--- title: "SCHB vs. SPTM: Which Broad Market ETF Is the Better Buy?" type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/280683534.md" description: "Both the Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF (SCHB) and State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 1500 Composite Stock Market ETF (SPTM) charge a 0.03% expense ratio and have delivered nearly identical 1-year returns as of March 2026. SCHB holds about 900 more stocks than SPTM and manages three times the assets. Both funds provide broad U.S. equity market exposure, making them suitable for diversified portfolios. Investors should consider their existing market exposure before choosing between the two, as both funds are solid options for low-cost equity exposure." datetime: "2026-03-26T20:20:27.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/280683534.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/280683534.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/280683534.md) --- # SCHB vs. SPTM: Which Broad Market ETF Is the Better Buy? ## Key Points - Both SPTM and SCHB charge a 0.03% expense ratio and delivered nearly identical 1-year total returns as of March 2026. - SCHB holds nearly 900 more stocks than SPTM and manages three times the assets. - Both funds offer a nearly identical dividend yield, with similar technology tilts and risk profiles. - 10 stocks we like better than Schwab Strategic Trust - Schwab U.s. Broad Market ETF › Both **State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 1500 Composite Stock Market ETF** (NYSEMKT: SPTM) and **Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF** (NYSEMKT: SCHB) are designed to offer broad U.S. equity market exposure, making them core building blocks for diversified portfolios. This comparison highlights each ETF’s cost, yield, risk, and portfolio composition to help investors determine which fund better aligns with their investment objectives. ## Snapshot (cost & size) Metric SPTM SCHB Issuer State Street Schwab Expense ratio 0.03% 0.03% 1-yr return (as of 3/25/26) 13.5% 13.7% Dividend yield 1.1% 1.1% Beta 1.01 1.04 AUM $12.2 billion $38.7 billion _Beta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year monthly returns. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months._ SPTM and SCHB both carry a very modest 0.03% expense ratio, keeping costs negligible for long-term investors. Each fund pays a roughly equal dividend yield. ## Performance & risk comparison Metric SPTM SCHB Max drawdown (5 y) \-24.1% \-25.4% Growth of $1,000 over 5 years $1,625 $1,576 ## What's inside SCHB seeks to mirror the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Broad Stock Market Index. It holds more than 2,400 stocks, with top sector allocations of technology (32%), financial services (14%), and healthcare (10%). Its top holdings -- **Nvidia** (NASDAQ:NVDA), **Apple** (NASDAQ:AAPL), and **Microsoft** (NASDAQ:MSFT) -- make up about 17% of assets, reflecting a tilt toward large-cap tech. SPTM, in contrast, tracks the S&P Composite 1500 Index and holds more than 1,500 stocks. It leans similarly toward technology with a 32% allocation, with a 13% weighting in financial services, and a 10% allocation to industrials. The top three holdings are the same as SCHB, though SPTM gives each a marginally larger allocation. Both funds provide broad market exposure without major sector or style biases, but SCHB’s broader holding count may _slightly_ reduce single-stock concentration risk. For more guidance on ETF investing, check out the full guide here. ## What this means for investors For everyday investors, the choice between SCHB and SPTM is a close call -- and that's the most important takeaway here. When two funds charge the same razor-thin expense ratio, track similar slices of the U.S. market, and deliver nearly identical returns over the past year, the differences come down to nuance. SCHB's additional 900 or so holdings reflect a wider index methodology -- it simply casts a broader net than SPTM, reaching further into the smaller end of the U.S. market. For most investors, that distinction is unlikely to be felt day to day. Both funds are solid, low-drama core holdings that deliver exactly what they promise: broad U.S. equity exposure at virtually no cost. For most investors, the better question isn't which one to pick -- it's whether you already have broad U.S. market exposure in your portfolio at all. If you do, adding either fund is largely redundant. If you don't, either one gets the job done. ## Should you buy stock in Schwab Strategic Trust - Schwab U.s. Broad Market ETF right now? Before you buy stock in Schwab Strategic Trust - Schwab U.s. Broad Market ETF, consider this: The _Motley Fool Stock Advisor_ analyst team just identified what they believe are the **10 best stocks** for investors to buy now… and Schwab Strategic Trust - Schwab U.s. Broad Market ETF wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when **Netflix** made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, **you’d have $497,659**!\* Or when **Nvidia** made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, **you’d have $1,095,404**!\* Now, it’s worth noting _Stock Advisor’s_ total average return is 912% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 185% for the S&P 500. **Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with _Stock Advisor_, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.** See the 10 stocks » _\*Stock Advisor returns as of March 26, 2026._ _Andy Gould has positions in Apple and Nvidia and has the following options: long January 2027 $125 calls on Nvidia and short January 2027 $125 puts on Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia and is short shares of Apple. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy._ The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc. ### Related Stocks - [SPTM.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SPTM.US.md) - [SCHB.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SCHB.US.md) ## Related News & Research - [Could the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF be your ticket to becoming a stock market millionaire?](https://longbridge.com/en/news/289951446.md) - [VTI vs. VOO — Which Vanguard ETF Is a Stronger Buy Right Now?](https://longbridge.com/en/news/289904476.md) - [Is Now the Time to Buy a Uranium ETF?](https://longbridge.com/en/news/290296699.md) - [iShares Micro-Cap ETF declares quarterly distribution of $0.5145](https://longbridge.com/en/news/289820304.md) - [$1000 Invested In Vanguard Mega Cap Growth ETF 15 Years Ago Would Be Worth This Much Today](https://longbridge.com/en/news/290082283.md)