History of Market · The Chronicle of the U.S. Stock Market Consumer
Gathering VI · leaf 6 of 16
XLP · Annual Return

XLP · Annual Return — Consumer Staples Calendar-Year Returns vs. the S&P 500

Consumer Staples Annual Returns — Calendar-year returns of XLP and its excess over the S&P 500.

Every complete calendar year since 1999, with the excess over the S&P 500 as a second bar. Staples earn their keep in the red years and give it back in the strong ones; the pattern is the mirror image of the discretionary chart above.

View the interactive chart Download raw JSON

What this page answers

Since 1999, XLP has recorded 27 calendar years: 20 positive and 7 negative (a 74% annual win rate), delivering an arithmetic mean annual return of +7.2%. Its strongest annual advance was 2019 (+27.4%); its steepest contraction occurred in 2002 (-20.1%). The most recent period, 2026 (year-to-date), stands at +10.3%.

Every complete calendar year since 1999, with the excess over the S&P 500 as a second bar. Staples earn their keep in the red years and give it back in the strong ones; the pattern is the mirror image of the discretionary chart above. The data is refreshed by the History of Market pipeline and published as a stable JSON endpoint for research, citation, and AI-agent use.

The plate

XLP · Annual Return — Consumer Staples Calendar-Year Returns vs. the S&P 500-20%0%20%200020052010201520202025
Plate VI.6 Every complete calendar year since 1999, with the excess over the S&P 500 as a second bar. Staples earn their keep in the red years and give it back in the strong ones; the pattern is the mirror image of the discretionary chart above. 2026-09-06

Latest Snapshot

Updated
2026-09-06
Average
+717.0%
Positive years
20
Negative years
7
Best year
2019 +2,743.0%
Worst year
2002 -2,007.0%
Observations
28
Sample
1999-12-31 – 2026-09-04

XLP — historical calendar-year returns, 1999–2026

XLP — historical calendar-year returns, 1999–2026
YearReturn
2026+10.3%
2025+1.5%
2024+12.2%
2023-0.8%
2022-0.8%
2021+17.2%
2020+10.1%
2019+27.4%
2018-8.1%
2017+13.0%
2016+5.0%
2015+6.9%
2014+15.7%
2013+26.3%
2012+10.7%
2011+14.1%
2010+13.8%
2009+14.3%
2008-15.0%
2007+12.7%
2006+14.5%
2005+2.8%
2004+7.7%
2003+11.2%
2002-20.1%
2001-9.9%
2000+25.6%
1999-14.3%

Complete record (28 rows). Raw dataset: https://historyofmarket.com/api/consumer/xlp-annual-returns.json

Data & Source

GET /api/consumer/xlp-annual-returns.json — Canonical dataset endpoint.

Exchange closing prices · Company filings · Robert Shiller · FRED · NBER.

FAQ

What was the best year on record?

2019, when XLP rallied +27.4%.

What was the worst year on record?

2002, when XLP plunged -20.1%.

Where does this data come from?

History of Market combines public market and macro datasets — exchange closing prices, company filings, Robert Shiller, FRED, NBER, and the UBS Global Investment Returns Yearbook (Dimson–Marsh–Staunton). The exact endpoint for this panel is linked below.

How often is it updated?

Daily-tier datasets refresh after the U.S. market close, with a broader weekly refresh on Sunday. The timestamp shown on this page comes from the JSON payload.

Can I use the data?

Yes, for research and education with attribution to History of Market. Upstream data sources retain their own terms.