CIL vs SPY

CIL vs SPY

Which is better, CIL or SPY?

Each has led over a different period.

SPY has a lower expense ratio. CIL led over 1Y, SPY over the full window. CIL is less concentrated, with 3.7% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 38.0%.

Lower Fees: SPYHigher Returns: splitLess Concentrated: CIL

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

MetricCILSPY
Expense Ratio0.45%0.09%Best
AUM$31M$814.4B
Dividend Yield2.51%1.01%
Holdings513505
Volatility (annualized)29.0%15.1%Best
Max Drawdown-46.1%-34.1%Best
$10,000 over 10.5 years$21,748$36,219Best
Top 10 Weight3.7%Best38.0%
Fund FamilyVictory Capital Management Inc.State Street Investment Management
CategoryEquityEquity
StyleLarge Cap BlendLarge Cap Blend
InceptionAug 20, 2015Jan 22, 1993

Not shown on this pair: YTD Return, 1Y Return, 3Y Return (annualized), 5Y Return (annualized).

The two price series end 211 days apart, so a return over any period would be measuring two different stretches of market. Those rows are withheld. CIL has data through Feb 4, 2026 and SPY through Sep 3, 2026.

Volatility and max drawdown, and the $10,000 over 10.5 years row, are measured over the window both funds cover: Aug 20, 2015 to Feb 4, 2026 (10.5 years).

Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns

CIL has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 29.0% compared with 15.1% 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 -46.1% for CIL 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 0.35. They move together some of the time, and apart the rest.

Fees and Cost Over Time

CIL charges 0.45% per year while SPY charges 0.09%. On a $10,000 position that is $45 vs $9 annually, a gap of $36 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, CIL currently yields 2.51% against 1.01% for SPY.

Holdings Overlap

CIL already in SPY0.2%
SPY already in CIL0.2%

0.2% of CIL's money is in holdings SPY also owns. 0.2% of SPY's money is in holdings CIL also owns.

We cannot see either book well enough to say how much of this pair is duplicated.

The two holdings books were reported 308 days apart, CIL as of Sep 30, 2025 and SPY as of Aug 4, 2026, so some of the difference between them is the time between the two reports rather than the funds.

1 positions in common, counted across the 504 positions we hold weights for in CIL and 504 in SPY, against full books of 513 and 505.

What only one of them owns

Our book lists 495 positions for SPY that do not appear in our book for CIL (99.3% of the fund), and 5 for CIL that do not appear in SPY (1.2%).

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.

Top Shared Holdings

StockWeight in CILWeight in SPYDifference
ADPAutomatic Data Processing, Inc.0.22%0.16%0.06%

You are not choosing between two funds in isolation.

Whichever of CIL and SPY you pick has to sit alongside everything else you own. Add the rest and see what the combination actually holds.

CILSPY

Free for up to 10 holdings. No account needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, CIL or SPY?

CIL has an expense ratio of 0.45% while SPY charges 0.09%. SPY is the cheaper option, by $36 a year on a $10,000 investment.

Which is riskier, CIL or SPY?

CIL has been the more volatile fund at 29.0% annualized versus 15.1% for SPY. Worst drawdown: CIL -46.1% vs SPY -34.1%.

Should I hold both CIL and SPY?

CIL and SPY have a monthly-return correlation of 0.35, 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, CIL or SPY?

CIL yields 2.51% while SPY yields 1.01%, so CIL currently pays the higher dividend yield.

Is SPY better than CIL?

SPY has a lower expense ratio. CIL led over 1Y, SPY over the full window. CIL is less concentrated, with 3.7% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 38.0%. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.