Important Notice Regarding Change in

Fund Name, Index, and Related Matters

SPDR^® Series Trust

SPDR Wells Fargo^® Preferred Stock ETF

(the “Fund”)

Supplement dated February 26, 2021 to the Prospectus, Summary Prospectus,

Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”), each dated October 31, 2020,

as may be supplemented from time to time

Effective May 1, 2021 (the “Effective Date”), the Fund’s name, benchmark index, and principal investment strategy will change. Accordingly, as of the Effective Date:

In seeking to track the performance of the ICE Exchange-Listed Fixed & Adjustable Rate Preferred Securities Index (the “Index”), the Fund employs a sampling strategy, which means that the Fund is not required to purchase all of the securities represented in the Index. Instead, the Fund may purchase a subset of the securities in the Index in an effort to hold a portfolio of securities with generally the same risk and return characteristics of the Index. The quantity of holdings in the Fund will be based on a number of factors, including asset size of the Fund. Based on its analysis of these factors, SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (“SSGA FM” or the “Adviser”), the investment adviser to the Fund, either may invest the Fund’s assets in a subset of securities in the Index or may invest the Fund’s assets in substantially all of the securities represented in the Index in approximately the same proportions as the Index, as determined by the Adviser to be in the best interest of the Fund in pursuing its objective. The Fund is classified as “diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended; however, the Fund may become “non-diversified” solely as a result of tracking the Index (e.g., changes in weightings of one or more component securities). When the Fund is non-diversified, it may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers.

Under normal market conditions, the Fund generally invests substantially all, but at least 80%, of its total assets in the securities comprising the Index. In addition, in seeking to track the Index, the Fund may invest in securities that are not included in the Index, cash and cash equivalents or money market instruments, such as repurchase agreements and money market funds (including money market funds advised by the Adviser). In seeking to track the Index, the Fund’s assets may be concentrated in an industry or group of industries, but only to the extent that the Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. Futures contracts (a type of derivative instrument) may be used by the Fund in seeking performance that corresponds to the Index and in managing cash flows.

The Index is designed to measure the performance of non-convertible preferred stock and securities that are functionally equivalent to preferred stock, including, but not limited to, senior and subordinated debt (collectively, “Preferred Securities”). Preferred Securities generally pay fixed rate distributions (but may pay distributions based on adjustable rates) and typically have “preference” over common stock in the payment of distributions and the liquidation of a company’s assets — preference means that a company must pay distributions on its Preferred Securities before paying dividends on its common stock, and the claims of Preferred Securities holders are ahead of common stockholders’ claims on assets in a corporate liquidation. The Index includes Preferred Securities that meet the following criteria: (i) are non-convertible; (ii) have a par amount of $25; (iii) are primarily listed on the NYSE or NASDAQ exchanges, (iv) have a minimum amount outstanding of $250 million; (v) are U.S. dollar denominated; (vi) are rated investment grade by one of Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Standard & Poor’s Financial Services, LLC ratings services; (vii) are publicly registered or exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933; (viii) have a fixed or floating rate coupon or dividend schedule; (iv) have a minimum average monthly trading volume of at least 250,000 trading units during the preceding six months; and (x) have at least 18 months to final maturity at time of issuance and a minimum remaining term to final maturity of at least one day. The Index does not include auction rate preferred securities, convertible preferred shares, securities with a sinking fund, shares in closed-end funds, purchase units, purchase contracts, corporate pay-in-kind securities and derivative instruments.

The Index is market capitalization weighted. The aggregate weight of securities of an individual issuer is limited to 5%, and any weight exceeding this limit will be redistributed on a pro-rata basis to securities of issuers that do not exceed the 5% limit. In the event the Index includes securities of fewer than 20 issuers, the aggregate weight of each issuer’s securities will be equally weighted and the issuer’s individual securities will be weighted on a pro-rata basis. The Index is rebalanced on the last calendar day of each month based on information available up to and including the third business day before the last business day of the month. As of February 22, 2021, a significant portion of the Index comprised companies in the financial and utilities sectors, although this may change from time to time. As of February 22, 2021, the Index comprised 159 Preferred Securities.

The Index is sponsored by ICE Data Indices, LLC (the “Index Provider”), which is not affiliated with the Fund or the Adviser. The Index Provider determines the composition of the Index, relative weightings of the securities in the Index and publishes information regarding the market value of the Index.

PLEASE RETAIN THIS SUPPLEMENT FOR FUTURE REFERENCE

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