US-listed · NYSE Arca · FIF-eligible (above NZ$50K)
State StreetSPYMSPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF
Tracks the S&P 500 Index. SPDR low-cost alternative to SPY (0.0945% TER). Formerly ticker SPLG — renamed SPYM in late 2025.
Updated Reviewed quarterly
About this fund
What is SPYM?
SPYM is the US-listed ticker for SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF, issued by State Street. Tracks the S&P 500 Index. SPDR low-cost alternative to SPY (0.0945% TER). Formerly ticker SPLG — renamed SPYM in late 2025. TER is 0.02% per year. Distributions are paid quarterly.
Next typical distribution: December.SPYM typically pays in Mar · Jun · Sep · Dec. Issuer sets the exact date — verify on the distribution calendar before relying on a payment date.
Platform availability
Where to buy SPYM from New Zealand
Based on each platform's advertised market coverage and fee schedule. Verify with the platform before transacting — instrument coverage can change.
| Platform | Per-trade fee | FX | Min | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 SharesiesSharesies | 1.9% per trade | 0.5% | NZ$0 | Beginners, fractional shares, mixing NZ + US ETFs |
 HatchHatch | US$3 per trade (≤300 shares) | 0.5% | NZ$0 (US$1 to invest) | NZ investors who want US-only ETFs (SPY, VOO, QQQ, SCHD, JEPI) |
 StakeStake | US$0 trades | 0.70% | NZ$0 | Frequent US-share traders who hate per-trade fees |
 Interactive BrokersInteractive Brokers | From US$0.35 / trade (Tiered) or US$1 flat (Fixed) | ~0.002% (US$2 min) | US$0 | Larger portfolios, frequent traders, multi-market investors |
 Tiger BrokersTiger Brokers | US$2 flat per US trade (to 200 shares) | 0.50% | NZ$0 | NZ investors who want NZ + US + Asian markets in one account |
 Invest DirectInvest Direct | From NZ$29.90 per trade | Undisclosed margin on conversion | NZ$0 | US trading must be switched on by request, and covers a curated list of US securities — check this ticker is on it. |
 ASB SecuritiesASB Securities | NZ$30 per NZX trade | Bank rates (~1%) | NZ$0 (ASB customer) | Existing ASB customers wanting one login for banking + brokerage |
Showing 7 platforms that list this ETF. Full platform comparison: all 11 NZ brokers → · Full coverage matrix: availability matrix →
NZ tax treatment
How is SPYM taxed for NZ investors?
SPYM is US-domiciled. NZ investors apply Foreign Investment Fund rules once total overseas-share cost basis crosses the de-minimis threshold. Below it, only dividends are taxable.
The FIF de-minimis threshold is NZ$50,000(source) of overseas-share cost basis. Below it, FIF rules do not apply and only dividends are taxable.
Most NZ retail investors use Fair Dividend Rate (FDR): deemed income = 5% × opening market value × your marginal rate. Comparative Value (CV) can be lower in flat or down years.
FDR vs CV method → · PIE vs FIF comparison →
🧮 Model your own after-tax outcome
Mechanical NZ-tax calculator comparing PIE @ PIR vs FIF @ FDR vs FIF @ CV on your principal, assumed return, time horizon, PIR, and marginal rate. → Open the after-tax calculator
General information only — not personalised tax advice. Confirm your treatment with a registered NZ tax adviser before transacting.
Add up to 4 more tickers to compare TER · yield · distribution · NZ tax structure.
Similar ETFs
ETFs with similar focus to SPYM
Same asset class, issuer cousins, and exchange peers — ranked by closest match. Click any row to compare side-by-side in the multi-compare tool.
| Ticker | Name | TER | Yield | Distribution | NZ tax | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USF | US 500 (USF) Smartshares · NZX | 0.34% | 0.7% | Semi-annual | PIE | SPYM vs USF |
| USG | US Growth (USG) Smartshares · NZX | 0.51% | 0.0% | None | PIE | SPYM vs USG |
| USS | US Small Cap (USS) Smartshares · NZX | 0.51% | 0.8% | Semi-annual | PIE | SPYM vs USS |
| USH | US 500 NZD-Hedged (USH) Smartshares · NZX | 0.38% | 0.7% | — | PIE | SPYM vs USH |
| SPY | SPY State Street · NYSE Arca | 0.09% | — | Quarterly | FIF | SPYM vs SPY |
Distribution history
Last 12 distributions — SPYM
SPYM typically distributes mar · jun · sep · dec. Per-payment history (amount + ex-date + payment date for the last 12 distributions) is published authoritatively on the issuer's own fact sheet and corporate-actions page. We have not yet verified a per-payment history for this fund against the issuer's records, so we point at the authoritative sources below rather than estimating.
Next typical distribution month: December. The exact ex-date and payment date are set by State Street — verify on the issuer source below before relying on a specific date.
Authoritative sources for distribution history
- State Street SPYM product page — corporate actions + distribution announcements
- State Street SPYM fact sheet PDF — historical distribution table
See /calendar/distributions/ for the rolling 12-month forward calendar across all covered ETFs.
FAQ
Common questions about SPYM
What is the SPYM ETF?⌄
SPYM is the SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF (formerly ticker SPLG — renamed SPYM in late 2025) — it tracks the S&P 500 Index, holding the same 500 large-cap US companies as SPY, VOO, and IVV. TER is 0.02% (one of the lowest in the S&P 500 ETF category), distributions paid quarterly. Yield ~—. State Street's low-cost alternative to SPY (0.0945% TER).
SPYM vs SPY — why does State Street offer two S&P 500 ETFs?⌄
SPY (the original, launched 1993) has higher TER (0.0945%) but vastly higher liquidity — it's the most-traded ETF globally, used heavily by institutional traders. SPYM (launched 2005, restructured 2017, re-tickered from SPLG to SPYM in late 2025) has rock-bottom TER (0.02%) for buy-and-hold investors. Holdings are identical. SPY for traders; SPYM for long-term holds.
SPYM vs VOO vs IVV — which low-cost S&P 500 ETF?⌄
SPYM (SPDR, 0.02% TER), VOO (Vanguard, 0.03% TER), IVV (iShares, 0.03% TER) are the three lowest-cost S&P 500 ETFs. SPYM edges out VOO and IVV on TER alone. All three track the same index with negligible tracking-error differences. The choice is operational (broker availability, AUM preference, tax-statement quality) — over a 30-year hold the cost difference is roughly NZ$300 on NZ$10,000 invested.
Can NZ residents buy SPYM?⌄
Yes. SPYM is available via Hatch, Stake, Sharesies (US market), and Interactive Brokers. Above NZ$50,000 cost basis FIF rules apply (FDR method most common). 15% US dividend withholding under the NZ-US treaty (with a W-8BEN); claimable as a foreign tax credit on your IR3.
Where to buy SPYM from New Zealand
The platforms below all support SPYM. Each link opens the platform's site directly — we don't take any payment for placement or for clicks.
Hatch
Sharesies
Interactive Brokers
Stake
Tiger BrokersFees + platform details verified against each provider's published rate card. Always check the current schedule before transacting.Full platform comparison →
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Sources for this SPYM data
The figures on this page come from the documents below. We do not pull live prices; the data is reviewed against issuer fact sheets and exchange listings (last reviewed 2026-07-05). Which figures have been checked against the issuer by machine, rather than by eye, is stated below — an unchecked figure is labelled as such rather than left ambiguous.
- ✓Total expense ratioChecked against State Street's own fund-finder data on 2026-09-05.
Issuer product page
ssga.com/us/en/individual/etfs/state-street-spdr-portfolio-sp-500-etf-spym
Fact sheet (PDF)
ssga.com/library-content/products/factsheets/etfs/us/factsheet-us-en-spym.pdf
External links open in a new tab. We do not earn commission on issuer product pages. See our methodology + disclosure.
Compare
SPYM against the alternatives
5 side-by-side comparisons covering fee, yield and NZ tax wrapper. Characteristics, not recommendations.
| Comparison | The other fund | Its TER |
|---|---|---|
| SPYM vs VOO | VOO | 0.03% |
| SPYM vs VTI | VTI | 0.03% |
| SPYM vs SPY | SPY | 0.09% |
| SPYM vs QQQ | QQQ | 0.18% |
| SPYM vs USF | US 500 (USF) | 0.34% |
Related ETFs and resources
VOO — Vanguard S&P 500
Vanguard alternative at 0.03% TER.
SPY — SPDR S&P 500 (high-liquidity)
Original SPDR S&P 500 — for traders, higher TER.
VTI — Vanguard Total Stock Market
Broader US equity (~3,500 stocks) at 0.03% TER.
NZ-listed S&P 500 (PIE-tax)
NZX-listed Smartshares USF gives PIE-taxed S&P 500 — no FIF for NZ investors.
