Are MAYM and SPYM in the same category?

MAYM is a buffer ETF and SPYM is a stock ETF, so they do different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and holdings.

Which returned more over the last year, MAYM or SPYM?

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, MAYM returned +4.7% and SPYM +13.7%.

Which is cheaper, MAYM or SPYM?

SPYM is cheaper, by 0.83 percentage points a year. That is about $83 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

MAYM vs SPYM: Differences, Returns & Fees

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Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, MAYM returned +4.7% to SPYM's +13.7%, and SPYM charges 0.02% to MAYM's 0.85%.

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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $39m for FT Vest U.S. Equity Max Buffer ETF - May and $185.0bn for State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF.

MAYM on its own →SPYM on its own →

At a glance

+4.7%

MAYM total return, 1 year

+13.7%

SPYM total return, 1 year

0.85%

MAYM expense ratio

0.02%

SPYM expense ratio

Pair scorecard

SPYM costs 0.83 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 9.0 points; SPYM is far larger, $185.0bn against $39m.

MAYM vs SPYM: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	MAYM	SPYM
Return
Measure	MAYM	SPYM
Total return, 1 year	+4.7%	+13.7%
Drawdown
Measure	MAYM	SPYM
Index fall to the buffer	4.3%
Fund price fall to the buffer	2.7%
Benchmark
Measure	MAYM	SPYM
What it tracks	SPY	S&P 500 Index
The outcome period
Measure	MAYM	SPYM
Room to the cap	4.2%
Buffer left, in index points	100.0% of 100.0%
Days left in the period	205
Period ends	May 21, 2027
Cost and size
Measure	MAYM	SPYM
Expense ratio	0.85%	0.02%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026	$39m	$185.0bn
Holdings
Measure	MAYM	SPYM
Holdings in common	not published
Top ten holdings, share of the fund		38.1%

Method

Risk and return

May 30, 2025 to Oct 23, 2026 · 73 weekly returns

MAYM SPYM

Return

Total return edge SPYM +7.8% +31.2%

Annualized edge SPYM +5.5% +21.3%

Price return edge SPYM +7.8% +29.0%

Risk

Volatility edge MAYM 1.8% 11.6%

Max drawdown edge MAYM −1.1% −8.4%

Downside capture 10.9% 96.9%

Beta 0.14 0.96

Risk-adjusted

Sharpe edge SPYM 0.83 1.39

Sortino edge SPYM 1.39 2.41

Treynor 0.105 0.106

Calmar edge MAYM 4.82 2.55

Against the benchmark

Alpha −0.8% a year +0.4% a year

Alpha t-stat −1.23 0.53

Information ratio −1.46 0.00

Tracking error 10.0% 3.8%

Each against its own benchmark: MAYM against SPY, May 30, 2025 to Oct 23, 2026; SPYM against IVV, Nov 25, 2005 to Oct 23, 2026.

Reading

SPYM returned more: +31.2% to +7.8%. MAYM swung less: 1.8% to 11.6%. MAYM fell less at its worst: −1.1% to −8.4%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓

Risk and return: MAYM vs SPYM: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	MAYM	SPYM	Edge	How it is measured
Return
Total return	+7.8%	+31.2%	SPYM	Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized	+5.5%	+21.3%	SPYM	Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return	+7.8%	+29.0%	SPYM	Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility	1.8%	11.6%	MAYM	Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation	1.0%	6.7%	MAYM	Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown	−1.1%	−8.4%	MAYM	Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture	12.3%	94.1%		Share of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture	10.9%	96.9%		Share of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta	0.14	0.96	Not an edge	How far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared	0.83	0.95	Not an edge	Share of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe	0.83	1.39	SPYM	Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino	1.39	2.41	SPYM	Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor	0.105	0.106		Return above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar	4.82	2.55	MAYM	Annualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
Benchmark	SPY	IVV		The ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha	−0.8% a year	+0.4% a year	Not significant	Yearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat	−1.23	0.53	Not an edge	How sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range	−2.0% to +0.5%	−1.2% to +2.0%	Includes zero	The 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio	−1.46	0.00		Return against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error	10.0%	3.8%	Not an edge	How far weekly returns stray from the benchmark, annualized.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 73 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Side by side

MAYM FT Vest U.S. Equity Max Buffer ETF - May SPYM State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF

Where it sits Buffer ETF Stock ETF

Issuer First Trust State Street

What it is Defined outcome, 100% on SPY Tracks the S&P 500

Total return, 1 year +4.7% +13.7%

Its benchmark over the same days +12.4% (SPY) +13.7% (IVV)

Gap to its benchmark −7.7 pts vs SPY 0.0 pts vs IVV

Expense ratio 0.85% 0.02%

Holdings not read by ETFIQ 506

Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 $39m $185.0bn

Former ticker none SPLG

MAYM and SPYM on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-E9074C8940

MAYM and SPYM do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?

What each follows. MAYM follows SPY and SPYM follows S&P 500 Index.
One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 MAYM returned +4.7% and SPYM +13.7% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 9.0 points.
Cost. MAYM charges 0.85% of assets a year and SPYM 0.02%, a gap of 0.83 points.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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About each fund

MAYM

From its price on Oct 28, 2026, the fund can gain about 4.2% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 2.7% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 4.3% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 100.0% of the 100.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 205 days remained on Oct 28, 2026. On May 21, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

SPYM

SPYM tracks the S&P 500. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +13.7% with distributions reinvested, against +13.7% for its benchmark, the S&P 500 Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.02% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 506 positions, with the top ten at 38.1%.

Questions people ask

Are MAYM and SPYM in the same category?: MAYM is a buffer ETF and SPYM is a stock ETF, so they do different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and holdings.
Which returned more over the last year, MAYM or SPYM?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, MAYM returned +4.7% and SPYM +13.7%.
Which is cheaper, MAYM or SPYM?: SPYM is cheaper, by 0.83 percentage points a year. That is about $83 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

MAYM vs SPY MAYM vs VOO IVV vs MAYM PBDE vs SPYM OCTM vs SPYM SPYM vs XOCT PBMY vs SPYM PBAU vs SPYM

Where to next

State Street® SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust →MAYM on its own →SPYM on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →SPYM dividend history →SPYM holdings →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

MAYM filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

First Trust page for MAYM ↗

SPYM filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

SPYM prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

State Street website ↗

Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, MAYM against SPYM, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/maym-vs-spym

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