Which returned more over the last year, SPY or VGLT?

In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, SPY returned +17.5% and VGLT returned −5.4%, so SPY returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.

Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.

ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

SPY vs VGLT: how they differ

SPY is an equity index fund and VGLT a bond index fund, and over the year SPY returned more, +17.5% against −5.4%.

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust and Vanguard Long-Term Treasury Index Fund.

SPY and VGLT on the fields both publish, as of Sep 12, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
	SPY SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust	VGLT Vanguard Long-Term Treasury Index Fund
Where it sits	Core index fund	Core index fund
Issuer	State Street	Vanguard
What it is	S&P 500, book from IVV	Long-term Treasury
Total return, 1 year	+17.5%	−5.4%
S&P 500 over the same days	+17.5%	+17.5%
Gap to the S&P 500	0.0 pts	−22.9 pts
Expense ratio	0.09%	not published
Holdings	504	not filed

SPY in plain words

SPY is an index equity fund tracking the S&P 500. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +17.5% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.09% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 504 positions, with the top ten at 36.4%.

VGLT in plain words

VGLT is a bond fund tracking the Long-term Treasury. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned −5.4% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. It sat 39.2% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 on Sep 11, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, SPY or VGLT?: In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, SPY returned +17.5% and VGLT returned −5.4%, so SPY returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.

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Where these figures came from

ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.

SPY against VGLT, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 12, 2026. Every figure is arithmetic on a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page. ETFIQ, SPY against VGLT, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/SPY-VGLT Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources