A SPY
SPY 100% SPY vs SCHD ETF Comparison
Set your investment period and amount to compare the returns, growth and risk of two ETFs.
B SCHD
SCHD 100% Data as of 2026-10-23
Key comparison
Compare growth, loss risk, and cost in the same rows first.
| Portfolio A · SPY 100% | Portfolio B · SCHD 100% |
|---|---|
CAGR +14.8% | CAGR +13.5% |
Final Balance $44,357 | Final Balance $39,262 |
Volatility +15.0% | Volatility +14.9% |
MDD · daily -33.7% | MDD · daily -33.4% |
Sharpe Ratio 0.85 | Sharpe Ratio 0.73 |
Weighted expense ratio 0.09% | Weighted expense ratio 0.06% |
Result summary
SPY had the higher CAGR. SCHD had the smaller maximum drawdown.
- SPY: CAGR 14.77%, daily maximum drawdown -33.70%.
- SCHD: CAGR 13.48%, daily maximum drawdown -33.37%.
Key points in this comparison
- In 2023, returns were SPY +26.2% and SCHD +4.6%, a gap of 21.6 percentage points.
- Across 10 complete calendar years, SPY had the higher return in 7 and SCHD in 3.
- Maximum drawdown was -33.7% for SPY and -33.4% for SCHD; SPY fell further. After its deepest decline, SPY took 173 days to get back to its previous peak.
Period & basis
2016-01-04 – 2026-10-23
Historical results for this period.Cumulative performance
Compare growth paths and cumulative returns over the same period.
Portfolio value
Compare portfolio value and cumulative contributions on the same dates.
| ETF | Total Return | CAGR | Total invested |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | +343.6% | +14.8% | 10000 |
| B | +292.6% | +13.5% | 10000 |
Risk and recovery
Compare the volatility taken for return with the loss path investors actually experienced.
Risk vs Return
Lower-left is safer, upper-right is higher risk/reward. Ideal: upper-left.
| Compared portfolios | CAGR | Volatility (Ann.) | Sharpe Ratio | MDD · daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 14.77% | 15.03% | 0.85 | -33.7% |
| B | 13.48% | 14.9% | 0.73 | -33.37% |
Drawdown paths
Compare how far each portfolio's daily closing value fell from its prior peak over the same period.
| Compared portfolios | MDD · daily |
|---|---|
| A | -33.7 |
| B | -33.37 |
Returns and major declines
Compare annual returns and daily peak, trough, and recovery dates.
Annual Returns Comparison
Check consistency across annual, quarterly, decade, and rolling windows.
| Metric | A | B |
|---|---|---|
| 2026· Partial year | +12.7% | +21.5% |
| 2025 | +17.7% | +4.3% |
| 2024 | +24.9% | +11.7% |
| 2023 | +26.2% | +4.6% |
| 2022 | -18.2% | -3.2% |
| 2021 | +28.7% | +29.9% |
| 2020 | +18.4% | +15.1% |
| 2019 | +31.2% | +27.3% |
| 2018 | -4.6% | -5.6% |
| 2017 | +21.7% | +20.8% |
| 2016 | +12.0% | +16.4% |
Worst Drawdown Periods
| Peak date | Trough date | Recovery date | Drawdown |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-02-19 | 2020-03-23 | 2020-08-10 | -33.7% |
| 2022-01-03 | 2022-10-12 | 2023-12-13 | -24.5% |
| 2018-09-20 | 2018-12-24 | 2019-04-12 | -19.3% |
| Peak date | Trough date | Recovery date | Drawdown |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-01-23 | 2020-03-23 | 2020-09-02 | -33.4% |
| 2018-09-21 | 2018-12-24 | 2019-04-04 | -17.1% |
| 2022-01-11 | 2022-09-30 | 2023-12-27 | -16.8% |
Stress Test: Market Crashes
Return of each ETF during major historical market drawdown events| Event | A | B |
|---|---|---|
| Q4 2018 Selloff | -19.3% | -16.9% |
| COVID-19 Crash | -33.7% | -32.8% |
| 2022 Rate Hike Bear Market | -24.5% | -14.7% |
Risk and recovery
Review drawdowns, downside risk, volatility regimes, and recovery speed.
| Portfolio A | Portfolio B |
|---|---|
Holdings 1 | Holdings 1 |
Effective holdings 1.00 | Effective holdings 1.00 |
Largest weight +100.0% | Largest weight +100.0% |
Weighted dividend yield 1.00% | Weighted dividend yield 2.99% |
Monthly observations 129 | Monthly observations 129 |
MDD · month-end -23.9% | MDD · month-end -21.5% |
Downside deviation +2.7% | Downside deviation +2.6% |
Worst Year -18.2% | Worst Year -5.6% |
Longest drawdown 709 days | Longest drawdown 715 days |
Average recovery 110 days | Average recovery 132 days |
Ulcer Index +6.2% | Ulcer Index +4.8% |
Pain Index +3.3% | Pain Index +2.9% |
Historical VaR 95% +6.7% | Historical VaR 95% +7.1% |
CVaR 95% +8.9% | CVaR 95% +8.6% |
Effective holdings measures weight concentration. It does not represent overlap among the ETFs' underlying holdings.
Risk-adjusted and benchmark
Compare excess return, sensitivity, and tracking behavior against the same benchmark.
| Portfolio A | Portfolio B |
|---|---|
Sortino 1.35 | Sortino 1.16 |
Calmar · 3Y month-end 3.00 | Calmar · 3Y month-end 1.41 |
Omega ratio 2.10 | Omega ratio 1.92 |
Martin ratio 2.40 | Martin ratio 2.79 |
Excess Return +0.0% | Excess Return -1.3% |
Alpha +0.0% | Alpha +0.3% |
Information ratio — | Information ratio -0.22 |
Beta 1.00 | Beta 0.82 |
Tracking error +0.0% | Tracking error +8.8% |
Benchmark correlation 1.00 | Benchmark correlation 0.83 |
Up Capture +100.0% | Up Capture +84.9% |
Down Capture +100.0% | Down Capture +90.6% |
Period consistency
Check consistency across annual, quarterly, decade, and rolling windows.
| Portfolio A | Portfolio B |
|---|---|
Total Return +343.6% | Total Return +292.6% |
Win Rate +70.5% | Win Rate +63.6% |
Best Year +31.2% | Best Year +29.9% |
Gain/Loss Ratio 0.88 | Gain/Loss Ratio 1.10 |
1-year rolling minimum -18.2% | 1-year rolling minimum -10.9% |
1-year positive windows +88.1% | 1-year positive windows +85.6% |
3-year rolling minimum +5.0% | 3-year rolling minimum +3.4% |
3-year positive windows +100.0% | 3-year positive windows +100.0% |
5-year rolling minimum +9.2% | 5-year rolling minimum +8.5% |
5-year positive windows +100.0% | 5-year positive windows +100.0% |
10-year rolling minimum +14.1% | 10-year rolling minimum +11.5% |
10-year positive windows +100.0% | 10-year positive windows +100.0% |
1-year rolling Sharpe minimum -0.83 | 1-year rolling Sharpe minimum -0.69 |
1-year rolling Sharpe average 1.22 | 1-year rolling Sharpe average 0.91 |
1-year rolling Sharpe maximum 5.14 | 1-year rolling Sharpe maximum 3.95 |
Period return comparison
Check consistency across annual, quarterly, decade, and rolling windows.
| Metric | A | B |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Q4 | -0.3% | +8.4% |
| 2026 Q3 | +2.4% | +3.4% |
| 2026 Q2 | +15.1% | +4.2% |
| 2026 Q1 | -4.4% | +12.8% |
| 2025 Q4 | +2.7% | +1.5% |
| 2025 Q3 | +8.1% | +4.0% |
| 2025 Q2 | +10.8% | -4.3% |
| 2025 Q1 | -4.3% | +3.3% |
| 2024 Q4 | +2.5% | -2.1% |
| 2024 Q3 | +5.8% | +9.7% |
| 2024 Q2 | +4.4% | -2.5% |
| 2024 Q1 | +10.4% | +6.7% |
| 2023 Q4 | +11.6% | +8.7% |
| 2023 Q3 | -3.2% | -1.7% |
| 2023 Q2 | +8.7% | +0.2% |
| 2023 Q1 | +7.5% | -2.3% |
| 2022 Q4 | +7.6% | +14.8% |
| 2022 Q3 | -4.9% | -6.4% |
| 2022 Q2 | -16.1% | -8.3% |
| 2022 Q1 | -4.6% | -1.7% |
| 2021 Q4 | +11.1% | +9.7% |
| 2021 Q3 | +0.6% | -1.0% |
| 2021 Q2 | +8.4% | +4.5% |
| 2021 Q1 | +6.4% | +14.5% |
| 2020 Q4 | +12.1% | +17.1% |
| 2020 Q3 | +9.0% | +7.9% |
| 2020 Q2 | +20.2% | +16.1% |
| 2020 Q1 | -19.4% | -21.5% |
| 2019 Q4 | +9.0% | +6.6% |
| 2019 Q3 | +1.8% | +4.1% |
| 2019 Q2 | +4.2% | +2.3% |
| 2019 Q1 | +13.5% | +12.1% |
| 2018 Q4 | -13.5% | -10.6% |
| 2018 Q3 | +7.6% | +8.3% |
| 2018 Q2 | +3.6% | +1.4% |
| 2018 Q1 | -1.0% | -3.7% |
| 2017 Q4 | +6.8% | +10.1% |
| 2017 Q3 | +4.4% | +4.5% |
| 2017 Q2 | +3.1% | +1.9% |
| 2017 Q1 | +5.9% | +3.1% |
| 2016 Q4 | +4.0% | +3.9% |
| 2016 Q3 | +3.8% | +2.7% |
| 2016 Q2 | +2.5% | +4.2% |
| 2016 Q1 | +1.3% | +4.7% |
| Metric | A | B |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | +15.0% | +13.1% |
| 2010s | +14.3% | +14.0% |
Return characteristics
Compare monthly distributions, momentum, asymmetry, and seasonality.
| Portfolio A | Portfolio B |
|---|---|
Skewness -0.42 | Skewness -0.20 |
Excess kurtosis 0.68 | Excess kurtosis 0.69 |
Longest winning streak 15 | Longest winning streak 7 |
Longest losing streak 3 | Longest losing streak 4 |
Average monthly return +1.3% | Average monthly return +1.1% |
Monthly return autocorrelation -0.14 | Monthly return autocorrelation -0.13 |
1M momentum -0.3% | 1M momentum -6.0% |
3M momentum +2.4% | 3M momentum +3.4% |
6M momentum +17.9% | 6M momentum +7.7% |
12M momentum +15.7% | 12M momentum +23.3% |
Worst 5% -6.7% | Worst 5% -7.0% |
Median +1.8% | Median +1.6% |
Best 5% +7.6% | Best 5% +7.3% |
- ETF2 Up / ETF1 Down
- 6
- Both Up
- 78
- Both Down
- 33
- ETF1 Up / ETF2 Down
- 13
- Total
- 130 months
Questions about these results
How did the same initial investment grow?
From 2016-01-04 to 2026-10-23, an initial $10,000 ended at $44,357 for SPY and $39,262 for SCHD. Annualized returns were 14.77% and 13.48%, respectively.
How did the results differ during market crises?
During 2022 Rate Hike Bear Market, returns were -24.5% for SPY and -14.7% for SCHD. During Q4 2018 Selloff, returns were -19.3% for SPY and -16.9% for SCHD.
What are the expense ratios and annual costs?
Weighted expense ratios are 0.09% for SPY and 0.06% for SCHD. Applied to the initial $10,000, estimated annual costs are $9 and $6.
What are the dividend yields and their basis?
The yields are 1.00% for SPY and 2.99% for SCHD. They use distributions from the last 365 days divided by the last closing price and do not predict future distributions.
How similarly do the two portfolios move?
The correlation of shared monthly returns is 0.81: they mostly moved in the same direction.