FMTM vs SPY

FMTM vs SPY

Which is better, FMTM or SPY?

Mid Cap Blend against Large Cap Blend.

SPY has a lower expense ratio. FMTM led over 1Y and the full window. FMTM is less concentrated, with 34.6% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 37.8%.

Lower Fees: SPYHigher Returns: FMTMLess Concentrated: FMTM

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

MetricFMTMSPY
Expense Ratio0.45%0.09%Best
AUM$273M$804.7B
Dividend Yield0.24%0.98%
Holdings52505
YTD Return+17.39%Best+13.82%
1Y Return+28.03%Best+16.96%
3Y Return (annualized)-+22.97%
5Y Return (annualized)-+13.73%
Volatility (annualized)20.4%11.9%Best
Max Drawdown-15.4%-13.7%Best
$10,000 over 1.5 years$15,427Best$13,895
Top 10 Weight34.6%Best37.8%
Fund FamilyMarketDesk IndicesState Street Investment Management
CategoryEquityEquity
StyleMid Cap BlendLarge Cap Blend
InceptionMar 20, 2025Jan 22, 1993

Volatility and max drawdown, and the $10,000 over 1.5 years row, are measured over the window both funds cover: Mar 20, 2025 to Sep 21, 2026 (1.5 years).

FMTM 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.

FMTM vs SPY Performance

MarketDesk Focused US Momentum ETF (FMTM) is an ETF from MarketDesk Indices and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) is an ETF from State Street Investment Management. Over the past year FMTM returned +28.03% while SPY returned +16.96%. Year to date, FMTM is up 17.39% versus a gain of 13.82% for SPY.

Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns

FMTM has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 20.4% compared with 11.9% 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 -15.4% for FMTM and -13.7% 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 0.56. They move together some of the time, and apart the rest.

Fees and Cost Over Time

FMTM 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, FMTM currently yields 0.24% against 0.98% for SPY.

Holdings Overlap

FMTM already in SPY39.8%
SPY already in FMTM4.3%

39.8% of FMTM's money is in holdings SPY also owns. 4.3% of SPY's money is in holdings FMTM also owns.

The two portfolios partly overlap.

25 positions in common, counted across the 53 positions we hold weights for in FMTM and 504 in SPY, against full books of 52 and 505.

What only one of them owns

Our book lists 472 positions for SPY that do not appear in our book for FMTM (95.1% of the fund), and 18 for FMTM that do not appear in SPY (56.9%).

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 FMTMWeight in SPYDifference
MPCMarathon Petroleum Corp3.51%0.17%3.34%
TMOThermo Fisherscientific Inc.3.32%0.34%2.98%
SCHWSchwab Strategic T3.32%0.27%3.05%
TGTTarget Corp Common Stock Usd.08333.44%0.11%3.33%
CRLCharles River Laboratories International Inc3.45%0.02%3.43%
STTState Street Corp.3.35%0.08%3.27%
LHLabcorp Holdings Inc3.36%0.04%3.32%
CSXCsx Corp.3.25%0.14%3.11%
PANWPalo Alto Networks, Inc2.91%0.45%2.46%
EXPDExpeditors International Of Washington Inc3.31%0.04%3.27%

39.8% of FMTM 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.

FMTMSPY

Free for up to 10 holdings. No account needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, FMTM or SPY?

FMTM 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 performed better, FMTM or SPY?

Over the past year FMTM returned +28.03% vs +16.96% for SPY, so FMTM leads on 1-year performance. Over the longest common window we track (2 years), FMTM annualized +33.51% vs +24.52% for SPY. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is information, not a recommendation.

Which is riskier, FMTM or SPY?

FMTM has been the more volatile fund at 20.4% annualized versus 11.9% for SPY. Worst drawdown: FMTM -15.4% vs SPY -13.7%.

Should I hold both FMTM and SPY?

FMTM and SPY have a monthly-return correlation of 0.56, 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 FMTM and SPY?

39.8% of FMTM's money is in holdings SPY also owns. 4.3% of SPY's is in holdings FMTM also owns. They hold 25 positions in common, counted across the 53 positions we hold weights for in FMTM and 504 in SPY.

Which pays a higher dividend, FMTM or SPY?

FMTM yields 0.24% while SPY yields 0.98%, so SPY currently pays the higher dividend yield.

Is SPY better than FMTM?

SPY has a lower expense ratio. FMTM led over 1Y and the full window. FMTM is less concentrated, with 34.6% 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.