Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
RYLD vs SPY: how they differ
Over the year RYLD returned more, +18.1% against +17.5%, and SPY charges 0.09% against 0.60%.
Global X Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF and SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, RYLD and SPY hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in RYLD | Only in SPY |
|---|---|
| GLOBAL X RUSSELL 2000 ETF 99.96% | NVIDIA CORP 8.08% |
| CASH 0.04% | APPLE INC 7.33% |
| MICROSOFT CORP 5.59% | |
| AMAZON.COM INC 3.77% | |
| ALPHABET INC CL A 2.98% | |
| BROADCOM INC 2.61% | |
| ALPHABET INC CL C 2.39% | |
| META PLATFORMS INC CLASS A 2.16% |
Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Sep 10, 2026 and Sep 11, 2026.
| RYLD Global X Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF | SPY SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Income ETF | Core index fund |
| Issuer | Global X | State Street |
| What it is | covered call, vs IWM | S&P 500 |
| Total return, 1 year | +18.1% | +17.5% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +21.2% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −3.1 pts | 0.0 pts |
| Cash paid, 1 year | 12.3% | not an income fund |
| Expense ratio | 0.60% | 0.09% |
| Holdings | not filed | 505 |
RYLD in plain words
Over the year to Sep 11, 2026, RYLD paid 12.3% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price rose 4.7%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +18.1%. Russell 2000 (IWM) returned +21.2% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 3.1 pts. At its price on Sep 11, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 12.4%, paid monthly. Global X estimates that 100% of the distribution paid Aug 27, 2026 was a return of capital (19a-1 notice, estimated, a tax characterization rather than a measure of erosion).
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 Sep 10, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 505 positions, with the top ten at 38.2%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, RYLD or SPY?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, RYLD returned +18.1% and SPY returned +17.5%, so RYLD returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, RYLD or SPY?
- RYLD charges 0.60% a year and SPY charges 0.09%, so SPY is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- Are RYLD and SPY the same kind of fund?
- No. RYLD is an option-income ETF and SPY is an index ETF, so they are built for different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and what each actually holds.
Other comparisons
Where to next
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.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, RYLD against SPY, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ryld-vs-spy Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources