Who Owns SPDR ETFs?
SPDR ETFs are owned by State Street Corporation (NYSE: STT) and managed under its State Street Investment Management division. The family launched with the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) in January 1993, the first ETF listed in the United States. SPDR now covers roughly 187 US-listed ETFs with about $2.3 trillion in assets, making State Street the third-largest ETF provider in the country.
Parent Company
Founded
1993
Status
Publicly Traded
Headquarters
SPDR ETFs Timeline
GlobalOfficial Website
Who Owns SPDR ETFs?
- Parent Company: State Street Corporation
- Ownership Type: Brand division
- Company Type: Publicly Traded
- Stock Ticker: NYSE: STT
| Brand | Parent Company | Ownership Type |
|---|---|---|
| SPDR ETFs | State Street Corporation | Brand division |
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History of SPDR ETFs
- Founded: 1993
- Founders: State Street Global Advisors, American Stock Exchange
The SPDR brand launched on January 22, 1993, when the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust began trading on the American Stock Exchange under ticker SPY. The product was developed by State Street Global Advisors with AMEX, and it was the first exchange-traded fund listed in the United States. SPY essentially created the global ETF industry, which has since grown to tens of trillions of dollars in assets.
Through the 1990s State Street expanded the family. The MidCap SPDR (MDY) followed in 1995, and the Select Sector SPDRs arrived in 1998, splitting the S&P 500 into sector funds such as XLK for technology and XLF for financials. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD), launched in November 2004, became the first major US commodity ETF and remains one of the largest funds in the lineup.
The family broadened into the low-cost SPDR Portfolio ETF range for buy-and-hold investors, plus fixed income, international, and thematic funds. State Street became the third-largest ETF provider in the United States, behind BlackRock's iShares and Vanguard.
In November 2025 the brand launched SPYM, a lower-fee companion to SPY charging a 0.02% expense ratio. The two S&P 500 funds crossed $1 trillion in combined assets on October 6, 2026, with SPY alone holding about $819 billion as of early November 2026. SPYM's inclusion as the default allocation for the federal Trump Accounts program launched in July 2026 accelerated its growth past $100 billion in under a year.
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About State Street Corporation
What does State Street own?
State Street operates its core banking and custody business under the State Street brand, its investment management division as State Street Global Advisors (SSGA), and its ETF franchise as SPDR ETFs. The SPDR franchise includes the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY), one of the largest ETFs globally. State Street does not own separate consumer-facing brands outside these financial services brands.
Is State Street publicly traded?
Yes, State Street Corporation is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol STT. The company has been publicly traded since 1983.
Who owns State Street?
State Street Corporation is owned by its public shareholders through NYSE trading. The company has no controlling shareholder or parent company. Major institutional shareholders include Vanguard Group, BlackRock, and other major index fund managers.
Who founded State Street?
State Street was originally established by the Massachusetts legislature in 1792 as a state-chartered bank in Boston. The company evolved through various leadership teams and corporate structures over its 230-year history.
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Where is State Street headquartered?
State Street is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
What is State Street's revenue?
For full-year 2025, State Street reported total revenue of approximately $14 billion, up 7% year over year. In Q2 2026, total revenue was $4.0 billion, up 17% year over year.
Who is the CEO of State Street?
Ron O'Hanley is the Chairman and CEO of State Street Corporation, having joined the company in 2019.
- Founded: 1792
- Headquarters: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Company Type: Publicly Traded
- Stock: NYSE: STT
- Revenue: approximately $14.0 billion (FY2025)
- Employees: approximately 53,000
Where Is SPDR ETFs Made / Based?
- Headquarters: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
SPDR ETFs Categories & Tags
Awards & Recognition
- First US ETF: SPY launched in January 1993 as the first exchange-traded fund listed in the United States.
- Most traded ETF: SPY is consistently the world's most traded ETF by dollar volume.
- $1 trillion milestone: Combined assets in SPY and SPYM crossed $1 trillion in October 2026, a first for a single US index pair.
Brands Owned by State Street Corporation
Finance FintechCharles River IMS
Owned by State Street Corporation
Front-to-back investment management platform owned by State Street, used by firms managing $59 trillion in assets across 30 countries.
investment-managementorder-management-systemrisk-analytics
Finance FintechState Street Investment Management
Owned by State Street Corporation
State Street's asset management arm, rebranded from State Street Global Advisors in June 2025, managing approximately $6.3 trillion in assets.
asset-managementetfindex-investing
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SPDR ETFs Ownership: Pros & Cons
Advantages
- +Backed by State Street's $57.9 trillion custody and administration platform
- +SPY is the deepest, most liquid ETF in the world
- +Approximately $2.3 trillion in ETF assets across about 187 funds
- +Category-defining products including GLD and the Select Sector SPDRs
- +Distribution reach across US and UCITS markets
Considerations
- -Intense fee compression against iShares and Vanguard index funds
- -SPY's 0.0945% expense ratio is higher than rival S&P 500 trackers
- -Brand recognition is strongest among professionals rather than retail investors
- -Revenue tied to market levels, so assets decline with downturns
- -Concentration risk in flagship S&P 500 products
Frequently Asked Questions About SPDR ETFs
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Sources & Further Reading
Competitors to SPDR ETFs
These competing brands operate in the same categories and provide similar products or services. Compare key attributes to understand market positioning and competitive landscape.
| Brand | Parent Company | Country | Founded | Market Position | Primary Market | Gender Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackrock | USA | 2000 | Premium | Global | All Genders | |
| Goldman Sachs | USA | 1988 | Premium | Global | Unisex | |
| State Street | USA | 1978 | Mass market | Global | All Genders |
Learn More About Competitors
Finance FintechiShares
Owned by BlackRock Inc.
Exchange-traded fund brand owned by BlackRock, offering over 1,400 ETFs covering stocks, bonds, commodities, and ESG strategies with approximately $4 trillion in assets under management.
etfexchange-traded-fundsinvestment
Finance FintechGoldman Sachs Asset Management
Owned by The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
Investment management division of Goldman Sachs overseeing $3.61 trillion in assets under supervision across public markets, alternatives, and wealth clients.
asset-managementinvestingalternatives
Finance FintechState Street Investment Management
Owned by State Street Corporation
State Street's asset management arm, rebranded from State Street Global Advisors in June 2025, managing approximately $6.3 trillion in assets.
asset-managementetfindex-investing
Competitive Analysis
Market Positioning: SPDR ETFs competes with 3 brands in the same categories, ranging from mass market to luxury positioning.
Geographic Distribution: Competitors are headquartered across multiple regions, indicating global competition in this market segment.
Brand Heritage: Competitor brands range from established heritage brands to newer market entrants, with founding years spanning several decades.
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Independent Alternatives to SPDR ETFs
Looking for brands with different ownership structures? These similar brands are not owned by State Street Corporation, giving you alternative choices that support different corporate structures.
Finance FintechBarings
Owned by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual)
Global asset management firm headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, and subsidiary of MassMutual, managing investments across fixed income, real estate, and private markets.
asset-managementinvestmentsfixed-income
Privately Owned
Barings is privately owned, unlike SPDR ETFs which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Finance FintechCVC Capital Partners
Owned by CVC Capital Partners plc
Global private markets investment brand managing 205 billion euros across private equity, credit, secondaries, and infrastructure funds.
private-equityprivate-marketsasset-management
Privately Owned
CVC Capital Partners is privately owned, unlike SPDR ETFs which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Finance FintechNuveen
Owned by Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America
American asset management brand with about $1.4 trillion in assets under management, operating as the investment management arm of TIAA since 2014.
asset-managementinvestment-managementmutual-funds
Privately Owned
Nuveen is privately owned, unlike SPDR ETFs which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Finance FintechTrading 212
Owned by Trading 212
UK-based commission-free trading platform offering stocks, ETFs, and crypto to over 4.5 million clients across Europe.
tradinginvestingfintech
Privately Owned
Trading 212 is privately owned, unlike SPDR ETFs which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Finance FintechBloomberg Terminal
Owned by Bloomberg L.P.
Industry-standard financial data and analytics platform used by approximately 325,000 subscribers at banks, hedge funds, and institutional investors worldwide.
financial-datamarket-dataanalytics
Privately Owned
Bloomberg Terminal is privately owned, unlike SPDR ETFs which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Finance FintechBybit
Owned by Bybit Fintech Limited
Dubai-based cryptocurrency exchange, the world's second-largest by trading volume, serving more than 80 million registered users.
crypto-exchangetradingbitcoin
Privately Owned
Bybit is privately owned, unlike SPDR ETFs which is under a publicly traded parent company.
State Street Corporation Stock Information
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