VXX vs. SPY
VXX (iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN) and SPY (State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - VXX is a Volatility fund tracking the S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures Index Total Return, while SPY is a S&P 500 fund tracking the S&P 500 Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, VXX returned -48.25%/yr vs 15.53%/yr for SPY. At a correlation of -0.78, they often move in opposite directions. VXX charges 0.89%/yr vs 0.09%/yr for SPY.
Performance
VXX vs. SPY - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, VXX achieves a -9.82% return, which is significantly lower than SPY's 8.15% return. Over the past 10 years, VXX has underperformed SPY with an annualized return of -48.25%, while SPY has yielded a comparatively higher 15.53% annualized return.
VXX
- 1D
- 5.99%
- 1M
- -9.65%
- YTD
- -9.82%
- 6M
- -11.92%
- 1Y
- -54.78%
- 3Y*
- -39.15%
- 5Y*
- -45.02%
- 10Y*
- -48.25%
SPY
- 1D
- -1.45%
- 1M
- -1.36%
- YTD
- 8.15%
- 6M
- 7.20%
- 1Y
- 23.59%
- 3Y*
- 20.68%
- 5Y*
- 13.05%
- 10Y*
- 15.53%
VXX vs. SPY - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VXX iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN | -9.82% | -42.21% | -26.22% | -72.52% | -23.80% | -72.41% | 11.04% | -67.75% | 67.91% | -72.64% |
SPY State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF | 8.15% | 17.72% | 24.89% | 26.18% | -18.18% | 28.73% | 18.33% | 31.22% | -4.57% | 21.71% |
Correlation
The correlation between VXX and SPY is -0.74, meaning they tend to move in opposite directions. This is especially valuable for risk management - when one declines, the other has historically tended to hold steady or rise.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | -0.74 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | -0.75 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | -0.73 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | -0.74 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 30, 2009 | -0.78 |
The correlation between VXX and SPY has been stable across timeframes, ranging from -0.78 to -0.73 - a consistent structural relationship.
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Return for Risk
VXX vs. SPY — Risk / Return Rank
VXX
SPY
VXX vs. SPY - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN (VXX) 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.
| VXX | SPY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -2.88 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -4.19 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 0.82 | 1.34 | -0.53 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | -1.01 | 2.67 | -3.68 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | -1.55 | 11.92 | -13.47 |
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Drawdowns
VXX vs. SPY - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum VXX drawdown since its inception was -100.00%, which is greater than SPY's maximum drawdown of -55.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VXX and SPY.
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Drawdown Indicators
| VXX | SPY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -100.00% | -55.19% | -44.81% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -54.18% | -8.88% | -45.30% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -79.21% | -18.76% | -60.45% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -95.97% | -24.50% | -71.47% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -99.87% | -33.72% | -66.15% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -100.00% | -3.17% | -96.83% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -95.08% | -9.04% | -86.04% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 39.47% | 1.98% | +37.49% |
Volatility
VXX vs. SPY - Volatility Comparison
iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN (VXX) has a higher volatility of 17.21% compared to State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) at 4.87%. This indicates that VXX'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.
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Volatility by Period
| VXX | SPY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 17.21% | 4.87% | +12.34% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 43.47% | 9.85% | +33.62% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 56.26% | 12.50% | +43.76% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 68.03% | 17.15% | +50.88% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 70.41% | 17.95% | +52.46% |
VXX vs. SPY - Expense Ratio Comparison
VXX has a 0.89% expense ratio, which is higher than SPY's 0.09% expense ratio.
Dividends
VXX vs. SPY - Dividend Comparison
VXX has not paid dividends to shareholders, while SPY's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.03%.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SPY State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF | 1.03% | 1.07% | 1.21% | 1.40% | 1.65% | 1.20% | 1.52% | 1.75% | 2.04% | 1.80% | 2.03% | 2.06% |
VXX iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN | 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
VXX and SPY have a correlation of -0.74, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
VXX has higher volatility (17.21%) compared to SPY (4.87%). In terms of maximum drawdown, VXX dropped -100.00% vs SPY's -55.19%.
On 10-year performance, SPY leads with 15.53% vs -48.25% for VXX. On fees, SPY is cheaper at 0.09% per year. On volatility, SPY has been the lower-risk option at 4.87%. 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 15.53% return vs -48.25%. 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 0.89% for VXX.
SPY has the higher dividend yield at 1.03%, compared with 0.00% for VXX.
VXX is categorized as Volatility, while SPY is S&P 500. VXX tracks S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures Index Total Return, while SPY tracks S&P 500 Index. They also come from different issuers: Barclays Capital and State Street. Their fees differ too: 0.89% for VXX and 0.09% for SPY.
SPY currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.90 vs -0.98), 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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