ETF · State Street Investment Management
SDY State Street SPDR S&P Dividend ETF
State Street SPDR S&P Dividend ETF has a solid dividend profile with no major red flags in the snapshot data.
Why we rate it 7.6
- Yield of 2.41% is in the typical sustainable zone (2-4%)
- Payout ratio not applicable for ETFs — ETF distributions are dictated by the fund's underlying holdings
- ETF structure provides built-in diversification — single-name dividend cuts have limited impact
Where SDY ranks
We compute the same 0–10 safety score across 53 dividend-paying stocks and ETFs. Here's where SDY lands inside that universe.
The universe is curated to the most-searched US dividend payers. We'll expand it as the data layer grows; sector percentiles only appear when we have at least 5 comparable peers.
The two questions a safety score doesn't answer
A safety score tells you how durable SDY's payout looks. It does not tell you what you keep after tax, or whether something else does the same job better.
On tax: what you actually pocket depends on whether SDY dividends are qualified — qualified distributions are taxed at 0%, 15%, or 20%, while ordinary ones are taxed at your full marginal rate, a gap that can reach 22 percentage points of the income on the same headline yield.
On substitutes: if SDY's 7.6/10 score is lower than you want, see SDY alternatives — same-sector ETFs ranked by how closely they match SDY on both yield and safety, so you can see what a swap actually costs you.
About State Street SPDR S&P Dividend ETF
The fund generally invests substantially all, but at least 80%, of its total assets in the securities comprising the index. The index is designed to measure the performance of the highest dividend yielding S&P Composite 1500® Index constituents that have followed a managed-dividends policy of consistently increasing dividends every year for at least 20 consecutive years.
How we score dividend safety
The Infnits dividend safety score is a 0–10 rating derived from yield zone, payout ratio (when applicable), yield trend versus 5-year average, instrument type, and company size. Each factor is independently transparent — see the reasons above for exactly which factors contributed to SDY's score.
For the full methodology including the in-app version that uses ETF look-through and historical cut data, see our methodology page.
This is educational, not investment advice. Dividend safety scores reflect a snapshot of public data on the "as of" date shown. Verify current data on the issuer's investor relations page or your brokerage before making decisions.
Frequently asked questions
Is SDY safe?
On dividend safety specifically, Infnits scores SDY 7.6/10 — solid. State Street SPDR S&P Dividend ETF has a solid dividend profile with no major red flags in the snapshot data. That score measures how durable the payout looks based on yield zone, payout ratio, yield trend, and instrument type; it does not measure price risk, valuation, or whether SDY suits your portfolio.
Is SDY's dividend safe?
Based on snapshot data — yield 2.41%, payout ratio —, instrument type etf — Infnits rates SDY's dividend safety profile as solid (7.6/10). This is one signal, not a recommendation.
What is SDY's current dividend yield?
SDY has a current dividend yield of 2.41% as of August 23, 2026.
How is SDY's safety score calculated?
The score combines yield zone (yields above 7% historically carry elevated cut risk), payout ratio (lower is safer), trend vs. 5-year average yield, instrument type (ETFs are inherently more diversified), and size (larger companies have more stable cash flows). Each factor is scored 0-2.5 and summed to a 0-10 result.
Where does this data come from?
Fundamentals are sourced from public market data and refreshed regularly. The "as of" date on each page reflects the snapshot used for the score. For real-time data, check the issuer's investor relations page or your brokerage.
Should I buy SDY based on this score?
No — this is an educational score based on a handful of public signals, not investment advice. Use it as one input among many. For a portfolio-aware analysis with ETF look-through and personalized insights, install the Infnits app.
Get emailed when SDY score changes.
SDY head-to-head comparisons
See SDY compared side-by-side with the most-searched peer tickers — yield, safety, growth trend, expense ratio, and tax treatment.
More SDY analysis
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See how SDY fits your portfolio
Add your other holdings and the free analyzer shows your total annual income, weighted safety score, and whether SDY is carrying too much of your income. Runs in your browser — no account, no download.
Or read how safety scoring works.