SPY vs SPHQ: which ETF won each year?

Yearly returns side by side, one winner per year — dividends included, priced as you'd actually buy them.

SPY tracks the S&P 500 IndexSPHQ tracks the S&P 500 Quality Index

What did the last 10 years do to $10,000?

You invest $10,000 at the start of the window and touch nothing — dividends reinvested, the running year not counted.

SPY turned it into
$39,466
+14.72% per year on average · 20162025
SPHQ turned it into
$37,666
+14.18% per year on average · 20162025
Difference
+$1,800
SPY made more of the same money

SPY vs SPHQ, year by year

Calendar-year total returns (dividends included) side by side, and who took the crown each year. A dash means the fund did not exist yet.

Years compared
22
where both funds were trading
SPY won
11
years
SPHQ won
11
years
YearSPYSPHQWinner
2026 (so far)+10.09%+20.79%SPHQ
2025+17.72%+13.25%SPY
2024+24.89%+25.44%SPHQ
2023+26.18%+24.83%SPY
2022-18.18%-15.76%SPHQ
2021+28.73%+27.59%SPY
2020+18.33%+16.93%SPY
2019+31.22%+33.63%SPHQ
2018-4.57%-7.09%SPY
2017+21.71%+19.10%SPY
2016+12.00%+14.30%SPHQ
2015+1.23%+1.64%SPHQ
2014+13.46%+16.08%SPHQ
2013+32.31%+32.73%SPHQ
2012+15.99%+14.32%SPY
2011+1.89%+6.28%SPHQ
2010+15.06%+20.50%SPHQ
2009+26.35%+12.59%SPY
2008-36.80%-46.35%SPY
2007+5.15%+16.77%SPHQ
2006+15.85%+4.58%SPY
2005+4.83%-2.05%SPY
2004+10.70%
2003+28.18%
2002-21.58%
2001-11.76%
2000-9.74%
1999+20.39%
1998+28.69%
1997+33.47%
1996+22.50%
1995+38.05%
1994+0.40%
1993+8.71%

SPY vs SPHQ in plain words

SPY tracks the S&P 500 Index while SPHQ follows the S&P 500 Quality Index, so they own different slices of the market and their years can look very different. SPY charges 0.0945% a year in running costs and SPHQ charges 0.15% — SPY is the cheaper fund to hold.

Both funds distribute: dividends land in your account as cash instead of being reinvested automatically. Across the 22 calendar years both funds were trading, SPY finished the year ahead 11 times and SPHQ 11 times. $10,000 invested at the start of 2016 was worth $39,466 in SPY versus $37,666 in SPHQ by the end of 2025, dividends reinvested.

Fund facts: SPY vs SPHQ

FactSPYSPHQ
FundSPDR S&P 500 ETF TrustInvesco S&P 500 Quality ETF
TracksS&P 500 IndexS&P 500 Quality Index
Yearly cost (TER)0.0945%0.15%
DividendsDistributing — dividends paid outDistributing — dividends paid out
Launched22 Jan 19936 Dec 2005

Frequently asked

Is SPY or SPHQ better?

Across the 22 calendar years both funds were trading, SPY finished the year ahead 11 times and SPHQ 11 times. $10,000 invested at the start of 2016 was worth $39,466 in SPY versus $37,666 in SPHQ by the end of 2025, dividends reinvested. Past returns don't promise future ones — but this is what actually happened.

What is the difference between SPY and SPHQ?

SPY tracks the S&P 500 Index while SPHQ follows the S&P 500 Quality Index, so they own different slices of the market and their years can look very different. SPY charges 0.0945% a year in running costs and SPHQ charges 0.15% — SPY is the cheaper fund to hold. Both funds distribute: dividends land in your account as cash instead of being reinvested automatically.

What would $10,000 in SPY have become?

$10,000 invested in SPY at the start of 2016 grew to $39,466 by the end of 2025, with dividends reinvested — an average of 14.7% per year.

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