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SPSM vs VB

State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 600 Small Cap ETF vs Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund ETF Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-10

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
VB Vanguard

Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund ETF Shares (VB) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard 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 1.28%. Launched in 2004, the fund has a 22-year track record.

AUM: $73.4B ER: 0.03% Yield: 1.28% Since: Jan 26, 2004

Quick Verdict

SPSM has edged ahead over the past year (37.6% vs 34.1%).

Key Metrics

Metric SPSM VB
Expense Ratio 0.03% 0.03%
Dividend Yield 1.5% 1.3%
Fund Family SPDR Vanguard
Category US Small Cap US Small Cap

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 86 97 108 119 130 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
SPSM +18.5%
VB +24.8%

Performance Comparison

Period SPSM VB Difference
1 Month +4.27% +2.18% +2.09%
3 Months +2.71% +0.01% +2.70%
6 Months +11.44% +7.58% +3.86%
YTD +7.01% +4.09% +2.92%
1 Year +37.58% +34.10% +3.48%
3 Years +34.97% +44.44% -9.47%
5 Years +18.48% +24.76% -6.28%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period SPSM Fees VB 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 SPSM VB
Annualized Volatility 21.5% 20.8%
Max Drawdown -28.7% -28.8%
Sharpe Ratio 0.06 0.10

Dividend Comparison

Metric SPSM VB
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.77 $3.50
Dividend Yield 1.52% 1.29%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 9 holdings overlap (0% overlap in 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%

VB Top Holdings

NameWeight
Sandisk CorporationSNDK1.21%
Comfort Systems USA, Inc.FIX0.65%
Lumentum Holdings Inc.LITE0.64%
Ciena CorporationCIEN0.64%
Coherent Corp.COHR0.53%
Rocket Lab CorporationRKLB0.48%
NRG Energy, Inc.NRG0.44%
Bloom Energy CorporationBE0.43%
EMCOR Group, Inc.EME0.42%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose SPSM if...

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

Either works if...

you just need broad us small cap exposure. Both are solid options — pick whichever your brokerage offers commission-free.

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