ETF Versus

MDY vs MGK

State Street SPDR S&P MIDCAP 400 ETF Trust vs Vanguard Mega Cap Growth Index Fund

Last updated: 2026-04-02

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
MGK Vanguard

Vanguard Mega Cap Growth Index Fund (MGK) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. growth stocks with above-average earnings potential. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.07%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.39%. Launched in 2007, the fund has a 19-year track record.

AUM: $32.5B ER: 0.07% Yield: 0.39% Since: 2007-12-27

Quick Verdict

MGK is significantly cheaper at 0.07% vs 0.24% expense ratio, saving you approximately $335 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. MGK has edged ahead over the past year (18.2% vs 13.9%). Income investors may prefer MDY for its higher yield (1.1% vs 0.4%).

Key Metrics

Metric MDY MGK
Expense Ratio 0.24% 0.07%
Dividend Yield 1.1% 0.4%
Fund Family State Street Vanguard
Category US Mid Cap US Large Cap Growth

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 100 125 150 175 200 2021-04 2022-06 2023-10 2024-12 2026-04
MDY +27.8%
MGK +72.8%

Performance Comparison

Period MDY MGK Difference
1 Month -4.04% -3.80% -0.24%
3 Months +1.57% -9.72% +11.29%
6 Months +3.21% -8.91% +12.12%
YTD +1.57% -9.72% +11.29%
1 Year +13.95% +18.16% -4.21%
3 Years +35.56% +81.45% -45.89%
5 Years +27.83% +72.76% -44.93%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period MDY Fees MGK Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $475 $140 $335
$10,000 20 years $2,028 $600 $1,428
$10,000 30 years $6,497 $1,938 $4,558
$50,000 10 years $2,375 $698 $1,677
$50,000 30 years $32,483 $9,692 $22,792
$100,000 30 years $64,967 $19,383 $45,583

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric MDY MGK
Annualized Volatility 19.8% 22.6%
Max Drawdown -24.5% -36.4%
Sharpe Ratio 0.12 0.40

Dividend Comparison

Metric MDY MGK
Annual Dividend (per share) $7.12 $1.43
Dividend Yield 1.15% 0.39%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 9 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

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%

MGK Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA Corp1297.27%
Apple Inc1207.38%
Microsoft Corp1061.93%
Amazon.com Inc457.34%
Tesla Inc446.59%
Meta Platforms Inc445.78%
Alphabet Inc421.92%
Broadcom Inc403.30%
Eli Lilly & Co328.40%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose MGK if...

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

Choose MGK if...

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

Choose MDY if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

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