TLT vs XLP — 21-Year Performance Comparison
Long-Term Treasuries vs Consumer Staples — backtested 2004–2024
XLP wins$58,138 vs $20,150 on $10,000 over 21 years
TLTLong-Term Treasuries
Final value$20,150
CAGR+3.4%
Max drawdown-38.0%
Best year+34% (2011)
Years won9 of 21
XLPConsumer Staples
Final value$58,138
CAGR+8.7%
Max drawdown-15.4%
Best year+28% (2019)
Years won12 of 21
Growth of $10,000
2004–2024TLTXLP
TLT$20,150
XLP$58,138
50/50 mix$37,856
50/50 blend: $37,856 (+6.5%/yr CAGR)
Splitting equally between TLT and XLP would have landed between the two — slightly lower CAGR than XLP but less volatility. Try a custom split →
Year-by-year: TLT vs XLP
| Year | TLT | XLP | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | -8.1% | +14.7% | XLP |
| 2023 | +2.8% | -1.3% | TLT |
| 2022 | -31.2% | -3.2% | XLP |
| 2021 | -4.6% | +18.6% | XLP |
| 2020 | +18.1% | +10.7% | TLT |
| 2019 | +14.1% | +27.6% | XLP |
| 2018 | -1.6% | -8.5% | TLT |
| 2017 | +9.2% | +13.7% | XLP |
| 2016 | +1.2% | -2.4% | TLT |
| 2015 | -1.8% | +7.0% | XLP |
| 2014 | +27.3% | +16.0% | TLT |
| 2013 | -13.4% | +26.1% | XLP |
| 2012 | +2.6% | +10.8% | XLP |
| 2011 | +34.0% | +14.0% | TLT |
| 2010 | +9.1% | +14.1% | XLP |
| 2009 | -21.8% | +14.9% | XLP |
| 2008 | +33.9% | -15.4% | TLT |
| 2007 | +10.3% | +14.3% | XLP |
| 2006 | +0.7% | +14.3% | XLP |
| 2005 | +8.8% | +3.1% | TLT |
| 2004 | +7.9% | +5.6% | TLT |
More comparisons
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