DIVE vs SPY

DIVE vs SPY

Which is better, DIVE or SPY?

Large Cap Value against Large Cap Blend.

SPY has a lower expense ratio. SPY led over 1Y and the full window. SPY is less concentrated, with 37.8% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 44.4%.

Lower Fees: SPYHigher Returns: SPYLess Concentrated: SPY

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

MetricDIVESPY
Expense Ratio0.65%0.09%Best
AUM$48M$804.7B
Dividend Yield1.01%0.98%
Holdings36505
YTD Return+7.85%+12.22%Best
1Y Return+10.90%+16.97%Best
3Y Return (annualized)-+21.16%
5Y Return (annualized)-+13.00%
Volatility (annualized)13.5%13.2%Best
Max Drawdown-11.4%-8.9%Best
$10,000 over 1 years$11,104$11,679Best
Top 10 Weight44.4%37.8%Best
Fund FamilyDana Investment AdvisorsState Street Investment Management
CategoryEquityEquity
StyleLarge Cap ValueLarge Cap Blend
InceptionSep 15, 2025Jan 22, 1993

Volatility and max drawdown, and the $10,000 over 1 years row, are measured over the window both funds cover: Sep 16, 2025 to Sep 17, 2026 (1 years).

DIVE 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 years both funds cover.

DIVE vs SPY Performance

Dana Concentrated Dividend ETF (DIVE) is an ETF from Dana Investment Advisors and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) is an ETF from State Street Investment Management. Over the past year DIVE returned +10.90% while SPY returned +16.97%. Year to date, DIVE is up 7.85% versus a gain of 12.22% for SPY.

Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns

DIVE has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 13.5% compared with 13.2% 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 -11.4% for DIVE 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 0.62. They move together some of the time, and apart the rest.

Fees and Cost Over Time

DIVE charges 0.65% per year while SPY charges 0.09%. On a $10,000 position that is $65 vs $9 annually, a gap of $56 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, DIVE currently yields 1.01% against 0.98% for SPY.

Holdings Overlap

DIVE already in SPY85.0%
SPY already in DIVE14.7%

85.0% of DIVE's money is in holdings SPY also owns. 14.7% of SPY's money is in holdings DIVE also owns.

Most of DIVE is already inside SPY. Owning both mostly buys the same companies twice.

29 positions in common, counted across the 35 positions we hold weights for in DIVE and 504 in SPY, against full books of 36 and 505.

What only one of them owns

Measured across the 35 and 504 positions we hold weights for.

SPY holds 468 positions DIVE does not, 84.7% of the fund.

Largest: NVDA 8.01%, AAPL 7.26%, MSFT 5.66%, AVGO 2.66%, GOOG 2.39%

Top Shared Holdings

StockWeight in DIVEWeight in SPYDifference
AMZNAmazon.Com Inc4.87%3.79%1.08%
PMPhilip Morris International Inc.6.30%0.44%5.86%
IQVI Q V I A Holdings Inc.5.53%0.07%5.46%
GOOGLAlphabet Inc,class A1.76%2.99%1.23%
METAMeta Platforms Inc2.80%1.93%0.87%
COFCapital One Financial Corp.4.44%0.20%4.24%
CRMSalesforce Inc Crm Us Equity3.93%0.32%3.61%
ABBVAbbvie Inc.3.37%0.70%2.67%
KDPKeurig Dr Pepper, Inc.3.99%0.07%3.92%
ELVElevance Health Inc3.77%0.13%3.64%

85.0% of DIVE is already inside SPY.

You probably hold more than these two. Add the rest and see how much of the whole book is the same companies twice.

DIVESPY

Free for up to 10 holdings. No account needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, DIVE or SPY?

DIVE has an expense ratio of 0.65% while SPY charges 0.09%. SPY is the cheaper option, by $56 a year on a $10,000 investment.

Which performed better, DIVE or SPY?

Over the past year DIVE returned +10.90% vs +16.97% for SPY, so SPY leads on 1-year performance. Over the longest common window we track (1 years), DIVE annualized +11.04% vs +16.79% for SPY. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is information, not a recommendation.

Which is riskier, DIVE or SPY?

DIVE has been the more volatile fund at 13.5% annualized versus 13.2% for SPY. Worst drawdown: DIVE -11.4% vs SPY -8.9%.

Should I hold both DIVE and SPY?

DIVE and SPY have a monthly-return correlation of 0.62, 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 DIVE and SPY?

85.0% of DIVE's money is in holdings SPY also owns. 14.7% of SPY's is in holdings DIVE also owns. They hold 29 positions in common, counted across the 35 positions we hold weights for in DIVE and 504 in SPY.

Which pays a higher dividend, DIVE or SPY?

DIVE yields 1.01% while SPY yields 0.98%, so DIVE currently pays the higher dividend yield.

Is SPY better than DIVE?

SPY has a lower expense ratio. SPY led over 1Y and the full window. SPY is less concentrated, with 37.8% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 44.4%. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.