State Street vs. iShares: Which Global ETF Offers Better Value?
Key Points
State Street SPDR Portfolio MSCI Global Stock Market ETF offers a lower expense ratio of 0.09% compared to 0.24% for iShares MSCI World ETF.
The iShares fund focuses exclusively on developed markets while the State Street ETF includes emerging markets and small-cap stocks.
Both ETFs exhibit similar price volatility, with five-year beta profiles below 1.00 relative to the S&P 500.
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The State Street SPDR Portfolio MSCI Global Stock Market ETF (NYSEMKT:SPGM) offers broader geographic exposure and a lower expense ratio than the iShares MSCI World ETF (NYSEMKT:URTH).
Both funds serve as core global equity holdings, but they define global differently. While URTH tracks developed markets, SPGM includes emerging markets and a wider range of market capitalizations, providing a more comprehensive slice of international stocks for a fraction of the cost.
Snapshot (cost & size)
| Metric | URTH | SPGM |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | iShares | SPDR |
| Share price (as of July 6, 2026) | $204.44 | $86.02 |
| Expense ratio | 0.24% | 0.09% |
| 1-yr return (as of July 6, 2026) | 21.4% | 25.6% |
| Dividend yield | 1.4% | 1.8% |
| Beta | 0.95 | 0.92 |
| AUM | $8.1 billion | $1.9 billion |
Beta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year monthly returns. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months. Dividend yield is the trailing-12-month distribution yield.
SPGM is more affordable, with a 0.09% expense ratio compared to 0.24% for its iShares peer. Additionally, the State Street fund currently provides a higher payout, with a yield gap of 0.40 percentage points.
Performance & risk comparison
| Metric | URTH | SPGM |
|---|---|---|
| Max drawdown (5 yr) | (26.1%) | (25.9%) |
| Growth of $1,000 over 5 years (total return) | $1,729 | $1,718 |
What's inside
State Street’s ETF provides broad exposure to established and developing markets, covering sectors like technology at 31%, financial services at 16%, and industrials at 12%. Its largest positions among 2,933 holdings include Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) at 3.99%, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) at 3.98%, and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) at 2.39%. The fund was launched in 2012. SPGM has paid $1.54 per share over the trailing 12 months, which on its recent ~$86.02 share price works out to a 1.8% yield.
The iShares fund focuses exclusively on developed economies, with a portfolio leaning into technology at 31%, financial services at 16%, and industrials at 11%. Top holdings among its 1,287 positions include Apple at 5.1%, Nvidia at 5.01%, and Microsoft at 3.03%. URTH was launched in 2012. The iShares ETF has paid $2.84 per share over the trailing 12 months, which on its recent ~$204.44 share price works out to a 1.4% yield.
For more guidance on ETF investing, check out the full guide at this link.
What this means for investors
URTH and SPGM share several commonalities. Their five-year returns and max drawdowns are about the same. Both have low betas. Their top 10 holdings even include the same eight stocks among them! However, the iShares ETF has a higher expense ratio and lower dividend yield, which may be unattractive to some investors.
One significant difference between URTH and SPGM is their size. The iShares fund has over $8 billion in assets under management, while its counterpart has just under $2 billion. Accordingly, URTH has a much higher average trading volume, and the increased liquidity that accompanies that may be more attractive than SGPM's lower cost and higher dividend yield.
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Erin Kennedy has positions in Apple. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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