ETF Versus

ARKK vs MDY

ARK Innovation ETF vs State Street SPDR S&P MIDCAP 400 ETF Trust

Last updated: 2026-04-02

ARKK ARK

ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK) is an exchange-traded fund issued by ARK that provides exposure to thematic - innovation securities. It charges a high expense ratio of 0.75%. Launched in 2014, the fund has a 12-year track record.

AUM: $6.7B ER: 0.75% Yield: N/A Since: 2014-10-31
MDY State Street

State Street SPDR S&P MIDCAP 400 ETF Trust (MDY) is an exchange-traded fund issued by State Street that provides exposure to mid-cap U.S. companies balancing growth potential and stability. It charges a moderate expense ratio of 0.24%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.15%. Launched in 1995, the fund has a 31-year track record.

AUM: $24.2B ER: 0.24% Yield: 1.15% Since: 1995-05-04

Quick Verdict

MDY is significantly cheaper at 0.24% vs 0.75% expense ratio, saving you approximately $978 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Over the past year, ARKK has significantly outperformed with a 38.6% return vs 13.9%.

Key Metrics

Metric ARKK MDY
Expense Ratio 0.75% 0.24%
Dividend Yield N/A 1.1%
Fund Family ARK State Street
Category Thematic - Innovation US Mid Cap

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

20 44 68 92 116 140 2021-04 2022-06 2023-10 2024-12 2026-04
ARKK -44.0%
MDY +27.8%

Performance Comparison

Period ARKK MDY Difference
1 Month -5.72% -4.04% -1.68%
3 Months -13.00% +1.57% -14.57%
6 Months -25.61% +3.21% -28.82%
YTD -13.00% +1.57% -14.57%
1 Year +38.62% +13.95% +24.67%
3 Years +72.13% +35.56% +36.57%
5 Years -43.99% +27.83% -71.82%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period ARKK Fees MDY Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $1,453 $475 $978
$10,000 20 years $6,064 $2,028 $4,035
$10,000 30 years $18,984 $6,497 $12,487
$50,000 10 years $7,266 $2,375 $4,891
$50,000 30 years $94,918 $32,483 $62,434
$100,000 30 years $189,836 $64,967 $124,869

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric ARKK MDY
Annualized Volatility 46.4% 19.8%
Max Drawdown -77.3% -24.5%
Sharpe Ratio -0.12 0.12

Dividend Comparison

Metric ARKK MDY
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.00 $7.12
Dividend Yield 0.00% 1.15%
Distribution Frequency None Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 10 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

ARKK Top Holdings

NameWeight
Tesla Inc1088.03%
CRISPR Therapeutics AG548.07%
Roku Inc500.14%
Tempus AI Inc487.20%
Coinbase Global Inc462.29%
Shopify Inc424.50%
Robinhood Markets Inc399.82%
Advanced Micro Devices Inc397.53%
Teradyne Inc357.06%
Beam Therapeutics Inc353.11%

MDY Top Holdings

NameWeight
Ciena Corp102.57%
Coherent Corp90.18%
Lumentum Holdings Inc81.25%
Flex Ltd69.47%
Twilio Inc67.05%
United Therapeutics Corp65.23%
Pure Storage Inc65.05%
Casey's General Stores Inc63.89%
Curtiss-Wright Corp63.20%
Illumina Inc62.31%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose MDY if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose ARKK if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

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