XLF · Annual Return — Financial Sector Historical Calendar-Year Returns
XLF year to date: +7.6% as of 2026-11-12.
Financial Sector Annual Returns — Annual returns of the financial sector through interest rate cycles, balance sheet expansion, and credit crises.
The plate
Latest Snapshot
- Average
- +8.5%
- Positive years
- 18
- Negative years
- 9
- Best year
- 2013 +35.6%
- Worst year
- 2008 -54.9%
- Observations
- 28
- Sample
- 1999-12-31 – 2026-11-12
Every complete calendar year since 1999: documenting the severe 55% loss in 2008, the sluggish recovery, and the intra-year 16% regional banking stress of 2023 that ultimately closed positive.
What this page answers
Since 1999, XLF has recorded 27 calendar years: 18 positive and 9 negative (a 67% annual win rate), delivering an arithmetic mean annual return of +8.5%. Its strongest annual advance was 2013 (+35.6%); its steepest contraction occurred in 2008 (-54.9%). The most recent period, 2026 (year-to-date, through 2026-11-12), stands at +7.6%. XLF returned an arithmetic average of 8.5% a year over the 27 complete calendar years 1999–2025, or 6.0% a year compounded.
Every complete calendar year since 1999: documenting the severe 55% loss in 2008, the sluggish recovery, and the intra-year 16% regional banking stress of 2023 that ultimately closed positive. The data is refreshed by the History of Market pipeline and published as a stable JSON endpoint for research, citation, and AI-agent use.
XLF — annual return over the past 5 to 25 years (complete years through 2025)
| Window | Return |
|---|---|
| 5 years | 15.2% |
| 10 years | 13.1% |
| 15 years | 12.1% |
| 20 years | 5.9% |
| 25 years | 5.4% |
XLF — historical calendar-year returns, 1999–2026
| Year | Return |
|---|---|
| 2026 | +7.6% |
| 2025 | +14.9% |
| 2024 | +30.6% |
| 2023 | +12.0% |
| 2022 | -10.6% |
| 2021 | +34.8% |
| 2020 | -1.7% |
| 2019 | +31.9% |
| 2018 | -13.1% |
| 2017 | +22.0% |
| 2016 | +22.4% |
| 2015 | -1.8% |
| 2014 | +15.0% |
| 2013 | +35.6% |
| 2012 | +28.4% |
| 2011 | -17.2% |
| 2010 | +12.0% |
| 2009 | +17.6% |
| 2008 | -54.9% |
| 2007 | -19.2% |
| 2006 | +18.8% |
| 2005 | +6.2% |
| 2004 | +10.9% |
| 2003 | +30.5% |
| 2002 | -14.7% |
| 2001 | -9.4% |
| 2000 | +25.9% |
| 1999 | +2.7% |
Complete record (28 rows). Raw dataset: https://historyofmarket.com/api/fin/annual-returns.json
Data & Source
GET /api/fin/annual-returns.json — Canonical dataset endpoint.
Exchange closing prices · Company filings · Robert Shiller · FRED · NBER.
FAQ
What is the average annual return of XLF?
XLF returned an arithmetic average of 8.5% a year over the 27 complete calendar years 1999–2025, or 6.0% a year compounded.
What has XLF returned per year over the past 10 and 20 years?
Compound annual rates over complete calendar years through 2025: past 10 years (2016–2025) 13.1% a year; past 20 years (2006–2025) 5.9% a year.
What was the best year on record?
2013, when XLF rallied +35.6%.
What was the worst year on record?
2008, when XLF plunged -54.9%.
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 each weekend. 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.