PTA vs SPY
Cohen & Steers Tax-Advantaged Preferred Securities & Income Fund vs State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust
Which is better, PTA or SPY?
Preferred Stock against Large Cap Blend.
SPY has a lower expense ratio. SPY led over 1Y, 3Y, 5Y 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 | PTA | SPY |
|---|---|---|
| Expense Ratio | 2.01% | 0.09%Best |
| AUM | - | $814.4B |
| Dividend Yield | 7.91% | 1.01% |
| Holdings | 283 | 505 |
| YTD Return | -0.88% | +12.71%Best |
| 1Y Return | -3.60% | +19.36%Best |
| 3Y Return (annualized) | +9.54% | +21.09%Best |
| 5Y Return (annualized) | +1.51% | +12.69%Best |
| Volatility (annualized) | 13.5%Best | 15.4% |
| Max Drawdown | -28.7% | -24.5%Best |
| $10,000 over 5 years | $10,778 | $18,173Best |
| Fund Family | Cohen & Steers Funds | State Street Investment Management |
| Category | Allocation/Balanced | Equity |
| Style | Preferred Stock | Large Cap Blend |
| Inception | Oct 28, 2020 | Jan 22, 1993 |
Not shown on this pair: Top 10 Weight.
Volatility and max drawdown are measured over the window both funds cover: Oct 28, 2020 to Sep 8, 2026 (5.9 years).
PTA 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 5.9 years both funds cover.
PTA vs SPY Performance
Cohen & Steers Tax-Advantaged Preferred Securities & Income Fund (PTA) is an ETF from Cohen & Steers Funds and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) is an ETF from State Street Investment Management. Over the past year PTA returned -3.60% while SPY returned +19.36%. Year to date, PTA is down 0.88% versus a gain of 12.71% for SPY.
Over three years, PTA compounded at +9.54% per year against +21.09% for SPY; over five years the annualized figures are +1.51% and +12.69% respectively. Across the full 6-year window we track, SPY has the edge at +17.12% annualized vs +2.34%.
Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns
SPY has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 15.4% compared with 13.5% for PTA. 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 -28.7% for PTA and -24.5% 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 0.69. They move together some of the time, and apart the rest.
Fees and Cost Over Time
PTA charges 2.01% per year while SPY charges 0.09%. On a $10,000 position that is $201 vs $9 annually, a gap of $192 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, PTA currently yields 7.91% against 1.01% for SPY.
Holdings Overlap
At least 0.5% of SPY's money is in holdings PTA also owns.
Stated as a floor: for PTA, our book for it covers 93.7% 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.
The two holdings books were reported 185 days apart, PTA as of Jan 31, 2026 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.
3 positions in common, counted across the 167 positions we hold weights for in PTA and 503 in SPY, against full books of 283 and 505.
You are not choosing between two funds in isolation.
Whichever of PTA 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, PTA or SPY?
PTA has an expense ratio of 2.01% while SPY charges 0.09%. SPY is the cheaper option, by $192 a year on a $10,000 investment.
Which performed better, PTA or SPY?
Over the past year PTA returned -3.60% vs +19.36% for SPY, so SPY leads on 1-year performance. Over the longest common window we track (6 years), PTA annualized +2.34% vs +17.12% for SPY. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is information, not a recommendation.
Which is riskier, PTA or SPY?
SPY has been the more volatile fund at 15.4% annualized versus 13.5% for PTA. Worst drawdown: PTA -28.7% vs SPY -24.5%.
Should I hold both PTA and SPY?
PTA and SPY have a monthly-return correlation of 0.69, 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, PTA or SPY?
PTA yields 7.91% while SPY yields 1.01%, so PTA currently pays the higher dividend yield.
Is SPY better than PTA?
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.