Research note · Cross-sectional analysis

ETF Universe · Exposure, Skill, and Why SPY Is So Hard to Beat

A stepwise test of the free-data universe: describe it first, separate exposure from management next, then ask whether the result survives cash, financing and SPY as the investor's opportunity cost.

Executive thesis

1 Product abundance is not skill abundance

Traditional metrics remain in place to describe the 2,023 mature ETFs. To decide which products produced a superior path to SPY, we avoid a vote among ratios: RWM is the primary criterion and CAGR provides economic context. 161 products (8.0%) beat SPY's RWM over the same window; 93 (4.6%) also beat its CAGR.

What RWM measures: Relative-Wealth Martin calculates the Martin ratio entirely on ETF wealth relative to cash. It relates the annualised growth of that advantage to the Ulcer Index of the same curve: gaining ground versus cash is rewarded, while the depth and persistence of losing it are penalised. Here it condenses relative growth and damage into one reading; the metric itself is not the subject of this report. Read more about RWM at Qinvia Research ↗
161beat RWM · 8.0%
93also beat CAGR
95identifiable beta exposure
15intentional management
The conclusion up front: a semiconductor, gold or technology index winning during the sample identifies a rewarded exposure. It does not demonstrate manager selection, timing or risk control. Commercial scale, complexity and brand recognition are not evidence of alpha either.

The initial scorecard, metric by metric

CriterionBeat SPYDo not beat SPY% of universe
CAGR2131,81010.5%
Sortino2011,8229.9%
Calmar2421,78112.0%
Martin2171,80610.7%
RWM1611,8628.0%
CAGR + RWM931,9304.6%
All four at once591,9642.9%
Pass rates

CAGR, Sortino, Calmar and Martin remain descriptive. From here on, RWM drives the comparison and CAGR is the second coordinate—not another vote.

Universe and method

2 A demanding comparison that remains reproducible—and honest about its limits

The raw catalogue preserves 9,550 identities, including historical records. Inverse and leveraged exposures, volatility products, structured payoffs and vehicles without verified trading are set aside, not deleted. The analytical sample requires a usable Yahoo start on or before 1 March 2022 and at least 1,008 daily returns.

Same window, total return

Each ETF is aligned with SPY from its first usable session to its own final session. Yahoo Adj Close is used as a total-return proxy, preventing different periods from being compared as if they were equivalent.

SPY as opportunity cost

The question is deliberately hard: “would holding SPY have been better?”. We do not claim that SPY is the natural benchmark for bonds, gold or market-neutral mandates; it is the bar faced by a growth-seeking investor.

Operating rule: the tables retain CAGR, Sortino, Calmar and Martin for a complete diagnostic. Superiority is decided by comparing each ETF's RWM with SPY's over identical sessions; CAGR remains beside it to separate efficiency from absolute growth.
Universe funnel

The unit changes from SEC identity to Yahoo symbol and then to economic product. Ticker changes are consolidated to avoid double counting.

Survivorship bias remains material: 1,956 of 2,023 products are flagged as current and only 67 (3.3%) as non-current. Moreover, all 67 non-current series extend at least to 17 July 2026; they are not a representative history of dead ETFs. The free price cohort therefore cannot support a claim that survivorship bias has been materially removed.

Main exclusion groups

Summary reasonProducts
Leveraged or inverse1358
Structured payoff or tail protection538
Non-tradable symbol or vehicle444
Never launched or no verified trading53
Volatility products8
Maturity cutoff: 1 March 2022 requires every product to have lived through at least the selected inflation shock and roughly four and a half years of market history by the data close. CGDV and CGXU qualify: both have a first Yahoo session of 24 February 2022.
Inception distribution

The cutoff does not equalise age. Each ETF is still measured from its own inception; temporal robustness is examined later.

Identities, aliases and unresolved classification

2,028 series pass the initial filter. Five are former tickers for the same product and are consolidated, leaving 2,023 economic products.

Previous tickerCurrent tickerProduct
EWRERSPRInvesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Real Estate ETF
GLDXUSGUSCF Gold Strategy Plus Income Fund
GRZZDARPGrizzle Growth ETF
HSPXXYLDGlobal X S&P 500 Covered Call ETF
SDEFFXEDSound Enhanced Fixed Income ETF

Primary class still unresolved

TickerProductEvidence
GTRWisdomTree Target Range Fundasset:unknown|exposure:unclassified|management:free_metadata_insufficient|geography:not_determined|theme:not_thematic
IPOSRenaissance Capital Greenwich Fundasset:unknown|exposure:unclassified|management:free_metadata_insufficient|geography:not_determined|theme:not_thematic
QQQInvesco QQQ Trust, Series 1asset:unknown|exposure:unclassified|management:free_metadata_insufficient|geography:not_determined|theme:not_thematic
SCCDSachem Capital Corp. 6.00% Noteasset:unknown|exposure:unclassified|management:free_metadata_insufficient|geography:not_determined|theme:not_thematic
SWZTotal Return Securities, Inc.asset:unknown|exposure:unclassified|management:free_metadata_insufficient|geography:not_determined|theme:not_thematic
WDNAWisdomTree BioRevolution Fundasset:unknown|exposure:unclassified|management:free_metadata_insufficient|geography:not_determined|theme:not_thematic
ZIGThe Acquirers Fundasset:unknown|exposure:unclassified|management:free_metadata_insufficient|geography:not_determined|theme:not_thematic
CAGR = (VT/V0)1/years − 1  ·  Sortino = mean(r)/downside deviation × √252
Calmar = CAGR/|MaxDD|  ·  Martin = CAGR/Ulcer Index

Exposure is not skill

3 Before assigning credit, identify the risk that was bought

The taxonomy separates intentional management from broad-market beta, concentrated beta, static systematic rules, fixed income and other exposures. The aim is not to diminish index investing; it is to stop a winning sector or asset from being presented as evidence of superior management.

Where winners come from

Origin of products that beat RWM and those that also beat CAGR. “Unresolved” stays explicit rather than being forced into active or passive.

Broad beta

A diversified exposure can be an excellent, inexpensive solution. Its success belongs to the market captured, however—not to a manager repeatedly making superior decisions.

Concentrated beta

Sectors, themes, countries, metals and styles narrow the portfolio and increase regime dependence. Winning ex post may reflect a premium or an exceptional period.

Systematic rules

An alternative index may embody a valid idea. Skill requires evidence that the rule adds value robustly, not merely that its backtest selected a winning exposure.

A useful example: QQQ beats SPY's CAGR since 1999 (10.8% versus 8.6%), but not its RWM (0.171 versus 0.295). A narrower index may capture an extraordinary regime without delivering a superior relative path under the chosen criterion.

The central test

4 What remains when the product is expected to make decisions?

Two layers prevent intention from being confused with skill: 128 products with identified active management and a wider ring of 11 dynamic or alternative strategies whose active label is not confirmed. The extended block contains 139 products; economic exposure remains a separate axis.

Active and dynamic management scorecard

Results for the extended active/dynamic block: CAGR as context, RWM as the criterion and their intersection as the stricter reading.

15beat RWM · 10.8%
9beat RWM + CAGR
13identified active · RWM
2inferred dynamic · RWM
Base rates by management style

Observed proportions and 95% Wilson intervals. Their overlap is a reminder that a management label is not causal evidence of added value.

The bar stays high: 13 of 128 identified active products (10.2%) beat SPY's RWM; 9 also beat its CAGR. Across the extended ring, the total rises to 15 of 139. A process has been identified; that does not prove the process caused the outcome.

The 15 cases that beat SPY's RWM

TickerProductStrategyCAGRSPY CAGRRWMSPY RWMBeats CAGR
CLSEConvergence Long/Short Equity ETFLong/short and market neutral20.3%15.4%2.6291.298True
CGDVCapital Group Dividend Value ETFDividend / income19.1%15.5%2.3101.307True
AVLVAvantis U.S. Large Cap Value ETFFactor / style14.9%13.4%1.6940.963True
SIXHETC 6 Meridian Hedged Equity Index Option ETFLong/short and market neutral11.4%18.3%2.4181.744False
DFIVDimensional International Value ETFFactor / style16.1%13.2%1.5900.950True
TEQIT. Rowe Price Equity Income ETFDividend / income15.4%16.5%1.9131.499False
JAVAJPMorgan Active Value ETFFactor / style12.5%14.0%1.3901.021False
HEQTSimplify Hedged Equity ETFLong/short and market neutral9.4%12.7%1.0840.878False
AVIVAvantis International Large Cap Value ETFFactor / style14.4%14.2%1.1861.041True
CGUSCapital Group Core Equity ETFEquity · other15.8%15.5%1.4371.307True
DUHPDimensional US High Profitability ETFEquity · other14.0%15.5%1.4341.307False
TSPAT. Rowe Price U.S. Equity Research ETFEquity · other14.1%13.7%1.1001.043True
AVUSAvantis U.S. Equity ETFEquity · other16.4%16.4%1.5321.477True
DFAUDimensional US Core Equity Market ETFEquity · other15.6%15.8%1.3851.376False
THROiShares U.S. Thematic Rotation Active ETFThematic equity13.4%12.8%0.8730.867True

Lowering the return bar—without giving away the result

5 6 candidates show better RWM but still trail SPY's return

We select 6 products from the active/dynamic block that do not beat SPY's CAGR but do beat its RWM: 4 have identified active management and 2 are inferred dynamic strategies. This is the right place to ask whether a more efficient relative path can become competitive through moderate leverage.

Why they qualify

RWM recognises growth over cash and penalises periods in which relative wealth remains below prior highs. It identifies useful paths without prematurely declaring absolute winners.

What they have not earned

Better RWM alone is not enough. They must match SPY's terminal wealth after financing the debt—and the RWM advantage must survive.

The 6 relative-efficiency candidates
TickerProductAsset classStrategyIdentified processCAGRSPY CAGRRWMSPY RWM
SIXHETC 6 Meridian Hedged Equity Index Option ETFAlternativesLong/short and market neutralIdentified index/passive11.4%18.3%2.4181.744
TEQIT. Rowe Price Equity Income ETFEquityDividend / incomeIdentified active15.4%16.5%1.9131.499
JAVAJPMorgan Active Value ETFEquityFactor / styleIdentified active12.5%14.0%1.3901.021
HEQTSimplify Hedged Equity ETFAlternativesLong/short and market neutralNot determined9.4%12.7%1.0840.878
DUHPDimensional US High Profitability ETFEquityEquity · otherIdentified active14.0%15.5%1.4341.307
DFAUDimensional US Core Equity Market ETFEquityEquity · otherIdentified active15.6%15.8%1.3851.376

Leverage ladder

6 Leverage can lift CAGR. It cannot manufacture skill.

Exposure is purchased once with fixed initial debt and then allowed to evolve. There is no daily rebalancing or invented turnover: leverage drifts with the market. Debt accrues the daily Effective Federal Funds Rate plus a 1.50% base spread under Actual/360.

Equityt = L × ETFt − (L−1) × Debtt
Leverage ladder

Counts refer to the 6 candidates. Leverage is fixed at inception; constant exposure is not targeted.

Initial leverageCandidatesBeat CAGRPreserve RWMBeat both
1.00×6060
1.25×6453
1.50×6453
1.75×6432
2.00×6532
Reading the ladder: at 1.25×, four products already beat SPY's CAGR, five preserve RWM and three achieve both. At 2.00×, five reach the CAGR, but only three retain RWM and two retain both criteria. Leverage does not create skill; it exchanges path headroom for growth.

The financing structure is a historical “IBKR-style” scenario, not an exact reconstruction of every past rate. IBKR publishes rates as benchmark plus spread, calculated daily and, for USD, on Actual/360. Official sources: margin rates, calculation method and the Effective Federal Funds Rate (FRED).

Exact return matching

7 Same ending. Very different journey.

We solve ex post for the exact initial leverage required to finish with the same wealth as SPY. This is a diagnostic—not an invertible rule—and it is capped at 2.00×. 5 of 6 candidates can reach the target; 4 retain a higher RWM after financing.

Different paths to the same terminal wealth

Return-matched equity curves

Each panel begins at 100 on the ETF's inception date. The levered line includes historical financing and ends beside SPY by construction; the relevant difference is the path of relative wealth.

Return matching and financing sensitivity

Left: RWM after matching return. Right: sensitivity to the financing spread over Fed Funds.

5reach SPY at ≤ 2×
4preserve higher RWM
1.50%base spread over DFF
2.00×diagnostic cap

Outcome by product

TickerProductStrategyIdentified processRequired leverageMatched RWMSPY RWMOutcome
DFAUDimensional US Core Equity Market ETFEquity · otherIdentified active1.03×1.3811.376Matches and preserves RWM
TEQIT. Rowe Price Equity Income ETFDividend / incomeIdentified active1.14×1.9041.499Matches and preserves RWM
DUHPDimensional US High Profitability ETFEquity · otherIdentified active1.21×1.3721.307Matches and preserves RWM
JAVAJPMorgan Active Value ETFFactor / styleIdentified active1.24×1.3151.021Matches and preserves RWM
HEQTSimplify Hedged Equity ETFLong/short and market neutralNot determined1.97×0.8430.878Matches; loses RWM
SIXHETC 6 Meridian Hedged Equity Index Option ETFLong/short and market neutralIdentified index/passive2.42×2.2921.744Requires more than 2×

Financing-cost sensitivity

Spread over Fed FundsFeasible at ≤ 2×Preserve RWM
1.0%55
1.5%54
2.0%44
2.5%43
Central result: DFAU, DUHP, JAVA and TEQI match terminal wealth below 2× and preserve higher RWM. HEQT reaches the return but loses its RWM advantage; SIXH would require more than 2×. The conclusion deteriorates as debt becomes more expensive.

The 25% maintenance threshold is illustrative; actual requirements depend on broker, portfolio and product. Return matching uses ex-post information and must not be interpreted as an executable strategy.

Entry-point stability

8 A launch-to-date win is not enough

The 15 RWM winners in the managed block are compared with SPY again from different entry months using rolling windows of roughly three years. 7 beat SPY's RWM from a majority of entry points. Because the windows overlap, this is temporal sensitivity—not an independent estimate of persistence.

Stability across entry points

Fraction and share of entry months whose subsequent 756-session window beats SPY's RWM; CAGR remains in the table as context.

TickerProductBeats RWM% CAGR% RWM% CAGR + RWMWorst Δ CAGRWorst Δ RWM
CGDVCapital Group Dividend Value ETF18/18100.0%100.0%100.0%1.9%0.670
CGUSCapital Group Core Equity ETF18/1894.4%100.0%94.4%−0.2%0.108
TSPAT. Rowe Price U.S. Equity Research ETF26/27100.0%96.3%96.3%0.3%−0.071
CLSEConvergence Long/Short Equity ETF16/1984.2%84.2%78.9%−0.5%−0.367
DFIVDimensional International Value ETF17/2462.5%70.8%62.5%−5.1%−0.483
SIXHETC 6 Meridian Hedged Equity Index Option ETF24/4010.0%60.0%10.0%−13.8%−3.129
THROiShares U.S. Thematic Rotation Active ETF11/2190.5%52.4%52.4%−0.6%−0.554
HEQTSimplify Hedged Equity ETF10/224.5%45.5%4.5%−9.0%−1.003
AVUSAvantis U.S. Equity ETF21/4738.3%44.7%34.0%−3.7%−1.494
AVIVAvantis International Large Cap Value ETF9/2330.4%39.1%30.4%−6.4%−0.646
TEQIT. Rowe Price Equity Income ETF13/3713.5%35.1%13.5%−11.7%−3.186
AVLVAvantis U.S. Large Cap Value ETF7/2321.7%30.4%8.7%−7.1%−2.406
DUHPDimensional US High Profitability ETF5/1811.1%27.8%11.1%−4.9%−1.195
JAVAJPMorgan Active Value ETF4/234.3%17.4%4.3%−10.0%−2.883
DFAUDimensional US Core Equity Market ETF0/340.0%0.0%0.0%−1.4%−0.797
An important separation: CGDV, CGUS, TSPA, CLSE, DFIV, SIXH and THRO beat RWM from at least half of the entry months. The others depend much more heavily on the chosen start. Apparent percentage precision should not be mistaken for independent samples.

Synthesis and contrast

9 One decision criterion, one complementary descriptor

RWM orders the comparison with SPY; CAGR keeps economic magnitude visible. DBF± does not select winners in this study: it describes whether net return direction is supported by breadth.

CAGR versus RWM

The 161 points above zero on RWM beat SPY under the primary criterion; 93 also lie to the right of zero on CAGR. Visual limits trim extremes, but counts use every observation.

161 beat RWM

8.0% of the universe has a higher RWM than SPY over its comparable window.

93 beat RWM + CAGR

4.6% preserves the relative advantage and also finishes with higher annualised growth.

The fifteen largest RWM advantages

TickerProductProcessCAGRSPY CAGRRWMSPY RWMΔ RWMBeats CAGR
FFLCFidelity Fundamental Large Cap Core ETFSystematic / rules-based19.7%16.8%3.4321.5661.866True
PSMJPacer Swan SOS Moderate (July) ETFNot determined10.5%13.3%2.6230.9951.628False
BALTInnovator Defined Wealth Shield ETFNot determined6.0%13.4%2.5971.0121.585False
PVALPutnam Focused Large Cap Value ETFSystematic / rules-based17.0%13.8%2.5941.0701.524True
PSMOPacer Swan SOS Moderate (October) ETFNot determined10.4%14.2%2.4801.0461.434False
RISRFolioBeyond Alternative Income and Interest Rate Hedge ETFNot determined14.0%13.9%2.4011.0141.387True
PSFOPacer Swan SOS Flex (October) ETFNot determined11.7%13.9%2.3791.0141.365False
PSFJPacer Swan SOS Flex (July) ETFNot determined11.4%13.4%2.3611.0121.349False
CLSEConvergence Long/Short Equity ETFIdentified active20.3%15.4%2.6291.2981.331True
PSFDPacer Swan SOS Flex (January) ETFNot determined12.8%15.4%2.3391.3191.020False
CGDVCapital Group Dividend Value ETFIdentified active19.1%15.5%2.3101.3071.003True
NETZEngine No. 1 Transform Climate ETFNot determined20.1%13.1%1.9091.0190.890True
FLVAmerican Century Focused Large Cap Value ETFSystematic / rules-based16.4%20.7%2.8302.0490.782False
PSFFPacer Swan SOS Fund of Funds ETFNot determined10.1%15.2%2.0741.2950.779False
AVLVAvantis U.S. Large Cap Value ETFIdentified active14.9%13.4%1.6940.9630.731True
D± = Σrt / Σ|rt|  ·  J = (Σ|rt|)² / (N·Σrt²)  ·  DBF± = D± × J
DBF is a contrast, not a verdict: it is invariant to order and positive scale. It does not observe drawdowns, economic severity, tail risk, alpha or future return; it is therefore not used to declare superiority to SPY.

The ten highest DBF± profiles

TickerProductCAGRDBF±J
SGOViShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF3.0%0.4360.8840.493
BILSState Street SPDR Bloomberg 3-12 Month T-Bill ETF2.9%0.3640.7700.473
BKUIBNY Mellon Ultra Short Income ETF3.6%0.2650.4780.555
VUSBVanguard Ultra-Short Bond ETF3.4%0.1800.3420.526
SHViShares 0-1 Year Treasury Bond ETF1.6%0.1700.4460.380
TBUXT. Rowe Price Ultra Short-Term Bond ETF4.0%0.1660.3150.526
GBILGoldman Sachs Access Treasury 0-1 Year ETF2.3%0.1530.5760.266
GSSTGoldman Sachs Ultra Short Bond ETF3.3%0.1420.3840.370
CLTLInvesco Treasury Collateral ETF2.4%0.1280.5400.236
EMNTPIMCO Enhanced Short Maturity Active ESG Exchange-Traded Fund3.1%0.1270.3860.329

The universe as a whole

10 SPY does not merely beat the average—it finishes high in the distribution

Every ETF is rebased to 100 on 1 March 2022. The fan displays the full dispersion of buy-and-hold wealth; the second figure separates mean, median and coverage sensitivity. Neither represents a rebalanced portfolio.

ETF universe fan chart

Cross-sectional bands for 1,967 products with complete coverage. The fan shows the centre, dispersion and extremes at the same time.

The mean tells the same story

Average curve versus SPY

The complete-coverage sensitivity requires at least 98.5% observable sessions through the end.

190.6SPY terminal wealth
153.5mean ETF terminal wealth
15.4%SPY CAGR
10.0%mean ETF CAGR
Descriptive result: the mean curve is neither tradable nor rebalanced. It only summarises where the universe ended and how much dispersion surrounded that outcome.

Qinvia verdict

11 Simple does not mean easy to beat

What the evidence does show

  • Only 8.0% of the universe beats SPY's RWM.
  • Only 4.6% beats RWM and CAGR simultaneously.
  • Most attributable winners reflect beta exposure, not demonstrated management skill.
  • 15 of 139 intentional-management products beat RWM; 7 do so from a majority of entry points.
  • After return matching and financing, 4 of 5 feasible cases preserve RWM.

Why the bar is structurally high

  • The S&P 500 already diversifies hundreds of profitable, liquid businesses.
  • Capitalisation weighting lets winners grow and mechanically reduces the weight of losers.
  • Its membership renews; it is not a static portfolio of the companies selected in 1957.
  • SPY packages that exposure with deep liquidity, low cost and little operational friction.
  • A more complex product therefore carries the burden of showing what improves—and whether the improvement persists.
Capacity, scale and the success paradox — hypothesis, not causal finding:

One explanation consistent with the literature is that alpha has finite capacity. Strong results attract assets under management; deploying larger positions across a limited opportunity set can increase market impact, costs, liquidity constraints and competition, eroding the edge that attracted the flows. Berk and Green (2004) formalise this equilibrium; Chen et al. (2004) find a more adverse size relationship among funds exposed to small and illiquid stocks, while Pástor, Stambaugh and Taylor find strong decreasing returns at the industry level but less conclusive evidence at the individual-fund level.

The counterpoint matters. Using real institutional trades, Frazzini, Israel and Moskowitz estimate far greater capacity than previously assumed for some strategies and show that cost-aware execution can expand it substantially. Capacity depends on turnover, horizon, liquidity, market breadth and execution. Our ETF data do not causally identify the effect of flows or estimate the capacity of each process; this mechanism is therefore presented as a plausible explanation, not a demonstrated conclusion.

Conclusion: the industry offers thousands of narratives, wrappers and exposures; evidence of management-added value is far scarcer. The result does not prove that the industry is a fraud or that every narrow exposure is useless. It does show that complexity, brand and assets under management are not enough: against a broad, inexpensive, self-renewing index, the burden of proof is exceptionally high.

Quality control and limits of free data

We validated 5,505 Parquet files without integrity failures. The catalogue preserves historical identities, but the 67 non-current series all reach recent dates and do not represent liquidations distributed through time. Survivorship bias remains a material limitation. RWM uses DFF as idealised institutional cash—daily accrual, no spread, Actual/360—and does not represent a guaranteed retail return. The taxonomy uses auditable evidence and leaves unresolved cases explicit.

Generated 2026-08-31 03:51 UTC. Primary source: free Yahoo Finance · daily Adj Close · exact dates shared with SPY. Cash: FRED DFF.

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