ETF Versus

MDY vs VO

State Street SPDR S&P MIDCAP 400 ETF Trust vs Vanguard Mid-Cap Index Fund ETF Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-02

MDY

State Street SPDR S&P MIDCAP 400 ETF Trust (MDY) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to mid-cap U.S. companies balancing growth potential and stability. It charges a moderate expense ratio of 0.24%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.15%. Launched in 1995, the fund has a 31-year track record.

AUM: $23.7B ER: 0.24% Yield: 1.15% Since: May 4, 1995
VO Vanguard

Vanguard Mid-Cap Index Fund ETF Shares (VO) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to mid-cap U.S. companies balancing growth potential and stability. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.50%. Launched in 2004, the fund has a 22-year track record.

AUM: $90.7B ER: 0.03% Yield: 1.50% Since: Jan 26, 2004

Quick Verdict

VO is significantly cheaper at 0.03% vs 0.24% expense ratio, saving you approximately $415 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. MDY has edged ahead over the past year (15.9% vs 11.4%).

Key Metrics

Metric MDY VO
Expense Ratio 0.24% 0.03%
Dividend Yield 1.1% 1.5%
Fund Family N/A Vanguard
Category US Mid Cap US Mid Cap

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

80 92 104 116 128 140 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
MDY +28.0%
VO +27.8%

Performance Comparison

Period MDY VO Difference
1 Month -5.55% -5.54% -0.01%
3 Months +1.71% -1.24% +2.95%
6 Months +3.51% -2.10% +5.61%
YTD +1.71% -1.24% +2.95%
1 Year +15.93% +11.38% +4.55%
3 Years +35.75% +37.24% -1.49%
5 Years +28.02% +27.84% +0.18%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period MDY Fees VO Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $475 $60 $415
$10.000 20 years $2.028 $258 $1.770
$10.000 30 years $6.497 $835 $5.662
$50.000 10 years $2.375 $299 $2.075
$50.000 30 years $32.483 $4.176 $28.308
$100.000 30 years $64.967 $8.352 $56.615

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric MDY VO
Annualized Volatility 19.8% 17.6%
Max Drawdown -24.5% -28.6%
Sharpe Ratio 0.12 0.11

Dividend Comparison

Metric MDY VO
Annual Dividend (per share) $7.12 $4.33
Dividend Yield 1.15% 1.50%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 10 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

MDY Top Holdings

NameWeight
TechnipFMC plcFTI0.87%
U.S. DollarCASH_USD0.86%
Casey's General Stores, Inc.CASY0.84%
United Therapeutics CorporationUTHR0.79%
Curtiss-Wright CorporationCW0.78%
Flex Ltd.FLEX0.75%
XPO, Inc.XPO0.71%
Woodward, Inc.WWD0.66%
Royal Gold, Inc.RGLD0.64%
US Foods Holding Corp.USFD0.63%

VO Top Holdings

NameWeight
Newmont CorporationNEM1.46%
Corning IncorporatedGLW1.20%
Howmet Aerospace Inc.HWM1.09%
Constellation Energy CorporationCEG1.06%
Vertiv Holdings CoVRT0.99%
Western Digital CorporationWDC0.99%
Seagate Technology Holdings plcSTX0.90%
Quanta Services, Inc.PWR0.87%
Cummins Inc.CMI0.83%
CRH plcCRH0.83%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose VO if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose MDY if...

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

Choose VO if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

Either works if...

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

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