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 (+15.87% vs +4.73% 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 | 36.0 | 77.0 |
| Latest closei | $83.49 | $757.39 |
| 1M returni | +2.95% | -2.44% |
| 6M returni | +14.28% | +13.51% |
| 1Y returni | +4.73% | +15.87% |
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 | $10.47K (+4.7%) started 2025-09-15 | $11.72K (+17.2%) started 2025-09-15 |
| 5Y ago | $7.33K (-26.7%) started 2021-09-15 | $19.41K (+94.1%) started 2021-09-15 |
| 10Y ago | $46.41K (+364.1%) started 2016-09-15 | $49.17K (+391.7%) started 2016-09-15 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | ARKK | SPY |
|---|---|---|
| Expense ratioi | 0.75% | 0.09% |
| Total assets (AUM)i | $6.44B | $811.94B |
| Dividend yieldi | 0.00% | 0.98% |
| Trailing P/Ei | 53.89 | 24.47 |
| Betai | 2.03 | 1.02 |
| 52-week change | 4.73% | 15.87% |
| Metric | ARKK | SPY |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y returni | +4.73% | +15.87% |
| 6M returni | +14.28% | +13.51% |
| 1M returni | +2.95% | -2.44% |
| 1Y Sharpe ratio | 0.19 | 0.87 |
| Betai | 2.03 | 1.02 |
| Dividend yieldi | 0.00% | 0.98% |
| 5Y CAGR | -6.35% | +12.59% |
Over the past year, ARKK and SPY have moved strongly in the same direction (correlation of 0.77), 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 | +4.73% | +15.87% |
| CAGRi | +4.73% | +15.88% | |
| Volatilityi | 37.76% | 12.84% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.19 | 0.87 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.28 | 1.24 | |
| Max drawdowni | 31.35% | 8.88% | |
| Current drawdowni | 9.77% | 2.63% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 14.50% | 1.42% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 16.04% | 2.13% | |
| Max daily dropi | 6.97% | 2.70% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 14.57% | 3.82% | |
| 5Y | Growthi | -27.96% | +80.93% |
| CAGRi | -6.35% | +12.59% | |
| Volatilityi | 46.78% | 17.20% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | -0.00 | 0.52 | |
| Sortino ratioi | -0.01 | 0.74 | |
| Max drawdowni | 76.12% | 24.50% | |
| Current drawdowni | 32.16% | 2.63% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 52.32% | 5.58% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 54.92% | 8.45% | |
| Max daily dropi | 10.10% | 5.85% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 29.56% | 11.50% | |
| 10Y | Growthi | +326.86% | +313.02% |
| CAGRi | +15.62% | +15.24% | |
| Volatilityi | 40.66% | 17.95% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.45 | 0.63 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.65 | 0.88 | |
| Max drawdowni | 80.91% | 33.72% | |
| Current drawdowni | 45.79% | 2.63% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 34.77% | 4.31% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 45.49% | 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 | $6.44B | $811.94B |
| Dividend yieldi | 0.00% | 0.98% |
- 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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