Best Consumer ETFs (2026)
Which consumer sector fund to hold, staples or discretionary — 13 funds ranked on cost, yield, return, risk and ETFValuer's overall grade.
Every figure on this page is recalculated from market data each day, so the ranking reflects current conditions rather than whenever this page was written. Educational content — not financial advice.
Top Picks Right Now
- cheapest in the group at 0.08%
- scores 59.8 on the overall model (grade C)
- scores 56.7 on the overall model (grade C)
Ranked by ETFValuer's overall score. Recalculated every day from live market data — these positions change as the underlying numbers move.
At a Glance
Each superlative is measured within this group of 13 funds, not across the whole market.
All 13 Funds Ranked
| Fund | Category | Cost | Yield | 1Y | 3Y | Volatility | Max DD | Sharpe | AUM | Score | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 XLPState Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF | Consumer Staples | 0.08% | 2.03% | +9.8% | +24.9% | 14.1% | -12.0% | 0.34 | $13.6B | 60.1 | C |
| 2 VDCVanguard Consumer Staples Index Fund ETF Shares | Consumer Staples | 0.09% | 2.13% | +9.3% | +27.5% | 13.7% | -11.4% | 0.31 | $9.2B | 59.8 | C |
| 3 FSTAFidelity MSCI Consumer Staples Index ETF | Consumer Staples | 0.08% | 2.21% | +9.3% | +27.3% | 13.7% | -11.4% | 0.31 | $1.4B | 56.7 | C |
| 4 IYKiShares US Consumer Staples ETF | Consumer Staples | 0.38% | 3.25% | +12.9% | +22.2% | 13.8% | -11.9% | 0.57 | $1.3B | 55.8 | C |
| 5 KXIiShares Global Consumer Staples ETF | Consumer Staples | 0.39% | 2.38% | +10.0% | +23.2% | 13.1% | -11.3% | 0.38 | $1.0B | 53.6 | C |
| 6 JETSU.S. Global Jets ETF | Consumer Discretionary | 0.60% | 0.70% | +30.7% | +54.7% | 32.7% | -35.2% | 0.78 | $959M | 52.2 | C |
| 7 XLYState Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF | Consumer Discretionary | 0.08% | 1.06% | +0.8% | +36.7% | 19.3% | -26.0% | -0.22 | $22.6B | 46.0 | D |
| 8 VCRVanguard Consumer Discretionary Index Fund ETF Shares | Consumer Discretionary | 0.09% | 0.72% | +2.8% | +37.8% | 19.4% | -27.4% | -0.11 | $6.8B | 44.6 | D |
| 9 XRTState Street SPDR S&P Retail ETF | Consumer Discretionary | 0.35% | 0.58% | +12.8% | +42.0% | 20.9% | -25.6% | 0.37 | $381M | 44.1 | D |
| 10 FDISFidelity MSCI Consumer Discretionary Index ETF | Consumer Discretionary | 0.08% | 0.72% | +2.9% | +38.1% | 19.3% | -27.4% | -0.11 | $1.7B | 42.5 | D |
| 11 IYCiShares US Consumer Discretionary ETF | Consumer Discretionary | 0.38% | 0.43% | -0.8% | +43.2% | 15.2% | -21.6% | -0.38 | $1.2B | 40.5 | D |
| 12 XHBState Street SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF | Consumer Discretionary | 0.35% | 0.68% | +3.7% | +33.1% | 28.0% | -30.5% | -0.05 | $1.6B | 38.7 | D |
| 13 ITBiShares U.S. Home Construction ETF | Consumer Discretionary | 0.38% | 0.62% | +0.5% | +16.8% | 29.3% | -33.4% | -0.15 | $2.6B | 35.2 | D |
Max DD is the deepest peak-to-trough fall over the measurement window. Sharpe ratio measures return per unit of volatility — higher is better. Every figure is recalculated daily.
What Makes a Good Fund Here
The two consumer sectors behave almost oppositely. Staples — food, household goods, tobacco — hold up in downturns because demand barely moves. Discretionary — retail, travel, autos — amplifies the economic cycle in both directions.
The ETFValuer score blends trailing return, risk-adjusted return, expense ratio, maximum drawdown, fund size and volatility, each percentile-ranked against the full tracked universe, into a single 0-100 figure graded A+ to F. It is a systematic summary of past data, not a forecast — read it alongside the individual columns rather than instead of them.
Head-to-Head Comparisons
Full metric-by-metric breakdowns for the closest calls in this group.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best consumer ETF?
XLP currently ranks highest of the 13 consumer funds tracked, scoring 60.1 (C) — though staples and discretionary funds serve opposite purposes and are not really substitutes for each other.
What is the difference between consumer staples and consumer discretionary?
Staples are things people buy regardless of the economy: groceries, cleaning products, tobacco. Discretionary is what they buy when they feel comfortable: restaurants, holidays, new cars. Staples are defensive; discretionary is cyclical.
Compare any of these funds directly
Side-by-side metrics, holdings overlap and return correlation for any pair.