SPY vs TROW Stock Comparison

TROW currently leads SPY in this stock comparison, with AIQ scores of 63 vs 59. The clearest difference is momentum, while SPY has the stronger risk resilience profile.

Market data as of Oct 24, 2026 market close· AIQ score gap 4 points
SPY
Equity
vs
TROW
Financial Services
SPY
State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF
Price
$760
Day move
-0.52%
AIQ Score
59/100
Best edge
Risk Resilience
Sector
Equity
TROW
T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.
Leads
Price
$104
Day move
+0.72%
AIQ Score
63/100
Best edge
Momentum
Sector
Financial Services

What is the main difference between SPY and TROW?

TROW leads the current stock comparison as T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., with the clearest separation coming from momentum and the broader AIQ evidence mix.

AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison

State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF vs T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.

Data as of Oct 24, 2026· market close· TROW (stock) vs SPY (ETF)· Coverage 65/66 fields· 42/42 directly comparable· Moderate confidence
AIQ VerdictFragileAIQ Comparison Conviction 3/10

TROW leads

TROW leads by 4 AIQ points, primarily on Momentum and Value, having only recently taken the lead back from SPY.

Fragile: 2 of 4 evidence groups support TROW, the lead recently changed hands, and its signal state is cleanly positive.

Evidence agreement: 2 of 4Comparison trend: Reversed
SPY

State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF

AIQ Score
59/100
AIQ Edge Score
7/10
TROW

T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.

Leads
AIQ Score
63/100
AIQ Edge Score
9/10

The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors TROW over SPY, 63 versus 59 as of Oct 24, 2026. TROW's advantage is driven primarily by stronger momentum and value, while SPY holds the stronger risk resilience profile. TROW also shows the weaker technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average. 2 of 4 covered evidence groups favor TROW today, and the comparison is rated Fragile on stability: the AIQ gap is narrow at 4 points. TROW lead: Reversed — SPY led by 5 AIQ points 30 sessions ago; TROW now leads by 4.

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

Currently unavailable

Performance over time

Total return with distributions reinvested, from daily closes.

SPY
+78.4%
TROW
-36.8%

Total return comparison

Growth of $10,000, distributions reinvested

SPY $17,839 · TROW $6,316

Split-adjusted closes; each distribution is reinvested at the close on its ex-dividend date. Taxes and trading costs are not modeled.

Compare SPY and TROW against another ticker

Open a multi-ticker workspace without changing this focused pair page.

Basic: 2 symbols·Explorer: 3 symbols·Pro and Premium: 5 symbols·Your limit: 2

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
TROW advantage
  • Momentum32 vs 50
    TROW +18
  • Risk Resilience87 vs 71
    SPY +16
  • Value41 vs 52
    TROW +11
  • Quality84 vs 80
    SPY +4

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

What changed since the last close

Latest scored session 2026-10-23, compared against the prior scored session 2026-10-22.

SPY-2 AIQ

Largest factor move: Momentum -9

New signals

  • EMA Ribbon Compression — neutral, trend, medium horizon
TROW+3 AIQ

Largest factor move: Momentum +11

No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 3 active signals are unchanged.

The lead changed hands: TROW moved ahead of SPY in the latest session.

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

The central trade-off

TROW (T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.): the stronger current systematic profile, led by momentum and value.

SPY (State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF): the counter-case, on risk resilience, quality, technicals.

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

TROW

TROW on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value most heavily.

Growth

Even

Growth figures are not covered for both names.

Value

TROW

TROW on the peer-relative Value factor, by 11 points.

Momentum

TROW

TROW on the Momentum factor, by 18 points.

Lower downside

SPY

SPY on Risk Resilience, by 16 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.

MeasureSPYTROWNote
Implied upside to target—+5.3%Level
Target dispersion—+29.2%Lower is tighter analyst agreement
Consensus—HoldContext, not a primary driver
Analysts covering—6Higher 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 TROW. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.

Evidence groupFavorsReading
AIQ ScoreTROW59 vs 63
FundamentalsNot coveredNot covered
ValuationTROWValue 41 vs 52
TechnicalsSPYPrice vs 50-day -1% vs -2%; vs 200-day 4.6% vs 0.4%
Risk ResilienceSPYRisk Resilience 87 vs 71
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 TROW 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 lead has already changed hands inside the comparison window. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
  • The leader's signal state is cleanly positive. (supports the conclusion holding)

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 TROW.

How the comparison changed

120 daily snapshots · Jun 24 – Oct 23

TROW lead: Reversed — SPY led by 5 AIQ points 30 sessions ago; TROW now leads by 4.

Jun 24SPY leads above the line · TROW leads belowOct 23
Today
TROW +4
59 vs 63
7 sessions ago
SPY +8
66 vs 58
30 sessions ago
SPY +5
67 vs 62
90 sessions ago
SPY +5
67 vs 62

The lead changed hands 2 times in this window, most recently on Oct 23 when TROW moved ahead of SPY.

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

2 bullish / 1 bearish / 2 neutral, conflicted

Only SPY

  • ATR Contraction - Coiling — neutral, volatility, short horizon (0.95%)
  • EMA Ribbon Compression — neutral, trend, medium horizon
  • 52-Week High Proximity — bullish, risk, long horizon (2.3%)
  • MACD Bearish Crossover — bearish, momentum, short horizon
TROW

2 bullish / 0 bearish / 1 neutral

Only TROW

  • Bollinger Band Squeeze — neutral, volatility, short horizon
  • MACD Bullish Crossover — bullish, momentum, short horizon

Both carry 1 more signal that do not separate them: Golden Cross Active.

SPY is conflicted, so the timing case there is weaker than the score alone suggests.

Price vs model alignment

Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.

SPYConfirmed weakness

Price and the AIQ Score both moved down over the latest session (price -0.52%, AIQ -2 points).

TROWConfirmed strength

Price and the AIQ Score both moved up over the latest session (price +0.72%, AIQ +3 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. 1SPY closes the Momentum gap — currently 18 points behind, the largest single contributor to TROW's edge.
  2. 2SPY's ATR Contraction - Coiling turns directional — it is neutral today and would confirm a change in trend.
  3. 3TROW's Golden Cross Active breaks down — it is the strongest rule currently supporting the verdict.
  4. 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.

Fundamentals

Split
MetricSPYTROW
Revenue growth (YoY)—2.7%
EPS growth (YoY)—29.1%
Gross margin—70.7%
Operating margin—30.3%
Return on equity (TTM)—20.4%
Debt to equity—0.04

Performance

SPY leads 4 of 6 windows
MetricSPYTROW
1 week (5 sessions)-0.4%3.2%
1 month (20 sessions)-1.5%-1.2%
3 months (63 sessions)2.8%-12.6%
6 months (126 sessions)6.4%5.2%
Year to date11.4%1.8%
1 year (252 sessions)13.6%0%

Technicals

SPY has the stronger structure
MetricSPYTROW
RSI (14)36.950.9
ADX (14)14.729.6
Price vs 50-day-1%-2%
Price vs 200-day4.6%0.4%
Volatility (1M, annualized)9.8%19.8%

Risk

SPY is the more resilient
MetricSPYTROW
Beta10.81
Sharpe ratio0.770.01
Sortino ratio1.180.02
Max drawdown-9.1%-20.9%
Current drawdown-2.5%-14.4%
Annualized volatility12.8%23.7%
Value at risk (95%)-1.4%-2.4%

Straight answers

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

Which is better, SPY or TROW?

On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, TROW is the stronger of the two as of Oct 24, 2026, scoring 63 against SPY's 59. The edge comes from momentum and value. SPY is not without a case — it holds the better risk resilience 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 TROW the better buy right now?

TROW carries the stronger systematic profile as of Oct 24, 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 TROW over SPY?

The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. TROW leads Momentum by 18 points; SPY leads Risk Resilience by 16 points; TROW leads Value by 11 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.

Which has more analyst upside, SPY or TROW?

Analyst price targets imply not covered upside for SPY and +5.3% for TROW. 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 TROW?

TROW is the better-valued of the two on the peer-relative Value factor. TROW on the peer-relative Value factor, by 11 points. 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 TROW?

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 TROW?

TROW on the Momentum factor, by 18 points. Momentum is one of the four weighted factors in 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 TROW?

SPY is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. SPY on Risk Resilience, by 16 points. Risk Resilience is a weighted factor in the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.

Is SPY more profitable than TROW?

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

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

TROW lead: Reversed — SPY led by 5 AIQ points 30 sessions ago; TROW now leads by 4. This is measured from 120 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-06-24 and 2026-10-23. The lead has changed hands 2 times in that window, most recently on 2026-10-23, when TROW moved ahead of SPY.

What would change the SPY vs TROW verdict?

The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: SPY closes the Momentum gap — currently 18 points behind, the largest single contributor to TROW's edge; SPY's ATR Contraction - Coiling turns directional — it is neutral today and would confirm a change in trend; TROW's Golden Cross Active breaks down — it is the strongest rule currently supporting the verdict; a 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.

What do the current signals say about SPY and TROW?

SPY: 2 bullish / 1 bearish / 2 neutral, conflicted. TROW: 2 bullish / 0 bearish / 1 neutral. 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 TROW it is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon).

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.