RUSC vs SPY
Russell Investments US Small Cap Equity ETF vs State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust
Which is better, RUSC or SPY?
Small Cap Blend against Large Cap Blend.
SPY has a lower expense ratio. RUSC led over 1Y and the full window. RUSC is less concentrated, with 5.0% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 38.0%.
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 | RUSC | SPY |
|---|---|---|
| Expense Ratio | 0.64% | 0.09%Best |
| AUM | $81M | $814.4B |
| Dividend Yield | 0.32% | 1.01% |
| Holdings | 490 | 505 |
| YTD Return | +21.07%Best | +12.71% |
| 1Y Return | +25.02%Best | +19.36% |
| 3Y Return (annualized) | - | +21.09% |
| 5Y Return (annualized) | - | +12.69% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 14.3% | 11.9%Best |
| Max Drawdown | -9.2% | -8.9%Best |
| $10,000 over 1.3 years | $14,245Best | $13,164 |
| Top 10 Weight | 5.0%Best | 38.0% |
| Fund Family | Russell Investments | State Street Investment Management |
| Category | Equity | Equity |
| Style | Small Cap Blend | Large Cap Blend |
| Inception | May 13, 2025 | Jan 22, 1993 |
Volatility and max drawdown, and the $10,000 over 1.3 years row, are measured over the window both funds cover: May 14, 2025 to Sep 8, 2026 (1.3 years).
RUSC 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 1.3 years both funds cover.
RUSC vs SPY Performance
Russell Investments US Small Cap Equity ETF (RUSC) is an ETF from Russell Investments and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) is an ETF from State Street Investment Management. Over the past year RUSC returned +25.02% while SPY returned +19.36%. Year to date, RUSC is up 21.07% versus a gain of 12.71% for SPY.
Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns
RUSC has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 14.3% compared with 11.9% for SPY. 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 -9.2% for RUSC and -8.9% 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
RUSC charges 0.64% per year while SPY charges 0.09%. On a $10,000 position that is $64 vs $9 annually, a gap of $55 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, RUSC currently yields 0.32% against 1.01% for SPY.
Holdings Overlap
0.8% of RUSC's money is in holdings SPY also owns. 0.3% of SPY's money is in holdings RUSC also owns.
We cannot see either book well enough to say how much of this pair is duplicated.
6 positions in common, counted across the 489 positions we hold weights for in RUSC and 503 in SPY, against full books of 490 and 505.
What only one of them owns
Our book lists 487 positions for SPY that do not appear in our book for RUSC (99.1% of the fund), and 370 for RUSC that do not appear in SPY (76.5%).
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 RUSC 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, RUSC or SPY?
RUSC has an expense ratio of 0.64% while SPY charges 0.09%. SPY is the cheaper option, by $55 a year on a $10,000 investment.
Which performed better, RUSC or SPY?
Over the past year RUSC returned +25.02% vs +19.36% for SPY, so RUSC leads on 1-year performance. Over the longest common window we track (1 years), RUSC annualized +31.28% vs +23.55% for SPY. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is information, not a recommendation.
Which is riskier, RUSC or SPY?
RUSC has been the more volatile fund at 14.3% annualized versus 11.9% for SPY. Worst drawdown: RUSC -9.2% vs SPY -8.9%.
Should I hold both RUSC and SPY?
RUSC 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, RUSC or SPY?
RUSC yields 0.32% while SPY yields 1.01%, so SPY currently pays the higher dividend yield.
Is SPY better than RUSC?
SPY has a lower expense ratio. RUSC led over 1Y and the full window. RUSC is less concentrated, with 5.0% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 38.0%. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.