SPY vs SYFI
State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust vs AB Short Duration High Yield ETF
Which is better, SPY or SYFI?
Large Cap Blend against High Yield Bond.
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 | SPY | SYFI |
|---|---|---|
| Expense Ratio | 0.09%Best | 0.40% |
| AUM | $804.7B | $956M |
| Dividend Yield | 0.98% | 6.05% |
| Holdings | 505 | 553 |
| YTD Return | +12.47%Best | +2.23% |
| 1Y Return | +17.51%Best | +3.53% |
| 3Y Return (annualized) | +21.18% | - |
| 5Y Return (annualized) | +12.88% | - |
| Volatility (annualized) | 11.9% | 2.7%Best |
| Max Drawdown | -18.8% | -4.8%Best |
| $10,000 over 2.3 years | $14,770Best | $11,481 |
| Fund Family | State Street Investment Management | AllianceBernstein L.P. |
| Category | Equity | Fixed Income |
| Style | Large Cap Blend | High Yield Bond |
| Inception | Jan 22, 1993 | Jun 10, 2024 |
Not shown on this pair: Top 10 Weight.
Volatility and max drawdown, and the $10,000 over 2.3 years row, are measured over the window both funds cover: Jun 10, 2024 to Sep 11, 2026 (2.3 years).
SPY vs SYFI 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 2.3 years both funds cover.
SPY vs SYFI Performance
State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) is an ETF from State Street Investment Management and AB Short Duration High Yield ETF (SYFI) is an ETF from AllianceBernstein L.P.. Over the past year SPY returned +17.51% while SYFI returned +3.53%. Year to date, SPY is up 12.47% versus a gain of 2.23% for SYFI.
Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns
SPY has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 11.9% compared with 2.7% for SYFI. 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 -18.8% for SPY and -4.8% for SYFI. Drawdown depth is what each fund did in the worst stretch of the window measured above.
The two funds' monthly returns correlate at 0.76. They usually move together, but the gap leaves some room for diversification.
Fees and Cost Over Time
SPY charges 0.09% per year while SYFI charges 0.40%. On a $10,000 position that is $9 vs $40 annually, a gap of $31 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, SPY currently yields 0.98% against 6.05% for SYFI.
Holdings Overlap
At least 0.3% of SPY's money is in holdings SYFI also owns.
Stated as a floor: for SYFI, our book for it covers 79.4% 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 504 positions we hold weights for in SPY and 362 in SYFI, against full books of 505 and 553.
Top Shared Holdings
| Stock | Weight in SPY | Weight in SYFI | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| CCitigroup Inc V/R /Perp | 0.35% | 0.02% | 0.33% |
You are not choosing between two funds in isolation.
Whichever of SPY and SYFI 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, SPY or SYFI?
SPY has an expense ratio of 0.09% while SYFI charges 0.40%. SPY is the cheaper option, by $31 a year on a $10,000 investment.
Which performed better, SPY or SYFI?
Over the past year SPY returned +17.51% vs +3.53% for SYFI, so SPY leads on 1-year performance. Over the longest common window we track (2 years), SPY annualized +18.48% vs +6.19% for SYFI. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is information, not a recommendation.
Which is riskier, SPY or SYFI?
SPY has been the more volatile fund at 11.9% annualized versus 2.7% for SYFI. Worst drawdown: SPY -18.8% vs SYFI -4.8%.
Should I hold both SPY and SYFI?
SPY and SYFI have a monthly-return correlation of 0.76, 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, SPY or SYFI?
SPY yields 0.98% while SYFI yields 6.05%, so SYFI currently pays the higher dividend yield.
Is SYFI better than SPY?
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.