SCUS vs SPY
Schwab Ultra-Short Income ETF vs State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust
Which is better, SCUS or SPY?
Ultrashort Term Bond against Large Cap Blend.
SPY has a lower expense ratio. SPY led over 1Y 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 | SCUS | SPY |
|---|---|---|
| Expense Ratio | 0.14% | 0.09%Best |
| AUM | $258M | $804.7B |
| Dividend Yield | 3.86% | 0.98% |
| Holdings | 150 | 505 |
| YTD Return | +2.23% | +12.47%Best |
| 1Y Return | +3.54% | +17.51%Best |
| 3Y Return (annualized) | - | +21.18% |
| 5Y Return (annualized) | - | +12.88% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 0.7%Best | 12.4% |
| Max Drawdown | -0.4%Best | -18.8% |
| $10,000 over 2.1 years | $10,874 | $14,491Best |
| Fund Family | Charles Schwab Asset Management | State Street Investment Management |
| Category | Fixed Income | Equity |
| Style | Ultrashort Term Bond | Large Cap Blend |
| Inception | Aug 13, 2024 | Jan 22, 1993 |
Not shown on this pair: Top 10 Weight.
Volatility and max drawdown, and the $10,000 over 2.1 years row, are measured over the window both funds cover: Aug 13, 2024 to Sep 11, 2026 (2.1 years).
SCUS 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 2.1 years both funds cover.
SCUS vs SPY Performance
Schwab Ultra-Short Income ETF (SCUS) is an ETF from Charles Schwab Asset Management and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) is an ETF from State Street Investment Management. Over the past year SCUS returned +3.54% while SPY returned +17.51%. Year to date, SCUS is up 2.23% versus a gain of 12.47% for SPY.
Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns
SPY has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 12.4% compared with 0.7% for SCUS. 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 -0.4% for SCUS and -18.8% 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 0.25. They move largely independently of each other.
Fees and Cost Over Time
SCUS charges 0.14% per year while SPY charges 0.09%. On a $10,000 position that is $14 vs $9 annually, a gap of $5 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, SCUS currently yields 3.86% against 0.98% for SPY.
Holdings Overlap
At least 0.6% of SPY's money is in holdings SCUS also owns.
Stated as a floor: for SCUS, our book for it covers 31.9% 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.
1 positions in common, counted across the 65 positions we hold weights for in SCUS and 504 in SPY, against full books of 150 and 505.
Top Shared Holdings
| Stock | Weight in SCUS | Weight in SPY | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| BACBank Of America N/A | 0.34% | 0.62% | 0.28% |
You are not choosing between two funds in isolation.
Whichever of SCUS 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, SCUS or SPY?
SCUS has an expense ratio of 0.14% while SPY charges 0.09%. SPY is the cheaper option, by $5 a year on a $10,000 investment.
Which performed better, SCUS or SPY?
Over the past year SCUS returned +3.54% vs +17.51% for SPY, so SPY leads on 1-year performance. Over the longest common window we track (2 years), SCUS annualized +4.07% vs +19.32% for SPY. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is information, not a recommendation.
Which is riskier, SCUS or SPY?
SPY has been the more volatile fund at 12.4% annualized versus 0.7% for SCUS. Worst drawdown: SCUS -0.4% vs SPY -18.8%.
Should I hold both SCUS and SPY?
SCUS and SPY have a monthly-return correlation of 0.25, 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, SCUS or SPY?
SCUS yields 3.86% while SPY yields 0.98%, so SCUS currently pays the higher dividend yield.
Is SPY better than SCUS?
SPY has a lower expense ratio. SPY led over 1Y and the full window. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.