holdings.

Shared Sector Tilt

Sector tags are not consistently available for the biggest shared positions in this dataset, so this comparison leans more on the specific holdings than on sector labels.

Top Shared Holdings

These are the holdings contributing the most to the overlap score between IWR and XLU.

HoldingIWR Wt.XLU Wt.Overlap
VST0.43%3.66%0.43%
EXC0.39%3.46%0.39%
XEL0.38%3.38%0.38%
ETR0.36%3.27%0.36%
PEG0.32%2.90%0.32%
ED0.31%2.81%0.31%
PCG0.31%2.80%0.31%
WEC0.29%2.60%0.29%
NRG0.24%2.30%0.24%
DTE0.24%2.15%0.24%

Why These ETFs Overlap

IWR is a mid-cap U.S. equity ETF from IShares, while XLU is a utilities ETF from SPDR. The overlap exists because both funds allocate meaningful weight to the same holdings. In this dataset, the biggest shared drivers are VST, EXC, and XEL, which appear in both portfolios and push the overlap score higher.

Holding both IWR and XLU can make sense if you want exposure to different sleeves of the market. The overlap is small enough that both funds may still improve diversification.

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions About IWR and XLU

What is the overlap between IWR and XLU?+
IWR and XLU currently show an estimated weighted overlap of 5.83% based on the loaded holdings data.
How many holdings do IWR and XLU share?+
They share 24 holdings in the current dataset.
Is the IWR and XLU overlap high?+
The current verdict is Low Overlap. That means the two ETFs have limited duplication in portfolio weight.
Why do IWR and XLU overlap?+
IWR and XLU overlap because the same large positions appear in both funds. In this comparison, the top three shared holdings explain 20.5% of the measured overlap score.
Which ETF is broader, IWR or XLU?+
IWR is the broader fund, while XLU is the more targeted sleeve. That does not automatically make one better, but it helps explain why the pair can overlap while still serving different roles.

How Overlap Is Calculated

A straightforward approach used by portfolio analysts.

Overlap = sum(min(Weight_A, Weight_B)) for each shared holding

For every stock that appears in both ETFs, we take the smaller of the two weights. Adding up all those minimums gives the total overlap percentage. A score of 100% means the two ETFs hold the exact same stocks in the same proportions.

Want the full explanation? Read the methodology page.

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