DIVE vs SPY
Dana Concentrated Dividend ETF vs State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust
Which is better, DIVE or SPY?
Large Cap Value against Large Cap Blend.
SPY has a lower expense ratio. SPY led over 1Y and the full window. SPY is less concentrated, with 38.2% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 46.4%.
MarketXLS is not an investment adviser. This comparison is generated automatically from market data and is for information only. A Best mark means the better reading on that one measure, not a recommendation to buy.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Metric | DIVE | SPY |
|---|---|---|
| Expense Ratio | 0.65% | 0.09%Best |
| AUM | $47M | $823.2B |
| Dividend Yield | 1.33% | 0.99% |
| Holdings | 72 | 1,515 |
| YTD Return | +8.34% | +13.53%Best |
| 1Y Return | +12.05% | +17.47%Best |
| 3Y Return (annualized) | - | +22.36% |
| 5Y Return (annualized) | - | +13.21% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 13.8% | 12.6%Best |
| Max Drawdown | -11.4% | -8.9%Best |
| $10,000 over 1.1 years | $11,183 | $11,863Best |
| Top 10 Weight | 46.4% | 38.2%Best |
| Fund Family | Dana Investment Advisors | State Street Investment Management |
| Category | Equity | Equity |
| Style | Large Cap Value | Large Cap Blend |
| Inception | Sep 15, 2025 | Jan 22, 1993 |
Volatility and max drawdown, and the $10,000 over 1.1 years row, are measured over the window both funds cover: Sep 16, 2025 to Oct 14, 2026 (1.1 years).
DIVE vs SPY growth
Month-end closes. Both lines start at 0% in the first month shown, so the gap between them is the difference in growth across that window. The full view covers the 1.1 years both funds cover.
DIVE vs SPY Performance
Dana Concentrated Dividend ETF (DIVE) is an ETF from Dana Investment Advisors and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) is an ETF from State Street Investment Management. Over the past year DIVE returned +12.05% while SPY returned +17.47%. Year to date, DIVE is up 8.34% versus a gain of 13.53% for SPY.
Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns
DIVE has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 13.8% compared with 12.6% for SPY. Lower volatility generally means a smoother ride, though it often comes with lower long-run returns.
The deepest peak-to-trough decline in our data was -11.4% for DIVE and -8.9% for SPY. Drawdown depth is what each fund did in the worst stretch of the window measured above.
The two funds' monthly returns correlate at 0.60. They move together some of the time, and apart the rest.
Fees and Cost Over Time
DIVE charges 0.65% per year while SPY charges 0.09%. On a $10,000 position that is $65 vs $9 annually, a gap of $56 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, DIVE currently yields 1.33% against 0.99% for SPY.
Holdings Overlap
85.9% of DIVE's money is in holdings SPY also owns. 15.1% of SPY's money is in holdings DIVE also owns.
Most of DIVE is already inside SPY. Owning both mostly buys the same companies twice.
29 positions in common, counted across the 35 positions we hold weights for in DIVE and 504 in SPY, against full books of 72 and 1,515.
What only one of them owns
Our book lists 467 positions for SPY that do not appear in our book for DIVE (84.0% of the fund), and 6 for DIVE that do not appear in SPY (13.9%).
Some of those will be the same company recorded under a different code in one of the two books, so the real difference in what you would own is no larger than this and may be smaller. We do not name the individual positions here for that reason.
Top Shared Holdings
| Stock | Weight in DIVE | Weight in SPY | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMZNAmazon.Com Inc | 4.86% | 3.78% | 1.08% |
| PMPhilip Morris International Inc. | 6.53% | 0.46% | 6.07% |
| METAMeta Platforms Inc | 4.74% | 2.22% | 2.52% |
| IQVI Q V I A Holdings Inc. | 5.65% | 0.07% | 5.58% |
| KDPKeurig Dr Pepper, Inc. | 4.57% | 0.07% | 4.50% |
| ELVElevance Health Inc | 4.34% | 0.14% | 4.20% |
| COFCapital One Financial Corp. | 4.19% | 0.20% | 3.99% |
| GOOGLAlphabet Inc | 1.16% | 3.12% | 1.96% |
| ABBVAbbvie Inc. | 3.56% | 0.70% | 2.86% |
| CRMSalesforce Inc Crm Us Equity | 3.77% | 0.32% | 3.45% |
85.9% of DIVE is already inside SPY.
You probably hold more than these two. Add the rest and see how much of the whole book is the same companies twice.
Free for up to 10 holdings. No account needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, DIVE or SPY?
DIVE has an expense ratio of 0.65% while SPY charges 0.09%. SPY is the cheaper option, by $56 a year on a $10,000 investment.
Which performed better, DIVE or SPY?
Over the past year DIVE returned +12.05% vs +17.47% for SPY, so SPY leads on 1-year performance. Over the longest common window we track (1 years), DIVE annualized +10.70% vs +16.80% for SPY. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is information, not a recommendation.
Which is riskier, DIVE or SPY?
DIVE has been the more volatile fund at 13.8% annualized versus 12.6% for SPY. Worst drawdown: DIVE -11.4% vs SPY -8.9%.
Should I hold both DIVE and SPY?
DIVE and SPY have a monthly-return correlation of 0.60, so their returns are far enough apart for the mix to behave differently from either one alone. This is information, not a recommendation.
What is the holdings overlap between DIVE and SPY?
85.9% of DIVE's money is in holdings SPY also owns. 15.1% of SPY's is in holdings DIVE also owns. They hold 29 positions in common, counted across the 35 positions we hold weights for in DIVE and 504 in SPY.
Which pays a higher dividend, DIVE or SPY?
DIVE yields 1.33% while SPY yields 0.99%, so DIVE currently pays the higher dividend yield.
Is SPY better than DIVE?
SPY has a lower expense ratio. SPY led over 1Y and the full window. SPY is less concentrated, with 38.2% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 46.4%. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.