ETF Versus

MDY vs SPDW

State Street SPDR S&P MIDCAP 400 ETF Trust vs State Street SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF

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
SPDW State Street

State Street SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF (SPDW) is an exchange-traded fund issued by State Street that provides exposure to equities in developed international markets outside the U.S.. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.19%. Launched in 2007, the fund has a 19-year track record.

AUM: N/A ER: 0.03% Yield: 3.19% Since: 2007-04-26

Quick Verdict

SPDW is significantly cheaper at 0.03% vs 0.24% expense ratio, saving you approximately $415 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Over the past year, SPDW has significantly outperformed with a 25.6% return vs 13.9%. Income investors may prefer SPDW for its higher yield (3.2% vs 1.1%).

Key Metrics

Metric MDY SPDW
Expense Ratio 0.24% 0.03%
Dividend Yield 1.1% 3.2%
Fund Family State Street State Street
Category US Mid Cap International Developed

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

70 84 98 112 126 140 2021-04 2022-06 2023-10 2024-12 2026-04
MDY +27.8%
SPDW +26.6%

Performance Comparison

Period MDY SPDW Difference
1 Month -4.04% -2.87% -1.17%
3 Months +1.57% +2.43% -0.86%
6 Months +3.21% +5.33% -2.12%
YTD +1.57% +2.43% -0.86%
1 Year +13.95% +25.60% -11.65%
3 Years +35.56% +42.12% -6.56%
5 Years +27.83% +26.60% +1.23%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period MDY Fees SPDW Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $475 $60 $415
$10,000 20 years $2,028 $258 $1,770
$10,000 30 years $6,497 $835 $5,662
$50,000 10 years $2,375 $299 $2,075
$50,000 30 years $32,483 $4,176 $28,308
$100,000 30 years $64,967 $8,352 $56,615

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric MDY SPDW
Annualized Volatility 19.8% 16.3%
Max Drawdown -24.5% -33.0%
Sharpe Ratio 0.12 0.10

Dividend Comparison

Metric MDY SPDW
Annual Dividend (per share) $7.12 $1.47
Dividend Yield 1.15% 3.19%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Semi-Annual or Annual

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%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose SPDW if...

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

Choose SPDW if...

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

Choose SPDW if...

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

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