AVLC vs. SPYM

Last updated Jun 3, 2026

AVLC (Avantis U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF) and SPYM (State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - AVLC is a Large Cap Blend Equities fund actively managed by American Century, while SPYM is a S&P 500 fund tracking the S&P 500 Index. AVLC is actively managed, while SPYM is passively managed. Over the past year, AVLC returned 34.32% vs 29.72% for SPYM. With a 0.97 correlation, they move nearly in lockstep. AVLC charges 0.15%/yr vs 0.02%/yr for SPYM.

Performance

AVLC vs. SPYM - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Avantis U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF (AVLC) and State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF (SPYM). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, AVLC achieves a 15.30% return, which is significantly higher than SPYM's 11.72% return.

AVLC

• 1D: 0.49%
• 1M: 5.57%
• YTD: 15.30%
• 6M: 16.17%
• 1Y: 34.32%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

SPYM

• 1D: 0.12%
• 1M: 5.39%
• YTD: 11.72%
• 6M: 12.10%
• 1Y: 29.72%
• 3Y*: 22.73%
• 5Y*: 14.26%
• 10Y*: 15.70%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

AVLC vs. SPYM - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023
AVLC Avantis U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF	15.30%	17.57%	22.82%	12.05%
SPYM State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF	11.72%	17.79%	25.00%	11.36%

Correlation

The correlation between AVLC and SPYM is 0.98 - these two move nearly in lockstep. At this level, holding both provides almost no diversification benefit. If you already own one, adding the other does little to reduce portfolio risk.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.98
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 29, 2023	0.97

The correlation between AVLC and SPYM has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.97 to 0.98 - a consistent structural relationship.

AVLC vs. SPYM - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	AVLC	SPYM
Technology	32.6%	38.5%
Financial Services	13.1%	11.1%
Industrials	10.8%	7.6%
Consumer Cyclical	10.3%	9.9%
Communication Services	8.7%	10.6%
Energy	7.3%	3.2%
Healthcare	7.2%	8.4%
Consumer Defensive	4.8%	4.6%
Utilities	2.7%	2.5%
Basic Materials	2.3%	1.7%
Real Estate	0.2%	1.8%

Return for Risk

AVLC vs. SPYM — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

AVLC

AVLC Risk / Return Rank: 84
AVLC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 84
AVLC Sortino Ratio Rank: 83
AVLC Omega Ratio Rank: 82
AVLC Calmar Ratio Rank: 82
AVLC Martin Ratio Rank: 89

SPYM

SPYM Risk / Return Rank: 75
SPYM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 77
SPYM Sortino Ratio Rank: 75
SPYM Omega Ratio Rank: 77
SPYM Calmar Ratio Rank: 68
SPYM Martin Ratio Rank: 80

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

AVLC vs. SPYM - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Avantis U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF (AVLC) and State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF (SPYM). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	AVLC	SPYM	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.78	2.54	+0.25
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	3.74	3.44	+0.30
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.50	1.46	+0.04
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	4.39	3.42	+0.97
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	20.29	15.95	+4.34
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

AVLC vs. SPYM - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current AVLC Sharpe Ratio is 2.78, which is comparable to the SPYM Sharpe Ratio of 2.54. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of AVLC and SPYM, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	AVLC	SPYM	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.78	2.54	+0.25
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.85	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.88	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.68	0.62	+1.07

Drawdowns

AVLC vs. SPYM - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum AVLC drawdown since its inception was -19.64%, smaller than the maximum SPYM drawdown of -54.46%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AVLC and SPYM.

Drawdown Indicators

	AVLC	SPYM	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-19.64%	-54.46%	+34.82%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-8.00%	-8.90%	+0.90%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	—	-18.72%	—
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-24.48%	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-33.87%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-1.98%	-7.15%	+5.17%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.73%	1.91%	-0.18%

Volatility

AVLC vs. SPYM - Volatility Comparison

Avantis U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF (AVLC) has a higher volatility of 3.04% compared to State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF (SPYM) at 2.74%. This indicates that AVLC's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SPYM based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	AVLC	SPYM	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.04%	2.74%	+0.30%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.25%	8.89%	+0.36%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	12.40%	11.78%	+0.62%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	15.70%	16.80%	-1.10%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	15.70%	18.01%	-2.31%

AVLC vs. SPYM - Expense Ratio Comparison

AVLC has a 0.15% expense ratio, which is higher than SPYM's 0.02% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

Dividends

AVLC vs. SPYM - Dividend Comparison

AVLC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.78%, less than SPYM's 0.99% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
AVLC Avantis U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF	0.78%	0.92%	1.09%	0.38%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
SPYM State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF	0.99%	1.13%	1.28%	1.44%	1.69%	1.25%	1.54%	1.79%	2.23%	1.75%	1.97%	1.98%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both AVLC and SPYM in my portfolio?

With a correlation of 0.98, AVLC and SPYM move almost identically. Holding both adds very little diversification - you're essentially doubling your position in the same market segment. Choosing one is usually more capital-efficient.

Which is riskier, AVLC or SPYM?

AVLC has higher volatility (3.04%) compared to SPYM (2.74%). In terms of maximum drawdown, AVLC dropped -19.64% vs SPYM's -54.46%.

Which ETF is better, AVLC or SPYM?

On 1-year performance, AVLC leads with 34.32% vs 29.72% for SPYM. On fees, SPYM is cheaper at 0.02% per year. On volatility, SPYM has been the lower-risk option at 2.74%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF has performed better, AVLC or SPYM?

Over the 1-year period, AVLC has performed better with a 34.32% return vs 29.72%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

Which ETF is cheaper, AVLC or SPYM?

SPYM is cheaper with a 0.02% expense ratio, compared with 0.15% for AVLC.

Which ETF pays a higher dividend yield, AVLC or SPYM?

SPYM has the higher dividend yield at 0.99%, compared with 0.78% for AVLC.

What is the main difference between AVLC and SPYM?

AVLC is categorized as Large Cap Blend Equities, while SPYM is S&P 500. They also come from different issuers: American Century and State Street. Their fees differ too: 0.15% for AVLC and 0.02% for SPYM.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

AVLC currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.78 vs 2.54), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.