ACV vs SPY
Virtus Diversified Income & Convertible Fund vs State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust
Which is better, ACV or SPY?
Debt-oriented balanced against Large Cap Blend.
SPY has a lower expense ratio. ACV led over 3Y, SPY over 1Y, 5Y and the full window.
MarketXLS is not an investment adviser. This comparison is generated automatically from market data and is for information only. A Best mark means the better reading on that one measure, not a recommendation to buy.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Metric | ACV | SPY |
|---|---|---|
| Expense Ratio | 2.55% | 0.09%Best |
| AUM | $275M | $804.7B |
| Dividend Yield | 9.52% | 0.98% |
| Holdings | 308 | 505 |
| YTD Return | +2.90% | +12.09%Best |
| 1Y Return | +15.40% | +16.29%Best |
| 3Y Return (annualized) | +21.64%Best | +21.20% |
| 5Y Return (annualized) | +7.38% | +13.37%Best |
| Volatility (annualized) | 24.9% | 15.2%Best |
| Max Drawdown | -54.0% | -34.1%Best |
| $10,000 over 5 years | $14,276 | $18,728Best |
| Fund Family | Virtus Investment Partners | State Street Investment Management |
| Category | Allocation/Balanced | Equity |
| Style | Debt-oriented balanced | Large Cap Blend |
| Inception | May 26, 2015 | Jan 22, 1993 |
Not shown on this pair: Top 10 Weight.
Volatility and max drawdown are measured over the window both funds cover: May 22, 2015 to Sep 18, 2026 (11.3 years).
ACV vs SPY growth
Month-end closes. Both lines start at 0% in the first month shown, so the gap between them is the difference in growth across that window. The full view covers the 11.3 years both funds cover.
ACV vs SPY Performance
Virtus Diversified Income & Convertible Fund (ACV) is an ETF from Virtus Investment Partners and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) is an ETF from State Street Investment Management. Over the past year ACV returned +15.40% while SPY returned +16.29%. Year to date, ACV is up 2.90% versus a gain of 12.09% for SPY.
Over three years, ACV compounded at +21.64% per year against +21.20% for SPY; over five years the annualized figures are +7.38% and +13.37% respectively. Across the full 11-year window we track, SPY has the edge at +12.64% annualized vs +6.65%.
Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns
ACV has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 24.9% compared with 15.2% for SPY. Lower volatility generally means a smoother ride, though it often comes with lower long-run returns.
The deepest peak-to-trough decline in our data was -54.0% for ACV and -34.1% for SPY. Drawdown depth is what each fund did in the worst stretch of the window measured above.
The two funds' monthly returns correlate at 0.85. They usually move together, but the gap leaves some room for diversification.
Fees and Cost Over Time
ACV charges 2.55% per year while SPY charges 0.09%. On a $10,000 position that is $255 vs $9 annually, a gap of $246 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, ACV currently yields 9.52% against 0.98% for SPY.
Holdings Overlap
At least 60.4% of SPY's money is in holdings ACV also owns.
Stated as a floor: for ACV, our book for it covers 80.0% of that fund, so a holding it does not list is one we cannot count as shared. The real figure is this or higher.
The two portfolios partly overlap.
The two holdings books were reported 186 days apart, ACV as of Feb 27, 2026 and SPY as of Sep 1, 2026, so some of the difference between them is the time between the two reports rather than the funds.
89 positions in common, counted across the 161 positions we hold weights for in ACV and 504 in SPY, against full books of 308 and 505.
Top Shared Holdings
| Stock | Weight in ACV | Weight in SPY | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| NVDANvidia Corp | 2.18% | 8.01% | 5.83% |
| AAPLApple, Inc | 1.76% | 7.26% | 5.50% |
| MSFTMicrosoft Corp | 1.22% | 5.66% | 4.44% |
| AMZNAmazon.Com Inc | 0.97% | 3.79% | 2.82% |
| GOOGLAlphabet Inc,class A | 1.36% | 2.99% | 1.63% |
| LITELumentum Holdings Inc | 3.65% | 0.10% | 3.55% |
| AVGOBroadcom Inc | 0.73% | 2.66% | 1.93% |
| WDCWestern Digital Corp Company Guar 11/28 3 | 2.54% | 0.24% | 2.30% |
| GOOGAlphabet Inc | 0.19% | 2.39% | 2.20% |
| METAMeta Platforms Inc | 0.57% | 1.93% | 1.36% |
60.4% of SPY is already inside ACV.
You probably hold more than these two. Add the rest and see how much of the whole book is the same companies twice.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, ACV or SPY?
ACV has an expense ratio of 2.55% while SPY charges 0.09%. SPY is the cheaper option, by $246 a year on a $10,000 investment.
Which performed better, ACV or SPY?
Over the past year ACV returned +15.40% vs +16.29% for SPY, so SPY leads on 1-year performance. Over the longest common window we track (11 years), ACV annualized +6.65% vs +12.64% for SPY. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is information, not a recommendation.
Which is riskier, ACV or SPY?
ACV has been the more volatile fund at 24.9% annualized versus 15.2% for SPY. Worst drawdown: ACV -54.0% vs SPY -34.1%.
Should I hold both ACV and SPY?
ACV and SPY have a monthly-return correlation of 0.85, so their returns are far enough apart for the mix to behave differently from either one alone. This is information, not a recommendation.
What is the holdings overlap between ACV and SPY?
At least 60.4% of SPY's money is in holdings ACV also owns. Our book for ACV is partial, so the real figure is this or higher. They hold 89 positions in common, counted across the 161 positions we hold weights for in ACV and 504 in SPY.
Which pays a higher dividend, ACV or SPY?
ACV yields 9.52% while SPY yields 0.98%, so ACV currently pays the higher dividend yield.
Is SPY better than ACV?
SPY has a lower expense ratio. ACV led over 3Y, SPY over 1Y, 5Y and the full window. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.