SPVU vs SPY

SPVU vs SPY

Which is better, SPVU or SPY?

Large Cap Value against Large Cap Blend.

SPY has a lower expense ratio. SPY led over 1Y and the full window. SPY is less concentrated, with 37.8% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 41.4%.

Lower Fees: SPYHigher Returns: SPYLess Concentrated: SPY

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

MetricSPVUSPY
Expense Ratio0.13%0.09%Best
AUM$111M$804.7B
Dividend Yield2.46%0.98%
Holdings101505
Volatility (annualized)20.1%14.9%Best
Max Drawdown-51.7%-34.1%Best
$10,000 over 10.4 years$30,963$36,845Best
Top 10 Weight41.4%37.8%Best
Fund FamilyInvesco (US)State Street Investment Management
CategoryEquityEquity
StyleLarge Cap ValueLarge Cap Blend
InceptionOct 9, 2015Jan 22, 1993

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

The two price series end 210 days apart, so a return over any period would be measuring two different stretches of market. Those rows are withheld. SPVU has data through Feb 20, 2026 and SPY through Sep 18, 2026.

Volatility and max drawdown, and the $10,000 over 10.4 years row, are measured over the window both funds cover: Oct 9, 2015 to Feb 20, 2026 (10.4 years).

Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns

SPVU has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 20.1% compared with 14.9% 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 -51.7% for SPVU and -34.1% 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 0.81. They usually move together, but the gap leaves some room for diversification.

Fees and Cost Over Time

SPVU charges 0.13% per year while SPY charges 0.09%. On a $10,000 position that is $13 vs $9 annually, a gap of $4 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, SPVU currently yields 2.46% against 0.98% for SPY.

Holdings Overlap

SPVU already in SPY98.3%
SPY already in SPVU10.9%

98.3% of SPVU's money is in holdings SPY also owns. 10.9% of SPY's money is in holdings SPVU also owns.

Most of SPVU is already inside SPY. Owning both mostly buys the same companies twice.

The two holdings books were reported 336 days apart, SPVU 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.

91 positions in common, counted across the 100 positions we hold weights for in SPVU and 504 in SPY, against full books of 101 and 505.

What only one of them owns

Our book lists 406 positions for SPY that do not appear in our book for SPVU (88.5% of the fund), and 8 for SPVU that do not appear in SPY (1.3%).

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 SPVUWeight in SPYDifference
BRK.BBerkshire Hathaway Inc Brk/B Us Equity4.80%1.40%3.40%
UNHUnitedhealth Group Incorporated5.59%0.55%5.04%
XOMExxon Mobil Corp.4.87%1.04%3.83%
BACBank of America Corp.: Financials5.25%0.62%4.63%
CVXChevron Corp3.96%0.60%3.36%
WFCWells Fargo & Co.4.10%0.40%3.70%
CCitigroup Inc.4.03%0.34%3.69%
VZVerizon Communic3.22%0.32%2.90%
CVSCvs Corp2.96%0.19%2.77%
CMCSAComcast Corp-class A Cmcsa2.64%0.14%2.50%

98.3% of SPVU 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.

SPVUSPY

Free for up to 10 holdings. No account needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, SPVU or SPY?

SPVU has an expense ratio of 0.13% while SPY charges 0.09%. SPY is the cheaper option, by $4 a year on a $10,000 investment.

Which is riskier, SPVU or SPY?

SPVU has been the more volatile fund at 20.1% annualized versus 14.9% for SPY. Worst drawdown: SPVU -51.7% vs SPY -34.1%.

Should I hold both SPVU and SPY?

SPVU and SPY have a monthly-return correlation of 0.81, so their returns are far enough apart for the mix to behave differently from either one alone. This is information, not a recommendation.

What is the holdings overlap between SPVU and SPY?

98.3% of SPVU's money is in holdings SPY also owns. 10.9% of SPY's is in holdings SPVU also owns. They hold 91 positions in common, counted across the 100 positions we hold weights for in SPVU and 504 in SPY.

Which pays a higher dividend, SPVU or SPY?

SPVU yields 2.46% while SPY yields 0.98%, so SPVU currently pays the higher dividend yield.

Is SPY better than SPVU?

SPY has a lower expense ratio. SPY led over 1Y and the full window. SPY is less concentrated, with 37.8% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 41.4%. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.