EAGG vs SPY

EAGG vs SPY

Which is better, EAGG or SPY?

SPY has been ahead.

SPY has a lower expense ratio. SPY led over 1Y, 3Y, 5Y and the full window.

Lower Fees: SPYHigher Returns: SPY

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

MetricEAGGSPY
Expense Ratio0.10%0.09%Best
AUM$5.0B$823.2B
Dividend Yield4.20%0.99%
Holdings10,2591,515
YTD Return-2.16%+13.53%Best
1Y Return-2.06%+17.47%Best
3Y Return (annualized)+4.33%+22.36%Best
5Y Return (annualized)-0.69%+13.21%Best
Volatility (annualized)5.6%Best16.6%
Max Drawdown-19.4%Best-34.1%
$10,000 over 5 years$9,660$18,596Best
Fund FamilyiShares by BlackRock (US)State Street Investment Management
CategoryFixed IncomeEquity
Style-Large Cap Blend
InceptionOct 18, 2018Jan 22, 1993

Not shown on this pair: Top 10 Weight.

Volatility and max drawdown are measured over the window both funds cover: Oct 23, 2018 to Oct 14, 2026 (8 years).

EAGG 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 is available from the range buttons; it is not the opening view here because over the whole period one of these two funds moves so much further than the other that its line would sit flat on the axis.

EAGG vs SPY Performance

iShares ESG Aware US Aggregate Bond ETF (EAGG) is an ETF from iShares by BlackRock (US) and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) is an ETF from State Street Investment Management. Over the past year EAGG returned -2.06% while SPY returned +17.47%. Year to date, EAGG is down 2.16% versus a gain of 13.53% for SPY.

Over three years, EAGG compounded at +4.33% per year against +22.36% for SPY; over five years the annualized figures are -0.69% and +13.21% respectively. Across the full 8-year window we track, SPY has the edge at +14.94% annualized vs +0.88%.

Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns

SPY has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 16.6% compared with 5.6% for EAGG. 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 -19.4% for EAGG and -34.1% 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 0.43. They move together some of the time, and apart the rest.

Fees and Cost Over Time

EAGG charges 0.10% per year while SPY charges 0.09%. On a $10,000 position that is $10 vs $9 annually, a gap of $1 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, EAGG currently yields 4.20% against 0.99% for SPY.

Holdings Overlap

SPY already in EAGG0.6%

At least 0.6% of SPY's money is in holdings EAGG also owns.

Stated as a floor: for EAGG, our book for it covers 82.1% of that fund, so a holding it does not list is one we cannot count as shared. The real figure is this or higher.

We cannot see either book well enough to say how much of this pair is duplicated.

3 positions in common, counted across the 4,508 positions we hold weights for in EAGG and 504 in SPY, against full books of 10,259 and 1,515.

Top Shared Holdings

StockWeight in EAGGWeight in SPYDifference
LRCXLam Research Corp0.00%0.52%0.52%
ADMArcher-Daniels-Midland Co.0.00%0.06%0.06%
HUBBHubbell Inc.0.00%0.04%0.04%

You are not choosing between two funds in isolation.

Whichever of EAGG and SPY you pick has to sit alongside everything else you own. Add the rest and see what the combination actually holds.

EAGGSPY

Free for up to 10 holdings. No account needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, EAGG or SPY?

EAGG has an expense ratio of 0.10% while SPY charges 0.09%. SPY is the cheaper option, by $1 a year on a $10,000 investment.

Which performed better, EAGG or SPY?

Over the past year EAGG returned -2.06% vs +17.47% for SPY, so SPY leads on 1-year performance. Over the longest common window we track (8 years), EAGG annualized +0.88% vs +14.94% for SPY. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is information, not a recommendation.

Which is riskier, EAGG or SPY?

SPY has been the more volatile fund at 16.6% annualized versus 5.6% for EAGG. Worst drawdown: EAGG -19.4% vs SPY -34.1%.

Should I hold both EAGG and SPY?

EAGG and SPY have a monthly-return correlation of 0.43, so their returns are far enough apart for the mix to behave differently from either one alone. This is information, not a recommendation.

Which pays a higher dividend, EAGG or SPY?

EAGG yields 4.20% while SPY yields 0.99%, so EAGG currently pays the higher dividend yield.

Is SPY better than EAGG?

SPY has a lower expense ratio. SPY led over 1Y, 3Y, 5Y and the full window. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.