SPDR

SPDR, or Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts, is a family of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) managed by State Street Global Advisors (SSGA), the investment management division of State Street Corporation. Established in 1993, SPDR ETFs were among the first ETFs introduced in the United States, providing investors with a cost-effective and efficient way to gain exposure to various asset classes, including equities, fixed income, commodities, and real estate.

As of June 30, 2024, SSGA managed approximately $4.7 trillion in assets under management (AUM), making it the world's fourth-largest asset manager. The SPDR ETF business has been a significant contributor to this growth, with ETF AUM reaching $1.6 trillion. SPDR ETFs offer a broad range of investment solutions, including the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY), which tracks the S&P 500 Index, and the SPDR Gold Shares (GLD), which provides exposure to the gold market. These ETFs are designed to provide investors with liquidity, transparency, and diversification across various markets and asset classes.

In 2025, SSGA, the parent company of SPDR, rebranded itself as State Street Investment Management to reflect its growth and strategic ambition as a leading partner and provider of innovative investment exposures and tailored solutions for clients across global markets. This rebranding underscores the firm's commitment to product innovation and its focus on delivering better outcomes for investors worldwide.

SPDR ETFs are available to a wide range of investors, including individual investors, financial advisors, and institutional clients. They are traded on major stock exchanges, providing investors with the flexibility to buy and sell shares throughout the trading day at market prices. The ETFs are designed to replicate the performance of their respective indices, offering a passive investment strategy that aims to match, rather than outperform, the market.

In addition to traditional asset classes, SPDR has expanded its offerings to include ETFs that provide exposure to alternative investments, such as private credit. In February 2025, SSGA, in collaboration with Apollo Global Management, launched the SPDR SSGA Apollo IG Public & Private Credit ETF. This innovative ETF provides retail investors with direct access to a diversified portfolio of private credit assets, marking a significant development in the ETF market and offering new opportunities for investors seeking exposure to private credit.

Overall, SPDR continues to be a pioneer in the ETF industry, offering a diverse range of investment products that cater to the evolving needs of investors seeking cost-effective and efficient ways to access various markets and asset classes.