CAFX vs SPY
Congress Intermediate Bond ETF vs State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust
Which is better, CAFX or SPY?
Intermediate Term Bond against Large Cap Blend.
SPY has a lower expense ratio. SPY led over 1Y 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 | CAFX | SPY |
|---|---|---|
| Expense Ratio | 0.35% | 0.09%Best |
| AUM | $318M | $804.7B |
| Dividend Yield | 4.43% | 0.98% |
| Holdings | 51 | 505 |
| YTD Return | -0.60% | +11.52%Best |
| 1Y Return | +0.09% | +17.48%Best |
| 3Y Return (annualized) | - | +20.62% |
| 5Y Return (annualized) | - | +12.73% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 2.5%Best | 12.7% |
| Max Drawdown | -2.6%Best | -18.8% |
| $10,000 over 2 years | $10,404 | $14,140Best |
| Fund Family | Congress Asset Management Company | State Street Investment Management |
| Category | Fixed Income | Equity |
| Style | Intermediate Term Bond | Large Cap Blend |
| Inception | Sep 9, 2024 | Jan 22, 1993 |
Not shown on this pair: Top 10 Weight.
Volatility and max drawdown, and the $10,000 over 2 years row, are measured over the window both funds cover: Sep 10, 2024 to Sep 10, 2026 (2 years).
CAFX 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 2 years both funds cover.
CAFX vs SPY Performance
Congress Intermediate Bond ETF (CAFX) is an ETF from Congress Asset Management Company and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) is an ETF from State Street Investment Management. Over the past year CAFX returned +0.09% while SPY returned +17.48%. Year to date, CAFX is down 0.60% versus a gain of 11.52% for SPY.
Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns
SPY has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 12.7% compared with 2.5% for CAFX. 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 -2.6% for CAFX and -18.8% 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 0.25. They move largely independently of each other.
Fees and Cost Over Time
CAFX charges 0.35% per year while SPY charges 0.09%. On a $10,000 position that is $35 vs $9 annually, a gap of $26 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, CAFX currently yields 4.43% against 0.98% for SPY.
Holdings Overlap
At least 0.1% of SPY's money is in holdings CAFX also owns.
Stated as a floor: for CAFX, our book for it covers 79.6% of that fund, so a holding it does not list is one we cannot count as shared. The real figure is this or higher.
We cannot see either book well enough to say how much of this pair is duplicated.
1 positions in common, counted across the 40 positions we hold weights for in CAFX and 504 in SPY, against full books of 51 and 505.
Top Shared Holdings
| Stock | Weight in CAFX | Weight in SPY | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| TMUST-Mobile Usa, Inc. 3.875% 15-Apr-2030 | 1.62% | 0.12% | 1.50% |
You are not choosing between two funds in isolation.
Whichever of CAFX 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, CAFX or SPY?
CAFX has an expense ratio of 0.35% while SPY charges 0.09%. SPY is the cheaper option, by $26 a year on a $10,000 investment.
Which performed better, CAFX or SPY?
Over the past year CAFX returned +0.09% vs +17.48% for SPY, so SPY leads on 1-year performance. Over the longest common window we track (2 years), CAFX annualized +2.00% vs +18.91% for SPY. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is information, not a recommendation.
Which is riskier, CAFX or SPY?
SPY has been the more volatile fund at 12.7% annualized versus 2.5% for CAFX. Worst drawdown: CAFX -2.6% vs SPY -18.8%.
Should I hold both CAFX and SPY?
CAFX and SPY have a monthly-return correlation of 0.25, 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, CAFX or SPY?
CAFX yields 4.43% while SPY yields 0.98%, so CAFX currently pays the higher dividend yield.
Is SPY better than CAFX?
SPY has a lower expense ratio. SPY led over 1Y and the full window. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.