ETF Versus

SPSM vs VB

State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 600 Small Cap ETF vs Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund ETF Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-02

State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 600 Small Cap ETF (SPSM) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to small-cap U.S. equities with higher growth potential and volatility. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.58%. Launched in 2013, the fund has a 13-year track record.

AUM: $13.5B ER: 0.03% Yield: 1.58% Since: Jul 8, 2013
VB Vanguard

Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund ETF Shares (VB) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to small-cap U.S. equities with higher growth potential and volatility. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.33%. Launched in 2004, the fund has a 22-year track record.

AUM: $69.1B ER: 0.03% Yield: 1.33% Since: Jan 26, 2004

Quick Verdict

Both funds have delivered similar 1-year returns (18.9% vs 18.4%), tracking closely.

Key Metrics

Metric SPSM VB
Expense Ratio 0.03% 0.03%
Dividend Yield 1.6% 1.3%
Fund Family N/A Vanguard
Category US Small Cap US Small Cap

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 86 97 108 119 130 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
SPSM +13.0%
VB +20.7%

Performance Comparison

Period SPSM VB Difference
1 Month -4.42% -5.50% +1.08%
3 Months +2.83% +0.71% +2.12%
6 Months +3.84% +2.15% +1.69%
YTD +2.83% +0.71% +2.12%
1 Year +18.95% +18.40% +0.55%
3 Years +28.78% +39.02% -10.24%
5 Years +12.96% +20.71% -7.75%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period SPSM Fees VB Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $60 $60 $0
$10.000 20 years $258 $258 $0
$10.000 30 years $835 $835 $0
$50.000 10 years $299 $299 $0
$50.000 30 years $4.176 $4.176 $0
$100.000 30 years $8.352 $8.352 $0

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric SPSM VB
Annualized Volatility 21.5% 20.8%
Max Drawdown -28.7% -28.8%
Sharpe Ratio 0.01 0.07

Dividend Comparison

Metric SPSM VB
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.77 $3.50
Dividend Yield 1.58% 1.33%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 9 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

SPSM Top Holdings

NameWeight
Eastman Chemical CompanyEMN0.57%
Element Solutions IncESI0.51%
Primoris Services CorporationPRIM0.51%
Viavi Solutions Inc.VIAV0.50%
Argan, Inc.AGX0.49%
FormFactor, Inc.FORM0.49%
LKQ CorporationLKQ0.49%
Jackson Financial Inc.JXN0.49%
ESCO Technologies Inc.ESE0.48%
Match Group, Inc.MTCH0.47%

VB Top Holdings

NameWeight
Sandisk CorporationSNDK1.21%
Comfort Systems USA, Inc.FIX0.65%
Lumentum Holdings Inc.LITE0.64%
Ciena CorporationCIEN0.64%
Coherent Corp.COHR0.53%
Rocket Lab CorporationRKLB0.48%
NRG Energy, Inc.NRG0.44%
Bloom Energy CorporationBE0.43%
EMCOR Group, Inc.EME0.42%

Which One Should You Choose?

Either works if...

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

Related Comparisons