ETF Versus

MDY vs SPSM

State Street SPDR S&P MIDCAP 400 ETF Trust vs State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 600 Small Cap ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-10

MDY SPDR

State Street SPDR S&P MIDCAP 400 ETF Trust (MDY) is an exchange-traded fund issued by SPDR that provides exposure to mid-cap U.S. companies balancing growth potential and stability. It charges a moderate expense ratio of 0.24%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.11%. Launched in 1995, the fund has a 31-year track record.

AUM: $25.2B ER: 0.24% Yield: 1.11% Since: May 4, 1995
SPSM SPDR

State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 600 Small Cap ETF (SPSM) is an exchange-traded fund issued by SPDR that provides exposure to small-cap U.S. equities with higher growth potential and volatility. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.52%. Launched in 2013, the fund has a 13-year track record.

AUM: $14.6B ER: 0.03% Yield: 1.52% Since: Jul 8, 2013

Quick Verdict

SPSM is significantly cheaper at 0.03% vs 0.24% expense ratio, saving you approximately $415 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Over the past year, SPSM has significantly outperformed with a 37.6% return vs 31.1%.

Key Metrics

Metric MDY SPSM
Expense Ratio 0.24% 0.03%
Dividend Yield 1.1% 1.5%
Fund Family SPDR SPDR
Category US Mid Cap US Small Cap

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 87 99 111 123 135 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
MDY +31.8%
SPSM +18.5%

Performance Comparison

Period MDY SPSM Difference
1 Month +3.01% +4.27% -1.26%
3 Months +1.74% +2.71% -0.97%
6 Months +9.24% +11.44% -2.20%
YTD +5.23% +7.01% -1.78%
1 Year +31.12% +37.58% -6.46%
3 Years +40.99% +34.97% +6.02%
5 Years +31.81% +18.48% +13.33%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period MDY Fees SPSM Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $475 $60 $415
$10,000 20 years $2,028 $258 $1,770
$10,000 30 years $6,497 $835 $5,662
$50,000 10 years $2,375 $299 $2,075
$50,000 30 years $32,483 $4,176 $28,308
$100,000 30 years $64,967 $8,352 $56,615

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric MDY SPSM
Annualized Volatility 19.8% 21.5%
Max Drawdown -24.5% -28.7%
Sharpe Ratio 0.15 0.06

Dividend Comparison

Metric MDY SPSM
Annual Dividend (per share) $7.12 $0.77
Dividend Yield 1.11% 1.52%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 10 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

MDY Top Holdings

NameWeight
TechnipFMC plcFTI0.86%
U.S. DollarCASH_USD0.85%
Casey's General Stores, Inc.CASY0.84%
Flex Ltd.FLEX0.80%
Curtiss-Wright CorporationCW0.80%
United Therapeutics CorporationUTHR0.75%
XPO, Inc.XPO0.74%
Woodward, Inc.WWD0.70%
FabrinetFN0.65%
Royal Gold, Inc.RGLD0.65%

SPSM Top Holdings

NameWeight
Viavi Solutions Inc.VIAV0.60%
FormFactor, Inc.FORM0.57%
Eastman Chemical CompanyEMN0.53%
Primoris Services CorporationPRIM0.53%
Element Solutions IncESI0.53%
Argan, Inc.AGX0.51%
Semtech CorporationSMTC0.51%
ESCO Technologies Inc.ESE0.50%
Match Group, Inc.MTCH0.49%
Viasat, Inc.VSAT0.48%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose SPSM if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose SPSM if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

Choose SPSM if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

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