ESSC vs SPY
Eventide Small Cap ETF vs State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust
Which is better, ESSC or SPY?
Small Cap Blend against Large Cap Blend.
SPY has a lower expense ratio. SPY led over 1Y and the full window. ESSC is less concentrated, with 7.6% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 38.2%.
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 | ESSC | SPY |
|---|---|---|
| Expense Ratio | 0.49% | 0.09%Best |
| AUM | $34M | $823.2B |
| Dividend Yield | 0.60% | 0.99% |
| Holdings | 1,117 | 1,515 |
| YTD Return | +8.23% | +13.53%Best |
| 1Y Return | +11.50% | +17.47%Best |
| 3Y Return (annualized) | - | +22.36% |
| 5Y Return (annualized) | - | +13.21% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 15.8% | 12.6%Best |
| Max Drawdown | -12.2% | -8.9%Best |
| $10,000 over 1 years | $11,169 | $11,612Best |
| Top 10 Weight | 7.6%Best | 38.2% |
| Fund Family | Eventide | State Street Investment Management |
| Category | Equity | Equity |
| Style | Small Cap Blend | Large Cap Blend |
| Inception | Sep 30, 2025 | Jan 22, 1993 |
Volatility and max drawdown, and the $10,000 over 1 years row, are measured over the window both funds cover: Sep 30, 2025 to Oct 14, 2026 (1 years).
ESSC 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 years both funds cover.
ESSC vs SPY Performance
Eventide Small Cap ETF (ESSC) is an ETF from Eventide and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) is an ETF from State Street Investment Management. Over the past year ESSC returned +11.50% while SPY returned +17.47%. Year to date, ESSC is up 8.23% versus a gain of 13.53% for SPY.
Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns
ESSC has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 15.8% 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 -12.2% for ESSC 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 0.66. They move together some of the time, and apart the rest.
Fees and Cost Over Time
ESSC charges 0.49% per year while SPY charges 0.09%. On a $10,000 position that is $49 vs $9 annually, a gap of $40 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, ESSC currently yields 0.60% against 0.99% for SPY.
Holdings Overlap
5.3% of ESSC's money is in holdings SPY also owns. 0.9% of SPY's money is in holdings ESSC also owns.
ESSC and SPY share little of their money.
22 positions in common, counted across the 357 positions we hold weights for in ESSC and 504 in SPY, against full books of 1,117 and 1,515.
What only one of them owns
Our book lists 474 positions for SPY that do not appear in our book for ESSC (98.2% of the fund), and 327 for ESSC that do not appear in SPY (93.0%).
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 ESSC | Weight in SPY | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| STLDSteel Dynamics Inc | 0.54% | 0.05% | 0.49% |
| PNWPinnacle West Corp | 0.57% | 0.02% | 0.55% |
| CPTCamden Property Trust Common Stock | 0.50% | 0.02% | 0.48% |
| CIENCiena Corp | 0.40% | 0.07% | 0.33% |
| DVNDevon Energy Corp. | 0.30% | 0.09% | 0.21% |
| GNRCGenerac Holdings, Inc. | 0.29% | 0.02% | 0.27% |
| JKHYJack Henry & Associates Inc | 0.28% | 0.02% | 0.26% |
| FANGDiamondback Energy Inc - Common | 0.24% | 0.06% | 0.18% |
| FDSFactset Research Systems Inc. | 0.27% | 0.02% | 0.25% |
| SWKSSkyworks Solutions Inc. | 0.23% | 0.02% | 0.21% |
You are not choosing between two funds in isolation.
Whichever of ESSC and SPY you pick has to sit alongside everything else you own. Add the rest and see what the combination actually holds.
Free for up to 10 holdings. No account needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, ESSC or SPY?
ESSC has an expense ratio of 0.49% while SPY charges 0.09%. SPY is the cheaper option, by $40 a year on a $10,000 investment.
Which performed better, ESSC or SPY?
Over the past year ESSC returned +11.50% vs +17.47% for SPY, so SPY leads on 1-year performance. Over the longest common window we track (1 years), ESSC annualized +11.69% vs +16.12% for SPY. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is information, not a recommendation.
Which is riskier, ESSC or SPY?
ESSC has been the more volatile fund at 15.8% annualized versus 12.6% for SPY. Worst drawdown: ESSC -12.2% vs SPY -8.9%.
Should I hold both ESSC and SPY?
ESSC and SPY have a monthly-return correlation of 0.66, 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 ESSC and SPY?
5.3% of ESSC's money is in holdings SPY also owns. 0.9% of SPY's is in holdings ESSC also owns. They hold 22 positions in common, counted across the 357 positions we hold weights for in ESSC and 504 in SPY.
Which pays a higher dividend, ESSC or SPY?
ESSC yields 0.60% while SPY yields 0.99%, so SPY currently pays the higher dividend yield.
Is SPY better than ESSC?
SPY has a lower expense ratio. SPY led over 1Y and the full window. ESSC is less concentrated, with 7.6% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 38.2%. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.