SPY vs YFYA
State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust vs Yields for You Income Strategy A ETF
Which is better, SPY or YFYA?
SPY has been ahead.
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 | YFYA |
|---|---|---|
| Expense Ratio | 0.09%Best | 1.25% |
| AUM | $804.7B | $11M |
| Dividend Yield | 0.98% | 5.20% |
| Holdings | 505 | 10 |
| YTD Return | +12.09%Best | +2.21% |
| 1Y Return | +16.29%Best | +3.48% |
| 3Y Return (annualized) | +21.20% | - |
| 5Y Return (annualized) | +13.37% | - |
| Volatility (annualized) | 12.9% | 1.8%Best |
| Max Drawdown | -18.8% | -2.3%Best |
| $10,000 over 1.6 years | $12,815Best | $10,525 |
| Top 10 Weight | 37.8% | - |
| Fund Family | State Street Investment Management | Teucrium |
| Category | Equity | Fixed Income |
| Style | Large Cap Blend | - |
| Inception | Jan 22, 1993 | Jan 31, 2025 |
Volatility and max drawdown, and the $10,000 over 1.6 years row, are measured over the window both funds cover: Jan 31, 2025 to Sep 18, 2026 (1.6 years).
SPY vs YFYA 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 1.6 years both funds cover.
SPY vs YFYA Performance
State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) is an ETF from State Street Investment Management and Yields for You Income Strategy A ETF (YFYA) is an ETF from Teucrium. Over the past year SPY returned +16.29% while YFYA returned +3.48%. Year to date, SPY is up 12.09% versus a gain of 2.21% for YFYA.
Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns
SPY has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 12.9% compared with 1.8% for YFYA. 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 -2.3% for YFYA. Drawdown depth is what each fund did in the worst stretch of the window measured above.
The two funds' monthly returns correlate at 0.83. They usually move together, but the gap leaves some room for diversification.
Fees and Cost Over Time
SPY charges 0.09% per year while YFYA charges 1.25%. On a $10,000 position that is $9 vs $125 annually, a gap of $116 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, SPY currently yields 0.98% against 5.20% for YFYA.
Holdings Overlap
We hold position weights for 504 holdings in SPY and 8 in YFYA, totalling 99.9% and 99.5% 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 504 positions we hold weights for in SPY and 8 in YFYA, against full books of 505 and 10.
What only one of them owns
Our book lists 8 positions for YFYA that do not appear in our book for SPY (99.5% of the fund), and 497 for SPY that do not appear in YFYA (99.3%).
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.
You are not choosing between two funds in isolation.
Whichever of SPY and YFYA 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 YFYA?
SPY has an expense ratio of 0.09% while YFYA charges 1.25%. SPY is the cheaper option, by $116 a year on a $10,000 investment.
Which performed better, SPY or YFYA?
Over the past year SPY returned +16.29% vs +3.48% for YFYA, so SPY leads on 1-year performance. Over the longest common window we track (2 years), SPY annualized +16.77% vs +3.25% for YFYA. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is information, not a recommendation.
Which is riskier, SPY or YFYA?
SPY has been the more volatile fund at 12.9% annualized versus 1.8% for YFYA. Worst drawdown: SPY -18.8% vs YFYA -2.3%.
Should I hold both SPY and YFYA?
SPY and YFYA have a monthly-return correlation of 0.83, 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 YFYA?
SPY yields 0.98% while YFYA yields 5.20%, so YFYA currently pays the higher dividend yield.
Is YFYA 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.