SPY vs. AGTHX
Compare and contrast key facts about State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) and American Funds The Growth Fund of America Class A (AGTHX).
SPY is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the S&P 500 Index. It was launched on Jan 22, 1993. AGTHX is managed by Equity. It was launched on Dec 1, 1973.
Performance
SPY vs. AGTHX - Performance Comparison
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SPY vs. AGTHX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SPY State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF | -3.65% | 17.72% | 24.89% | 26.18% | -18.18% | 28.73% | 18.33% | 31.22% | -4.57% | 21.71% |
AGTHX American Funds The Growth Fund of America Class A | -8.07% | 19.73% | 28.02% | 37.22% | -30.75% | 19.32% | 37.83% | 28.16% | -3.15% | 26.14% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, SPY achieves a -3.65% return, which is significantly higher than AGTHX's -8.07% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with SPY having a 14.06% annualized return and AGTHX not far ahead at 14.32%.
SPY
- 1D
- 0.75%
- 1M
- -4.28%
- YTD
- -3.65%
- 6M
- -1.42%
- 1Y
- 18.14%
- 3Y*
- 18.48%
- 5Y*
- 11.86%
- 10Y*
- 14.06%
AGTHX
- 1D
- 3.56%
- 1M
- -6.34%
- YTD
- -8.07%
- 6M
- -7.16%
- 1Y
- 16.84%
- 3Y*
- 20.26%
- 5Y*
- 8.96%
- 10Y*
- 14.32%
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SPY vs. AGTHX - Expense Ratio Comparison
SPY has a 0.09% expense ratio, which is lower than AGTHX's 0.61% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
SPY vs. AGTHX — Risk / Return Rank
SPY
AGTHX
SPY vs. AGTHX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) and American Funds The Growth Fund of America Class A (AGTHX). 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.
| SPY | AGTHX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 0.96 | 0.84 | +0.11 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 1.49 | 1.34 | +0.15 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.23 | 1.19 | +0.04 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.53 | 1.26 | +0.27 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 7.27 | 4.78 | +2.49 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| SPY | AGTHX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.96 | 0.84 | +0.11 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.70 | 0.45 | +0.25 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.79 | 0.73 | +0.06 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.56 | 0.68 | -0.12 |
Correlation
The correlation between SPY and AGTHX is 0.90, 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
SPY vs. AGTHX - Dividend Comparison
SPY's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.13%, less than AGTHX's 11.63% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SPY State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF | 1.13% | 1.07% | 1.21% | 1.40% | 1.65% | 1.20% | 1.52% | 1.75% | 2.04% | 1.80% | 2.03% | 2.06% |
AGTHX American Funds The Growth Fund of America Class A | 11.63% | 10.69% | 8.99% | 7.40% | 4.05% | 8.18% | 4.30% | 7.15% | 11.99% | 7.03% | 6.61% | 8.87% |
Drawdowns
SPY vs. AGTHX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum SPY drawdown since its inception was -55.19%, which is greater than AGTHX's maximum drawdown of -51.91%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SPY and AGTHX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| SPY | AGTHX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -55.19% | -51.91% | -3.28% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -12.05% | -13.76% | +1.71% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -24.50% | -36.38% | +11.88% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -33.72% | -36.38% | +2.66% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -5.53% | -10.70% | +5.17% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -9.09% | -9.23% | +0.14% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 2.54% | 3.63% | -1.09% |
Volatility
SPY vs. AGTHX - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) is 5.35%, while American Funds The Growth Fund of America Class A (AGTHX) has a volatility of 6.76%. This indicates that SPY experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than AGTHX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| SPY | AGTHX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 5.35% | 6.76% | -1.41% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 9.50% | 12.13% | -2.63% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 19.06% | 21.01% | -1.95% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 17.06% | 20.23% | -3.17% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 17.92% | 19.64% | -1.72% |