SMDV vs. SPY

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about ProShares Russell 2000 Dividend Growers ETF (SMDV) and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY).

SMDV and SPY are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. SMDV is a passively managed fund by ProShares that tracks the performance of the Russell 2000 Dividend Growth Index. It was launched on Feb 5, 2015. 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 SMDV 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

SMDV vs. SPY - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in ProShares Russell 2000 Dividend Growers ETF (SMDV) and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

SMDV vs. SPY - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
SMDV ProShares Russell 2000 Dividend Growers ETF	5.41%	0.26%	7.03%	8.99%	-5.90%	18.98%	-4.74%	17.23%	-0.58%	4.63%
SPY State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF	-3.65%	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, SMDV achieves a 5.41% return, which is significantly higher than SPY's -3.65% return. Over the past 10 years, SMDV has underperformed SPY with an annualized return of 7.16%, while SPY has yielded a comparatively higher 14.06% annualized return.

SMDV

• 1D: 0.73%
• 1M: -3.74%
• YTD: 5.41%
• 6M: 5.80%
• 1Y: 8.17%
• 3Y*: 7.24%
• 5Y*: 3.74%
• 10Y*: 7.16%

SPY

• 1D: 0.75%
• 1M: -4.28%
• YTD: -3.65%
• 6M: -1.42%
• 1Y: 18.14%
• 3Y*: 18.48%
• 5Y*: 11.86%
• 10Y*: 14.06%

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

SMDV vs. SPY - Expense Ratio Comparison

SMDV has a 0.40% expense ratio, which is higher than SPY's 0.09% expense ratio.

SMDV

ProShares Russell 2000 Dividend Growers ETF

SPY

State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF

Return for Risk

SMDV vs. SPY — Risk / Return Rank

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

SMDV

SMDV Risk / Return Rank: 26
SMDV Sharpe Ratio Rank: 24
SMDV Sortino Ratio Rank: 25
SMDV Omega Ratio Rank: 23
SMDV Calmar Ratio Rank: 30
SMDV Martin Ratio Rank: 27

SPY

SPY Risk / Return Rank: 59
SPY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 51
SPY Sortino Ratio Rank: 56
SPY Omega Ratio Rank: 60
SPY Calmar Ratio Rank: 58
SPY Martin Ratio Rank: 69

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.

SMDV vs. SPY - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for ProShares Russell 2000 Dividend Growers ETF (SMDV) 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.

	SMDV	SPY	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.45	0.96	-0.51
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.79	1.49	-0.70
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.10	1.23	-0.14
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.77	1.53	-0.77
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	2.24	7.27	-5.03
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SMDV vs. SPY - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SMDV Sharpe Ratio is 0.45, which is lower than the SPY Sharpe Ratio of 0.96. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SMDV 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

	SMDV	SPY	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.45	0.96	-0.51
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.20	0.70	-0.50
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.35	0.79	-0.44
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.37	0.56	-0.19

Correlation

The correlation between SMDV and SPY is 0.64, 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

SMDV vs. SPY - Dividend Comparison

SMDV's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.50%, more than SPY's 1.13% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
SMDV ProShares Russell 2000 Dividend Growers ETF	2.50%	2.67%	2.68%	2.69%	2.51%	2.02%	2.13%	2.03%	1.97%	1.84%	1.35%	1.81%
SPY State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF	1.13%	1.07%	1.21%	1.40%	1.65%	1.20%	1.52%	1.75%	2.04%	1.80%	2.03%	2.06%

Drawdowns

SMDV vs. SPY - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SMDV drawdown since its inception was -34.12%, smaller than the maximum SPY drawdown of -55.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SMDV and SPY.

Drawdown Indicators

	SMDV	SPY	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-34.12%	-55.19%	+21.07%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-10.94%	-12.05%	+1.11%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-21.23%	-24.50%	+3.27%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-34.12%	-33.72%	-0.40%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.79%	-5.53%	-0.26%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-5.99%	-9.09%	+3.10%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.75%	2.54%	+1.21%

Volatility

SMDV vs. SPY - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for ProShares Russell 2000 Dividend Growers ETF (SMDV) is 4.34%, while State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) has a volatility of 5.35%. This indicates that SMDV 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.

Volatility by Period

	SMDV	SPY	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.34%	5.35%	-1.01%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.68%	9.50%	+1.18%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	18.25%	19.06%	-0.81%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	18.71%	17.06%	+1.65%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	20.71%	17.92%	+2.79%