LNT vs XLU: Correlation
Alliant Energy (LNT) and Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLU) show a very strong relationship: their 3-year correlation of weekly returns is 0.80.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are LNT and XLU?
On 3 years of weekly data the LNT/XLU correlation comes out at 0.80, very strong, meaning they move nearly in lockstep. Recent behaviour matches the longer record: 0.88 over 1 year against 0.80 over 3. The 5-year figure is 0.87, and annualized covariance runs at 219.4 %².
Among the 43 assets we track against LNT, XLU ranks #8 by 3-year correlation. Neither side won the trailing year by much: +6.9% against +4.1%. The rolling one-year correlation moved between 0.64 and 0.94 over the past three years, a moderate range.
How is this computed?
Pearson correlation on weekly returns: ρ(A,B) = cov(rA, rB) / (σA · σB), over windows of 52, 156 and 260 weeks. Covariance is annualized (×52) and expressed in %². Full definitions on the methodology page.
LNT vs XLU: side by side
| LNT (Alliant Energy) | XLU (Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +6.9% | +4.1% |
| 5-year return | +31.9% | +46.3% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 17.5% | 15.8% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.09 | 0.26 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -12.4% | -13.1% |
| Market cap | $17.7B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | 21.8 | – |
| Dividend yield | 3.03% | 2.70% |
| Expense ratio | – | 0.08% |
| Assets under management | – | $23.1B |
| Sector / category | Utilities | Sector ETF |
XLU is an Utilities fund from State Street Investment Management: $23.1B under management, 31 holdings, a 0.08% expense ratio, a 2.70% trailing dividend yield.
Year-by-year returns
| Year | LNT | XLU |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -7.4% | +1.4% |
| 2023 | -3.8% | -7.2% |
| 2024 | +19.5% | +23.3% |
| 2025 | +13.5% | +16.0% |
| 2026 | +7.4% | +2.5% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Fund exposure
LNT represents 1.31% of XLU's portfolio, so part of any move in XLU is LNT itself, and the correlation between them is partly mechanical.
Are LNT and XLU good diversifiers for each other?
No. With a correlation of 0.80, LNT and XLU move nearly in lockstep, so holding both adds very little diversification.
FAQ
What is the correlation between LNT and XLU?
Using weekly returns as of 2026-08-27: 0.80 over 3 years, with 0.88 over the last year and 0.87 over 5 years.
Is XLU a good diversifier for LNT?
No. With a correlation of 0.80, LNT and XLU move nearly in lockstep, so holding both adds very little diversification.
What does a correlation of 0.80 mean?
On the −1 to +1 scale, 0.80 describes how much the two returns move together: +1 is lockstep, 0 is independence, negative values mean opposite directions. It says nothing about which performed better.
Use this data
$ curl https://www.pairbook.io/api/v1/pairs/lnt-vs-xlu.json
Drop this badge in a README or notebook; it updates with the data:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/lnt-vs-xlu/)
The core API is free. Terms and every endpoint in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: LNT correlations · XLU correlations
