XLK vs SPY — 26-Year Performance Comparison
Technology vs S&P 500 — backtested 1999–2024
XLK wins$104,919 vs $76,190 on $10,000 over 26 years
XLKTechnology
Final value$104,919
CAGR+9.5%
Max drawdown-74.3%
Best year+62% (2009)
Years won15 of 26
SPYS&P 500
Final value$76,190
CAGR+8.1%
Max drawdown-37.6%
Best year+32% (2013)
Years won11 of 26
Growth of $10,000
1999–2024XLKSPY
XLK$104,919
SPY$76,190
50/50 mix$96,618
50/50 blend: $96,618 (+9.1%/yr CAGR)
Splitting equally between XLK and SPY would have landed between the two — slightly lower CAGR than XLK but less volatility. Try a custom split →
Year-by-year: XLK vs SPY
| Year | XLK | SPY | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | +24.0% | +23.3% | XLK |
| 2023 | +57.8% | +26.3% | XLK |
| 2022 | -28.2% | -18.2% | SPY |
| 2021 | +34.5% | +28.7% | XLK |
| 2020 | +43.9% | +18.4% | XLK |
| 2019 | +50.3% | +31.5% | XLK |
| 2018 | -1.6% | -4.4% | XLK |
| 2017 | +38.8% | +21.8% | XLK |
| 2016 | +13.9% | +12.0% | XLK |
| 2015 | +4.3% | +1.4% | XLK |
| 2014 | +19.8% | +13.7% | XLK |
| 2013 | +27.7% | +32.4% | SPY |
| 2012 | +14.0% | +16.0% | SPY |
| 2011 | +2.7% | +2.1% | XLK |
| 2010 | +11.1% | +15.1% | SPY |
| 2009 | +61.7% | +26.5% | XLK |
| 2008 | -42.3% | -37.0% | SPY |
| 2007 | +16.4% | +5.5% | XLK |
| 2006 | +12.2% | +15.8% | SPY |
| 2005 | +1.6% | +4.9% | SPY |
| 2004 | +3.7% | +10.9% | SPY |
| 2003 | +49.6% | +28.7% | XLK |
| 2002 | -37.5% | -22.1% | SPY |
| 2001 | -31.2% | -11.9% | SPY |
| 2000 | -40.2% | -9.1% | SPY |
| 1999 | +61.0% | +21.0% | XLK |
More comparisons
Build your portfolio
Mix XLK + SPY with custom allocations
Try a 70/30 or 40/60 split — or add up to 3 more ETFs. See exactly how your custom portfolio would have performed.
Open Portfolio Builder →Past performance does not guarantee future results.