IDOG vs. SPY

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF (IDOG) and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY).

IDOG and SPY are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. IDOG is a passively managed fund by SS&C that tracks the performance of the S-Network International Sector Dividend Dogs Index. It was launched on Jun 27, 2013. SPY is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the S&P 500 Index. It was launched on Jan 22, 1993. Both IDOG and SPY are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

IDOG vs. SPY - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF (IDOG) and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

IDOG vs. SPY - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
IDOG ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF	8.50%	39.94%	1.35%	23.57%	-4.50%	11.33%	-1.78%	21.93%	-13.47%	25.61%
SPY State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF	-4.37%	17.72%	24.89%	26.18%	-18.18%	28.73%	18.33%	31.22%	-4.57%	21.71%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, IDOG achieves a 8.50% return, which is significantly higher than SPY's -4.37% return. Over the past 10 years, IDOG has underperformed SPY with an annualized return of 10.63%, while SPY has yielded a comparatively higher 13.98% annualized return.

IDOG

• 1D: 2.48%
• 1M: -2.23%
• YTD: 8.50%
• 6M: 18.68%
• 1Y: 37.17%
• 3Y*: 19.99%
• 5Y*: 13.61%
• 10Y*: 10.63%

SPY

• 1D: 2.91%
• 1M: -4.94%
• YTD: -4.37%
• 6M: -1.82%
• 1Y: 17.59%
• 3Y*: 18.19%
• 5Y*: 11.69%
• 10Y*: 13.98%

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

IDOG vs. SPY - Expense Ratio Comparison

IDOG has a 0.50% expense ratio, which is higher than SPY's 0.09% expense ratio.

IDOG

ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF

SPY

State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF

Return for Risk

IDOG vs. SPY — Risk / Return Rank

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

IDOG

IDOG Risk / Return Rank: 94
IDOG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 94
IDOG Sortino Ratio Rank: 95
IDOG Omega Ratio Rank: 93
IDOG Calmar Ratio Rank: 91
IDOG Martin Ratio Rank: 96

SPY

SPY Risk / Return Rank: 64
SPY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 56
SPY Sortino Ratio Rank: 60
SPY Omega Ratio Rank: 65
SPY Calmar Ratio Rank: 65
SPY Martin Ratio Rank: 75

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.

IDOG vs. SPY - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF (IDOG) and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY). 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.

	IDOG	SPY	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.27	0.93	+1.35
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	3.08	1.45	+1.62
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.43	1.22	+0.20
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.23	1.53	+1.71
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	16.27	7.30	+8.97
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

IDOG vs. SPY - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current IDOG Sharpe Ratio is 2.27, which is higher than the SPY Sharpe Ratio of 0.93. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of IDOG and SPY, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	IDOG	SPY	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.27	0.93	+1.35
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.88	0.69	+0.19
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.61	0.78	-0.17
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.50	0.56	-0.07

Correlation

The correlation between IDOG and SPY is 0.69, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

IDOG vs. SPY - Dividend Comparison

IDOG's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.59%, more than SPY's 1.14% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
IDOG ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF	3.59%	4.26%	4.90%	4.86%	4.46%	3.85%	3.00%	5.41%	4.50%	3.33%	4.01%	4.19%
SPY State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF	1.14%	1.07%	1.21%	1.40%	1.65%	1.20%	1.52%	1.75%	2.04%	1.80%	2.03%	2.06%

Drawdowns

IDOG vs. SPY - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum IDOG drawdown since its inception was -37.32%, smaller than the maximum SPY drawdown of -55.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IDOG and SPY.

Drawdown Indicators

	IDOG	SPY	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-37.32%	-55.19%	+17.87%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-11.18%	-12.05%	+0.87%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-25.31%	-24.50%	-0.81%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-37.32%	-33.72%	-3.60%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-2.23%	-6.24%	+4.01%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-8.03%	-9.09%	+1.06%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.22%	2.52%	-0.30%

Volatility

IDOG vs. SPY - Volatility Comparison

ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF (IDOG) has a higher volatility of 6.29% compared to State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) at 5.31%. This indicates that IDOG's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SPY based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	IDOG	SPY	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.29%	5.31%	+0.98%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.76%	9.47%	+0.29%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	16.45%	19.05%	-2.60%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	15.57%	17.06%	-1.49%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	17.48%	17.92%	-0.44%