What Is SDY? State Street SPDR S&P Dividend ETF

SDY is State Street SPDR S&P Dividend ETF, an ETF that tracks a US mid-cap value index at a 0.35% expense ratio. SDY tracks a US mid-cap value index. Holdings are spread widely, with the ten largest coming to about 17% of assets. At 0.35% it costs more than the typical mid-cap value fund, nearer 0.29%. The distribution yield is about 2.45%. It has traded since 2005, so its record spans more than one full cycle.

SDY is issued by State Street SPDR and tracks a US mid-cap value index, so a single ticker gives you the whole portfolio of underlying holdings weighted by the index's methodology rather than by any active stock-picking.

SDY is weighted toward its largest constituents. As of August 2026, the top holdings are:

The remaining holdings make up the balance of the fund, with weights tapering off below the top names. Because the index reconstitutes on a rolling basis, the roster stays current without active management. Each ticker above links to its individual stock guide in Walnut.

There are three common ways to get SDY exposure. Buy shares (or fractional shares) of SDY directly at any major broker that lists it. Hold it as a core position and layer more concentrated ideas on top. Or build it into a thematic portfolio in Walnut, so SDY sits alongside other holdings that express the same thesis, with target weights you can rebalance toward. SDY trades like a stock during market hours, so you buy it the same way you would any listed share.

New to buying funds? See how to buy an ETF, step by step.

Whether SDY is a good buy depends less on any single call and more on your time horizon and what you already hold: it tracks a US mid-cap value index, so the real question is whether you want that exposure in your mix and at what weight. We walk through valuation, concentration, and what would have to be true for it to outperform from here in is SDY a buy?

SDY gives you a US mid-cap value index exposure in one ticker at a 0.35% expense ratio. Most investors use it as a core holding and layer more concentrated thematic portfolios on top.

Whether SDY is worth buying today depends more on your time horizon and what you already hold than on any single call. We walk through valuation, concentration, and what would have to be true for it to outperform from here in is SDY a buy?

SDY yields 2.45% as of August 2026, paid by passing through the dividends of its underlying holdings. For the payout schedule, history, and how the distributions are taxed, see SDY dividend: yield and schedule.

New to funds like SDY? Start with what an ETF is, then how to buy an ETF, or browse the full guide to ETF investing.