LRND vs. SPY

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

LRND (IQ U.S. Large Cap R&D Leaders ETF) and SPY (State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - LRND is a Large Cap Blend Equities fund tracking the IQ U.S. Large Cap R&D Leaders Index - Benchmark TR Gross, while SPY is a S&P 500 fund tracking the S&P 500 Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 3 years, LRND returned 23.71%/yr vs 22.35%/yr for SPY. Their correlation of 0.94 suggests significant overlap in exposure. LRND charges 0.14%/yr vs 0.09%/yr for SPY.

Performance

LRND vs. SPY - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in IQ U.S. Large Cap R&D Leaders ETF (LRND) and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, LRND achieves a 11.98% return, which is significantly higher than SPY's 10.91% return.

LRND

• 1D: -1.16%
• 1M: 7.42%
• YTD: 11.98%
• 6M: 11.46%
• 1Y: 34.53%
• 3Y*: 23.71%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

SPY

• 1D: -0.70%
• 1M: 5.05%
• YTD: 10.91%
• 6M: 10.91%
• 1Y: 27.98%
• 3Y*: 22.35%
• 5Y*: 13.83%
• 10Y*: 15.49%

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

LRND vs. SPY - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022
LRND IQ U.S. Large Cap R&D Leaders ETF	11.98%	20.31%	21.68%	44.13%	-19.33%
SPY State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF	10.91%	17.72%	24.89%	26.18%	-13.82%

Correlation

The correlation between LRND and SPY is 0.93, indicating a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Combining them offers limited diversification - they tend to fall together during downturns.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.93
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.93
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Feb 9, 2022	0.94

The correlation between LRND and SPY has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.93 to 0.94 - a consistent structural relationship.

LRND vs. SPY - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	LRND	SPY
Technology	57.8%	35.9%
Communication Services	15.8%	11.3%
Healthcare	10.1%	8.4%
Consumer Cyclical	8.1%	10.3%
Industrials	5.5%	7.8%
Consumer Defensive	1.9%	4.8%
Basic Materials	0.9%	1.8%
Financial Services	0.0%	11.8%
Energy	-	3.6%
Real Estate	-	1.9%
Utilities	-	2.4%

Return for Risk

LRND vs. SPY — Risk / Return Rank

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

LRND

LRND Risk / Return Rank: 62
LRND Sharpe Ratio Rank: 69
LRND Sortino Ratio Rank: 67
LRND Omega Ratio Rank: 65
LRND Calmar Ratio Rank: 51
LRND Martin Ratio Rank: 58

SPY

SPY Risk / Return Rank: 70
SPY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 71
SPY Sortino Ratio Rank: 69
SPY Omega Ratio Rank: 70
SPY Calmar Ratio Rank: 62
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.

LRND vs. SPY - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for IQ U.S. Large Cap R&D Leaders ETF (LRND) 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.

	LRND	SPY	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	2.28	2.38	-0.10
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	3.06	3.24	-0.17
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.39	1.43	-0.04
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.51	3.16	-0.66
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	10.01	14.72	-4.70
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

LRND vs. SPY - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current LRND Sharpe Ratio is 2.28, which is comparable to the SPY Sharpe Ratio of 2.38. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of LRND and SPY, 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

	LRND	SPY	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.28	2.38	-0.10
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.82	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.87	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.81	0.59	+0.23

Drawdowns

LRND vs. SPY - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum LRND drawdown since its inception was -25.43%, smaller than the maximum SPY drawdown of -55.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for LRND and SPY.

Drawdown Indicators

	LRND	SPY	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-25.43%	-55.19%	+29.76%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-13.83%	-8.88%	-4.95%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-21.06%	-18.76%	-2.30%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-24.50%	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-33.72%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.16%	-0.70%	-0.46%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-6.24%	-9.05%	+2.81%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.46%	1.91%	+1.55%

Volatility

LRND vs. SPY - Volatility Comparison

IQ U.S. Large Cap R&D Leaders ETF (LRND) has a higher volatility of 3.73% compared to State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) at 2.84%. This indicates that LRND'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

	LRND	SPY	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.73%	2.84%	+0.89%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	11.84%	8.90%	+2.94%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	15.24%	11.83%	+3.41%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	19.99%	17.05%	+2.94%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	19.99%	17.94%	+2.05%

LRND vs. SPY - Expense Ratio Comparison

LRND has a 0.14% expense ratio, which is higher than SPY's 0.09% 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

LRND vs. SPY - Dividend Comparison

LRND's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.49%, less than SPY's 0.98% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
LRND IQ U.S. Large Cap R&D Leaders ETF	0.49%	0.67%	0.97%	1.22%	1.32%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
SPY State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF	0.98%	1.07%	1.21%	1.40%	1.65%	1.20%	1.52%	1.75%	2.04%	1.80%	2.03%	2.06%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both LRND and SPY in my portfolio?

With a correlation of 0.93, LRND and SPY 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, LRND or SPY?

LRND has higher volatility (3.73%) compared to SPY (2.84%). In terms of maximum drawdown, LRND dropped -25.43% vs SPY's -55.19%.

Which ETF is better, LRND or SPY?

On 3-year performance, LRND leads with 23.71% vs 22.35% for SPY. On fees, SPY is cheaper at 0.09% per year. On volatility, SPY has been the lower-risk option at 2.84%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF has performed better, LRND or SPY?

Over the 3-year period, LRND has performed better with a 23.71% return vs 22.35%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

Which ETF is cheaper, LRND or SPY?

SPY is cheaper with a 0.09% expense ratio, compared with 0.14% for LRND.

Which ETF pays a higher dividend yield, LRND or SPY?

SPY has the higher dividend yield at 0.98%, compared with 0.49% for LRND.

What is the main difference between LRND and SPY?

LRND is categorized as Large Cap Blend Equities, while SPY is S&P 500. LRND tracks IQ U.S. Large Cap R&D Leaders Index - Benchmark TR Gross, while SPY tracks S&P 500 Index. They also come from different issuers: IndexIQ and State Street. Their fees differ too: 0.14% for LRND and 0.09% for SPY.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

SPY currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.38 vs 2.28), 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.