Friday, January 30, 2026

Main S&P 500 Index Funds In contrast

SPY vs. VOO vs. IVV: a faceoff between three giant, in style index funds, all monitoring the S&P 500. However what’s the distinction if all of them monitor the identical index? And how are you going to resolve which is finest for you?

Let’s begin with the fundamentals.

SPY vs VOO vs IVV: By the Numbers

Index Funds - SPY vs VOO vs IVV
SPY FLIGHT IVV
Full Title SPDR S&P 500 ETF Belief Vanguard S&P 500 ETF iShares Core S&P 500 ETF
Index Tracked S&P 500 Index S&P 500 Index S&P 500 Index
Belongings Beneath Administration* $403.3 billion $339.7 billion $352.1 billion
Common Each day Quantity (shares) 10,989,786 (30-day common) 4,089,646 (50 day common) 4,627,769 (30-day common)
Variety of Holdings 503 507 507
Expense Ratio 0.0945% 0.03% 0.03%
Dividend Yield* 1.61% 1.56% 1.58%
Issuer State Road World Advisors SPDR Vanguard iShares / Blackrock

* As of October. 2023

5-12 months Efficiency

SPY vs VOO vs IVV: Overview

All three comply with the identical S&P 500 indexwhich consists of 500 of the most important publicly traded firms within the US. Which means the three funds shall be holding basically the identical shares in the identical proportions. The one variations are within the particulars.

The S&P 500 index and the ETFs that monitor them are market cap weighted. That implies that they offer bigger firms a heavier weight.

  • SPY is the most important S&P 500 index, barely forward of the others in whole property underneath administration and day by day buying and selling quantity in comparison with the opposite two mixed. It additionally has the largest expense ratio, 3x larger than VOO and IVV.
  • FLIGHT is by a small margin the S&P 500 ETF with the smallest quantity of property underneath administration and the smallest buying and selling quantity.
  • IVV Is similar to VOO however barely bigger in property and buying and selling quantity.

All three ETFs have an virtually similar publicity as they comply with the identical index. The one distinction is that VOO and IVV comprise just a few extra shares, as they’re licensed to solely partially comply with the S&P 500 composition whereas making an attempt to copy the index, therefore the marginally larger variety of shares held.

📈 Be taught extra: Unlock the fundamentals of constructing wealth with our step-by-step investing information for inexperienced persons.

SPY vs VOO vs IVV: The Variations

As a result of they’re so comparable, it’s simple to get confused about which S&P 500 ETF to decide on.

The primary option to make is between SPY and VOO/IVV. It’s because SPY has a a lot larger expense ratio, greater than 3 instances larger. So why is SPY the most important of the three if it prices extra to personal it?

It’s because the expense ratio solely tells a part of the story about an ETF’s prices. The expense ratio defines the prices you’ll pay if you personal the ETF. Nonetheless, the unfold (the distinction between shopping for and promoting value) additionally impacts the precise value of proudly owning shares in an ETF.

SPY has probably the most liquidity and the bottom unfold, making it the favourite S&P 500 ETF for the most important monetary establishments.

If you wish to purchase and maintain, you need the bottom expense ratio attainable and can want VOO or IVV. However if you happen to intend to commerce out and in of this place usually sufficient, you’ll in the end pay decrease charges with SPY.

The selection between VOO and IVV is harder. Each have the identical expense ratio, and the dividend yield solely differs by a microscopic 0.02%.

One issue may very well be a desire for one issuer over the opposite. Each Vanguard and Blackrock are giant and well-respected establishments.

Whereas virtually on the identical value in 2020, VOO has considerably lagged behind IVV since, buying and selling at a lower cost. This is because of small variations in how the ETF is managed and when it was created.

Nonetheless, taking a long-term view (20+ years), it appears this distinction isn’t getting better over time. So it isn’t very more likely to have an effect on the efficiency of your portfolio in precise observe.

Which Is Finest for You?

The very first thing to resolve is why you have an interest in shopping for an S&P 500 ETF.

📈 Should you plan to commerce the ETF commonlySPY might be the very best for you due to its larger liquidity and decrease buying and selling prices, even with a better expense ratio.

📈 If that is for a diversified buy-and-hold techniqueVOO or IVV are a better option, because of their decrease expense ratios.

There’s little or no distinction between IVV and VOO. However if you happen to fear in regards to the slight however persistent low cost of VOO in comparison with the opposite 2 giant S&P 500 indexes, you may want IVV. A desire for Vanguard vs Blackrock might additionally resolve for one in opposition to the opposite.

Regardless of which you select, any of those ETFs offers you diversified publicity to the highest 500 publicly listed firms within the US. Should you intend to carry for a few years, decrease charges may make an actual distinction, particularly if you happen to maintain the ETF in a retirement account.

If you wish to diversify your S&P 500 ETF with different ETFs, you’ll have loads of choices. We’ve already checked out SPY vs QQQ, an SPX fund vs prime NASDAQ 100 fund, and VTI vs VOO, a significant SPX fund in opposition to a fund monitoring the CRSP U.S. Complete Market Index. Any of those funds will present broad, cheap publicity to the US markets.

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