SPMD vs. SCHM

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about SPDR Portfolio S&P 400 Mid Cap ETF (SPMD) and Schwab US Mid-Cap ETF (SCHM).

SPMD and SCHM are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. SPMD is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the S&P MidCap 400 Index. It was launched on Nov 8, 2005. SCHM is a passively managed fund by Charles Schwab that tracks the performance of the Dow Jones US Total Stock Market Mid-Cap. It was launched on Jan 13, 2011. Both SPMD and SCHM 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

SPMD vs. SCHM - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in SPDR Portfolio S&P 400 Mid Cap ETF (SPMD) and Schwab US Mid-Cap ETF (SCHM). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

SPMD vs. SCHM - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
SPMD SPDR Portfolio S&P 400 Mid Cap ETF	2.59%	7.44%	13.91%	16.48%	-13.13%	24.76%	13.46%	25.19%	-10.34%	15.12%
SCHM Schwab US Mid-Cap ETF	3.21%	10.17%	11.98%	16.69%	-17.07%	19.36%	15.26%	27.48%	-8.77%	19.60%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SPMD achieves a 2.59% return, which is significantly lower than SCHM's 3.21% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with SPMD having a 10.73% annualized return and SCHM not far behind at 10.20%.

SPMD

• 1D: 2.99%
• 1M: -5.29%
• YTD: 2.59%
• 6M: 4.27%
• 1Y: 17.37%
• 3Y*: 12.11%
• 5Y*: 6.60%
• 10Y*: 10.73%

SCHM

• 1D: 3.30%
• 1M: -5.64%
• YTD: 3.21%
• 6M: 5.17%
• 1Y: 19.92%
• 3Y*: 12.71%
• 5Y*: 5.81%
• 10Y*: 10.20%

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

SPMD vs. SCHM - Expense Ratio Comparison

SPMD has a 0.05% expense ratio, which is higher than SCHM's 0.04% 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%.

SPMD

SPDR Portfolio S&P 400 Mid Cap ETF

SCHM

Schwab US Mid-Cap ETF

Return for Risk

SPMD vs. SCHM — Risk / Return Rank

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

SPMD

SPMD Risk / Return Rank: 52
SPMD Sharpe Ratio Rank: 49
SPMD Sortino Ratio Rank: 51
SPMD Omega Ratio Rank: 49
SPMD Calmar Ratio Rank: 53
SPMD Martin Ratio Rank: 59

SCHM

SCHM Risk / Return Rank: 60
SCHM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 57
SCHM Sortino Ratio Rank: 60
SCHM Omega Ratio Rank: 58
SCHM Calmar Ratio Rank: 60
SCHM Martin Ratio Rank: 66

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.

SPMD vs. SCHM - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for SPDR Portfolio S&P 400 Mid Cap ETF (SPMD) and Schwab US Mid-Cap ETF (SCHM). 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.

	SPMD	SCHM	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.83	0.95	-0.12
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.30	1.45	-0.15
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.18	1.20	-0.02
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.25	1.42	-0.16
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.41	6.23	-0.82
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SPMD vs. SCHM - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SPMD Sharpe Ratio is 0.83, which is comparable to the SCHM Sharpe Ratio of 0.95. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SPMD and SCHM, 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

	SPMD	SCHM	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.83	0.95	-0.12
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.34	0.30	+0.04
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.51	0.50	+0.01
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.43	0.54	-0.11

Correlation

The correlation between SPMD and SCHM is 0.94, 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

SPMD vs. SCHM - Dividend Comparison

SPMD's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.37%, less than SCHM's 1.41% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
SPMD SPDR Portfolio S&P 400 Mid Cap ETF	1.37%	1.39%	1.42%	1.47%	1.64%	1.24%	1.30%	1.57%	1.85%	1.97%	2.13%	5.33%
SCHM Schwab US Mid-Cap ETF	1.41%	1.46%	1.43%	1.50%	1.67%	1.13%	1.31%	1.48%	1.56%	1.27%	1.51%	1.54%

Drawdowns

SPMD vs. SCHM - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SPMD drawdown since its inception was -57.62%, which is greater than SCHM's maximum drawdown of -42.43%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SPMD and SCHM.

Drawdown Indicators

	SPMD	SCHM	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-57.62%	-42.43%	-15.19%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-14.12%	-14.16%	+0.04%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-24.08%	-26.46%	+2.38%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-41.86%	-42.43%	+0.57%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.13%	-6.32%	+0.19%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-8.18%	-5.71%	-2.47%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.27%	3.22%	+0.05%

Volatility

SPMD vs. SCHM - Volatility Comparison

SPDR Portfolio S&P 400 Mid Cap ETF (SPMD) and Schwab US Mid-Cap ETF (SCHM) have volatilities of 6.56% and 6.87%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SPMD	SCHM	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.56%	6.87%	-0.31%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	11.95%	12.04%	-0.09%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	21.11%	21.13%	-0.02%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	19.71%	19.52%	+0.19%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	21.18%	20.41%	+0.77%