FSTA vs. XLP: How These Popular Consumer Staples ETFs Compare for Investors

Katie Brockman, The Motley Fool

Sun, July 19, 2026 astatine 4:45 PM CDT 4 min read

Targeting the user staples assemblage often appeals to investors seeking a antiaircraft posture, arsenic these companies supply indispensable goods radical bargain careless of the economical climate.

This examination examines 2 fashionable options — the State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (NYSEMKT:XLP) and the Fidelity MSCI Consumer Staples Index ETF (NYSEMKT:FSTA) — that connection somewhat antithetic paths to stable, income-generating equity vulnerability wrong the aforesaid marketplace sector.

Snapshot (cost & size)

Beta measures terms volatility comparative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from monthly returns implicit the disposable money past (up to 5 years). The 1-yr instrumentality represents full instrumentality implicit the trailing 12 months. Dividend output is the trailing-12-month organisation yield.

Both ETFs are highly cost-efficient choices for antiaircraft investors, sharing an identical 0.08% disbursal ratio. This means the determination whitethorn hinge connected output and liquidity. Currently, XLP provides a marginally much robust income watercourse with a higher dividend output than FSTA.

Performance & hazard examination

What's wrong

XLP targets the user staples components of the S&P 500, resulting successful a concentrated portfolio of 34 holdings. This provides vulnerability to established, large-cap companies, and its apical holdings see Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT), Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST), and Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG). Launched successful 1998, XLP has paid $2.20 per stock successful dividends implicit the trailing 12 months.

FSTA tracks a broader index, offering vulnerability to 98 holdings. Its largest positions lucifer those of XLP, though each carries a somewhat larger weighting wrong the portfolio. This money was launched successful 2013, and it has paid $1.16 per stock successful dividends implicit the trailing 12 months.

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