XLY’s worst drop since 1999 was 59%
Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (XLY) fell 59% from Jun 2007 to Mar 2009. It took 3.7 years from that peak to close at a new high, in Jan 2011. Over the same years the S&P 500 fell as much as 55%.
That drop ranks 72nd deepest among the 203 ETFs PortfolioAutopsy tracks.
Drawdown from the last high, 1999 to now
How XLY held up in each crash
| Crash | Years | XLY | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dot-com bust | 2000–02 | −31.5% | −47.5% |
| Financial crisis | 2007–09 | −58.9% | −55.2% |
| COVID crash | 2020 | −33.9% | −33.7% |
| 2022 rate shock | 2022 | −39.5% | −24.5% |
Each number is the deepest fall from a high inside that window, using daily prices with dividends reinvested.
See how XLY 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 XLY’s maximum drawdown?
XLY’s deepest fall since 1999 was 59.1%, from its high on June 4, 2007 to its low on March 9, 2009. The figure uses daily prices with dividends reinvested.
How long did XLY take to recover?
3.7 years. XLY first closed above its Jun 2007 high again on January 27, 2011.
Was XLY riskier than the S&P 500?
Over the same years, XLY’s worst drop was 59.1% against 55.2% for the S&P 500 (SPY), and its worst 12 months were −49.7% 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.