FLDAX vs XLI Fund Comparison

A comparison between FLDAX and XLI based on their expense ratio, growth, holdings and how well they match their benchmark performance.

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Minafi's Take on FLDAX vs XLI

Here's an in depth look at the differences between Franklin Low Duration Total Return Fund Class A ($FLDAX) and Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund ($XLI).

To start off, here's a look at the basics of each fund. Keep an eye on the FI Score. That's a custom score from 0 to 100 that we generate based on how good this fund is for the casual investor. Most investors only need a handful of total funds in their portfolio. The higher the score, the more likely this is one of those few. Score alone isn't enough! Keep reading on to see how different (or perhaps similar) these two funds are.

58% FI Score
  • fldax
  • Mutual Fund
  • Bond
  • High Yield Bond

Franklin Low Duration Total Return Fund Class A

Expenses: 0.68% (Better than 1% of similar funds)

This is an OK choice for a High Yield Bond Bond fund. See why »

83% FI Score
  • xli
  • ETF
  • Sector Equity
  • Industrials

Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund

Expenses: 0.13% (Better than 1% of similar funds)

This is an OK choice for a Industrials Sector Equity fund. See why »

$FLDAX is classified as a Mutual Fund while $XLI is classified as an ETF. Even though one of these is a mutual fund and the other is an ETF, that doesn't matter too much for their holdings. Both ETFs and mutual funds are just containers to hold lots of investments inside of them.

The biggest differences between these two is where they may be offered. ETFs are more widely availble from a larger number of investment apps and websites. Mutual funds, on the other hand, are generally offered by the platform they're issued by (Fidelity funds on Fidelity, Vanguard funds on Vanguard). Usually 401(k)'s will offer both ETFs and Mutual Funds. If you're investing outside of a 401(k), I'd recommend you verify the fees associated with ETF and mutual fund transactions. Some platforms charge an additional fee to purchase a mutual fund.

To learn more about the difference between these two, you can read about the difference between ETFs and Mutual Funds.

When evaluating a fund, the first things I look at are:

  • What it invests in
  • How much it charges in fees
  • How large the fund is

Let's look into these criteria one by one and see if either of these funds stands out.

Fund Holdings Comparison

Minafi's FI Score algorithm takes into account the category and market. The more niche a fund is, the lower the score. This doesn't mean it's a worse fund, but it does mean you should stop and make sure this a fund you need to diversify your portfolio.

FLDAX XLI
Market Score 8.6 /10 9.8 /10
Category Score 0.0 /10 0.0 /10
Total 8.6 9.8

A score of 10 means this is a solid market and category that almost every investor will want to have investments in. The lower the score, the more specific the investment. These scores are based on when most investors would add these funds to their portfolio. A score of 10 means that this fund (or one like it) belongs in a three-fund portfolio. The lower the score, the farther down in your portfolio a fund would go.

Winner: $XLI

Fee Comparison

Fees are one of the biggest killers of portfolio growth. The difference between a 2% fee and a 0.04% fee over 30 years can result in your portfolio having half the total value!

If you're just getting started investing and learning how fees impact your portfolio, I'd encourage you to read through my free investment course (specifically '2.2 - All About Fees') where I go over all the different types of fees you can be charged and how to lower them.

For these two funds, FLDAX has an expense ratio of 0.68% while XLI has an expense ratio of 0.13%.

Winner: $XLI

Fund Size Comparison

Both FLDAX and XLI have a similar number of assets under management. FLDAX has 3.08 Billion in assets under management, while XLI has 8.45 Billion.

Minafi categorizes both of these funds as large funds. Fund size is a good indication of how many other investors trust this fund. A large fund by itself doesn't mean it's a good fund, but it is one thing to consider when figuring out how to choose the right fund.

Winner: tie

Which Should You Choose? FLDAX or XLI?

Comparing these two funds isn't an apples to apples comparison. FLDAX is a Bond High Yield Bond fund, while XLI is a Sector Equity Industrials fund.

If you're aiming to build a diversified, low-fee, tax-optimized portfolio you likely won't be choosing between these two funds since they're different enough.

Running both of these funds through Minafi's FI Score algorithm, gives FLDAX a score of 58 and XLI a score of 83.

Winner: Neither, I'd research more funds if you're looking to invest for retirement.

$FLDAX

Franklin Low Duration Total Return Fund Class A

58

Read More
Ratings
Rating Type Rating
Expense Ratio Score 7 /10
Expense Rating 3 /10
Market Score 9 /10
Category Score 0 /10
Overview
Overview Details
Fund Type Mutual Fund
Inception Date Nov-17-2004
Exchange NMFQS
Expense Ratio 0.680%
Net Assets 3.08 Billion
Yield 3.27%
Holdings
Description Info
Market Bond
Category High Yield Bond
Sectors
  • Agency MBS ARM 0.42%
  • Agency MBS CMO 14.11%
  • Agency MBS Pass-Through 2.45%
  • Asset-Backed 26.36%
  • Bank Loan 4.82%
  • Cash & Equivalents -13.94%
  • Commercial MBS 1.62%
  • Convertible 1.79%
  • Corporate 31.59%
  • Corporate Bond 24.98%
  • Covered Bond 2.09%
  • Government 28.70%
  • Municipal 2.66%
  • Non-Agency Residential MBS 2.77%
  • Non-U.S. Government 4.28%
  • Other 0.76%
  • Other Government Related 17.96%
  • Preferred 0.00%
  • Securitized 49.81%
  • U.S. Agency 0.00%
  • U.S. Treasury 0.00%
  • U.S. Treasury Inflation-Protected 6.46%

$XLI

Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund

83

Read More
Ratings
Rating Type Rating
Diversification Score 9 /10
Expense Ratio Score 9 /10
Expense Rating 9 /10
Market Score 10 /10
Category Score 0 /10
Overview
Overview Details
Fund Type ETF
Inception Date Dec-16-1998
Exchange NYSE ARCA
Expense Ratio 0.130%
Net Assets 8.45 Billion
Yield 2.29%
Holdings
Description Info
Market Sector Equity
Category Industrials
Sectors
  • Basic Materials 0.00%
  • Communication Services 0.00%
  • Consumer Cyclicals 0.68%
  • Consumer Defensive 0.00%
  • Energy 0.00%
  • Financial Services 0.00%
  • Healthcare 0.00%
  • Industrials 98.40%
  • Real Estate 0.00%
  • Technology 0.92%
  • Utilities 0.00%
Regions
  • North America 100.00%

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