We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience.
This includes personalizing content and advertising.
By pressing "Accept All" or closing out of this banner, you consent to the use of all cookies and similar technologies and the sharing of information they collect with third parties.
You can reject marketing cookies by pressing "Deny Optional," but we still use essential, performance, and functional cookies.
In addition, whether you "Accept All," Deny Optional," click the X or otherwise continue to use the site, you accept our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service, revised from time to time.
You are being directed to ZacksTrade, a division of LBMZ Securities and licensed broker-dealer. ZacksTrade and Zacks.com are separate companies. The web link between the two companies is not a solicitation or offer to invest in a particular security or type of security. ZacksTrade does not endorse or adopt any particular investment strategy, any analyst opinion/rating/report or any approach to evaluating individual securities.
If you wish to go to ZacksTrade, click OK. If you do not, click Cancel.
Should SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) Be on Your Investing Radar?
Read MoreHide Full Article
Looking for broad exposure to the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market? You should consider the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 01/29/1993.
The fund is sponsored by State Street Global Advisors. It has amassed assets over $575.83 billion, making it the largest ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
Why Large Cap Blend
Large cap companies usually have a market capitalization above $10 billion. Considered a more stable option, large cap companies boast more predictable cash flows and are less volatile than their mid and small cap counterparts.
Blend ETFs are aptly named, since they tend to hold a mix of growth and value stocks, as well as show characteristics of both kinds of equities.
Costs
Investors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.09%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.28%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure that minimizes single stock risk, investors should also look at the actual holdings inside the fund. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Information Technology sector--about 30.70% of the portfolio. Financials and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Apple Inc (AAPL - Free Report) accounts for about 6.92% of total assets, followed by Microsoft Corp (MSFT - Free Report) and Nvidia Corp (NVDA - Free Report) .
The top 10 holdings account for about 33.8% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
SPY seeks to match the performance of the S&P 500 Index before fees and expenses. The S&P 500 Index is composed of five hundred selected stocks, all of which are listed on national stock exchanges and span over 25 separate industry groups.
The ETF has lost about -3.96% so far this year and is up roughly 9.90% in the last one year (as of 05/08/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $496.48 and $612.93.
The ETF has a beta of 1 and standard deviation of 18.23% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 504 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
SPDR S&P 500 ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, SPY is an outstanding option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Blend segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.
The iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV - Free Report) and the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO - Free Report) track the same index. While iShares Core S&P 500 ETF has $565.42 billion in assets, Vanguard S&P 500 ETF has $615.74 billion. IVV has an expense ratio of 0.03% and VOO charges 0.03%.
Bottom-Line
Retail and institutional investors increasingly turn to passively managed ETFs because they offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; these kind of funds are also excellent vehicles for long term investors.
To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.
See More Zacks Research for These Tickers
Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:
Image: Bigstock
Should SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) Be on Your Investing Radar?
Looking for broad exposure to the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market? You should consider the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 01/29/1993.
The fund is sponsored by State Street Global Advisors. It has amassed assets over $575.83 billion, making it the largest ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
Why Large Cap Blend
Large cap companies usually have a market capitalization above $10 billion. Considered a more stable option, large cap companies boast more predictable cash flows and are less volatile than their mid and small cap counterparts.
Blend ETFs are aptly named, since they tend to hold a mix of growth and value stocks, as well as show characteristics of both kinds of equities.
Costs
Investors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.09%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.28%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure that minimizes single stock risk, investors should also look at the actual holdings inside the fund. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Information Technology sector--about 30.70% of the portfolio. Financials and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Apple Inc (AAPL - Free Report) accounts for about 6.92% of total assets, followed by Microsoft Corp (MSFT - Free Report) and Nvidia Corp (NVDA - Free Report) .
The top 10 holdings account for about 33.8% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
SPY seeks to match the performance of the S&P 500 Index before fees and expenses. The S&P 500 Index is composed of five hundred selected stocks, all of which are listed on national stock exchanges and span over 25 separate industry groups.
The ETF has lost about -3.96% so far this year and is up roughly 9.90% in the last one year (as of 05/08/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $496.48 and $612.93.
The ETF has a beta of 1 and standard deviation of 18.23% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 504 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
SPDR S&P 500 ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, SPY is an outstanding option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Blend segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.
The iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV - Free Report) and the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO - Free Report) track the same index. While iShares Core S&P 500 ETF has $565.42 billion in assets, Vanguard S&P 500 ETF has $615.74 billion. IVV has an expense ratio of 0.03% and VOO charges 0.03%.
Bottom-Line
Retail and institutional investors increasingly turn to passively managed ETFs because they offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; these kind of funds are also excellent vehicles for long term investors.
To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.