AWSHX vs XLU: 4% overlap
American Funds Washington Mutual A and Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund share 3.8% of their portfolios by weight — computed as Σ min(wA, wB) over every holding both funds own.
Different holding dates. These holdings were published about 3 months apart — AWSHX as of 2026-04-30, the rest through 2026-07-23. Each fund is compared using its most recent file, so any trading in between shows up as a difference.
You would hold two tickers and get the diversification of 2.0. Two funds that shared nothing would score 2.0; two identical funds score 1.0.
Top shared holdings
AWSHX and XLU hold 11 of the same securities. The ten contributing most to the overlap figure:
| Holding | in AWSHX | in XLU | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| CEG | 1.1% | 6.1% | 5.0% |
| SRE | 0.5% | 4.2% | 3.7% |
| FE | 0.5% | 1.8% | 1.3% |
| SO | 0.5% | 7.5% | 7.0% |
| DTE | 0.3% | 2.1% | 1.9% |
| EXC | 0.3% | 3.3% | 3.1% |
| CNP | 0.2% | 2.0% | 1.8% |
| ETR | 0.2% | 3.7% | 3.5% |
| PEG | 0.1% | 2.7% | 2.6% |
| ATO | 0.1% | 2.1% | 1.9% |
Where AWSHX and XLU differ
Sector weights as a share of each fund, ordered by the size of the gap rather than the size of the sector — two funds that overlap heavily still usually diverge somewhere.
| Sector | AWSHX | XLU | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utilities | 3.8% | 99.7% | −95.9pp |
| Information Technology | 21.9% | 0.0% | +21.9pp |
| Financials | 15.0% | 0.0% | +15.0pp |
| Industrials | 11.7% | 0.0% | +11.7pp |
| Health Care | 10.7% | 0.0% | +10.7pp |
| Unclassified | 7.9% | 0.0% | +7.9pp |
| Consumer Staples | 7.0% | 0.0% | +7.0pp |
| Consumer Discretionary | 6.9% | 0.0% | +6.9pp |
Δ is AWSHX minus XLU, in percentage points. Sector data is not published by every issuer, so “Unclassified” is a real category rather than a gap in the table.
What each fund holds alone
95.8% of AWSHX by weight, held in no part of XLU.
64.1% of XLU by weight, held in no part of AWSHX.
A large count with a small weight is the usual shape: the positions one fund adds are typically its smallest ones.
Concentration and cost
| AWSHX | XLU | |
|---|---|---|
| Top 10 holdings | 29.9% | 58.0% |
| Positions held | 197 | 33 |
| Cost per $10,000 held, per year | $57 | $8 |
Cost is the expense ratio applied to $10,000; it excludes any brokerage commission, bid-ask spread or tax consequence. Figures are facts about the funds, not a suggestion about which to hold.
Frequently asked
How much do AWSHX and XLU overlap?
AWSHX and XLU overlap 3.8% by portfolio weight — largely distinct portfolios. They share 11 holdings. The figure comes from current issuer holdings files (AWSHX as of 2026-04-30, XLU as of 2026-07-23).
How is the overlap between AWSHX and XLU calculated?
As the sum of the smaller weight in each fund, over every holding both funds own: Σ min(wA, wB). If AWSHX holds a stock at 6% and XLU holds the same stock at 4%, 4% counts as shared. The result is bounded between 0% and 100%, and it is computed after looking through any fund-of-funds to the underlying holdings.
Is it redundant to hold both AWSHX and XLU?
That depends on your goals — we state facts, not advice. At 3.8% overlap, each fund still contributes meaningfully distinct exposure.
What does AWSHX own that XLU doesn't?
AWSHX holds 197 positions and XLU holds 33; 186 of AWSHX's positions don't appear in XLU at all, and they are 95.8% of AWSHX by weight.
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Related comparisons
Sources: issuer holdings files, AWSHX as of 2026-04-30, XLU as of 2026-07-23. Weights are fractions of each fund. Diagnostics, not advice.