PFIG vs SPY

PFIG vs SPY

Which is better, PFIG or SPY?

SPY has been ahead.

SPY has a lower expense ratio. SPY led over 1Y, 3Y, 5Y and the full window.

Lower Fees: SPYHigher Returns: 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

MetricPFIGSPY
Expense Ratio0.22%0.09%Best
AUM$124M$804.7B
Dividend Yield4.46%0.98%
Holdings811505
YTD Return-0.85%+12.09%Best
1Y Return+0.41%+16.29%Best
3Y Return (annualized)+5.12%+21.20%Best
5Y Return (annualized)+0.93%+13.37%Best
Volatility (annualized)4.3%Best14.1%
Max Drawdown-15.6%Best-34.1%
$10,000 over 5 years$10,474$18,728Best
Fund FamilyInvesco (US)State Street Investment Management
CategoryFixed IncomeEquity
Style-Large Cap Blend
InceptionSep 15, 2011Jan 22, 1993

Not shown on this pair: Top 10 Weight.

Volatility and max drawdown are measured over the window both funds cover: Sep 15, 2011 to Sep 18, 2026 (15 years).

PFIG 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 is available from the range buttons; it is not the opening view here because over the whole period one of these two funds moves so much further than the other that its line would sit flat on the axis.

PFIG vs SPY Performance

Invesco Fundamental Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (PFIG) is an ETF from Invesco (US) and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) is an ETF from State Street Investment Management. Over the past year PFIG returned +0.41% while SPY returned +16.29%. Year to date, PFIG is down 0.85% versus a gain of 12.09% for SPY.

Over three years, PFIG compounded at +5.12% per year against +21.20% for SPY; over five years the annualized figures are +0.93% and +13.37% respectively. Across the full 15-year window we track, SPY has the edge at +13.57% annualized vs +1.01%.

Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns

SPY has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 14.1% compared with 4.3% for PFIG. 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 -15.6% for PFIG 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 0.54. They move together some of the time, and apart the rest.

Fees and Cost Over Time

PFIG charges 0.22% per year while SPY charges 0.09%. On a $10,000 position that is $22 vs $9 annually, a gap of $13 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, PFIG currently yields 4.46% against 0.98% for SPY.

Holdings Overlap

SPY already in PFIG0.8%

At least 0.8% of SPY's money is in holdings PFIG also owns.

Stated as a floor: for PFIG, our book for it covers 90.5% 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.

3 positions in common, counted across the 717 positions we hold weights for in PFIG and 504 in SPY, against full books of 811 and 505.

Top Shared Holdings

StockWeight in PFIGWeight in SPYDifference
GEGeneral Electric Co.0.11%0.53%0.42%
TMUST-Mobile Usa Inc Esrw Usd Npv Ref Sm#5855580.19%0.13%0.06%
DVNDevon Energy Corporation0.11%0.09%0.02%

You are not choosing between two funds in isolation.

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

PFIGSPY

Free for up to 10 holdings. No account needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, PFIG or SPY?

PFIG has an expense ratio of 0.22% while SPY charges 0.09%. SPY is the cheaper option, by $13 a year on a $10,000 investment.

Which performed better, PFIG or SPY?

Over the past year PFIG returned +0.41% vs +16.29% for SPY, so SPY leads on 1-year performance. Over the longest common window we track (15 years), PFIG annualized +1.01% vs +13.57% for SPY. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is information, not a recommendation.

Which is riskier, PFIG or SPY?

SPY has been the more volatile fund at 14.1% annualized versus 4.3% for PFIG. Worst drawdown: PFIG -15.6% vs SPY -34.1%.

Should I hold both PFIG and SPY?

PFIG and SPY have a monthly-return correlation of 0.54, 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, PFIG or SPY?

PFIG yields 4.46% while SPY yields 0.98%, so PFIG currently pays the higher dividend yield.

Is SPY better than PFIG?

SPY has a lower expense ratio. SPY led over 1Y, 3Y, 5Y and the full window. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.