IYM vs. SPY
Compare and contrast key facts about iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF (IYM) and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY).
IYM and SPY are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. IYM is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Basic Materials Index. It was launched on Jun 20, 2000. 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 IYM 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
IYM vs. SPY - Performance Comparison
Loading graphics...
IYM vs. SPY - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IYM iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF | 14.57% | 20.41% | -4.54% | 12.83% | -9.15% | 25.62% | 17.87% | 19.22% | -16.63% | 24.83% |
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, IYM achieves a 14.57% return, which is significantly higher than SPY's -4.37% return. Over the past 10 years, IYM has underperformed SPY with an annualized return of 10.95%, while SPY has yielded a comparatively higher 13.98% annualized return.
IYM
- 1D
- 2.70%
- 1M
- -6.45%
- YTD
- 14.57%
- 6M
- 19.61%
- 1Y
- 32.51%
- 3Y*
- 11.71%
- 5Y*
- 8.58%
- 10Y*
- 10.95%
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%
Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs
Search for stocks, ETFs, and funds for a quick comparison or use the comparison tool for more options.
IYM vs. SPY - Expense Ratio Comparison
IYM has a 0.42% expense ratio, which is higher than SPY's 0.09% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
IYM vs. SPY — Risk / Return Rank
IYM
SPY
IYM vs. SPY - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF (IYM) 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.
| IYM | SPY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 1.46 | 0.93 | +0.53 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 2.05 | 1.45 | +0.59 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.28 | 1.22 | +0.05 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.29 | 1.53 | +0.76 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 8.49 | 7.30 | +1.19 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
Loading graphics...
Sharpe Ratios by Period
| IYM | SPY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.46 | 0.93 | +0.53 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.42 | 0.69 | -0.26 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.51 | 0.78 | -0.28 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.33 | 0.56 | -0.23 |
Correlation
The correlation between IYM and SPY is 0.74, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.
Dividends
IYM vs. SPY - Dividend Comparison
IYM's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.32%, more than SPY's 1.14% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IYM iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF | 1.32% | 1.51% | 1.65% | 1.77% | 2.14% | 1.48% | 1.39% | 2.08% | 1.68% | 1.43% | 1.47% | 2.04% |
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
IYM vs. SPY - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum IYM drawdown since its inception was -67.78%, which is greater than SPY's maximum drawdown of -55.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IYM and SPY.
Loading graphics...
Drawdown Indicators
| IYM | SPY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -67.78% | -55.19% | -12.59% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -14.54% | -12.05% | -2.49% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -29.94% | -24.50% | -5.44% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -42.76% | -33.72% | -9.04% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -6.96% | -6.24% | -0.72% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -11.51% | -9.09% | -2.42% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 3.92% | 2.52% | +1.40% |
Volatility
IYM vs. SPY - Volatility Comparison
iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF (IYM) has a higher volatility of 7.53% compared to State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) at 5.31%. This indicates that IYM'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.
Loading graphics...
Volatility by Period
| IYM | SPY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 7.53% | 5.31% | +2.22% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 14.86% | 9.47% | +5.39% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 22.37% | 19.05% | +3.32% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 20.32% | 17.06% | +3.26% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 21.66% | 17.92% | +3.74% |