IYT vs SPY: which was the better investment?
iShares U.S. Transportation ETF against SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust on real daily total-return data — every dividend reinvested, from Jan 2, 2004 to Jul 15, 2026.
Set up your comparison
What are you comparing?
Pick one investment — or add several to build a portfolio.
Compare against
The benchmark your investment has to beat.
Time & money
When the money goes in, and how much.
Leave empty for earliest
Leave empty for today
0 for a one-time investment
Daily total-return data — dividends reinvested. Monthly additions buy on the first trading day.
Track your entire portfolio in one free Google Sheet
Enter your trades once and values update automatically. We'll send it straight to your inbox.
Related comparisons
Browse all match-ups on the comparison hub, build your own in the Compare Investments tool, or check a single asset's exact-date returns with the Investment Calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Did IYT beat SPY?
No — measured from Jan 2, 2004 to Jul 15, 2026 with dividends reinvested, SPY came out ahead: $102,458 versus $82,706 from a $10,000 start. That gap compounds from a 10.9% annual return against 9.8%.
What would $10,000 in IYT be worth today?
$10,000 invested in iShares U.S. Transportation ETF (IYT) on Jan 2, 2004 would be worth about $82,706 as of Jul 15, 2026, a total return of 727.1% (9.8% per year). The same $10,000 in SPY would be worth $102,458.
Which was riskier — IYT or SPY?
IYT swung with an annualized volatility of 23.8% and a worst peak-to-trough drop of -60.4%; SPY ran at 18.7% volatility with a -55.2% maximum drawdown. Risk-adjusted (Sharpe ratio), that is 0.33 for IYT vs 0.48 for SPY.
What data is this comparison based on?
Daily adjusted closing prices covering Jan 2, 2004 through Jul 15, 2026 — the full period where both assets have price history. Adjusted prices include dividends and splits, so these are total returns. The page refreshes with new market data every day.
Can I change the dates, amounts, or add monthly investing?
Yes — the interactive tool on this page is pre-loaded with IYT vs SPY. You can set any start and end date, change the starting amount, add monthly contributions, or build a multi-asset portfolio and compare it against any benchmark.