ARKK vs SPY Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
ARKK and SPY represent very different investment approaches, with ARKK offering concentrated, actively managed exposure to disruptive innovation themes across a relatively small number of high-growth companies, while SPY offers broad, passive, diversified exposure to the entire S&P 500 large-cap US equity market.
ARKK offers concentrated, high-volatility exposure to disruptive innovation themes with the potential for significant upside or downside, while SPY offers broad, diversified, lower-volatility exposure to the overall US large-cap equity market. The decision depends on your risk tolerance and conviction in specific disruptive innovation themes versus broad market diversification.
SPY holds the edge across 5 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. SPY has delivered stronger 1-year price return (+12.36% vs -5.75% for ARKK).
- Want concentrated, high-conviction exposure to disruptive innovation themes
- Are comfortable with significant price volatility and potential drawdowns
- Believe in the fund manager's active stock selection approach to identifying innovation winners
- Have a higher risk tolerance and longer time horizon to weather periods of underperformance
- Want broad, diversified exposure across the entire US large-cap equity market
- Value lower volatility relative to concentrated thematic investment strategies
- Prefer a passive, low-maintenance core portfolio holding
- Prioritize broad market participation over concentrated bets on specific innovation themes
| Metric | ARKK | SPY |
|---|---|---|
| ETF scorei | 27.0 | 27.3 |
| Latest closei | $80.75 | $755.72 |
| 1M returni | -9.37% | -0.91% |
| 3M returni | +13.35% | +1.41% |
| 6M returni | +4.98% | +5.40% |
| 1Y returni | -5.75% | +12.36% |
The ETF score weights long-term returns and risk-adjusted performance most heavily, but still rewards low expense ratios, larger fund size, and broader diversification — so it can favor low-cost, broad, mega-cap funds over smaller thematic or actively-managed funds even when the latter have delivered stronger returns.
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | ARKK | SPY |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $9.42K (-5.8%) started 2025-10-30 | $11.36K (+13.6%) started 2025-10-30 |
| 5Y ago | $6.67K (-33.3%) started 2021-11-01 | $18.82K (+88.2%) started 2021-11-01 |
| 10Y ago | $47.78K (+377.8%) started 2016-10-31 | $49.41K (+394.1%) started 2016-10-31 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | ARKK | SPY |
|---|---|---|
| Expense ratioi | 0.75% | 0.09% |
| Total assets (AUM)i | $7.92B | $809.22B |
| Dividend yieldi | 0.00% | 0.99% |
| Trailing P/Ei | 52.12 | 23.99 |
| Betai | 2.01 | 1.02 |
| 52-week change | -5.75% | 12.36% |
| Metric | ARKK | SPY |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y returni | -5.75% | +12.36% |
| 6M returni | +4.98% | +5.40% |
| 3M returni | +13.35% | +1.41% |
| 1M returni | -9.37% | -0.91% |
| 1Y Sharpe ratio | -0.09 | 0.63 |
| Betai | 2.01 | 1.02 |
| Dividend yieldi | 0.00% | 0.99% |
| 5Y CAGR | -8.09% | +11.94% |
Over the past year, ARKK and SPY have moved strongly in the same direction (correlation of 0.78), based on daily returns.
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
| Period | Metric | ARKK | SPY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growthi | -5.75% | +12.36% |
| CAGRi | -5.76% | +12.37% | |
| Volatilityi | 37.62% | 12.76% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | -0.09 | 0.63 | |
| Sortino ratioi | -0.13 | 0.90 | |
| Max drawdowni | 28.61% | 8.88% | |
| Current drawdowni | 12.97% | 3.00% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 11.98% | 1.44% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 13.37% | 2.12% | |
| Max daily dropi | 6.97% | 2.58% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 14.57% | 3.82% | |
| 5Y | Growthi | -34.39% | +75.64% |
| CAGRi | -8.09% | +11.94% | |
| Volatilityi | 46.91% | 17.16% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | -0.04 | 0.48 | |
| Sortino ratioi | -0.06 | 0.69 | |
| Max drawdowni | 76.12% | 24.50% | |
| Current drawdowni | 34.39% | 3.00% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 52.97% | 5.58% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 55.12% | 8.45% | |
| Max daily dropi | 10.10% | 5.85% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 29.56% | 11.50% | |
| 10Y | Growthi | +339.44% | +316.34% |
| CAGRi | +15.96% | +15.34% | |
| Volatilityi | 40.82% | 17.96% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.46 | 0.64 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.65 | 0.89 | |
| Max drawdowni | 80.91% | 33.72% | |
| Current drawdowni | 47.57% | 3.00% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 35.13% | 4.30% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 45.73% | 7.16% | |
| Max daily dropi | 15.57% | 10.94% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 29.56% | 17.97% |
| Category | ARKK | SPY |
|---|---|---|
| Fund name | ARK Innovation ETF | State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust |
| Type | ETF | ETF |
| Expense ratioi | 0.75% | 0.09% |
| Total assets (AUM)i | $7.92B | $809.22B |
| Dividend yieldi | 0.00% | 0.99% |
- Concentrated, high-conviction approach to disruptive innovation themes provides differentiated exposure relative to broad market index funds
- Active management allows for tactical portfolio adjustments based on the fund manager's evolving views on innovation trends
- Focus on early-stage, high-growth companies can offer substantial upside potential during periods of strong innovation sector performance
- Broad diversification across 500 large-cap companies spanning all major economic sectors reduces single-stock and single-sector concentration risk
- Extremely high trading liquidity and a well-established options market make it a core holding for both long-term investors and traders
- Long track record as one of the original and most widely held S&P 500 index funds provides extensive historical performance data
- High concentration in a relatively small number of volatile, high-growth holdings has historically led to significant price swings and drawdowns
- Higher expense ratio relative to passive index funds reflects its actively managed approach
- Performance has historically diverged significantly from broad market benchmarks, both to the upside and downside, depending on market conditions favoring or disfavoring growth and innovation themes
- As a market-cap-weighted index fund, performance is influenced disproportionately by its largest holdings, including mega-cap technology companies
- Higher expense ratio relative to some newer, lower-cost S&P 500 index funds tracking the same underlying index
- Does not provide the concentrated upside potential of a high-conviction, actively managed thematic fund during strong sector rallies
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