QLTY vs SPY: Differences, Returns & Fees
QLTY and SPY hold 34% of their weight in the same names, and QLTY returned +19.9% over the year. Net assets: $4.5bn on May 31, 2026 for GMO U.S. Quality ETF, and $817.2bn on Oct 8, 2026 for SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust.
SPY costs 0.41 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 2.6 points; SPY is far larger, $712.1bn against $3.0bn.
| QLTY | SPY | |
|---|---|---|
| Expense ratio | 0.50% | 0.09% |
| Net assets, as of Dec 31, 2025 | $3.0bn | $712.1bn |
| Total return, 1 year | +19.9% | +17.3% |
| What it tracks | No index, actively managed | S&P 500 Index |
| Holdings in common | 34% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 48.9% | 39.1% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated May 31, 2026 and Oct 8, 2026.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, QLTY and SPY hold 34% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated May 31, 2026 and Oct 8, 2026.
half
34% in common
On the same fields
QLTY and SPY on the fields both publish, as of Oct 9, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
About QLTY
QLTY is actively managed and tracks no index. Over the year to Oct 9, 2026 it returned +19.9% with distributions reinvested, against +17.3% for its benchmark, the S&P 500 Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.50% a year. By its holdings filed for May 31, 2026, 96% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 41 positions, with the top ten at 48.9%.
About SPY
SPY tracks the S&P 500. Over the year to Oct 9, 2026 it returned +17.3% with distributions reinvested, against +17.3% for its benchmark, the S&P 500 Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.09% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 8, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 504 positions, with the top ten at 39.1%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, QLTY or SPY?
- In the year to Oct 9, 2026, with distributions reinvested, QLTY returned +19.9% and SPY +17.3%.
- Which is cheaper, QLTY or SPY?
- SPY is cheaper, by 0.41 percentage points a year. That is about $41 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure; a link is not an endorsement. A comparison is not a recommendation.
How this is computed
Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.
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ETFIQ, QLTY against SPY, data as of Oct 9, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/qlty-vs-spy
ETFIQ. (Oct 9, 2026). QLTY against SPY. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/qlty-vs-spy
[QLTY against SPY (ETFIQ, Oct 9, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/qlty-vs-spy)
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