RDVY vs. SPY

Last updated Jun 3, 2026

RDVY (First Trust Rising Dividend Achievers ETF) and SPY (State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - RDVY is a Large Cap Blend Equities fund tracking the NASDAQ US Rising Dividend Achievers, while SPY is a S&P 500 fund tracking the S&P 500 Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, RDVY returned 15.66%/yr vs 15.57%/yr for SPY. Their correlation of 0.84 suggests significant overlap in exposure. RDVY charges 0.50%/yr vs 0.09%/yr for SPY.

Performance

RDVY vs. SPY - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust Rising Dividend Achievers ETF (RDVY) 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, RDVY achieves a 9.74% return, which is significantly lower than SPY's 11.69% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with RDVY having a 15.66% annualized return and SPY not far behind at 15.57%.

RDVY

• 1D: 0.88%
• 1M: 2.41%
• YTD: 9.74%
• 6M: 11.71%
• 1Y: 27.07%
• 3Y*: 20.26%
• 5Y*: 11.20%
• 10Y*: 15.66%

SPY

• 1D: 0.14%
• 1M: 5.40%
• YTD: 11.69%
• 6M: 12.09%
• 1Y: 29.62%
• 3Y*: 22.64%
• 5Y*: 14.20%
• 10Y*: 15.57%

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

RDVY vs. SPY - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
RDVY First Trust Rising Dividend Achievers ETF	9.74%	18.90%	16.41%	20.38%	-13.27%	31.14%	13.47%	37.71%	-9.92%	22.75%
SPY State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF	11.69%	17.72%	24.89%	26.18%	-18.18%	28.73%	18.33%	31.22%	-4.57%	21.71%

Correlation

The correlation between RDVY and SPY is 0.82, 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	0.82
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.77
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.84
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.85
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 8, 2014	0.84

The correlation between RDVY and SPY has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.77 to 0.85 - a consistent structural relationship.

RDVY vs. SPY - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	RDVY	SPY
Financial Services	36.5%	11.8%
Technology	17.6%	35.9%
Consumer Cyclical	12.2%	10.3%
Industrials	12.2%	7.8%
Healthcare	8.1%	8.4%
Communication Services	5.4%	11.3%
Consumer Defensive	4.1%	4.8%
Energy	1.4%	3.6%
Utilities	1.4%	2.4%
Basic Materials	-	1.8%
Real Estate	-	1.9%

Return for Risk

RDVY vs. SPY — Risk / Return Rank

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

RDVY

RDVY Risk / Return Rank: 60
RDVY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 56
RDVY Sortino Ratio Rank: 58
RDVY Omega Ratio Rank: 55
RDVY Calmar Ratio Rank: 61
RDVY Martin Ratio Rank: 69

SPY

SPY Risk / Return Rank: 75
SPY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 77
SPY Sortino Ratio Rank: 75
SPY Omega Ratio Rank: 76
SPY Calmar Ratio Rank: 68
SPY 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.

RDVY vs. SPY - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Rising Dividend Achievers ETF (RDVY) 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.

	RDVY	SPY	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.94	2.52	-0.58
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.78	3.42	-0.64
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.34	1.46	-0.12
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.06	3.42	-0.36
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	12.90	15.93	-3.03
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

RDVY vs. SPY - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current RDVY Sharpe Ratio is 1.94, which is comparable to the SPY Sharpe Ratio of 2.52. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of RDVY 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

	RDVY	SPY	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.94	2.52	-0.58
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.59	0.84	-0.24
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.74	0.87	-0.13
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.66	0.59	+0.07

Drawdowns

RDVY vs. SPY - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum RDVY drawdown since its inception was -40.60%, smaller than the maximum SPY drawdown of -55.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for RDVY and SPY.

Drawdown Indicators

	RDVY	SPY	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-40.60%	-55.19%	+14.59%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-9.04%	-8.88%	-0.16%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-19.11%	-18.76%	-0.35%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-25.32%	-24.50%	-0.82%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-40.60%	-33.72%	-6.88%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.48%	0.00%	-0.48%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-5.01%	-9.05%	+4.04%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.14%	1.91%	+0.23%

Volatility

RDVY vs. SPY - Volatility Comparison

First Trust Rising Dividend Achievers ETF (RDVY) has a higher volatility of 4.03% compared to State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) at 2.75%. This indicates that RDVY'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

	RDVY	SPY	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.03%	2.75%	+1.28%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.96%	8.89%	+2.07%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	14.02%	11.81%	+2.21%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	18.92%	17.05%	+1.87%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	21.11%	17.94%	+3.17%

RDVY vs. SPY - Expense Ratio Comparison

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

Dividends

RDVY vs. SPY - Dividend Comparison

RDVY's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.92%, less than SPY's 0.97% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
RDVY First Trust Rising Dividend Achievers ETF	0.92%	1.11%	1.64%	2.09%	2.21%	1.04%	1.53%	1.55%	1.68%	1.25%	2.07%	2.14%
SPY State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF	0.97%	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 RDVY and SPY in my portfolio?

RDVY and SPY have a correlation of 0.82, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, RDVY or SPY?

RDVY has higher volatility (4.03%) compared to SPY (2.75%). In terms of maximum drawdown, RDVY dropped -40.60% vs SPY's -55.19%.

Which ETF is better, RDVY or SPY?

On 10-year performance, RDVY leads with 15.66% vs 15.57% for SPY. On fees, SPY is cheaper at 0.09% per year. On volatility, SPY has been the lower-risk option at 2.75%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF has performed better, RDVY or SPY?

Over the 10-year period, RDVY has performed better with a 15.66% return vs 15.57%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

Which ETF is cheaper, RDVY or SPY?

SPY is cheaper with a 0.09% expense ratio, compared with 0.50% for RDVY.

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

SPY has the higher dividend yield at 0.97%, compared with 0.92% for RDVY.

What is the main difference between RDVY and SPY?

RDVY is categorized as Large Cap Blend Equities, while SPY is S&P 500. RDVY tracks NASDAQ US Rising Dividend Achievers, while SPY tracks S&P 500 Index. They also come from different issuers: First Trust and State Street. Their fees differ too: 0.50% for RDVY and 0.09% for SPY.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

SPY currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.52 vs 1.94), 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.