SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust vs. Vanguard Total World Stock ETF: Which One Is the Better Buy for Long-Term Investors?

2026-03-18 13:05:00 ET

Do you view the market's recent weakness as a buying opportunity? Maybe a chance to step into a new position in a broad-based index fund at a discounted price? If so, good idea! Even if we haven't hit the ultimate bottom yet, stocks are certainly on sale here.

But which fund? The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEMKT: SPY) and the essentially identical Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO) are always popular choices. If you've got the option of buying anything though, maybe something with a bit more international exposure like the Vanguard Total World Stock ETF (NYSEMKT: VT) is a better option right now.

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