RAYD vs SPY

RAYD vs SPY

Which is better, RAYD or SPY?

Nearly the same fund. SPY costs less.

SPY has a lower expense ratio. RAYD led over 1Y and the full window. The two have moved almost in lockstep, correlation 0.95. RAYD is less concentrated, with 33.7% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 37.8%.

Lower Fees: SPYHigher Returns: RAYDLess Concentrated: RAYD

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

MetricRAYDSPY
Expense Ratio0.80%0.09%Best
AUM$57M$804.7B
Dividend Yield0.82%0.98%
Holdings117505
Volatility (annualized)14.5%Best16.0%
Max Drawdown-21.0%Best-24.5%
$10,000 over 4 years$15,814Best$15,467
Top 10 Weight33.7%Best37.8%
Fund FamilyThe Advisors Inner Circle FundState Street Investment Management
CategoryEquityEquity
StyleLarge Cap BlendLarge Cap Blend
InceptionDec 15, 2021Jan 22, 1993

Not shown on this pair: YTD Return, 1Y Return, 3Y Return (annualized), 5Y Return (annualized).

The two price series end 273 days apart, so a return over any period would be measuring two different stretches of market. Those rows are withheld. RAYD has data through Dec 19, 2025 and SPY through Sep 18, 2026.

Volatility and max drawdown, and the $10,000 over 4 years row, are measured over the window both funds cover: Dec 16, 2021 to Dec 19, 2025 (4 years).

Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns

SPY has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 16.0% compared with 14.5% for RAYD. 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 -21.0% for RAYD 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 0.95. They move almost in lockstep, so holding both mostly duplicates the same exposure.

Fees and Cost Over Time

RAYD charges 0.80% per year while SPY charges 0.09%. On a $10,000 position that is $80 vs $9 annually, a gap of $71 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, RAYD currently yields 0.82% against 0.98% for SPY.

Holdings Overlap

RAYD already in SPY60.2%
SPY already in RAYD36.4%

60.2% of RAYD's money is in holdings SPY also owns. 36.4% of SPY's money is in holdings RAYD also owns.

The two portfolios partly overlap.

The two holdings books were reported 336 days apart, RAYD as of Sep 30, 2025 and SPY as of Sep 1, 2026, so some of the difference between them is the time between the two reports rather than the funds.

42 positions in common, counted across the 104 positions we hold weights for in RAYD and 504 in SPY, against full books of 117 and 505.

What only one of them owns

Our book lists 455 positions for SPY that do not appear in our book for RAYD (62.9% of the fund), and 17 for RAYD that do not appear in SPY (15.4%).

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 RAYDWeight in SPYDifference
NVDANvidia Corp7.42%8.01%0.59%
MSFTMicrosoft Corp5.38%5.66%0.28%
AAPLApple, Inc2.65%7.26%4.61%
AMZNAmazon.Com Inc3.29%3.79%0.50%
GOOGLAlphabet Inc,class A3.18%2.99%0.19%
MAMastercard Inc2.93%0.71%2.22%
VVisa Inc Class A2.06%0.94%1.12%
LRCXLam Research Corp2.41%0.55%1.86%
LLYEli Lilly & Company1.34%1.40%0.06%
ADBEAdobe Systems2.14%0.18%1.96%

60.2% of RAYD 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.

RAYDSPY

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, RAYD or SPY?

RAYD has an expense ratio of 0.80% while SPY charges 0.09%. SPY is the cheaper option, by $71 a year on a $10,000 investment.

Which is riskier, RAYD or SPY?

SPY has been the more volatile fund at 16.0% annualized versus 14.5% for RAYD. Worst drawdown: RAYD -21.0% vs SPY -24.5%.

Should I hold both RAYD and SPY?

RAYD and SPY have a monthly-return correlation of 0.95, so they move almost identically. What is left to separate them is the fee and the index each one tracks. This is information, not a recommendation.

What is the holdings overlap between RAYD and SPY?

60.2% of RAYD's money is in holdings SPY also owns. 36.4% of SPY's is in holdings RAYD also owns. They hold 42 positions in common, counted across the 104 positions we hold weights for in RAYD and 504 in SPY.

Which pays a higher dividend, RAYD or SPY?

RAYD yields 0.82% while SPY yields 0.98%, so SPY currently pays the higher dividend yield.

Is SPY better than RAYD?

SPY has a lower expense ratio. RAYD led over 1Y and the full window. The two have moved almost in lockstep, correlation 0.95. RAYD is less concentrated, with 33.7% 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.