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URTH vs. SPY
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

URTH vs. SPY

Last updated Jun 23, 2026

URTH (iShares MSCI World ETF) and SPY (State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - URTH is a Global Equities fund tracking the MSCI World Index (Net), while SPY is a S&P 500 fund tracking the S&P 500 Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, URTH returned 13.61%/yr vs 15.70%/yr for SPY. Their correlation of 0.86 suggests significant overlap in exposure. URTH charges 0.24%/yr vs 0.09%/yr for SPY.

Performance

URTH vs. SPY - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares MSCI World ETF (URTH) and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both investments are quite close, with URTH having a 9.66% return and SPY slightly higher at 9.74%. Over the past 10 years, URTH has underperformed SPY with an annualized return of 13.61%, while SPY has yielded a comparatively higher 15.70% annualized return.

URTH

1D
-0.18%
1M
0.58%
YTD
9.66%
6M
9.36%
1Y
25.98%
3Y*
20.26%
5Y*
11.79%
10Y*
13.61%

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

URTH vs. SPY - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
URTH
iShares MSCI World ETF		9.66%21.36%18.66%23.95%-17.97%22.27%15.78%28.15%-8.56%22.95%
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 URTH and SPY is 0.98 - these two move nearly in lockstep. At this level, holding both provides almost no diversification benefit. If you already own one, adding the other does little to reduce portfolio risk.

Correlation
Correlation (1Y)
Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

0.98

Correlation (3Y)
Calculated over the trailing 3-year period

0.97

Correlation (5Y)
Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.98

Correlation (10Y)
Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

0.97

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 12, 2012

0.86

The correlation between URTH and SPY shifts across timeframes, from 0.86 (all time) to 0.98 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

URTH vs. SPY - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors
URTH
SPY

Technology

32.8%
39.0%

Financial Services

15.8%
11.1%

Industrials

10.0%
7.8%

Communication Services

8.6%
10.6%

Healthcare

8.6%
8.3%

Consumer Cyclical

8.5%
9.9%

Consumer Defensive

4.7%
4.5%

Energy

3.7%
3.1%

Basic Materials

2.8%
1.7%

Utilities

2.6%
2.1%

Real Estate

1.2%
1.8%

Technology

URTH
32.8%
SPY
39.0%

Financial Services

URTH
15.8%
SPY
11.1%

Industrials

URTH
10.0%
SPY
7.8%

Communication Services

URTH
8.6%
SPY
10.6%

Healthcare

URTH
8.6%
SPY
8.3%

Consumer Cyclical

URTH
8.5%
SPY
9.9%

Consumer Defensive

URTH
4.7%
SPY
4.5%

Energy

URTH
3.7%
SPY
3.1%

Basic Materials

URTH
2.8%
SPY
1.7%

Utilities

URTH
2.6%
SPY
2.1%

Real Estate

URTH
1.2%
SPY
1.8%

Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs

Search for stocks, ETFs, and funds for a quick comparison or use the comparison tool for more options.

iShares MSCI World ETF

State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF

Often compared with URTH:
URTH vs. VTURTH vs. IWDA.LURTH vs. VOOURTH vs. XWD.TOURTH vs. BRK-BURTH vs. VXUSURTH vs. EEM
Often compared with SPY:
SPY vs. QQQSPY vs. VOOSPY vs. BRK-BSPY vs. RSPSPY vs. VTISPY vs. SCHDSPY vs. GLD

Return for Risk

URTH vs. SPY — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.
URTH
URTH Risk / Return Rank: 6565
Overall Rank
URTH Sharpe Ratio Rank: 6565
Sharpe Ratio Rank
URTH Sortino Ratio Rank: 6464
Sortino Ratio Rank
URTH Omega Ratio Rank: 6464
Omega Ratio Rank
URTH Calmar Ratio Rank: 6060
Calmar Ratio Rank
URTH Martin Ratio Rank: 7171
Martin Ratio Rank
SPY
SPY Risk / Return Rank: 6868
Overall Rank
SPY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 6969
Sharpe Ratio Rank
SPY Sortino Ratio Rank: 6666
Sortino Ratio Rank
SPY Omega Ratio Rank: 6868
Omega Ratio Rank
SPY Calmar Ratio Rank: 6363
Calmar Ratio Rank
SPY Martin Ratio Rank: 7474
Martin Ratio Rank
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.

URTH vs. SPY - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares MSCI World ETF (URTH) 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.

URTHSPYDifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
2.08
2.16

-0.08

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
2.85
2.91

-0.06

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.37

1.39

-0.02

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

2.88

3.01

-0.13

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

12.77

13.54

-0.77

URTH vs. SPY - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current URTH Sharpe Ratio is 2.08, which is comparable to the SPY Sharpe Ratio of 2.16. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of URTH 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.

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Drawdowns

URTH vs. SPY - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum URTH drawdown since its inception was -34.01%, smaller than the maximum SPY drawdown of -55.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for URTH and SPY.

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Drawdown Indicators

URTHSPYDifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-34.01%

-55.19%

+21.18%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-9.06%

-8.88%

-0.18%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-16.94%

-18.76%

+1.82%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-26.05%

-24.50%

-1.55%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-34.01%

-33.72%

-0.29%

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-1.19%

-1.75%

+0.56%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-4.36%

-9.04%

+4.68%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

2.04%

1.97%

+0.07%

Volatility

URTH vs. SPY - Volatility Comparison

iShares MSCI World ETF (URTH) and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) have volatilities of 4.47% and 4.64%, 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.

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Volatility by Period

URTHSPYDifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

4.47%

4.64%

-0.17%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

10.16%

9.75%

+0.41%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

12.59%

12.43%

+0.16%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

16.26%

17.14%

-0.88%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

17.29%

17.99%

-0.70%

URTH vs. SPY - Expense Ratio Comparison

URTH has a 0.24% 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

URTH vs. SPY - Dividend Comparison

URTH's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.40%, more than SPY's 1.01% yield.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
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%
URTH
iShares MSCI World ETF		1.40%1.48%1.47%1.70%1.68%1.50%1.52%2.16%2.30%1.88%2.15%2.35%

Frequently Asked Questions

With a correlation of 0.98, URTH and SPY move almost identically. Holding both adds very little diversification - you're essentially doubling your position in the same market segment. Choosing one is usually more capital-efficient.

SPY has higher volatility (4.64%) compared to URTH (4.47%). In terms of maximum drawdown, URTH dropped -34.01% vs SPY's -55.19%.

On 10-year performance, SPY leads with 15.70% vs 13.61% for URTH. On fees, SPY is cheaper at 0.09% per year. On volatility, URTH has been the lower-risk option at 4.47%. 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 13.61%. 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 0.24% for URTH.

URTH has the higher dividend yield at 1.40%, compared with 1.01% for SPY.

URTH is categorized as Global Equities, while SPY is S&P 500. URTH tracks MSCI World Index (Net), while SPY tracks S&P 500 Index. They also come from different issuers: iShares and State Street. Their fees differ too: 0.24% for URTH and 0.09% for SPY.

SPY currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.16 vs 2.08), 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.

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