ALIL vs SPY
Argent Focused Small Cap ETF vs State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust
Which is better, ALIL or SPY?
Small Cap Blend against Large Cap Blend.
SPY has a lower expense ratio. SPY led over 1Y and the full window. ALIL is less concentrated, with 35.9% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 37.8%.
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 | ALIL | SPY |
|---|---|---|
| Expense Ratio | 0.74% | 0.09%Best |
| AUM | $25M | $804.7B |
| Dividend Yield | 0.44% | 0.98% |
| Holdings | 43 | 505 |
| YTD Return | +4.50% | +13.81%Best |
| 1Y Return | +3.36% | +16.94%Best |
| 3Y Return (annualized) | - | +22.84% |
| 5Y Return (annualized) | - | +13.50% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 15.4% | 12.0%Best |
| Max Drawdown | -12.6% | -8.9%Best |
| $10,000 over 1.5 years | $11,277 | $14,458Best |
| Top 10 Weight | 35.9%Best | 37.8% |
| Fund Family | Argent | State Street Investment Management |
| Category | Equity | Equity |
| Style | Small Cap Blend | Large Cap Blend |
| Inception | Apr 9, 2025 | Jan 22, 1993 |
Volatility and max drawdown, and the $10,000 over 1.5 years row, are measured over the window both funds cover: Apr 9, 2025 to Sep 22, 2026 (1.5 years).
ALIL 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 1.5 years both funds cover.
ALIL vs SPY Performance
Argent Focused Small Cap ETF (ALIL) is an ETF from Argent and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) is an ETF from State Street Investment Management. Over the past year ALIL returned +3.36% while SPY returned +16.94%. Year to date, ALIL is up 4.50% versus a gain of 13.81% for SPY.
Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns
ALIL has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 15.4% compared with 12.0% 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 -12.6% for ALIL and -8.9% 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 0.47. They move together some of the time, and apart the rest.
Fees and Cost Over Time
ALIL charges 0.74% per year while SPY charges 0.09%. On a $10,000 position that is $74 vs $9 annually, a gap of $65 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, ALIL currently yields 0.44% against 0.98% for SPY.
Holdings Overlap
We hold position weights for 42 holdings in ALIL and 504 in SPY, totalling 100.0% and 99.9% of the two funds. The two books name no position in common, so there is no overlap percentage to show.
0 positions in common, counted across the 42 positions we hold weights for in ALIL and 504 in SPY, against full books of 43 and 505.
What only one of them owns
Our book lists 497 positions for SPY that do not appear in our book for ALIL (99.3% of the fund), and 41 for ALIL that do not appear in SPY (98.0%).
Some of those will be the same company recorded under a different code in one of the two books, so the real difference in what you would own is no larger than this and may be smaller. We do not name the individual positions here for that reason.
You are not choosing between two funds in isolation.
Whichever of ALIL and SPY you pick has to sit alongside everything else you own. Add the rest and see what the combination actually holds.
Free for up to 10 holdings. No account needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, ALIL or SPY?
ALIL has an expense ratio of 0.74% while SPY charges 0.09%. SPY is the cheaper option, by $65 a year on a $10,000 investment.
Which performed better, ALIL or SPY?
Over the past year ALIL returned +3.36% vs +16.94% for SPY, so SPY leads on 1-year performance. Over the longest common window we track (2 years), ALIL annualized +8.34% vs +27.86% for SPY. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is information, not a recommendation.
Which is riskier, ALIL or SPY?
ALIL has been the more volatile fund at 15.4% annualized versus 12.0% for SPY. Worst drawdown: ALIL -12.6% vs SPY -8.9%.
Should I hold both ALIL and SPY?
ALIL and SPY have a monthly-return correlation of 0.47, so their returns are far enough apart for the mix to behave differently from either one alone. This is information, not a recommendation.
Which pays a higher dividend, ALIL or SPY?
ALIL yields 0.44% while SPY yields 0.98%, so SPY currently pays the higher dividend yield.
Is SPY better than ALIL?
SPY has a lower expense ratio. SPY led over 1Y and the full window. ALIL is less concentrated, with 35.9% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 37.8%. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.