SPY vs YEAR
State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust vs AB Ultra Short Income ETF
Which is better, SPY or YEAR?
Large Cap Blend against Ultrashort Term Bond.
SPY has a lower expense ratio. SPY led over 1Y, 3Y 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 | YEAR |
|---|---|---|
| Expense Ratio | 0.09%Best | 0.25% |
| AUM | $804.7B | $1.5B |
| Dividend Yield | 0.98% | 4.03% |
| Holdings | 505 | 165 |
| YTD Return | +11.97%Best | +1.48% |
| 1Y Return | +16.40%Best | +2.93% |
| 3Y Return (annualized) | +21.10%Best | +4.70% |
| 5Y Return (annualized) | +12.88% | - |
| Volatility (annualized) | 13.3% | 0.9%Best |
| Max Drawdown | -18.8% | -0.6%Best |
| $10,000 over 4 years | $20,757Best | $12,021 |
| Fund Family | State Street Investment Management | AllianceBernstein L.P. |
| Category | Equity | Fixed Income |
| Style | Large Cap Blend | Ultrashort Term Bond |
| Inception | Jan 22, 1993 | Sep 13, 2022 |
Not shown on this pair: Top 10 Weight.
Volatility and max drawdown, and the $10,000 over 4 years row, are measured over the window both funds cover: Sep 16, 2022 to Sep 14, 2026 (4 years).
SPY vs YEAR 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 4 years both funds cover.
SPY vs YEAR Performance
State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) is an ETF from State Street Investment Management and AB Ultra Short Income ETF (YEAR) is an ETF from AllianceBernstein L.P.. Over the past year SPY returned +16.40% while YEAR returned +2.93%. Year to date, SPY is up 11.97% versus a gain of 1.48% for YEAR.
Over three years, SPY compounded at +21.10% per year against +4.70% for YEAR. Across the full 4-year window we track, SPY has the edge at +20.03% annualized vs +4.71%.
Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns
SPY has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 13.3% compared with 0.9% for YEAR. 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 -0.6% for YEAR. Drawdown depth is what each fund did in the worst stretch of the window measured above.
The two funds' monthly returns correlate at 0.20. They move largely independently of each other.
Fees and Cost Over Time
SPY charges 0.09% per year while YEAR charges 0.25%. On a $10,000 position that is $9 vs $25 annually, a gap of $16 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, SPY currently yields 0.98% against 4.03% for YEAR.
Holdings Overlap
At least 0.1% of SPY's money is in holdings YEAR also owns.
Stated as a floor: for YEAR, our book for it covers 59.0% 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 106 in YEAR, against full books of 505 and 165.
Top Shared Holdings
| Stock | Weight in SPY | Weight in YEAR | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| GMGnrl Mtrs Fincl Co Inc | 0.12% | 0.29% | 0.17% |
You are not choosing between two funds in isolation.
Whichever of SPY and YEAR 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 YEAR?
SPY has an expense ratio of 0.09% while YEAR charges 0.25%. SPY is the cheaper option, by $16 a year on a $10,000 investment.
Which performed better, SPY or YEAR?
Over the past year SPY returned +16.40% vs +2.93% for YEAR, so SPY leads on 1-year performance. Over the longest common window we track (4 years), SPY annualized +20.03% vs +4.71% for YEAR. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is information, not a recommendation.
Which is riskier, SPY or YEAR?
SPY has been the more volatile fund at 13.3% annualized versus 0.9% for YEAR. Worst drawdown: SPY -18.8% vs YEAR -0.6%.
Should I hold both SPY and YEAR?
SPY and YEAR have a monthly-return correlation of 0.20, 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 YEAR?
SPY yields 0.98% while YEAR yields 4.03%, so YEAR currently pays the higher dividend yield.
Is YEAR better than SPY?
SPY has a lower expense ratio. SPY led over 1Y, 3Y and the full window. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.