ETF Versus

SPDW vs VEA

State Street SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF vs Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets Index Fund ETF Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-10

SPDW SPDR

State Street SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF (SPDW) is an exchange-traded fund issued by SPDR that provides exposure to equities in developed international markets outside the U.S.. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.04%. Launched in 2007, the fund has a 19-year track record.

AUM: $38.2B ER: 0.03% Yield: 3.04% Since: Apr 20, 2007
VEA Vanguard

Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets Index Fund ETF Shares (VEA) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to equities in developed international markets outside the U.S.. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 2.78%. Launched in 2007, the fund has a 19-year track record.

AUM: $217.2B ER: 0.03% Yield: 2.78% Since: Jul 20, 2007

Quick Verdict

Both funds have delivered similar 1-year returns (39.9% vs 40.6%), tracking closely.

Key Metrics

Metric SPDW VEA
Expense Ratio 0.03% 0.03%
Dividend Yield 3.0% 2.8%
Fund Family SPDR Vanguard
Category International Developed International Developed

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

70 84 98 112 126 140 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
SPDW +33.0%
VEA +34.5%

Performance Comparison

Period SPDW VEA Difference
1 Month +2.75% +2.70% +0.05%
3 Months +4.27% +4.18% +0.09%
6 Months +12.72% +13.10% -0.38%
YTD +7.12% +7.02% +0.10%
1 Year +39.87% +40.64% -0.77%
3 Years +48.69% +48.42% +0.27%
5 Years +32.96% +34.49% -1.53%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period SPDW Fees VEA Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $60 $60 $0
$10,000 20 years $258 $258 $0
$10,000 30 years $835 $835 $0
$50,000 10 years $299 $299 $0
$50,000 30 years $4,176 $4,176 $0
$100,000 30 years $8,352 $8,352 $0

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric SPDW VEA
Annualized Volatility 16.4% 16.5%
Max Drawdown -33.0% -32.3%
Sharpe Ratio 0.16 0.17

Dividend Comparison

Metric SPDW VEA
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.47 $1.88
Dividend Yield 3.05% 2.78%
Distribution Frequency Semi-Annual or Annual Quarterly

Top Holdings

7 of top 9 holdings overlap (78% overlap in top holdings)

SPDW Top Holdings

NameWeight
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.!lon/SMSN2.13%
ASML Holding N.V.!ams/ASML1.71%
SK hynix Inc.!krx/0006601.19%
AstraZeneca PLC!lon/AZN0.99%
HSBC Holdings plc!lon/HSBA0.97%
Novartis AG!swx/NOVN0.93%
Roche Holding AG!swx/ROP0.87%
Shell plc!lon/SHEL0.83%
Nestlé S.A.!swx/NESN0.81%
Toyota Motor Corporation!tyo/72030.81%

VEA Top Holdings

NameWeight
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.!krx/0059302.18%
ASML Holding N.V.!ams/ASML1.77%
SK hynix Inc.!krx/0006601.24%
Roche Holding AGROC1.L1.03%
Novartis AG!swx/NOVN1.00%
HSBC Holdings plc!lon/HSBA0.99%
AstraZeneca PLC!lon/AZN0.98%
Nestlé S.A.!swx/NESN0.86%
Toyota Motor Corporation!tyo/72030.80%

Which One Should You Choose?

Either works if...

you just need broad international developed exposure. Both are solid options — pick whichever your brokerage offers commission-free.

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