Mega Cap Growth vs Small Cap Growth: Which ETF Wins?
Key Points
Vanguard Morningstar Mega Cap Growth ETF has a lower expense ratio of 0.05% compared to State Street SPDR S&P 600 Small Cap Growth ETF.
State Street SPDR S&P 600 Small Cap Growth ETF has delivered a higher 1-year total return of 27.4% as of Aug. 13, 2026.
Vanguard Morningstar Mega Cap Growth ETF is heavily concentrated in technology, while State Street SPDR S&P 600 Small Cap Growth ETF is more diversified across industrial and healthcare sectors.
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The Vanguard Morningstar Mega Cap Growth ETF (NYSEMKT:MGK) offers low-cost exposure to the largest U.S. growth stocks, while the State Street SPDR S&P 600 Small Cap Growth ETF (NYSEMKT:SLYG) targets smaller companies with high expansion potential.
Investors choosing between these two funds are essentially weighing the stability and dominance of America's largest corporations against the high-octane potential of small-cap companies. While both ETFs strictly target growth-oriented firms, the scale of their underlying holdings creates vastly different risk profiles and performance drivers for a portfolio.
Snapshot (cost & size)
| Metric | SLYG | MGK |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | SPDR | Vanguard |
| Share price | $118.35 (as of 2026-08-13) | $91.14 (as of 2026-08-13) |
| Expense ratio | 0.15% | 0.05% |
| 1-yr return (as of 2026-08-13) | 27.4% | 17.7% |
| Dividend yield | 0.6% | 0.3% |
| Beta | 1.04 | 1.24 |
| AUM | $5.2B | $33.3B |
Beta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from monthly returns over the available fund history (up to five years). The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months. Dividend yield is the trailing-12-month distribution yield.
The Vanguard fund is more affordable with an expense ratio of 0.05%, which is one-third the cost of the SPDR fund. State Street SPDR S&P 600 Small Cap Growth ETF provides a slightly higher payout for income-seeking investors.
Performance & risk comparison
| Metric | SLYG | MGK |
|---|---|---|
| Max drawdown (5 yr) | (29.2%) | (36.0%) |
| Growth of $1,000 over 5 years (total return) | $1,407 | $1,927 |
What's inside
The Vanguard Morningstar Mega Cap Growth ETF provides concentrated exposure to the giants of the U.S. market, holding only 69 companies. Its portfolio is heavily weighted toward the technology sector at 59%, followed by communication services at 16% and consumer cyclical at 11%. Its largest positions include Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) at 13.24%, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) at 12.14%, and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) at 7.49%. The fund was launched in 2007. Vanguard Morningstar Mega Cap Growth ETF has paid $0.29 per share over the trailing 12 months, which on its recent ~$91.14 share price works out to a 0.3% yield.
Contrastingly, the State Street SPDR S&P 600 Small Cap Growth ETF offers much broader diversification with 351 holdings. It targets smaller firms with strong expansion in sales and earnings, leading to a sector mix of industrials at 19%, technology at 17%, and healthcare at 15%. Its largest positions include Viasat (NASDAQ:VSAT) at 1.31%, Corcept Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CORT) at 1.18%, and Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) at 1.17%. The fund was launched in 2000. State Street SPDR S&P 600 Small Cap Growth ETF has paid $0.76 per share over the trailing 12 months, which on its recent ~$118.35 share price works out to a 0.6% yield.
For more guidance on ETF investing, check out the full guide at this link.
Which looks like the better buy
It is hard to beat Vanguard and its low fees. The Vanguard Morningstar Mega Cap Growth ETF has an expense ratio of just 0.05% compared to the State Street SPDR S&P 600 Small Cap Growth ETF, which has fee of 0.15%.
But which one of these two ETFs you choose to invest in depends on your portfolio. Mega cap growth stocks have outperformed small cap growth stocks by a fairly significant margin over the past three-, five- and 10-year periods. That's no surprise as the mega caps, including the Magnificent Seven stocks and many AI leaders, have dominated the markets over the past decade.
But small cap stocks have outperformed in more recent times. This year, small caps have been one of the hottest investments on the market and that has carried over from a strong 2025 for small caps.
I would probably favor the small cap growth ETF because all of these mega cap stocks are in an S&P 500 ETF, which most investors already have. It's less likely that investors have adequately diversified into small cap growth stocks. Further, small caps remain more reasonably valued than overvalued mega cap stocks, even after surging this year. They should have more room to run as they are cheaper and should benefit from lower rates and investors rotating out of large caps.
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Dave Kovaleski has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Corcept Therapeutics, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
