REGL vs SDY: Performance, Holdings, Fees & Risk
REGL and SDY are ETFs, but they can differ materially in exposure, yield, fees and risk. REGL is ProShares - S&P MidCap 400 Dividend Aristocrats ETF, while SDY is State Street SPDR S&P Dividend ETF. SDY is broader by holdings count, with 158 positions versus 66 for REGL. SDY is more concentrated at the top, based on top-10 holdings weight. Current AlgovestIQ evidence has SDY ahead on AIQ Score, 63 versus 55.
What is the main difference between REGL and SDY?
REGL and SDY have little in common: 12% of their weight is in the same securities.
| Metric | REGL | SDY |
|---|---|---|
| Fund | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.4% | 0.35% |
| Holdings | 66 | 158 |
| Top-10 concentration | 17.2% | 20.6% |
| Distribution yieldTrailing 12 months | 2.22% | 2.42% |
| Average volume | 57,471 | 208,470 |
| Performance | ||
| 1Y return | +7.9% | +12.9% |
| YTD return | +6.5% | +12.2% |
| 5Y annualized returnTotal return, distributions reinvested | +7.1% | +7.5% |
| Risk | ||
| Annualized volatility | 12.4% | 10.8% |
| Max drawdown (1Y) | -9.8% | -8% |
| Max drawdown (5Y)Total return, distributions reinvested | -17% | -15.2% |
| Beta | 0.36 | 0.23 |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.33 | 0.75 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.60 | 1.40 |
| AlgovestIQ | ||
| AIQ Score | 55/100 | 63/100 |
| AIQ Edge Score | 5/10 | 9/10 |
| Momentum | 60/100 | 82/100 |
| Risk Resilience | 72/100 | 72/100 |
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
ProShares - S&P MidCap 400 Dividend Aristocrats ETF vs State Street SPDR S&P Dividend ETF
SDY leads
SDY leads by 8 AIQ points, primarily on Momentum and Quality, and the lead has widened from 3 points over 30 sessions.
Fragile: 2 of 4 evidence groups support SDY, its lead is widening, and its current signal state is conflicted.
ProShares - S&P MidCap 400 Dividend Aristocrats ETF
State Street SPDR S&P Dividend ETF
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors SDY over REGL, 63 versus 55 as of Oct 21, 2026. SDY's advantage is driven primarily by stronger momentum and quality. SDY also shows the stronger technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average. 2 of 4 covered evidence groups favor SDY today, and the comparison is rated Fragile on stability: only 2 of 4 covered evidence groups agree. SDY lead: Strengthening — the AIQ differential moved from 3 to 8 points over 30 sessions.
Compare ProShares - S&P MidCap 400 Dividend Aristocrats ETF and State Street SPDR S&P Dividend ETF across performance, expense ratio, dividend yield, drawdown, volatility and the Algovestiq AIQ Score.
REGL vs SDY: which fits what
Each row is settled by a single measure. Where the gap is too small to matter it reads Similar, and no row decides the comparison as a whole.
| If you want | REGL | SDY | Fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower costExpense ratio | 0.4% | 0.35% | SDY |
| Broader diversificationNumber of holdings | 66 | 158 | SDY |
| Lower concentrationWeight of the 10 largest holdings | 17.2% | 20.6% | REGL |
| Higher incomeTrailing 12-month distribution yield | 2.22% | 2.42% | SDY |
| Smaller drawdownsMax drawdown, 5 years | -17% | -15.2% | Similar |
| Lower volatilityAnnualized volatility, 1 year | 12.4% | 10.8% | SDY |
Similar means the gap is within 0.01 percentage points of expense ratio, 25% more holdings, 3 points of top-10 weight, 0.2 points of yield, 2 points of drawdown or 1 point of volatility. Past drawdowns and volatility describe the funds’ history, not their future.
Performance over time
Total return with distributions reinvested, from daily closes for both ETFs.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000, distributions reinvested
Split-adjusted closes; each distribution is reinvested at the close on its ex-dividend date. Taxes and trading costs are not modeled.
Compare REGL and SDY against another ticker
Open a multi-ticker workspace without changing this focused pair page.
AIQ Factor Divergence
Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.
- Momentum60 vs 82SDY +22
- Quality42 vs 54SDY +12
- Value54 vs 52Even
- Risk Resilience72 vs 72Even
2 of 4 evidence groups favor SDY. SDY’s edge is concentrated in momentum and quality.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-10-20, compared against the prior scored session 2026-10-19.
Largest factor move: Momentum +11
New signals
- BB Upper Band Breach — bearish, volatility, short horizon
- RSI Overbought — bearish, momentum, short horizon
Largest factor move: Value +1, not enough on its own to move the overall score.
New signals
- BB Upper Band Breach — bearish, volatility, short horizon
- 52-Week High Proximity — bullish, risk, long horizon (2.6%)
SDY's lead narrowed by 3 AIQ points in the latest session.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — REGL and SDY both carry a full feed there.
Fund facts, side by side
Two funds tracking overlapping universes are separated by cost and risk far more than by holdings. Those lead here.
| Measure | REGL | SDY | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expense ratio | 0.4% | 0.35% | Lower is better — it compounds against you every year you hold. |
| Holdings | 66 | 158 | More holdings means broader diversification, not better returns. |
| Average volume | 57,471 | 208,470 | Liquidity — matters most if you trade size. |
| Annualized volatility | 12.4% | 10.8% | Lower is a steadier ride for the same exposure. |
| Max drawdown (1Y) | -9.8% | -8% | The worst peak-to-trough loss over the past year. |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.33 | 0.75 | Return per unit of risk. Higher is better. |
| Beta | 0.36 | 0.23 | Sensitivity to the broad market. Neither direction is better — it depends on the role in your portfolio. |
Where the exposure actually sits
Sector exposure for each fund, ordered by the size of the difference.
How much of the same holdings they own
REGL and SDY share 12.05% of their weighted exposure across 36 common holdings.
29 holdings are unique to REGL, and 120 holdings are unique to SDY. Owning both is genuinely additive — most of the capital sits in different securities.
SDY is the more concentrated of the two: its ten largest positions are 20.57% of the fund, against 17.2% for REGL (158 holdings vs 66). Concentration cuts both ways — it is what drives outperformance when the top names work, and what makes the drawdown deeper when they do not.
Largest shared positions
| Holding | REGL | SDY | Shared |
|---|---|---|---|
| RPMRPM INTERNATIONAL INC | 1.47% | 0.57% | 0.57% |
| GGGGRACO INC | 1.65% | 0.56% | 0.56% |
| LECOLINCOLN ELECTRIC HOLDINGS | 1.65% | 0.54% | 0.54% |
| RGLDROYAL GOLD INC | 1.99% | 0.53% | 0.53% |
| CSLCARLISLE COS INC | 1.56% | 0.53% | 0.53% |
| ELSEQUITY LIFESTYLE PROPERTIES | 1.49% | 0.51% | 0.51% |
| WTRGESSENTIAL UTILITIES INC | 1.69% | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| AFGAMERICAN FINANCIAL GROUP INC | 1.62% | 0.43% | 0.43% |
Shared weight is the lower of the two positions — the portion of capital both funds genuinely have in the same security.
What REGL adds that SDY doesn’t
| Holding | REGL | SDY |
|---|---|---|
| RGLDROYAL GOLD INC | 1.99% | 0.53% |
| UNMUNUM GROUP | 1.74% | Not held |
| AVNTAVIENT CORP | 1.73% | Not held |
| THGHANOVER INSURANCE GROUP INC/ | 1.72% | 0.35% |
| SEICSEI INVESTMENTS COMPANY | 1.69% | 0.37% |
| WTRGESSENTIAL UTILITIES INC | 1.69% | 0.5% |
What SDY adds that REGL doesn’t
| Holding | SDY | REGL |
|---|---|---|
| VZVERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC | 3.23% | Not held |
| ACNACCENTURE PLC CL A | 3.15% | Not held |
| CVXCHEVRON CORP | 2.08% | Not held |
| OREALTY INCOME CORP | 2.05% | Not held |
| PEPPEPSICO INC | 1.91% | Not held |
| MDTMEDTRONIC PLC | 1.85% | Not held |
Each list is a fund’s largest positions by weight that the other fund does not hold, or holds at less than half the weight.
REGL vs SDY: five-year payout growth
REGL grew its split-adjusted payout faster over 2020-2025 — 5.21% a year against SDY's 3.76%.
| Dividend metric | REGL | SDY |
|---|---|---|
| 5Y payout CAGR | 5.21% | 3.76% |
| 2020 annual payout | $1.513 | $3.022 |
| 2025 annual payout | $1.950 | $3.634 |
| Calendar-year declines | 1 | 1 |
| Peer rank | #17 of 33 | #22 of 33 |
Split-adjusted annual distributions, 2020–2025. Research as of Sep 19, 2026. Yield and expense ratio above are current values, not part of this window.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
2 of 4 covered evidence groups favor SDY. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | SDY | 55 vs 63 |
| Fundamentals | Not covered | Not covered |
| Valuation | Even | Value 54 vs 52 |
| Technicals | SDY | Price vs 50-day -1.2% vs 1.7%; vs 200-day -0.5% vs 3.4% |
| Risk Resilience | Even | Risk Resilience 72 vs 72 |
| Analyst expectations | Not covered | Not covered |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of REGL and SDY and are excluded from the count.
AIQ Decision Stability
The conclusion is sensitive to small changes. Treat the lead as provisional and watch the flip conditions below.
- The AIQ gap is moderate at 8 points.
- Only 2 of 4 covered evidence groups agree. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The leader's advantage has been widening. (supports the conclusion holding)
- The leader is throwing conflicting signals. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on SDY.
How the comparison changed
95 daily snapshots · Jun 22 – Oct 20SDY lead: Strengthening — the AIQ differential moved from 3 to 8 points over 30 sessions.
- Today
- SDY +8
- 55 vs 63
- 7 sessions ago
- SDY +12
- 51 vs 63
- 30 sessions ago
- SDY +3
- 46 vs 49
- 90 sessions ago
- SDY +2
- 55 vs 57
The lead changed hands once in this window, most recently on Jul 23 when REGL moved ahead of SDY.
AIQ Signal Divergence
Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.
2 bullish / 2 bearish / 2 neutral, conflicted
Only REGL
- Bollinger Band Squeeze — neutral, volatility, short horizon
6 bullish / 2 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted
Only SDY
- Keltner Channel Breakout — bullish, volatility, short horizon
- EMA Ribbon Expansion Bullish — bullish, trend, medium horizon
- 52-Week High Proximity — bullish, risk, long horizon (2.6%)
- Uptrend Structure Active — bullish, trend, long horizon
Both carry 5 more signals that do not separate them: Golden Cross Active, ATR Contraction - Coiling, BB Upper Band Breach, RSI Overbought, MACD Bullish Crossover.
SDY leads the comparison while carrying a conflicted signal state, which is one reason the stability rating is not higher.
Price vs model alignment
Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.
Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price +0.02%, AIQ +3 points).
Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price -0.07%, AIQ 0 points).
What would flip this result
A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.
- 1REGL closes the Momentum gap — currently 22 points behind, the largest single contributor to SDY's edge.
- 2REGL's BB Upper Band Breach resolves — a bearish volatility rule currently active against it.
- 3SDY's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 6 bullish and 2 bearish rules at once.
- 4A regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
The full evidence
Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.
Performance
SDY leads 6 of 6 windows| Metric | REGL | SDY |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | 1.9% | 3.5% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | 0.2% | 4.1% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | -3.8% | 1.2% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | -0.5% | 5.5% |
| Year to date | 6.5% | 12.2% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | 7.9% | 12.9% |
Technicals
SDY has the stronger structure| Metric | REGL | SDY |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 70.6 | 82.9 |
| ADX (14) | 34.8 | 31.8 |
| Price vs 50-day | -1.2% | 1.7% |
| Price vs 200-day | -0.5% | 3.4% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 12.8% | 11.7% |
Risk
Split| Metric | REGL | SDY |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 0.36 | 0.23 |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.33 | 0.75 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.6 | 1.4 |
| Max drawdown | -9.8% | -8% |
| Current drawdown | -6.4% | -1.9% |
| Annualized volatility | 12.4% | 10.8% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -1.2% | -0.9% |
Straight answers
Short answers to the questions fund investors ask about this pair, from the figures above.
What is the difference between REGL and SDY?
REGL and SDY have little in common: 12% of their weight is in the same securities.
How much do REGL and SDY overlap?
REGL and SDY share 12.05% of their weighted exposure across 36 common holdings. 29 holdings are unique to REGL, and 120 holdings are unique to SDY. Owning both is genuinely additive — most of the capital sits in different securities.
Which ETF is more diversified, REGL or SDY?
SDY holds more positions: 158 versus 66 for REGL.
Which has the lower expense ratio?
SDY has the lower expense ratio, 0.35% a year against 0.4% for REGL.
Which ETF has the higher distribution yield?
SDY, with a trailing 12-month distribution yield of 2.42% against 2.22% for REGL.
Which ETF has been more volatile?
REGL has been more volatile over the past year, at 12.4% annualized against 10.8% for SDY.
Which ETF has had the smaller drawdown?
Their worst peak-to-trough falls over the past five years are similar: -17% for REGL and -15.2% for SDY.
Compare REGL and SDY with others
Continue your research
This page answers which of the two. These answer the questions on either side of it.
How this comparison is scored
The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk, each carrying a fixed weight. Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.
The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.
How to use side-by-side comparison →This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.