ETF Versus

SPLG vs SPSM

State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF vs State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 600 Small Cap ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-10

SPLG SPDR

State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF (SPLG) is an exchange-traded fund issued by SPDR that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. equities across growth and value styles. Launched in 2009, the fund has a 17-year track record.

AUM: N/A ER: N/A Yield: N/A Since: 2009-01-02
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

SPLG has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.00% vs 0.03%), saving about $60 per $10,000 over 10 years. Over the past year, SPSM has significantly outperformed with a 37.6% return vs 29.7%.

Key Metrics

Metric SPLG SPSM
Expense Ratio N/A 0.03%
Dividend Yield N/A 1.5%
Fund Family SPDR SPDR
Category US Large Cap Blend US Small Cap

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 94 113 132 151 170 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2024-12 2026-04
SPLG +65.4%
SPSM +18.5%

Performance Comparison

Period SPLG SPSM Difference
1 Month +0.54% +4.27% -3.73%
3 Months -2.18% +2.71% -4.89%
6 Months +2.59% +11.44% -8.85%
YTD -0.46% +7.01% -7.47%
1 Year +29.69% +37.58% -7.89%
3 Years +66.15% +34.97% +31.18%
5 Years +65.40% +18.48% +46.92%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

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

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric SPLG SPSM
Annualized Volatility 16.9% 21.5%
Max Drawdown -25.4% -28.7%
Sharpe Ratio 0.42 0.06

Dividend Comparison

Metric SPLG SPSM
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.88 $0.77
Dividend Yield 1.10% 1.52%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

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 SPLG 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.

Related Comparisons