RAYE vs SPY
Rayliant Quantamental Emerging Market ex-China Equity ETF vs State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust
Which is better, RAYE or SPY?
Each has led over a different period.
SPY has a lower expense ratio. RAYE led over 1Y, SPY over 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 | RAYE | SPY |
|---|---|---|
| Expense Ratio | 0.88% | 0.09%Best |
| AUM | $37M | $804.7B |
| Dividend Yield | 2.93% | 0.98% |
| Holdings | 119 | 505 |
| Volatility (annualized) | 15.7%Best | 16.0% |
| Max Drawdown | -26.9% | -24.5%Best |
| $10,000 over 4 years | $12,318 | $15,467Best |
| Top 10 Weight | 37.8%Tie | 37.8%Tie |
| Fund Family | The Advisors Inner Circle Fund | State Street Investment Management |
| Category | Equity | Equity |
| Style | Large Cap Blend | Large Cap Blend |
| Inception | Dec 15, 2021 | Jan 22, 1993 |
Not shown on this pair: YTD Return, 1Y Return, 3Y Return (annualized), 5Y Return (annualized).
The two price series end 276 days apart, so a return over any period would be measuring two different stretches of market. Those rows are withheld. RAYE has data through Dec 19, 2025 and SPY through Sep 21, 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 15.7% for RAYE. 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 -26.9% for RAYE 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 0.72. They usually move together, but the gap leaves some room for diversification.
Fees and Cost Over Time
RAYE charges 0.88% per year while SPY charges 0.09%. On a $10,000 position that is $88 vs $9 annually, a gap of $79 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, RAYE currently yields 2.93% against 0.98% for SPY.
Holdings Overlap
We hold position weights for 98 holdings in RAYE and 504 in SPY, totalling 96.7% and 99.9% of the two funds. The two books name no position in common, so there is no overlap percentage to show.
The two holdings books were reported 368 days apart, RAYE as of Aug 29, 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.
0 positions in common, counted across the 98 positions we hold weights for in RAYE and 504 in SPY, against full books of 119 and 505.
What only one of them owns
Our book lists 497 positions for SPY that do not appear in our book for RAYE (99.3% of the fund), and 4 for RAYE that do not appear in SPY (3.2%).
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.
You are not choosing between two funds in isolation.
Whichever of RAYE 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, RAYE or SPY?
RAYE has an expense ratio of 0.88% while SPY charges 0.09%. SPY is the cheaper option, by $79 a year on a $10,000 investment.
Which is riskier, RAYE or SPY?
SPY has been the more volatile fund at 16.0% annualized versus 15.7% for RAYE. Worst drawdown: RAYE -26.9% vs SPY -24.5%.
Should I hold both RAYE and SPY?
RAYE and SPY have a monthly-return correlation of 0.72, 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, RAYE or SPY?
RAYE yields 2.93% while SPY yields 0.98%, so RAYE currently pays the higher dividend yield.
Is SPY better than RAYE?
SPY has a lower expense ratio. RAYE led over 1Y, SPY over the full window. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.