Should You Invest in the State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU)?

XLU, a passively managed utilities sector ETF launched in 1998, offers low-cost exposure to the utilities sector with a 0.08% expense ratio and $21.9 billion in assets. The fund has delivered 1.09% year-to-date returns and 3.78% over the past year, with a medium-risk profile (beta of 0.57). It holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 2 (Buy) and is recommended as an outstanding option for utilities sector exposure, though investors should consider alternatives like FUTY and VPU.