XLE vs TLT — 21-Year Performance Comparison
Energy vs Long-Term Treasuries — backtested 2004–2024
XLE wins$61,582 vs $20,150 on $10,000 over 21 years
XLEEnergy
Final value$61,582
CAGR+9.0%
Max drawdown-42.8%
Best year+64% (2022)
Years won12 of 21
TLTLong-Term Treasuries
Final value$20,150
CAGR+3.4%
Max drawdown-38.0%
Best year+34% (2011)
Years won9 of 21
Growth of $10,000
2004–2024XLETLT
XLE$61,582
TLT$20,150
50/50 mix$48,671
50/50 blend: $48,671 (+7.8%/yr CAGR)
Splitting equally between XLE and TLT would have landed between the two — slightly lower CAGR than XLE but less volatility. Try a custom split →
Year-by-year: XLE vs TLT
| Year | XLE | TLT | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | +5.4% | -8.1% | XLE |
| 2023 | +2.2% | +2.8% | TLT |
| 2022 | +64.2% | -31.2% | XLE |
| 2021 | +53.4% | -4.6% | XLE |
| 2020 | -31.8% | +18.1% | TLT |
| 2019 | +11.8% | +14.1% | TLT |
| 2018 | -18.2% | -1.6% | TLT |
| 2017 | -1.0% | +9.2% | TLT |
| 2016 | +27.4% | +1.2% | XLE |
| 2015 | -21.1% | -1.8% | TLT |
| 2014 | -7.8% | +27.3% | TLT |
| 2013 | +25.1% | -13.4% | XLE |
| 2012 | +4.6% | +2.6% | XLE |
| 2011 | +14.9% | +34.0% | TLT |
| 2010 | +20.6% | +9.1% | XLE |
| 2009 | +13.3% | -21.8% | XLE |
| 2008 | -37.6% | +33.9% | TLT |
| 2007 | +35.0% | +10.3% | XLE |
| 2006 | +24.4% | +0.7% | XLE |
| 2005 | +40.2% | +8.8% | XLE |
| 2004 | +31.4% | +7.9% | XLE |
More comparisons
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