Are SPYM and TEND in the same category?

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

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

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, SPYM returned +13.7% and TEND +12.1%.

Which is cheaper, SPYM or TEND?

SPYM is cheaper, by 0.48 percentage points a year. That is about $48 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

SPYM vs TEND: Differences, Returns & Fees

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Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, SPYM returned +13.7% to TEND's +12.1%, and SPYM charges 0.02% to TEND's 0.50%.

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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $185.0bn for State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF and $68m for iShares Large Cap 10% Target Buffer Dec ETF.

SPYM on its own →TEND on its own →

At a glance

+13.7%

SPYM total return, 1 year

+12.1%

TEND total return, 1 year

0.02%

SPYM expense ratio

0.50%

TEND expense ratio

Pair scorecard

SPYM costs 0.48 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 1.6 points; SPYM is far larger, $185.0bn against $68m.

SPYM vs TEND: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	SPYM	TEND
Return
Measure	SPYM	TEND
Total return, 1 year	+13.7%	+12.1%
Drawdown
Measure	SPYM	TEND
Index fall to the buffer		11.9%
Fund price fall to the buffer		10.5%
Benchmark
Measure	SPYM	TEND
What it tracks	S&P 500 Index	IVV
The outcome period
Measure	SPYM	TEND
Room to the cap		4.5%
Buffer left, in index points		9.5% of 9.5%
Days left in the period		65
Period ends		Dec 31, 2026
Cost and size
Measure	SPYM	TEND
Expense ratio	0.02%	0.50%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026	$185.0bn	$68m
Holdings
Measure	SPYM	TEND
Holdings in common	not published
In the S&P 500, by weight	100%
Top ten holdings, share of the fund	38.1%

Method

Side by side

SPYM State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF TEND iShares Large Cap 10% Target Buffer Dec ETF

Where it sits Stock ETF Buffer ETF

Issuer State Street iShares

What it is Tracks the S&P 500 Defined outcome, 0% to 10% on IVV

Total return, 1 year +13.7% +12.1%

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

Gap to its benchmark 0.0 pts vs IVV −0.3 pts vs IVV

Expense ratio 0.02% 0.50%

Holdings 506 not read by ETFIQ

Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 $185.0bn $68m

Former ticker SPLG none

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

Alert

About each fund

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%.

TEND

From its price on Oct 27, 2026, the fund can gain about 4.5% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 10.5% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, IVV can fall 11.9% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 9.5% of the 9.5% buffer still sits below today's IVV level. 65 days remained on Oct 27, 2026. On Dec 31, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Are SPYM and TEND in the same category?: SPYM is a stock ETF and TEND is a buffer ETF, so they do different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and holdings.
Which returned more over the last year, SPYM or TEND?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, SPYM returned +13.7% and TEND +12.1%.
Which is cheaper, SPYM or TEND?: SPYM is cheaper, by 0.48 percentage points a year. That is about $48 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

SPYM vs STEN DMAX vs SPYM MAXJ vs SPYM MMAX vs SPYM TEND vs VOO SPY vs TEND IVV vs TEND SPYM vs TENJ

Where to next

iShares Core S&P 500 ETF →SPYM on its own →TEND on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →SPYM dividend history →SPYM holdings →TEND dividend history →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

SPYM filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

SPYM prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

State Street website ↗

TEND filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

iShares page for TEND ↗

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

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

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