RAAX vs SPY
VanEck Real Assets ETF vs State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust
Which is better, RAAX or SPY?
Allocation/Balanced against Large Cap Blend.
SPY has a lower expense ratio. RAAX led over 1Y and 5Y, SPY over 3Y and the full window. SPY is less concentrated, with 38.0% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 55.1%.
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 | RAAX | SPY |
|---|---|---|
| Expense Ratio | 0.55% | 0.09%Best |
| AUM | $1.1B | $804.7B |
| Dividend Yield | 1.95% | 0.98% |
| Holdings | 113 | 505 |
| YTD Return | +17.48%Best | +11.52% |
| 1Y Return | +27.45%Best | +17.48% |
| 3Y Return (annualized) | +19.80% | +20.62%Best |
| 5Y Return (annualized) | +14.18%Best | +12.73% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 14.6%Best | 16.5% |
| Max Drawdown | -33.9%Best | -34.1% |
| $10,000 over 5 years | $19,407Best | $18,205 |
| Top 10 Weight | 55.1% | 38.0%Best |
| Fund Family | VanEck | State Street Investment Management |
| Category | Allocation/Balanced | Equity |
| Style | Allocation/Balanced | Large Cap Blend |
| Inception | Apr 9, 2018 | Jan 22, 1993 |
Volatility and max drawdown are measured over the window both funds cover: Apr 10, 2018 to Sep 10, 2026 (8.4 years).
RAAX 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 8.4 years both funds cover.
RAAX vs SPY Performance
VanEck Real Assets ETF (RAAX) is an ETF from VanEck and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) is an ETF from State Street Investment Management. Over the past year RAAX returned +27.45% while SPY returned +17.48%. Year to date, RAAX is up 17.48% versus a gain of 11.52% for SPY.
Over three years, RAAX compounded at +19.80% per year against +20.62% for SPY; over five years the annualized figures are +14.18% and +12.73% respectively. Across the full 8-year window we track, SPY has the edge at +14.29% annualized vs +9.34%.
Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns
SPY has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 16.5% compared with 14.6% for RAAX. 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 -33.9% for RAAX 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 0.65. They move together some of the time, and apart the rest.
Fees and Cost Over Time
RAAX charges 0.55% per year while SPY charges 0.09%. On a $10,000 position that is $55 vs $9 annually, a gap of $46 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, RAAX currently yields 1.95% against 0.98% for SPY.
Holdings Overlap
30.2% of RAAX's money is in holdings SPY also owns. 6.9% of SPY's money is in holdings RAAX also owns.
The two portfolios partly overlap.
41 positions in common, counted across the 115 positions we hold weights for in RAAX and 504 in SPY, against full books of 113 and 505.
What only one of them owns
Our book lists 453 positions for SPY that do not appear in our book for RAAX (92.7% of the fund), and 32 for RAAX that do not appear in SPY (53.8%).
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
| Stock | Weight in RAAX | Weight in SPY | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| WMBWilliams Cos. Inc. | 1.90% | 0.13% | 1.77% |
| TRGPTarga Resources Corp. | 1.76% | 0.08% | 1.68% |
| XOMExxon Mobil Corp. | 0.85% | 0.96% | 0.11% |
| KMIKinder Morgan Inc./de | 1.71% | 0.09% | 1.62% |
| CATCaterpillar, Inc. | 0.73% | 0.61% | 0.12% |
| CSXCsx Corp. | 1.19% | 0.14% | 1.05% |
| PWRQuanta Services, Inc. | 1.16% | 0.16% | 1.00% |
| NEMNewmont Corp. | 1.14% | 0.16% | 0.98% |
| MPCMarathon Petroleum Corp. | 1.08% | 0.14% | 0.94% |
| VLOValero Energy Corp. | 1.05% | 0.14% | 0.91% |
30.2% of RAAX 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.
Free for up to 10 holdings. No account needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, RAAX or SPY?
RAAX has an expense ratio of 0.55% while SPY charges 0.09%. SPY is the cheaper option, by $46 a year on a $10,000 investment.
Which performed better, RAAX or SPY?
Over the past year RAAX returned +27.45% vs +17.48% for SPY, so RAAX leads on 1-year performance. Over the longest common window we track (8 years), RAAX annualized +9.34% vs +14.29% for SPY. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is information, not a recommendation.
Which is riskier, RAAX or SPY?
SPY has been the more volatile fund at 16.5% annualized versus 14.6% for RAAX. Worst drawdown: RAAX -33.9% vs SPY -34.1%.
Should I hold both RAAX and SPY?
RAAX and SPY have a monthly-return correlation of 0.65, 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 RAAX and SPY?
30.2% of RAAX's money is in holdings SPY also owns. 6.9% of SPY's is in holdings RAAX also owns. They hold 41 positions in common, counted across the 115 positions we hold weights for in RAAX and 504 in SPY.
Which pays a higher dividend, RAAX or SPY?
RAAX yields 1.95% while SPY yields 0.98%, so RAAX currently pays the higher dividend yield.
Is SPY better than RAAX?
SPY has a lower expense ratio. RAAX led over 1Y and 5Y, SPY over 3Y and the full window. SPY is less concentrated, with 38.0% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 55.1%. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.