SPY vs ULTY
State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust vs YieldMax Ultra Option Income Strategy ETF
Which is better, SPY or ULTY?
Large Cap Blend against Option Writing.
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 42.9%.
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 | ULTY |
|---|---|---|
| Expense Ratio | 0.09%Best | 1.30% |
| AUM | $804.7B | $733M |
| Dividend Yield | 0.98% | 135.06% |
| Holdings | 505 | 102 |
| YTD Return | +12.09%Best | +7.76% |
| 1Y Return | +16.29%Best | -9.28% |
| 3Y Return (annualized) | +21.20% | - |
| 5Y Return (annualized) | +13.37% | - |
| Volatility (annualized) | 12.0%Best | 22.6% |
| Max Drawdown | -18.8%Best | -26.9% |
| $10,000 over 2.6 years | $15,572Best | $10,818 |
| Top 10 Weight | 37.8%Best | 42.9% |
| Fund Family | State Street Investment Management | YieldMax ETF |
| Category | Equity | Alternative |
| Style | Large Cap Blend | Option Writing |
| Inception | Jan 22, 1993 | Feb 28, 2024 |
Volatility and max drawdown, and the $10,000 over 2.6 years row, are measured over the window both funds cover: Feb 29, 2024 to Sep 18, 2026 (2.6 years).
SPY vs ULTY 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 2.6 years both funds cover.
SPY vs ULTY Performance
State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) is an ETF from State Street Investment Management and YieldMax Ultra Option Income Strategy ETF (ULTY) is an ETF from YieldMax ETF. Over the past year SPY returned +16.29% while ULTY returned -9.28%. Year to date, SPY is up 12.09% versus a gain of 7.76% for ULTY.
Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns
ULTY has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 22.6% compared with 12.0% 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 -18.8% for SPY and -26.9% for ULTY. Drawdown depth is what each fund did in the worst stretch of the window measured above.
The two funds' monthly returns correlate at 0.80. They usually move together, but the gap leaves some room for diversification.
Fees and Cost Over Time
SPY charges 0.09% per year while ULTY charges 1.30%. On a $10,000 position that is $9 vs $130 annually, a gap of $121 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, SPY currently yields 0.98% against 135.06% for ULTY.
Holdings Overlap
15.1% of SPY's money is in holdings ULTY also owns. 56.0% of ULTY's money is in holdings SPY also owns.
The two portfolios partly overlap.
16 positions in common, counted across the 504 positions we hold weights for in SPY and 28 in ULTY, against full books of 505 and 102.
What only one of them owns
Our book lists 10 positions for ULTY that do not appear in our book for SPY (36.3% of the fund), and 481 for SPY that do not appear in ULTY (84.2%).
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
| Stock | Weight in SPY | Weight in ULTY | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| NVDANvidia Corp | 8.01% | 2.25% | 5.76% |
| GOOGLAlphabet Inc,class A | 2.99% | 4.09% | 1.10% |
| AMDAdvanced Micro Devices Inc | 1.14% | 4.21% | 3.07% |
| PLTRPalantir Technologies Inc | 0.63% | 4.30% | 3.67% |
| LRCXLrcx Uw Equity | 0.55% | 4.36% | 3.81% |
| CATCaterpillar, Inc. | 0.55% | 4.16% | 3.61% |
| LITELumentum Holdings Inc | 0.10% | 4.48% | 4.38% |
| FIXComfort Systems USA Inc. | 0.08% | 4.14% | 4.06% |
| ADIAnalog Devices, Inc. | 0.26% | 3.78% | 3.52% |
| COHRCoherent Corp | 0.08% | 3.61% | 3.53% |
56.0% of ULTY 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.
Free for up to 10 holdings. No account needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, SPY or ULTY?
SPY has an expense ratio of 0.09% while ULTY charges 1.30%. SPY is the cheaper option, by $121 a year on a $10,000 investment.
Which performed better, SPY or ULTY?
Over the past year SPY returned +16.29% vs -9.28% for ULTY, so SPY leads on 1-year performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is information, not a recommendation.
Which is riskier, SPY or ULTY?
ULTY has been the more volatile fund at 22.6% annualized versus 12.0% for SPY. Worst drawdown: SPY -18.8% vs ULTY -26.9%.
Should I hold both SPY and ULTY?
SPY and ULTY have a monthly-return correlation of 0.80, 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 SPY and ULTY?
56.0% of ULTY's money is in holdings SPY also owns. 56.0% of ULTY's is in holdings SPY also owns. They hold 16 positions in common, counted across the 504 positions we hold weights for in SPY and 28 in ULTY.
Which pays a higher dividend, SPY or ULTY?
SPY yields 0.98% while ULTY yields 135.06%, so ULTY currently pays the higher dividend yield.
Is ULTY better than SPY?
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 42.9%. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.