XLI: Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund

XLI is the Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund, the S&P 500 industrials sector in one ticker. It holds approximately 75 stocks across aerospace and defense, capital goods, transportation, and industrial services. Expense ratio of 0.09%. The standard passive vehicle for cyclical industrials exposure.

XLI, listed on NYSE Arca. The official name is Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund, issued by State Street Global Advisors. It tracks the Industrial Select Sector Index, the S&P 500's GICS Industrials sector.

Approximately 75 S&P 500 industrial stocks. Top 10 typically include GE Aerospace, Caterpillar, RTX, Honeywell, Union Pacific, Eaton, Deere & Company, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Automatic Data Processing. Diversified across multiple industrial sub-sectors.

Both are US industrials sector ETFs. XLI (SPDR) charges 0.09%, holds ~75 S&P 500 industrials. VIS (Vanguard) charges 0.09%, holds ~390 stocks (broader universe including mid and small caps). VIS offers broader diversification; XLI is more concentrated in the S&P 500 industrials. Returns over multi-year windows have been close.

0.09% per year. On a $10,000 investment, that's $9/year in fees. Cheapest sector ETF expense ratio along with other SPDR Select Sector funds.

Approximately 1.4% as of early 2026, paid quarterly. Industrial sector dividends are moderate; mature industrials (RTX, Caterpillar, Honeywell, Deere) pay meaningful dividends. Growth-tilted industrials (some aerospace, defense) pay less.

XLI trades like any stock during US market hours. Buy it through any broker: Robinhood, Fidelity, Schwab, Public, M1, or any other. Fractional shares supported at most modern brokers.

Approximately $22 billion as of early 2026. XLI has grown with the infrastructure investment thesis and reshoring tailwinds. The sector has had multi-year multiple expansion as defense spending growth and infrastructure capex commitments have raised earnings expectations.

XLI gives you diversified passive exposure to industrials, which includes infrastructure beneficiaries (CAT, DE, Eaton) but also aerospace, defense, and broader industrial services. For pure infrastructure exposure, PAVE (Global X US Infrastructure Development) is more concentrated on infrastructure-specific names. Walnut isn't an investment adviser; XLI fits broader industrial conviction.

December 1998. XLI was launched as part of State Street's original Select Sector SPDR lineup. Standard industrial sector ETF for over 25 years.

Yes. The S&P 500 industrials sector includes aerospace and defense as a sub-sector. RTX, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman are all top XLI holdings. For pure defense exposure, ITA is more concentrated; XLI gives you defense as a subset of broader industrials.

Yes, at brokers that support fractional ETF purchases: Robinhood, Fidelity, Schwab, Public, M1, and several others.

Yes, quarterly. Trailing yield is approximately 1.4% annually. Distributions aggregated from the underlying constituents and paid through to XLI holders. Dividend reinvestment (DRIP) available at most brokers.

XLI is broad industrials sector (75 stocks, aerospace through transportation). PAVE (Global X US Infrastructure Development) is concentrated specifically on US infrastructure-development companies (~100 stocks tilted toward construction, materials, contractors, equipment). PAVE has higher exposure to the infrastructure thesis specifically; XLI is broader industrial cyclical exposure.