ETF Showdown: Staples Stampede

This isn't going to be one of those times when we ask the lame question "Market volatility got you down?" because, and let's be honest here, unless you own one of those fancy algorithm trading systems where the computer does all the work, market volatility can be a pain in the neck. For equity investors, one tonic can be found with boring consumer staples stocks so we have a well-timed ETF Showdown that is a play on the "boring is beautiful" theme. After all, that's exactly why now might just be a good time to embrace the staples: Because they are beautifully boring. Enther the Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR

and its less-heralded rival, the PowerShares Dynamic Consumer Staples Portfolio

. As we've seen in previous SPDR/PowerShares Showdowns, the same is often different. Meaning, XLP and PSL offer exposure to the same sector and the same stocks, but in very different ways. One of the hallmarks of many PowerShares equity

is that the allocation is spread across many names with no one stock getting an excessive weight. That's the case with PSL as well. Sixty stocks are found in this ETF with CVS Caremark

getting the largest weight at 2.59%. On the other hand, XLP tracks about 40 stocks and Procter & Gamble

accounts for 14.4% of the ETF's weight. In fact, Walgreen

, XLP's tenth-largest holding, gets a bigger weight here than CVS gets in PSL. Oddly enough, P&G, the largest consumer products company in the world, isn't even in PSL's top-10 holdings. Both ETFs offer exposure to varying degrees to the other usual staples suspects, such as Coca-Cola

, PepsiCo

and Altria

, meaning either fund is an indirect dividend play. The earnings spigot for staples is set to open next week and there should be some positive news from XLP and PSL's holdings. Speaking of beverage stocks, if you own the PowerShares Dynamic Food & Beverage ETF

, you don't need PSL because the ETFs offer exposure to many of the same companies with comparable weights. Settling this week's Showdown is actually pretty easy because we're going to be a tad superficial: If you want staples exposure, you should probably aim for more than just slight exposure to P&G and XLP more than covers you there. In addition, PSL's net expense ratio (0.65%) is more than triple XLP's gross expense ration (0.2%). Make XLP your staple among staples.