SPY vs VXUS
Two funds, one decision: we compare cost, performance and what each ETF actually holds in October 2026.
State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) holds 505 US large-cap stocks and charges 0.09% a year, while Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS) holds 8,860 stocks from outside the US for 0.05% and yields 2.28% versus 0.99%. The two share no top ten holdings. SPY suits investors who want US equity exposure; VXUS suits those adding international diversification. Educational content, not financial advice.
State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) holds 505 US large-cap stocks and charges 0.09% a year, while Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS) holds 8,860 stocks from outside the US for 0.05% and yie...
Investment Analysis
SPY
SPY
Pros
- Tracks the S&P 500, the most widely followed US stock benchmark
- Largest US-listed ETF with $785.05 billion in net assets
- Top holdings include NVIDIA at 8.07%, Apple at 7.51% and Microsoft at 5.61%
Considerations
- Expense ratio of 0.09% is higher than VXUS's 0.05%
- Dividend yield of 0.99% is well below VXUS's 2.28%
- No exposure to companies outside the United States
VXUS
VXUS
Pros
- Lower expense ratio of 0.05%, or $5 a year per $10,000 invested
- Holds 8,860 stocks across developed and emerging markets outside the US
- Dividend yield of 2.28%, more than double SPY's
Considerations
- Smaller fund at $164.04 billion in net assets versus $785.05 billion
- Returns are affected by currency movements against the US dollar
- Largest holding, Taiwan Semiconductor at 3.97%, brings single-country exposure
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