SPY vs XLF: 12% overlap
SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust and Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund share 12.4% of their portfolios by weight — computed as Σ min(wA, wB) over every holding both funds own.
You would hold two tickers and get the diversification of 1.9. Two funds that shared nothing would score 2.0; two identical funds score 1.0.
Top shared holdings
SPY and XLF hold 76 of the same securities. The ten contributing most to the overlap figure:
| Holding | in SPY | in XLF | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPM | 1.5% | 11.9% | 10.4% |
| BRK-B | 1.4% | 11.4% | 10.0% |
| V | 0.9% | 7.4% | 6.5% |
| MA | 0.7% | 5.4% | 4.8% |
| BAC | 0.6% | 5.1% | 4.4% |
| GS | 0.5% | 4.0% | 3.5% |
| WFC | 0.4% | 3.3% | 2.9% |
| MS | 0.4% | 3.3% | 2.9% |
| C | 0.4% | 2.9% | 2.5% |
| AXP | 0.3% | 2.3% | 2.0% |
Where SPY and XLF 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 | SPY | XLF | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Financials | 12.4% | 99.9% | −87.5pp |
| Information Technology | 37.5% | 0.0% | +37.5pp |
| Communication Services | 9.3% | 0.0% | +9.3pp |
| Health Care | 9.1% | 0.0% | +9.1pp |
| Industrials | 8.9% | 0.0% | +8.9pp |
| Consumer Discretionary | 8.8% | 0.0% | +8.8pp |
| Consumer Staples | 4.6% | 0.0% | +4.6pp |
| Energy | 3.4% | 0.0% | +3.4pp |
Δ is SPY minus XLF, 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
87.6% of SPY by weight, held in no part of XLF.
0.1% of XLF by weight, held in no part of SPY.
A large count with a small weight is the usual shape: the positions one fund adds are typically its smallest ones.
Concentration and cost
| SPY | XLF | |
|---|---|---|
| Top 10 holdings | 36.9% | 57.0% |
| Positions held | 505 | 78 |
| Cost per $10,000 held, per year | $9 | $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 SPY and XLF overlap?
SPY and XLF overlap 12.4% by portfolio weight — largely distinct portfolios. They share 76 holdings. The figure comes from current issuer holdings files (SPY as of 2026-07-23, XLF as of 2026-07-23).
How is the overlap between SPY and XLF calculated?
As the sum of the smaller weight in each fund, over every holding both funds own: Σ min(wA, wB). If SPY holds a stock at 6% and XLF 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 SPY and XLF?
That depends on your goals — we state facts, not advice. At 12.4% overlap, each fund still contributes meaningfully distinct exposure.
What does SPY own that XLF doesn't?
SPY holds 505 positions and XLF holds 78; 428 of SPY's positions don't appear in XLF at all, and they are 87.6% of SPY by weight.
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Related comparisons
Sources: issuer holdings files, SPY as of 2026-07-23, XLF as of 2026-07-23. Weights are fractions of each fund. Diagnostics, not advice.