VVSGX vs. SPY

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

VVSGX (VALIC Company I Small Cap Growth Fund) and SPY (State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF) are both funds - VVSGX is a Small Cap Growth Equities fund managed by VALIC, while SPY is a S&P 500 fund tracking the S&P 500 Index. Over the past 3 years, VVSGX returned 12.47%/yr vs 22.35%/yr for SPY. Their correlation of 0.83 suggests significant overlap in exposure. VVSGX charges 0.88%/yr vs 0.09%/yr for SPY.

Performance

VVSGX vs. SPY - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in VALIC Company I Small Cap Growth Fund (VVSGX) and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both stocks are quite close, with VVSGX having a 11.32% return and SPY slightly lower at 10.91%.

VVSGX

• 1D: 0.10%
• 1M: 3.94%
• YTD: 11.32%
• 6M: 10.02%
• 1Y: 22.46%
• 3Y*: 12.47%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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)

VVSGX vs. SPY - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
VVSGX VALIC Company I Small Cap Growth Fund	11.32%	8.99%	10.85%	14.20%	-32.21%	-3.59%
SPY State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF	10.91%	17.72%	24.89%	26.18%	-18.18%	13.01%

Correlation

The correlation between VVSGX and SPY is 0.81, 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	0.81
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.81
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jun 16, 2021	0.83

The correlation between VVSGX and SPY has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.81 to 0.83 - a consistent structural relationship.

Return for Risk

VVSGX vs. SPY — Risk / Return Rank

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

VVSGX

VVSGX Risk / Return Rank: 23
VVSGX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 18
VVSGX Sortino Ratio Rank: 19
VVSGX Omega Ratio Rank: 17
VVSGX Calmar Ratio Rank: 27
VVSGX Martin Ratio Rank: 32

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.

VVSGX vs. SPY - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for VALIC Company I Small Cap Growth Fund (VVSGX) 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.

	VVSGX	SPY	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.22	2.38	-1.16
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.83	3.24	-1.41
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.21	1.43	-0.22
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.95	3.16	-1.22
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	7.35	14.72	-7.37
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VVSGX vs. SPY - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VVSGX Sharpe Ratio is 1.22, which is lower than the SPY Sharpe Ratio of 2.38. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VVSGX 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

	VVSGX	SPY	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.22	2.38	-1.16
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.82	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.87	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.00	0.59	-0.58

Drawdowns

VVSGX vs. SPY - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VVSGX drawdown since its inception was -44.74%, smaller than the maximum SPY drawdown of -55.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VVSGX and SPY.

Drawdown Indicators

	VVSGX	SPY	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-44.74%	-55.19%	+10.45%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.47%	-8.88%	-3.59%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-25.74%	-18.76%	-6.98%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-24.50%	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-33.72%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-7.09%	-0.70%	-6.39%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-24.82%	-9.05%	-15.77%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.30%	1.91%	+1.39%

Volatility

VVSGX vs. SPY - Volatility Comparison

VALIC Company I Small Cap Growth Fund (VVSGX) has a higher volatility of 6.31% compared to State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) at 2.84%. This indicates that VVSGX'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

	VVSGX	SPY	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.31%	2.84%	+3.47%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	15.08%	8.90%	+6.18%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	19.94%	11.83%	+8.11%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	25.02%	17.05%	+7.97%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	25.02%	17.94%	+7.08%

VVSGX vs. SPY - Expense Ratio Comparison

VVSGX has a 0.88% expense ratio, which is higher than SPY's 0.09% expense ratio.

Dividends

VVSGX vs. SPY - Dividend Comparison

VVSGX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.23%, more than SPY's 0.98% yield.

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%
VVSGX VALIC Company I Small Cap Growth Fund	2.23%	0.00%	0.00%	7.74%	10.27%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both VVSGX and SPY in my portfolio?

VVSGX and SPY have a correlation of 0.81, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, VVSGX or SPY?

VVSGX has higher volatility (6.31%) compared to SPY (2.84%). In terms of maximum drawdown, VVSGX dropped -44.74% vs SPY's -55.19%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

SPY currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.38 vs 1.22), 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.