SPDW vs VIPIX

SPDW vs VIPIX

Which is better, SPDW or VIPIX?

Large Cap Blend against Inflation Protection.

SPDW has a lower expense ratio.

Lower Fees: SPDW

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

MetricSPDWVIPIX
Expense Ratio0.03%Best0.07%
AUM$41.1B$12.4B
Dividend Yield2.92%5.20%
Holdings2,44069
YTD Price Return+11.06%-3.74%
1Y Price Return+15.72%-5.86%
3Y Price Return (annualized)+17.81%-0.30%
5Y Price Return (annualized)+6.55%-4.98%
Volatility (annualized)16.6%6.7%Best
Max Drawdown-32.4%-24.4%Best
Fund FamilySPDR State Street Global AdvisorsVanguard (US)
CategoryEquityFixed Income
StyleLarge Cap BlendInflation Protection
InceptionApr 20, 2007Dec 12, 2003

Not shown on this pair: $10,000 over 5 years, Top 10 Weight.

A price return is not the return of a fund that pays its income out. The coupon or distribution never appears in the price, so the return rows carry no winner here. SPDW currently yields 2.92% and VIPIX 5.20%.

Volatility and max drawdown are measured over the window both funds cover: Oct 4, 2021 to Sep 30, 2026 (5 years).

Compare SPDW against instead:SPDW vs SPYSPDW vs QQQSPDW vs VOOSPDW vs VTIVIPIX against:VIPIX vs VXUS

SPDW vs VIPIX Performance

State Street SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF (SPDW) is an ETF from SPDR State Street Global Advisors and Vanguard Inflation Protected Securities Fund Insti Shs (VIPIX) is a mutual fund from Vanguard (US). Over the past year SPDW's price moved +15.72% and VIPIX's -5.86%, before the income each one paid out.

Over three years, SPDW compounded at +17.81% per year against -0.30% for VIPIX; over five years the annualized figures are +6.55% and -4.98% respectively.

Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns

SPDW has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 16.6% compared with 6.7% for VIPIX. 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 -32.4% for SPDW and -24.4% for VIPIX. Drawdown depth is what each fund did in the worst stretch of the window measured above.

The two funds' monthly returns correlate at 0.71. They usually move together, but the gap leaves some room for diversification.

Fees and Cost Over Time

SPDW charges 0.03% per year while VIPIX charges 0.07%. On a $10,000 position that is $3 vs $7 annually, a gap of $4 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, SPDW currently yields 2.92% against 5.20% for VIPIX.

Structure and taxes

VIPIX is a mutual fund and SPDW is an ETF. A mutual fund prices once a day at net asset value and may carry a purchase minimum. An ETF trades through the day at whatever the market pays for it.

In a taxable account the difference that usually matters is distributions. An ETF can meet redemptions in kind, so it rarely has to sell holdings and rarely passes a capital gain to the people who held it; a mutual fund that sells holdings to meet redemptions can distribute a realised gain at year end to everyone still in the fund, whether or not they sold anything themselves. In a tax-deferred account that difference largely disappears. Both are descriptions of how the two wrappers work, not a recommendation.

Tax-loss harvesting works on either wrapper.

Holdings Overlap

We hold position weights for 2,395 holdings in SPDW and 52 in VIPIX, totalling 96.8% and 74.3% of the two funds. The two books name no position in common, so there is no overlap percentage to show.

0 positions in common, counted across the 2,395 positions we hold weights for in SPDW and 52 in VIPIX, against full books of 2,440 and 69.

You are not choosing between two funds in isolation.

Whichever of SPDW and VIPIX you pick has to sit alongside everything else you own. Add the rest and see what the combination actually holds.

SPDWVIPIX

Free for up to 10 holdings. No account needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, SPDW or VIPIX?

SPDW has an expense ratio of 0.03% while VIPIX charges 0.07%. SPDW is the cheaper option, by $4 a year on a $10,000 investment.

Which is riskier, SPDW or VIPIX?

SPDW has been the more volatile fund at 16.6% annualized versus 6.7% for VIPIX. Worst drawdown: SPDW -32.4% vs VIPIX -24.4%.

Should I hold both SPDW and VIPIX?

SPDW and VIPIX have a monthly-return correlation of 0.71, 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, SPDW or VIPIX?

SPDW yields 2.92% while VIPIX yields 5.20%, so VIPIX currently pays the higher dividend yield.

Is it better to hold VIPIX or SPDW in a taxable account?

SPDW is an ETF and VIPIX is a mutual fund. An ETF can meet redemptions in kind, so it rarely distributes a capital gain to the people holding it. A mutual fund that sells holdings to meet redemptions can pass a realised gain to every holder at year end. In a tax-deferred account that difference largely disappears. This is information, not a recommendation.

Is VIPIX better than SPDW?

SPDW has a lower expense ratio. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.