RAVI vs. SPY
RAVI (FlexShares Ultra-Short Income ETF) and SPY (State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - RAVI is a Ultrashort Bond fund actively managed by FlexShares, while SPY is a S&P 500 fund tracking the S&P 500 Index. RAVI is actively managed, while SPY is passively managed. Over the past 10 years, RAVI returned 2.67%/yr vs 15.70%/yr for SPY. At a 0.05 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. RAVI charges 0.25%/yr vs 0.09%/yr for SPY.
Performance
RAVI vs. SPY - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, RAVI achieves a 1.64% return, which is significantly lower than SPY's 9.74% return. Over the past 10 years, RAVI has underperformed SPY with an annualized return of 2.67%, while SPY has yielded a comparatively higher 15.70% annualized return.
RAVI
- 1D
- -0.01%
- 1M
- 0.25%
- YTD
- 1.64%
- 6M
- 1.77%
- 1Y
- 4.35%
- 3Y*
- 5.16%
- 5Y*
- 3.53%
- 10Y*
- 2.67%
SPY
- 1D
- -0.31%
- 1M
- 0.09%
- YTD
- 9.74%
- 6M
- 9.27%
- 1Y
- 26.65%
- 3Y*
- 21.27%
- 5Y*
- 13.51%
- 10Y*
- 15.70%
RAVI vs. SPY - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
RAVI FlexShares Ultra-Short Income ETF | 1.64% | 4.98% | 5.67% | 5.55% | 0.15% | -0.04% | 2.06% | 3.49% | 1.65% | 1.22% |
SPY State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF | 9.74% | 17.72% | 24.89% | 26.18% | -18.18% | 28.73% | 18.33% | 31.22% | -4.57% | 21.71% |
Correlation
The correlation between RAVI and SPY is 0.10, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.10 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.15 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.13 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.06 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 4, 2016 | 0.05 |
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Return for Risk
RAVI vs. SPY — Risk / Return Rank
RAVI
SPY
RAVI vs. SPY - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for FlexShares Ultra-Short Income ETF (RAVI) 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.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| RAVI | SPY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +8.56 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +20.48 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 5.22 | 1.39 | +3.83 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 37.38 | 3.01 | +34.37 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 214.13 | 13.54 | +200.59 |
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Drawdowns
RAVI vs. SPY - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum RAVI drawdown since its inception was -3.72%, smaller than the maximum SPY drawdown of -55.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for RAVI and SPY.
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Drawdown Indicators
| RAVI | SPY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -3.72% | -55.19% | +51.47% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -0.12% | -8.88% | +8.76% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -0.36% | -18.76% | +18.40% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -3.28% | -24.50% | +21.22% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -3.72% | -33.72% | +30.00% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.03% | -1.75% | +1.72% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -0.17% | -9.04% | +8.87% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.02% | 1.97% | -1.95% |
Volatility
RAVI vs. SPY - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for FlexShares Ultra-Short Income ETF (RAVI) is 0.13%, while State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) has a volatility of 4.64%. This indicates that RAVI experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than SPY based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| RAVI | SPY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.13% | 4.64% | -4.51% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 0.31% | 9.75% | -9.44% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.41% | 12.43% | -12.02% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 1.41% | 17.14% | -15.73% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 1.28% | 17.99% | -16.71% |
RAVI vs. SPY - Expense Ratio Comparison
RAVI has a 0.25% 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
RAVI vs. SPY - Dividend Comparison
RAVI's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.38%, more than SPY's 1.01% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
RAVI FlexShares Ultra-Short Income ETF | 4.38% | 4.59% | 5.34% | 4.55% | 1.70% | 0.90% | 1.29% | 2.53% | 2.22% | 1.28% | 0.90% | 0.00% |
SPY State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF | 1.01% | 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
RAVI and SPY have a correlation of 0.10, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
SPY has higher volatility (4.64%) compared to RAVI (0.13%). In terms of maximum drawdown, RAVI dropped -3.72% vs SPY's -55.19%.
On 10-year performance, SPY leads with 15.70% vs 2.67% for RAVI. On fees, SPY is cheaper at 0.09% per year. On volatility, RAVI has been the lower-risk option at 0.13%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 10-year period, SPY has performed better with a 15.70% return vs 2.67%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
SPY is cheaper with a 0.09% expense ratio, compared with 0.25% for RAVI.
RAVI has the higher dividend yield at 4.38%, compared with 1.01% for SPY.
RAVI is categorized as Ultrashort Bond, while SPY is S&P 500. They also come from different issuers: FlexShares and State Street. Their fees differ too: 0.25% for RAVI and 0.09% for SPY.
RAVI currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (10.72 vs 2.16), 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.
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