XLE’s worst drop since 1999 was 71%
Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) fell 71% from Jun 2014 to Mar 2020. It took 7.7 years from that peak to close at a new high, in Mar 2022. Over the same years the S&P 500 fell as much as 55%.
That drop ranks 34th deepest among the 203 ETFs PortfolioAutopsy tracks.
Drawdown from the last high, 1999 to now
How XLE held up in each crash
| Crash | Years | XLE | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dot-com bust | 2000–02 | −41.5% | −47.5% |
| Financial crisis | 2007–09 | −57.3% | −55.2% |
| COVID crash | 2020 | −60.6% | −33.7% |
| 2022 rate shock | 2022 | −26.1% | −24.5% |
Each number is the deepest fall from a high inside that window, using daily prices with dividends reinvested.
See how XLE behaves inside your whole mix, with the worst 12 months, loss odds and crash replays. Free, no signup, and the math runs in your browser.
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What was XLE’s maximum drawdown?
XLE’s deepest fall since 1999 was 71.3%, from its high on June 23, 2014 to its low on March 18, 2020. The figure uses daily prices with dividends reinvested.
How long did XLE take to recover?
7.7 years. XLE first closed above its Jun 2014 high again on March 4, 2022.
Was XLE riskier than the S&P 500?
Over the same years, XLE’s worst drop was 71.3% against 55.2% for the S&P 500 (SPY), and its worst 12 months were −61.7% against −47.4%.
Compare with
Daily adjusted closes from Yahoo Finance, January 5, 1999 through October 13, 2026, dividends reinvested. Historical facts, not a forecast and not investment advice.