Best Utilities ETFs (2026)
Which utilities fund to hold for defensive income — 5 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%
- highest yield here at 4.27%
- largest and most liquid at $23.1B
- scores 59.8 on the overall model (grade C)
- best risk-adjusted return (Sharpe 0.82)
- lowest volatility at 13.1%
- strongest 3-year return at +56.5%
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 5 funds, not across the whole market.
All 5 Funds Ranked
| Fund | Category | Cost | Yield | 1Y | 3Y | Volatility | Max DD | Sharpe | AUM | Score | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 XLUState Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF | Utilities | 0.08% | 4.27% | +10.7% | +50.4% | 15.0% | -15.5% | 0.38 | $23.1B | 61.6 | C |
| 2 VPUVanguard Utilities Index Fund ETF Shares | Utilities | 0.09% | 2.21% | +10.4% | +49.5% | 14.7% | -15.7% | 0.37 | $10.8B | 59.8 | C |
| 3 JXIiShares Global Utilities ETF | Utilities | 0.39% | 2.41% | +15.8% | +56.5% | 13.1% | -14.7% | 0.82 | $323M | 58.4 | C |
| 4 FUTYFidelity MSCI Utilities Index ETF | Utilities | 0.08% | 2.59% | +10.4% | +49.9% | 14.7% | -15.6% | 0.37 | $2.3B | 57.5 | C |
| 5 IDUiShares U.S. Utilities ETF | Utilities | 0.38% | 1.97% | +9.2% | +50.6% | 14.2% | -14.8% | 0.29 | $1.4B | 53.7 | C |
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
Utilities are regulated, capital-intensive and pay steady dividends, which makes them defensive but also unusually rate-sensitive — they often trade more like bonds than like the rest of the equity market.
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 utilities ETF?
XLU ranks highest of the 5 utilities funds tracked, scoring 61.6 (C).
Why do utilities fall when interest rates rise?
Their appeal is a stable dividend, which competes directly with bond yields. When bonds pay more, utilities become relatively less attractive — and utilities also carry heavy debt loads that cost more to refinance.
Compare any of these funds directly
Side-by-side metrics, holdings overlap and return correlation for any pair.