Consumer Staples

XLP delivers a representative if slightly conservative basket of consumer-staples firms. Because XLP pulls its stocks from the S&P 500 rather than the broad market, it holds far fewer names than our benchmark, producing somewhat-concentrated exposure. The fund's holdings are nearly all large-caps, which investors may appreciate for their familiarity and stability. XLP's stake in Walmart may seem unremarkable; however, some competing ETFs (and our benchmark) don't hold the retailer due to differing sector classification rules. Investors can make up their own mind on this point but should be aware of this critical difference. XLP's expense ratio ranks among the cheapest in the sector, its asset base is solid, and the fund's extremely strong liquidity keeps transaction costs low.