Which Is the Better Consumer Staples ETF, State Street's XLP or Invesco's RSPS?
Key takeaways
- Investors often turn to the consumer staples sector for its historically lower volatility and reliable dividends, as these companies provide essential goods that consumers buy regardless of economic conditions.
- Beta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year monthly returns.
- The State Street fund is significantly more affordable for long-term holders, maintaining a low expense ratio of 0.08%.
Robert Izquierdo, The Motley Fool Mon, May 11, 2026 at 8:47 PM GMT+7 5 min read IVZ STT XLP ^GSPC Comparing the Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Consumer Staples ETF (NYSEMKT:RSPS) and the State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (NYSEMKT:XLP) reveals how different weighting methodologies can impact sector exposure and risk within defensive stocks.
Investors often turn to the consumer staples sector for its historically lower volatility and reliable dividends, as these companies provide essential goods that consumers buy regardless of economic conditions. While the State Street fund concentrations on industry giants, RSPS provides equal exposure to every staple company within the S&P 500 index.
Beta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year monthly returns. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months. Dividend yield is the trailing-12-month distribution yield.