TAGS vs. SPY

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

TAGS (Teucrium Agricultural Fund) and SPY (State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - TAGS is a Agricultural Commodities fund tracking the Teucrium TAGS Index, while SPY is a S&P 500 fund tracking the S&P 500 Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, TAGS returned -1.74%/yr vs 15.49%/yr for SPY. At a 0.05 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. TAGS charges 0.21%/yr vs 0.09%/yr for SPY.

Performance

TAGS vs. SPY - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Teucrium Agricultural Fund (TAGS) 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, TAGS achieves a 6.11% return, which is significantly lower than SPY's 10.91% return. Over the past 10 years, TAGS has underperformed SPY with an annualized return of -1.74%, while SPY has yielded a comparatively higher 15.49% annualized return.

TAGS

• 1D: -1.20%
• 1M: -5.48%
• YTD: 6.11%
• 6M: 4.04%
• 1Y: -0.95%
• 3Y*: -7.08%
• 5Y*: -1.51%
• 10Y*: -1.74%

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)

TAGS vs. SPY - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
TAGS Teucrium Agricultural Fund	6.11%	-8.76%	-14.57%	-6.11%	16.25%	27.05%	8.19%	-4.53%	-7.10%	-13.94%
SPY State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF	10.91%	17.72%	24.89%	26.18%	-18.18%	28.73%	18.33%	31.22%	-4.57%	21.71%

Correlation

The correlation between TAGS and SPY is -0.09, meaning there is essentially no relationship between their price movements. Each responds to its own set of market drivers, making them strong candidates for combining in a diversified portfolio.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.09
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.02
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.05
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.07
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Mar 29, 2012	0.05

The correlation between TAGS and SPY shifts across timeframes, from -0.09 (1 year) to 0.07 (10 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

TAGS vs. SPY - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	TAGS	SPY
Financial Services	99.9%	11.8%
Basic Materials	-	1.8%
Communication Services	-	11.3%
Consumer Cyclical	-	10.3%
Consumer Defensive	-	4.8%
Energy	-	3.6%
Healthcare	-	8.4%
Industrials	-	7.8%
Real Estate	-	1.9%
Technology	-	35.9%
Utilities	-	2.4%

Return for Risk

TAGS vs. SPY — Risk / Return Rank

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

TAGS

TAGS Risk / Return Rank: 8
TAGS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 8
TAGS Sortino Ratio Rank: 7
TAGS Omega Ratio Rank: 7
TAGS Calmar Ratio Rank: 8
TAGS Martin Ratio Rank: 8

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.

TAGS vs. SPY - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Teucrium Agricultural Fund (TAGS) 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.

	TAGS	SPY	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	-0.08	2.38	-2.45
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	-0.02	3.24	-3.26
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.00	1.43	-0.43
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.09	3.16	-3.26
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	-0.16	14.72	-14.88
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

TAGS vs. SPY - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current TAGS Sharpe Ratio is -0.08, which is lower than the SPY Sharpe Ratio of 2.38. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of TAGS 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

	TAGS	SPY	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.08	2.38	-2.45
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.09	0.82	-0.91
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	-0.10	0.87	-0.96
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	-0.23	0.59	-0.82

Drawdowns

TAGS vs. SPY - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum TAGS drawdown since its inception was -76.40%, which is greater than SPY's maximum drawdown of -55.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for TAGS and SPY.

Drawdown Indicators

	TAGS	SPY	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-76.40%	-55.19%	-21.21%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-10.07%	-8.88%	-1.19%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-33.59%	-18.76%	-14.83%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-37.60%	-24.50%	-13.10%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-47.30%	-33.72%	-13.58%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-63.69%	-0.70%	-62.99%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-57.23%	-9.05%	-48.18%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	5.88%	1.91%	+3.97%

Volatility

TAGS vs. SPY - Volatility Comparison

Teucrium Agricultural Fund (TAGS) has a higher volatility of 5.52% compared to State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) at 2.84%. This indicates that TAGS'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

	TAGS	SPY	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.52%	2.84%	+2.68%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.12%	8.90%	+1.22%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	12.61%	11.83%	+0.78%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	16.58%	17.05%	-0.47%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	18.04%	17.94%	+0.10%

TAGS vs. SPY - Expense Ratio Comparison

TAGS has a 0.21% 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

TAGS vs. SPY - Dividend Comparison

TAGS has not paid dividends to shareholders, while SPY's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.98%.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
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%
TAGS Teucrium Agricultural Fund	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both TAGS and SPY in my portfolio?

TAGS and SPY have a correlation of -0.09, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, TAGS or SPY?

TAGS has higher volatility (5.52%) compared to SPY (2.84%). In terms of maximum drawdown, TAGS dropped -76.40% vs SPY's -55.19%.

Which ETF is better, TAGS or SPY?

On 10-year performance, SPY leads with 15.49% vs -1.74% for TAGS. 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, TAGS or SPY?

Over the 10-year period, SPY has performed better with a 15.49% return vs -1.74%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

Which ETF is cheaper, TAGS or SPY?

SPY is cheaper with a 0.09% expense ratio, compared with 0.21% for TAGS.

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

SPY has the higher dividend yield at 0.98%, compared with 0.00% for TAGS.

What is the main difference between TAGS and SPY?

TAGS is categorized as Agricultural Commodities, while SPY is S&P 500. TAGS tracks Teucrium TAGS Index, while SPY tracks S&P 500 Index. They also come from different issuers: Teucrium and State Street. Their fees differ too: 0.21% for TAGS and 0.09% for SPY.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

SPY currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.38 vs -0.08), 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.