How Can I Beat the S&P 500? What the Evidence Says
The honest answer to the most asked question in investing: how many people beat the index, why it is so hard, why investors trail even their own funds, and how daily market context fits in.
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SPYM ETF vs the S&P 500: Returns, Risk and Crash History
State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF (market value $159.9 billion): how it compared with the S&P 500, how it behaved in every crash since 2008, its risk‑adjusted returns. Data as of Sep 30, 2026.
Key takeaways
- SPYM returned +89.6% over the 5 years to Sep 30, 2026 versus +89.1% for the S&P 500: it beat the index.
- Its 5-year Sharpe ratio was 0.69 against 0.69 for the S&P 500.
- Five‑year volatility was 16.8% and beta 1.00.
Did SPYM beat the S&P 500?
Over the 5 years to Sep 30, 2026, State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF (SPYM) returned +89.6% including dividends, versus +89.1% for the S&P 500 (SPY). It beat the index by 0.5 percentage points, or +13.7% a year against +13.6%.
| Period | SPYM | S&P 500 | SPYM per year | S&P 500 per year | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year | +15.2% | +15.1% | +15.2% | +15.1% | Beat |
| 3 years | +84.4% | +84.1% | +22.6% | +22.6% | Beat |
| 5 years | +89.6% | +89.1% | +13.7% | +13.6% | Beat |
| 10 years | +312.3% | +310.7% | +15.2% | +15.2% | Beat |
- 1 year
- SPYM
- +15.2%
- S&P 500
- +15.1%
- SPYM per year
- +15.2%
- S&P 500 per year
- +15.1%
- Result
- Beat
- 3 years
- SPYM
- +84.4%
- S&P 500
- +84.1%
- SPYM per year
- +22.6%
- S&P 500 per year
- +22.6%
- Result
- Beat
- 5 years
- SPYM
- +89.6%
- S&P 500
- +89.1%
- SPYM per year
- +13.7%
- S&P 500 per year
- +13.6%
- Result
- Beat
- 10 years
- SPYM
- +312.3%
- S&P 500
- +310.7%
- SPYM per year
- +15.2%
- S&P 500 per year
- +15.2%
- Result
- Beat
Total return with dividends reinvested, from month-end prices to Sep 30, 2026. Beating the index on raw return is only half the story: the next section adjusts for the risk taken. See also how to beat the S&P 500.
SPYM returns by year vs the S&P 500
SPYM beat the S&P 500 in 6 of the 9 full calendar years shown.
| Year | SPYM | S&P 500 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to Sep 30, 2026) | +12.2% | +12.1% | +0.1% |
| 2025 | +17.8% | +17.7% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | +25.0% | +24.9% | +0.1% |
| 2023 | +26.2% | +26.2% | 0.0% |
| 2022 | −18.1% | −18.2% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | +28.8% | +28.7% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | +18.5% | +18.3% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | +32.0% | +31.2% | +0.8% |
| 2018 | −4.7% | −4.6% | −0.1% |
| 2017 | +21.2% | +21.7% | −0.5% |
SPYM risk-adjusted returns: Sharpe, Sortino and volatility
Over 5 years, SPYM had a Sharpe ratio of 0.69 against 0.69 for the S&P 500, so it earned less return per unit of risk than the index. Its annualized volatility was 15.7% and its beta 1.00: it tended to move about 1.0× as much as the market.
| Metric | SPYM | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Annual return | +13.7% | +13.6% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 15.7% | 15.7% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.69 | 0.69 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.11 | 1.10 |
| Max drawdown (month-end) | −23.9% | −23.9% |
| Beta to the S&P 500 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
Sharpe divides return above cash by total volatility; Sortino counts only downside volatility. Both use monthly returns and the 1–3 month T‑bill ETF (BIL) as the risk‑free rate.
How SPYM behaved in past crashes
SPYM was not trading through the earlier crises, so only its recent drawdowns are shown.
| Window | SPYM max drawdown |
|---|---|
| Last 1 year | −8.9% |
| Last 3 years | −18.7% |
| Last 5 years | −24.5% |
| Last 10 years | — |
Peak‑to‑trough declines from daily prices inside each crisis window. A crash replay does not predict the next crisis; it shows how much room a holding needs. Run the same replay on a whole portfolio with the crash test.
What moves with SPYM, and what doesn’t
Correlation runs from −1 (moves opposite) to +1 (moves in lockstep). Over the last 60 months of monthly returns, SPYM’s correlation with the S&P 500 was 1.00, with the Nasdaq‑100 0.92, with long Treasuries (TLT) 0.56 and with gold (GLD) 0.17.
Adding a 5% SPYM position to an S&P 500 portfolio would have moved its 5‑year volatility from 15.7% to 15.7%.
| Least correlated large caps | Correlation | Most correlated large caps | Correlation |
|---|---|---|---|
| LMT | 0.05 | MCO | 0.82 |
| REGN | 0.08 | BLK | 0.79 |
| BMY | 0.12 | GS | 0.73 |
| XOM | 0.13 | CSX | 0.73 |
| COP | 0.13 | APH | 0.70 |
Holdings that are highly correlated behave like one position in a selloff. See how to find hidden overlap.
Other popular ETFs
| Ticker | Name | 5‑year return | Volatility (5y) |
|---|---|---|---|
| VTI | Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF Shares | +79.7% | 17.4% |
| SPCX | SPAC and New Issue ETF | +523.4% | 8.3% |
| VOO | Vanguard S&P 500 ETF | +89.6% | 16.8% |
| IVV | iShares Core S&P 500 ETF | +89.5% | 16.9% |
| SPY | State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust | +89.1% | 17.0% |
| 1557.T | SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust | +82.0% | 20.7% |
| VXUS | Vanguard Total Intl Stock Idx Fund | +55.5% | 16.0% |
| QQQ | Invesco QQQ Trust | +112.5% | 22.3% |
Data and methodology
Returns are total returns from month‑end adjusted closing prices (dividends reinvested) through Sep 30, 2026. Crisis drawdowns and trailing maximum drawdowns use daily prices. Analyst coverage counts ratings published in the last 12 months, shown with a 30‑day delay. Full method: Exent methodology.
Past performance does not guarantee future results. Historical figures are calculated by Exent from market data and are for education only; they are not investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any security.
See what SPYM does to your own portfolio
- Upload a screenshot of your holdings (or a CSV, Excel, PDF or Google Sheet); no brokerage login.
- Exent replays your whole portfolio, SPYM included, through the 2008, 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2025 selloffs and shows which holdings drive the losses.
- It finds holdings that move together with SPYM and compares your portfolio with a risk‑matched benchmark, Sharpe and Sortino included.
- Use the what‑if simulator to change weights and see the effect before you trade.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. SPYM returned +312.3% (+15.2% a year) over the 10 years to Sep 30, 2026, versus +310.7% (+15.2% a year) for the S&P 500, including dividends.
Over the 5 years to Sep 30, 2026, SPYM’s Sharpe ratio was 0.69 and its Sortino ratio 1.11, versus 0.69 and 1.10 for the S&P 500.
SPYM’s 5‑year annualized volatility was 16.8%, lower than the S&P 500’s 17.0%, with a beta of 1.00.
Among large US stocks, the lowest correlations with SPYM over the last 60 months were LMT (0.05), REGN (0.08), BMY (0.12). Its correlation with long Treasuries (TLT) was 0.56 and with gold (GLD) 0.17.
What would SPYM do to your portfolio?
Exent replays your whole portfolio through the same crashes, finds holdings that move together and compares you with a risk‑matched benchmark. Upload a screenshot; results in about a minute.
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Educational content, not investment advice. Examples are illustrative; past performance does not guarantee future results.