ETF Versus

MTUM vs SPY

iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF vs State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust

Last updated: 2026-04-02

iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF (MTUM) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to us factor - momentum securities. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.15%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.80%. Launched in 2013, the fund has a 13-year track record.

AUM: $20.0B ER: 0.15% Yield: 0.80% Since: Apr 16, 2013
SPY State Street

State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) is an exchange-traded fund issued by State Street that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. equities across growth and value styles. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.09%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.13%. Launched in 1993, the fund has a 33-year track record.

AUM: $636.7B ER: 0.09% Yield: 1.13% Since: Jan 22, 1993

Quick Verdict

SPY has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.09% vs 0.15%), saving about $119 per $10,000 over 10 years. MTUM has edged ahead over the past year (20.5% vs 16.8%).

Key Metrics

Metric MTUM SPY
Expense Ratio 0.15% 0.09%
Dividend Yield 0.8% 1.1%
Fund Family N/A State Street
Category US Factor - Momentum US Large Cap Blend

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

80 99 118 137 156 175 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
MTUM +48.0%
SPY +61.2%

Performance Comparison

Period MTUM SPY Difference
1 Month -3.33% -4.54% +1.21%
3 Months -2.96% -4.09% +1.13%
6 Months -3.55% -2.09% -1.46%
YTD -2.96% -4.09% +1.13%
1 Year +20.49% +16.80% +3.69%
3 Years +72.91% +59.45% +13.46%
5 Years +47.98% +61.25% -13.27%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period MTUM Fees SPY Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $298 $179 $119
$10.000 20 years $1.278 $771 $507
$10.000 30 years $4.109 $2.486 $1.624
$50.000 10 years $1.490 $896 $594
$50.000 30 years $20.547 $12.428 $8.120
$100.000 30 years $41.094 $24.855 $16.239

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric MTUM SPY
Annualized Volatility 20.4% 17.1%
Max Drawdown -32.8% -25.4%
Sharpe Ratio 0.27 0.38

Dividend Comparison

Metric MTUM SPY
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.97 $7.38
Dividend Yield 0.80% 1.13%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

2 of top 9 holdings overlap (22% overlap in top holdings)

MTUM Top Holdings

NameWeight
Johnson & JohnsonJNJ4.73%
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA4.69%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO4.68%
Micron Technology, Inc.MU4.62%
Exxon Mobil CorporationXOM4.58%
Lam Research CorporationLRCX3.56%
JPMorgan Chase & Co.JPM3.12%
Walmart Inc.WMT3.08%
Caterpillar Inc.CAT3.01%
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.AMD2.76%

SPY Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA7.58%
Apple Inc.AAPL6.66%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT4.91%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN3.64%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO2.62%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG2.40%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META2.24%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA1.87%
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.BRK.B1.57%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose SPY if...

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

Choose MTUM if...

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

Choose SPY if...

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

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