SPY vs VSMAX: 3% overlap

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust and Vanguard Small-Cap Index Admiral share 3.1% of their portfolios by weight — computed as Σ min(wA, wB) over every holding both funds own.

Hold both, 50/50
2.0Effective Funds

You would hold two tickers and get the diversification of 2.0. Two funds that shared nothing would score 2.0; two identical funds score 1.0.

Overlap
3.1%
SPY expense ratio
0.09%
VSMAX expense ratio
0.05%

Top shared holdings

SPY and VSMAX hold 129 of the same securities. The ten contributing most to the overlap figure:

Holdingin SPYin VSMAXΔ
FLEX0.1%0.4%0.3%
EME0.1%0.4%0.4%
JBL0.1%0.5%0.4%
EQT0.1%0.2%0.1%
STLD0.1%0.2%0.1%
CASY0.1%0.4%0.3%
NRG0.0%0.4%0.3%
CNC0.0%0.2%0.1%
ATO0.0%0.3%0.3%
Q0.0%0.2%0.2%

Where SPY and VSMAX differ

Sector weights as a share of each fund, ordered by the size of the gap rather than the size of the sector — two funds that overlap heavily still usually diverge somewhere.

SectorSPYVSMAXΔ
Information Technology37.5%16.1%+21.4pp
Industrials8.9%21.0%12.1pp
Communication Services9.3%3.0%+6.3pp
Real Estate1.9%7.1%5.2pp
Materials1.8%5.3%3.5pp
Health Care9.1%11.9%2.8pp
Cash and/or Derivatives0.0%1.7%1.7pp
Consumer Discretionary8.8%9.9%1.2pp

Δ is SPY minus VSMAX, in percentage points. Sector data is not published by every issuer, so “Unclassified” is a real category rather than a gap in the table.

What each fund holds alone

Only in SPY
375 positions

96.8% of SPY by weight, held in no part of VSMAX.

Only in VSMAX
1,179 positions

78.7% of VSMAX by weight, held in no part of SPY.

A large count with a small weight is the usual shape: the positions one fund adds are typically its smallest ones.

Concentration and cost

SPYVSMAX
Top 10 holdings36.9%5.6%
Positions held5051,308
Cost per $10,000 held, per year$9$5

Cost is the expense ratio applied to $10,000; it excludes any brokerage commission, bid-ask spread or tax consequence. Figures are facts about the funds, not a suggestion about which to hold.

Frequently asked

How much do SPY and VSMAX overlap?

SPY and VSMAX overlap 3.1% by portfolio weight — largely distinct portfolios. They share 129 holdings. The figure comes from current issuer holdings files (SPY as of 2026-07-23, VSMAX as of 2026-06-30).

How is the overlap between SPY and VSMAX calculated?

As the sum of the smaller weight in each fund, over every holding both funds own: Σ min(wA, wB). If SPY holds a stock at 6% and VSMAX holds the same stock at 4%, 4% counts as shared. The result is bounded between 0% and 100%, and it is computed after looking through any fund-of-funds to the underlying holdings.

Is it redundant to hold both SPY and VSMAX?

That depends on your goals — we state facts, not advice. At 3.1% overlap, each fund still contributes meaningfully distinct exposure.

What does SPY own that VSMAX doesn't?

SPY holds 505 positions and VSMAX holds 1,308; 375 of SPY's positions don't appear in VSMAX at all, and they are 96.8% of SPY by weight.

You probably hold more than two funds

This page compares SPY and VSMAX. Paste your whole portfolio — brokerage, 401(k), IRA — and see the overlap across every fund at once, plus what you actually own underneath them and your own Effective Funds number. Free, no account, nothing stored.

X-ray my portfolio — free →

Watch SPY vs VSMAX

We re-read both funds’ published holdings every weeknight. Leave an address and we'll tell you when what's inside actually changes.

Not sending yet — email alerts are built but switched off, and you'll be among the first when they turn on. No spam, one-click unsubscribe.

Related comparisons

Sources: issuer holdings files, SPY as of 2026-07-23, VSMAX as of 2026-06-30. Weights are fractions of each fund. Diagnostics, not advice.