At a glance
STOT charges 0.45% a year, above the 0.14% average of the 7 funds most like it (the most expensive of 8). It has $473.3M in assets, the 8th largest of that group; it paid 4.44% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, monthly. Over the past year it returned +2.1% with distributions reinvested, 3rd of those 8 funds; over three years it returned +4.8% a year. At its worst it fell 4.9% in the 2020 crash (S&P 500: 33.7%) and 4.9% in the 2022 bear market (S&P 500: 24.5%), and was back at its earlier high 4 months and 11 months after the lows. Its ten largest positions make up 25.4% of the fund, out of 573 in all.
The short version
SPDR DoubleLine Short Duration Total Return Tactical ETF (STOT) is an actively managed bond fund from State Street, run by DoubleLine Capital. It mixes US Treasuries, mortgage-backed securities and collateralized loan obligations while keeping average duration, a measure of interest-rate sensitivity, between one and three years. It pays income monthly and its price has moved little, but its 0.45% expense ratio is the highest among similar funds, which average 0.14%.
Price history
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STOT +2.1% over the year to Oct 27, 2026, total return with distributions reinvested.
How it has behaved
| YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr | 10 yr | Since start | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STOT official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2025 | — | +5.60% | — | +2.60% | — | +2.44% |
| STOT price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +1.4% | +2.1% | +4.8% | +2.9% | +2.4% | +2.4% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, STOT returned +2.1%, 3rd of 8 among similar funds.
- Its 5-year annualized return was +2.9% and its 10-year +2.4%.
- In the 2020 COVID crash it fell 4.9% and regained its old high 4.1 months after the low.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2022 (-3.8%); its best was 2023 (+6.4%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 6.1% (Aug 3, 2021 to Nov 7, 2022), recovered by Nov 2, 2023.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +1.4% | — |
| 2025 | +5.5% | +5.60% |
| 2024 | +5.3% | +5.30% |
| 2023 | +6.4% | +6.33% |
| 2022 | -3.8% | -3.79% |
| 2021 | +0.3% | -0.07% |
| 2020 | +2.4% | +2.65% |
| 2019 | +4.5% | +4.44% |
| 2018 | +0.9% | +1.17% |
| 2017 | +1.7% | +1.63% |
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Before this security existed |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Lost 3.9% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 4.9%, back to its old high 4.1 months after the low |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Lost 4.9% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 4.9%, back to its old high 11.4 months after the low |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | $1.5200 | |
| 2025 | $2.1200 | -11.3% |
| 2024 | $2.3900 | +12.2% |
| 2023 | $2.1300 | +82.1% |
| 2022 | $1.1700 | +34.5% |
| 2021 | $0.8700 | +4.8% |
| 2020 | $0.8300 | -37.1% |
| 2019 | $1.3200 | +8.2% |
| 2018 | $1.2200 | +28.4% |
| 2017 | $0.9500 |
What's inside
As of Jun 30, 2026, the fund held 573 securities; the ten largest made up 25.4% of assets, and 3.16% sat in cash and money-market holdings.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| United States Treasury Bonds and notes | 8.17% | |
| United States Treasury Bonds and notes | 4.91% | |
| United States Treasury Bonds and notes | 3.68% | |
| United States Treasury Bonds and notes | 3.54% | |
| United States Treasury Bonds and notes | 1.03% | |
| United States Treasury Bonds and notes | 0.97% | |
| United States Treasury Bonds and notes | 0.96% | |
| PRKCM Trust Mortgage-backed securities | 0.83% | |
| Government National Mortgage Association Mortgage-backed securities | 0.66% | |
| Velocity Commercial Capital Loan Trust Mortgage-backed securities | 0.65% | |
| Freddie Mac Mortgage-backed securities | 0.65% | |
| SG Capital Partners Mortgage-backed securities | 0.62% | |
| Morgan Stanley Residential Mortgage Loan Trust Mortgage-backed securities | 0.62% | |
| BRAVO Residential Funding Trust Mortgage-backed securities | 0.61% | |
| PRP Advisors, LLC Mortgage-backed securities | 0.61% |
By country
United States 82.84%Cayman Islands 8.94%Canada 1.7%Jersey 1.48%United Kingdom 0.93%By issuer
Companies 62.4%US Treasury 23.27%US government-sponsored enterprises 7.78%Other 2.3%US government agencies 2.19%The bonds mature in 13.2 years on average (weighted by size), with an average coupon of 4.1%.
Source: N-PORT holdings report as of Jun 30, 2026. Cash, money-market funds and derivatives are shown separately from the securities list.What changed recently
- Over the three months to Jun 30, 2026, investors added a net $75.3M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +0.40%, +0.25%, +0.18%.
How it works
STOT does not track an index. State Street hires DoubleLine Capital as sub-adviser to pick the bonds. The fund's prospectus filed October 27, 2026 calls it the State Street DoubleLine Short Duration Total Return Tactical ETF. At least 80% of assets go into fixed income of any credit quality. The menu includes Treasuries and inflation-protected TIPS, municipal bonds, corporate and foreign government debt, bank loans and pooled securities. One kind of pooled security is the collateralized loan obligation (CLO), a bundle of corporate loans split into layers by risk. At least 25% must be in mortgage-backed securities. Some of that exposure can come through to-be-announced (TBA) trades, which are forward agreements to buy agency mortgage pools that are often rolled over before they settle.
Limits shape the risk. Up to 20% may be in high-yield ("junk") corporate bonds, and all below-investment-grade debt combined is capped at 40%. Foreign-currency bonds are capped at 15% and emerging markets at 20%. DoubleLine aims to keep average effective duration between one and three years. Duration is roughly the percentage a bond fund's price falls if rates rise one point.
As of June 30, 2026, the fund held 573 securities. The four largest were Treasury notes at 8.2%, 4.9%, 3.7% and 3.5% of assets, and the top 10 made up 25.4%. Bonds and notes were 44.7%, mortgage-backed securities 31.1%, and CDOs and CLOs 12.2%. Portfolio turnover was 62%.
What it really costs
- STOT charges 0.45% a year, versus an average of 0.14% for the similar funds below (8th of 8, cheapest first).
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $46 in the first year and $567 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| STOT | $46 | $144 | $252 | $567 |
Structure and tax notes
- Bond prices move opposite to interest rates; the longer the maturities it holds, the more its price reacts to rate changes.
In a retirement portfolio
Its short duration has kept losses small and short-lived, and that steadiness matters more here than growth.
STOT launched in April 2016, so it has no record from the 2008 financial crisis. In the 2020 COVID crash it fell 4.9% and recovered in about four months. In the 2022 bear market it dropped 4.9% and took 11.4 months to recover. Its worst calendar year was 2022, down 3.8%. Its deepest drop, 6.1% from August 2021 to November 2022, took 11.8 months to recover. For someone selling shares in a bad year, those declines were modest. The trailing yield was 4.44% as of October 27, 2026, paid monthly. The trade-offs are a 0.45% expense ratio ($567 over 10 years on $10,000 in the SEC's standard example) and credit risk from CLOs and lower-rated bonds. Past results don't predict future ones, and a plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.
Who it may suit — and who should look elsewhere
May suit
- Investors seeking monthly income, with a 4.44% trailing yield as of October 27, 2026, from bonds kept to a one-to-three-year average duration.
- Retirees holding a short-term reserve beyond cash who can accept small dips; its deepest drop was 6.1%, recovered in 11.8 months.
- People who want an active manager, DoubleLine, choosing among Treasuries, mortgage securities and CLOs rather than tracking an index.
Look elsewhere if
- Cost-focused investors: its 0.45% fee is the highest among similar funds, while AGG, BND and SCHZ charge 0.03%.
- Those wanting only government or investment-grade bonds: up to 40% may be below investment grade, and CDOs and CLOs were 12.2% as of June 30, 2026.
- Investors seeking long-term growth: its five-year average annual return was 2.6% through December 31, 2025.
Close alternatives
Matched by bond funds with the closest average maturity and issuer mix (N-PORT).
| Fund | Avg. maturity | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STOT this fund | 13.2 yrs | 0.45% | $473.3M | +2.1% | +4.8% |
| FBND Fidelity Total Bond ETF | 14.4 yrs | 0.36% | $28.16B | -0.2% | +5.4% |
| IUSB iShares Core Total USD Bond Market ETF | 11.8 yrs | 0.06% | $43.00B | -0.3% | +5.1% |
| AGG iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF | 12.4 yrs | 0.03% | $138.32B | -0.4% | +4.7% |
| SCHZ Schwab U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF | 12.5 yrs | 0.03% | $10.60B | -1.1% | +5.2% |
| BND Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF | 11.7 yrs | 0.03% | $397.11B | -0.4% | +4.7% |
| PULS PGIM Ultra Short Bond ETF | 8.8 yrs | 0.15% | $18.71B | +4.1% | +5.2% |
| MINT PIMCO Enhanced Short Maturity Active Exchan… | 6.3 yrs | 0.35% | $16.43B | +3.9% | +4.9% |
Questions investors ask
Does STOT pay monthly dividends?
Yes. STOT pays distributions monthly. Over the 12 months to October 27, 2026, it paid $2.06 per share, a trailing yield of 4.44%. The payments come from interest on its bonds, including Treasuries, mortgage-backed securities and collateralized loan obligations. The amount can change from month to month as rates and holdings change. Payments are not guaranteed, and the fund's price can also fall.
Is STOT good for retirement income?
It may fit as a defensive bond holding rather than a source of growth. Its price has moved little: annual volatility, a measure of how much returns swing, was 1.6% over three years to October 27, 2026. Its worst calendar year was 2022, at -3.79%. It pays monthly, with a 4.44% trailing yield. The drawbacks are a 0.45% expense ratio, more than three times the 0.14% average of similar funds, and a five-year average annual return of 2.6% through December 31, 2025.
What's the difference between STOT and MINT?
Both are actively managed short-term bond ETFs, but they differ in cost, size and recent results. PIMCO's MINT charges 0.35%, compared with STOT's 0.45%. As of October 30, 2026, MINT returned 4.3% over one year and 5.1% a year over three years. As of October 27, 2026, STOT returned 2.1% and 4.8%. MINT had about $16.4 billion in net assets as of June 30, 2026, versus $473 million for STOT. STOT can hold up to 40% in below-investment-grade debt.
What does STOT invest in?
STOT holds a mix of government and credit bonds chosen by DoubleLine. As of June 30, 2026, it held 573 securities. Bonds and notes made up 44.7% of assets, mortgage-backed securities 31.1%, CDOs and CLOs 12.2%, and other asset-backed securities 8.0%. US Treasuries were 23.3%, led by a single Treasury note at 8.2%. About 82.8% of assets were tied to the United States and 8.9% to the Cayman Islands.
How much did STOT lose in 2022?
According to its prospectus, STOT lost 3.79% in calendar 2022, its worst calendar year on record. Its worst quarter was the first quarter of 2022, at -2.49%. Its deepest peak-to-trough drop was 6.1%, from August 3, 2021 to November 7, 2022. It got back to its earlier high by November 2, 2023, about 11.8 months later. Short-duration bonds generally fall less than longer-term bonds when interest rates rise, because their prices are less sensitive to rate changes.