Over the long term, it’s incredibly difficult to assemble a portfolio that outperforms the S&P 500, which has delivered average annual returns of about 10% over a nearly 90-year period. What’s more, buying an S&P 500 ETF, or exchange-traded fund, is an easy way for investors to buy a big slice of the market for a relatively small price.
And while most S&P 500 ETFs are composed of the same investments, there are some differences you should know before making a selection between them.
What's the best S&P 500 ETF?
If you search for S&P 500 ETFs, you may come across dozens of funds. Just because S&P 500 is in a fund’s name doesn’t necessarily mean it tracks the index as a whole. Rather, many of these ETFs track sub-components, say value or growth stocks, within the broader index.
But you won’t have to wade through a ton of options to decide on an ETF that tracks the performance of the S&P 500 index as a whole. The following funds track the entirety of the index.
ETF
Ticker
Annualized 5-year return
iShares Core S&P 500 ETF
IVV
15.01%
SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust
SPY
14.14%
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF
VOO
13.15%
Source: VettaFi. Data is current as of market close on May 1, 2024, and is for informational purposes only.
How to choose an S&P 500 ETF
The three S&P 500 ETFs are quite similar in two important aspects: You won’t have trouble finding these ETFs at most online brokers, and they’re very liquid, meaning it’s easy to buy and sell them on any given day.
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We’re not here to pick a winner — the right fund for you is a personal decision — but there are some nuances you may want to consider:
Expense ratios. VOO and IVV boast the lowest management fee at 0.03%, about one-third of the SPY ETF. While the difference between a 0.03%, and 0.0945% expense ratio may seem trivial, such fees can really add up. For every $10,000 invested, these respective fees equal $3 and $9.45 annually. Then consider the difference at higher balances, such as $100,000.
Trading costs. Many of the best brokers for ETF investing offer hundreds of commission-free ETFs, but the specific fund list varies broker to broker. Fortunately, most major brokerages no longer charge commissions on ETF, stocks or options trades.
Price. There’s a slight difference in the price at which each fund currently trades. This shouldn’t necessarily be a deciding factor, but it may affect how many shares you can buy at any given time.
Yield and return. There are some slight differences across these funds even though they all track the same index. These differences generally relate to return and yield. These returns will change over time, and there's no guarantee that the ETF with the best return right now will have the best return in the future. That's why we look at the 5-year return, to see how each ETF performs over the long-term.
» Related:25 best-performing high-dividend ETFs
» See the full list of the best brokers for ETF investors
You only need one S&P 500 ETF
For some people, digging into the details is half the fun of investing. For others, it’s all minutia. All three of the ETFs listed here have lower-than-average expense ratios and offer an easy way to buy a slice of the U.S. stock market.
You could be tempted to buy all three ETFs, but just one will do the trick. You won’t get any additional diversification benefits (meaning the mix of various assets) because all three funds track the same 500 companies. What’s more, you might tie up money that could be better invested elsewhere.
No matter which S&P 500 ETF you ultimately select, this fund should serve as a foundation in your portfolio. Not sure what to invest in next? Our guide on how to build a good investment portfolio offers some tips.
Neither the author nor editor held positions in the aforementioned investments at the time of publication.
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Frequently asked questions
Which S&P 500 ETF has the highest volume?
At the time of writing, the SPY ETF has considerably greater volume than the other two S&P 500 ETFs listed in this article.
Do S&P 500 ETFs pay dividends?
Usually, yes, although S&P 500 ETFs may have a lower yield than high-dividend ETFs.
Vanguard S&P offers a lower expense ratio (0.035%) than SPY (0.095%), which means lower costs for investors and potentially higher net returns over the long term. VOO might be the more economical choice for cost-conscious investors, especially those investing large sums or planning for long-term goals like retirement.
Warren Buffett has long recommended the S&P 500 index fund and ETF, and through his holding company Berkshire Hathaway, he also owns two of these types of investments: the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO) and the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEMKT: SPY).
The better Vanguard ETF for their needs is likely VYM, which delivers a higher 2.9% 30-day SEC yield by targeting the FTSE High Dividend Yield Index. It also charges the same expense ratio as VIG does, at 0.06%.
In the past year, QQQ returned a total of 35.87%, which is significantly higher than VOO's 28.51% return. Over the past 10 years, QQQ has had annualized average returns of 18.69% , compared to 12.90% for VOO. These numbers are adjusted for stock splits and include dividends.
S&P 500 index funds will be nearly identical to one another in terms of their performance and their holdings, or the particular stocks held within the fund. Investing in multiple S&P 500 index funds will not necessarily further diversify your portfolio.
One strategy, the T. Rowe Price Blue Chip Growth ETF (TCHP), has done just that. The active ETF has proved itself as one of the top active ETFs in 2024, outperforming the S&P 500 in 2023 and so far year-to-date (YTD). TCHP has returned 11.7% YTD per YCharts, compared to 7.4% for the S&P 500.
VOO and VTI charge 0.03% annually, while SPY charges a slightly higher 0.09%. This means that for every $10,000 you invest in VOO, for example, you would pay just $3 a year in fees. If that sounds incredibly cheap, it is! The ETF has become one of the most cost-efficient investment vehicles there is.
Key Points. Warren Buffett made his fortune by investing in individual companies with great long-term advantages. But his top recommendation for anyone is to buy a simple index fund. Buffett's recommendation underscores the importance of diversification.
Investing in VOO comes with risks, such as missed opportunities for higher returns and potential periods of decline. VOO is preferred over other index funds due to its low expense ratio and higher dividend yield, making it more aligned with shareholders' interests.
As a whole, analysts are optimistic about the outlook for stock prices in 2024. The consensus analyst price target for the S&P 500 is 5,090, suggesting roughly 8.5% upside from current levels.
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