SPY vs NOW Stock Comparison

State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF vs ServiceNow, Inc.

Data as of Sep 2, 2026· market close· NOW (stock) vs SPY (ETF)· Coverage 54/66 fields· 30/42 directly comparable· Moderate confidence
AIQ VerdictFragileAIQ Comparison Conviction 3/10

SPY leads

SPY leads by 4 AIQ points, primarily on Risk Resilience and Quality, but the lead has narrowed from 12 points over 30 sessions.

Fragile: 2 of 4 evidence groups support SPY, its lead is narrowing, and its current signal state is conflicted.

Evidence agreement: 2 of 4Comparison trend: Weakening
SPY

State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF

Leads
AIQ Score
62/100
AIQ Edge Score
9/10
NOW

ServiceNow, Inc.

AIQ Score
58/100
AIQ Edge Score
8/10

The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors SPY over NOW, 62 versus 58 as of Sep 2, 2026. SPY's advantage is driven primarily by stronger risk resilience and quality, while NOW holds the stronger momentum profile. SPY also shows the weaker technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average. 2 of 4 covered evidence groups favor SPY today, and the comparison is rated Fragile on stability: the AIQ gap is narrow at 4 points. SPY lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 12 to 4 points over 30 sessions.

Compare State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF and ServiceNow, Inc. across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.

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.

SPY advantage
0
NOW advantage
  • Risk Resilience15%89 vs 41
    SPY +48
  • Momentum25%47 vs 82
    NOW +35
  • Quality30%84 vs 64
    SPY +20
  • Value30%39 vs 42
    Even

2 of 4 evidence groups favor SPY. SPY’s edge is concentrated in risk resilience and quality; NOW keeps a meaningful momentum edge.

What changed since the last close

Latest scored session 2026-09-01, compared against the prior scored session 2026-08-31.

SPY-2 AIQ

Largest factor move: Momentum -8

No new signals fired.

NOW-1 AIQ

Largest factor move: Momentum -2

No new signals fired.

SPY's lead narrowed by 1 AIQ points in the latest snapshot.

Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — SPY and NOW both carry a full feed there.

The central trade-off

SPY (State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF): the stronger current systematic profile, led by risk resilience and quality.

NOW (ServiceNow, Inc.): the counter-case, on momentum, technicals — but at materially higher volatility, 58.1% against 7.2%.

Which one fits your objective

The same two names rank differently depending on what you are optimizing for. All six reads are shown at once — none of them is hidden behind a toggle.

Balanced

SPY

SPY on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value at 30% each.

Growth

Even

Growth figures are not covered for both names.

Value

Even

The two are level on Value.

Momentum

NOW

NOW on the Momentum factor, by 35 points.

Lower downside

SPY

SPY on Risk Resilience, by 48 points.

Analyst upside

Even

Analyst targets are level or not covered for both names.

AIQ vs Wall Street

Where the systematic read and the analyst consensus line up — and where they do not.

MeasureSPYNOWNote
Implied upside to target+2.8%Level
Target dispersion+115.9%Lower is tighter analyst agreement
ConsensusBuyContext, not a primary driver
Analysts covering23Higher coverage generally improves confidence

Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.

AIQ Agreement Matrix

2 of 4 covered evidence groups favor SPY. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.

Evidence groupFavorsReading
AIQ ScoreSPY62 vs 58
FundamentalsNot coveredNot covered
ValuationEvenValue 39 vs 42
TechnicalsNOWPrice vs 50-day 1.4% vs 19.8%; vs 200-day 7.2% vs 20.1%
Risk ResilienceSPYRisk Resilience 89 vs 41
Analyst expectationsNot coveredNot covered

✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of SPY and NOW and are excluded from the count.

AIQ Decision Stability

Fragile

The conclusion is sensitive to small changes. Treat the lead as provisional and watch the flip conditions below.

  • The AIQ gap is narrow at 4 points. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
  • Only 2 of 4 covered evidence groups agree. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
  • The leader's advantage has been narrowing. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
  • 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 SPY.

How the comparison changed

120 daily snapshots · Apr 20 Sep 1

SPY lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 12 to 4 points over 30 sessions.

Apr 20SPY leads above the line · NOW leads belowSep 1
Today
SPY +4
62 vs 58
7 sessions ago
SPY +7
64 vs 57
30 sessions ago
SPY +12
71 vs 59
90 sessions ago
SPY +14
57 vs 43

The lead changed hands 2 times in this window, most recently on Jul 30 when SPY moved ahead of NOW.

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.

SPYConflicted

4 bullish / 1 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted

  • Golden Cross Active bullish, trend, long horizon (6.20%)
  • EMA Ribbon Expansion Bullish bullish, trend, medium horizon
  • 52-Week High Proximity bullish, risk, long horizon (1.9%)
NOWConflicted

2 bullish / 1 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted

  • Death Cross Active bearish, trend, long horizon (4.26%)
  • Keltner Channel Breakout bullish, volatility, short horizon
  • ATR Expansion - Breakout Mode neutral, volatility, short horizon (4.59%)

SPY 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.

SPYDivergence

Price is up while the AIQ Score moved down 2 points over the same session — price and model disagree (price +0.44%, AIQ -2 points).

NOWConfirmed weakness

Price and the AIQ Score both moved down over the latest session (price -4.32%, AIQ -1 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.

  1. 1NOW closes the Risk Resilience gap — currently 48 points behind, the largest single contributor to SPY's edge.
  2. 2NOW's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it.
  3. 3SPY's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 4 bullish and 1 bearish rules at once.
  4. 4The narrowing continues — the lead has already given back 8 points over 30 sessions, and a further 4-point move would eliminate SPY's advantage entirely.

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.

Fundamentals

Split
MetricSPYNOW
Revenue growth (YoY)5.8%
EPS growth (YoY)-35.6%
Gross margin74.8%
Operating margin11.4%
Return on equity13.8%
Debt to equity0.68

Technicals

NOW has the stronger structure
MetricSPYNOW
RSI (14)38.466.3
ADX (14)14.225.2
Price vs 50-day1.4%19.8%
Price vs 200-day7.2%20.1%
Volatility (1M, annualized)7.2%58.1%

Risk

SPY is the more resilient
MetricSPYNOW
Beta10.63
Sharpe ratio1.06-0.23
Sortino ratio1.51-0.33
Max drawdown-9.1%-56.8%
Current drawdown-2.1%-25.7%
Annualized volatility12.8%56.1%
Value at risk (95%)-1.4%-5.8%

Straight answers

Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.

Which is better, SPY or NOW?

On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, SPY is the stronger of the two as of Sep 2, 2026, scoring 62 against NOW's 58. The edge comes from risk resilience and quality. NOW is not without a case — it holds the better momentum profile, which matters more if that is the objective you are optimizing for. This is a systematic score, not a recommendation: it ranks the two on the same evidence, it does not know your holding period or tax position.

Is SPY or NOW the better buy right now?

SPY carries the stronger systematic profile as of Sep 2, 2026, and the comparison is rated Fragile — 2 of 4 covered evidence groups agree. A Fragile rating means the conclusion is sensitive: the AIQ gap is narrow at 4 points. Treat the lead as provisional.

Why does the AIQ Score favor SPY over NOW?

The composite weights Quality at 30%, Value at 30%, Momentum at 25% and Risk Resilience at 15%. SPY leads Risk Resilience by 48 points; NOW leads Momentum by 35 points; SPY leads Quality by 20 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.

Which has more analyst upside, SPY or NOW?

Analyst price targets imply not covered upside for SPY and +2.8% for NOW. The model and the Street agree here, which is a broader base of evidence than either alone. Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions, and dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.

Which is better value, SPY or NOW?

Neither name separates on the peer-relative Value factor. The two are level on Value. The Value factor reads valuation relative to sector peers and to the company's own fundamental quality, so it is not the same as simply having the lower multiple.

Which has stronger growth, SPY or NOW?

Growth figures are not covered for both names. Growth here is measured on reported revenue and earnings, not on forward estimates — it describes what the businesses have delivered, not what the Street expects next.

Which has stronger momentum, SPY or NOW?

NOW on the Momentum factor, by 35 points. Momentum carries 25% of the AIQ composite. It has documented persistence over three- to twelve-month horizons, which makes it a timing input rather than a reason to hold something indefinitely.

Which is riskier, SPY or NOW?

SPY is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. SPY on Risk Resilience, by 48 points. The Risk Resilience factor weights 15% of the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.

Is SPY more profitable than NOW?

Margin data is not comparable for both names in the current snapshot.

Is SPY's lead over NOW getting stronger or weaker?

SPY lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 12 to 4 points over 30 sessions. This is measured from 120 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-04-20 and 2026-09-01. The lead has changed hands 2 times in that window, most recently on 2026-07-30, when SPY moved ahead of NOW.

What would change the SPY vs NOW verdict?

The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: NOW closes the Risk Resilience gap — currently 48 points behind, the largest single contributor to SPY's edge; NOW's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it; SPY's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 4 bullish and 1 bearish rules at once; the narrowing continues — the lead has already given back 8 points over 30 sessions, and a further 4-point move would eliminate SPY's advantage entirely.

What do the current signals say about SPY and NOW?

SPY: 4 bullish / 1 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted. NOW: 2 bullish / 1 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted. A conflicted state means bullish and bearish rules are active on the same name at once — the technical evidence is not pointing one way, and a decision taken on it carries more timing risk. The most decision-relevant rule on SPY is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon). On NOW it is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon).

Compare SPY and NOW with others

How this comparison is scored

The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality (30%), Value (30%), Momentum (25%) and Risk (15%). 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.