S&P Small-Cap 600 Index (^SML) Sortino Ratio: 1.29
^SML's Sortino Ratio of 1.29 indicates that for each unit of downside volatility, it generates 1.29 units of excess return. The ratio is calculated using historical daily returns over the past 12 months (as of Apr 1, 2026).
Unlike other measures, Sortino only focuses on downside volatility (losses), making it particularly useful for investors more concerned about protecting against drawdowns than overall price swings.
^SML Sortino Ratio Rank
^SML ranks above 54.8% of all investments in our database based on Sortino Ratio over the past 12 months, indicating moderate downside protection relative to peers. Securities are ranked from 0 (worst) to 100 (best).
What moves the rank
- Strong returns with minimal downside volatility → Higher rank
- Severe or frequent drawdowns → Lower rank
- Upside volatility → No impact (Sortino doesn't penalize upside swings)
What you can do with this information
- Returns are proportional to downside risk—neither strong nor weak
- Evaluate whether downside volatility aligns with your risk tolerance
- Review higher-ranked alternatives in the same category
- Monitor rank direction to identify improving or deteriorating trends
^SML Sortino Ratio Market Positioning
The chart shows ^SML's Sortino Ratio relative to all indices on our platform, with color zones indicating percentile rankings. Higher ratios indicate better downside-adjusted returns.
- Red zone (bottom 25%): 0.54 or lower
- Yellow zone (middle 50%): 0.54 to 1.63
- Green zone (top 25%): 1.63 or higher
- Top 1%: 3.74+
- Median: 1.25 — half of all investments score higher
How it compares to other similar indices
The table compares ^SML's Sortino Ratio with other similar indices across multiple time periods, showing relative risk-adjusted performance.
Data shows 1-, 5-, and 10-year periods, plus each index's all-time average, as of Apr 1, 2026.
| Symbol | Name | 1Y Sortino Ratio | 5Y Sortino Ratio | 10Y Sortino Ratio | All Time Sortino Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ^RGBITR | Russian Government Bond Index | 5.26 | |||
| ^NWX | ARCA Networking | 3.81 | |||
| ^XAX | NYSE American Composite Index | 3.63 | |||
| ^NRU | S&P Global Natural Resources Index | 2.84 | |||
| ^GSPTXDV | S&P/TSX Dividend Aristocrats | 2.70 | |||
| ^XAU | Philadelphia Gold and Silver Index | 2.63 | |||
| ^GSPTSE | S&P TSX Composite Index (Canada) | 2.63 | |||
| ^N225 | Nikkei 225 | 2.58 | |||
| ^SOX | PHLX Semiconductor Index | 2.56 | |||
| ^DJUSSC | Dow Jones U.S. Semiconductors Index | 2.51 | |||
| ^SML | S&P Small-Cap 600 Index | 1.29 |
Historical Sortino Ratio
The chart shows ^SML's rolling Sortino ratio over time compared to your chosen benchmark. Rising trends indicate improving returns relative to downside risk, while declining trends may signal deteriorating risk-adjusted performance or increased volatility during market stress. Use multiple timeframes to distinguish short-term fluctuations from long-term patterns.
Identify market cycles by observing when ^SML consistently outperforms (line above benchmark), underperforms (below benchmark), or aligns with the benchmark.
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Explore ^SML risk-adjusted metrics in detail
Dive deeper into individual metrics with historical trends, benchmark comparisons, and performance across different time periods.