The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust — ticker SPY, often searched as “spy stock” — is an exchange-traded fund that aims to track the S&P 500 Index and has been listed since 1993.
State Street Global Advisors’ factsheet says the fund’s inception date is 01/22/1993 and that it seeks to “provide investment results that, before expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the S&P 500 Index.”
SPY is among the largest ETFs: Morningstar lists its total assets at about $797.12 billion and major market pages show live quotes and trading activity under the ticker SPY.
Costs and structure matter for investors in spy stock. State Street’s factsheet and public filings show a gross expense ratio of roughly 0.0945%, a figure commonly cited in fund summaries and comparison guides.
Because SPY holds the S&P 500, its top holdings are concentrated in the index leaders; a recent intermediary report shows the top 10 holdings made up about 38% of the fund, illustrating why movements in a handful of large companies sway spy stock performance.
Investors use spy stock for simple exposure to the U.S. large-cap market, intraday liquidity, and portfolio building; Investopedia and ETF data sites note SPY’s long history and wide use despite slightly higher fees than some rival S&P 500 ETFs.
That liquidity makes SPY a common vehicle for institutional and retail trading strategies, and its share count and assets under management mean flows into or out of SPY can have visible effects on the broader S&P 500 market on heavy-volume days.
For readers watching market moves, our coverage of where to find live S&P 500 quotes and the latest on Fed-driven market moves offers practical next steps for tracking spy stock and index behavior.
Sources
- State Street Global Advisors — factsheet and fund documents giving the inception date (01/22/1993), expense ratio (0.0945%), and the fund’s objective to track the S&P 500.
- Morningstar — reported total assets of about $797.12 billion for SPY and key fund metrics.
- Schwab / intermediary report — provided the top-10 holdings share of about 38% as of late 2026.
- Investopedia — analysis noting SPY’s long history, common use, and that its expense ratio is higher than some rival S&P 500 ETFs.
