SPY vs VEA
State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust vs Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets Index Fund ETF Shares
Last updated: 2026-04-02
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.
Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets Index Fund ETF Shares (VEA) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to equities in developed international markets outside the U.S.. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 2.88%. Launched in 2007, the fund has a 19-year track record.
Quick Verdict
VEA has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.03% vs 0.09%), saving about $119 per $10,000 over 10 years. Over the past year, VEA has significantly outperformed with a 27.7% return vs 16.8%. Income investors may prefer VEA for its higher yield (2.9% vs 1.1%).
Key Metrics
Performance Chart
Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)
Performance Comparison
Fee Impact Over Time
Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns
Risk Metrics
Based on 5 years of daily returns
Dividend Comparison
Top Holdings
0 of top 9 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)
SPY Top Holdings
| Name | Weight |
|---|---|
| NVIDIA CorporationNVDA | 7.58% |
| Apple Inc.AAPL | 6.66% |
| Microsoft CorporationMSFT | 4.91% |
| Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN | 3.64% |
| Broadcom Inc.AVGO | 2.62% |
| Alphabet Inc.GOOG | 2.40% |
| Meta Platforms, Inc.META | 2.24% |
| Tesla, Inc.TSLA | 1.87% |
| Berkshire Hathaway Inc.BRK.B | 1.57% |
VEA Top Holdings
| Name | Weight |
|---|---|
| Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.!krx/005930 | 2.18% |
| ASML Holding N.V.!ams/ASML | 1.77% |
| SK hynix Inc.!krx/000660 | 1.24% |
| Roche Holding AGROC1.L | 1.03% |
| Novartis AG!swx/NOVN | 1.00% |
| HSBC Holdings plc!lon/HSBA | 0.99% |
| AstraZeneca PLC!lon/AZN | 0.98% |
| Nestlé S.A.!swx/NESN | 0.86% |
| Toyota Motor Corporation!tyo/7203 | 0.80% |
Which One Should You Choose?
Choose VEA if...
you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.
Choose VEA if...
recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.
Choose VEA if...
you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.