PortfoliosLab logoPortfoliosLab logo

Documentation

Upgrade your plan

NYSE Arca Airline Index (^XAL) Sharpe Ratio: 0.37

^XAL's Sharpe Ratio of 0.37 indicates that for each unit of volatility, it generates 0.37 units of excess return above the risk-free rate. The ratio is calculated using historical daily returns over the past 12 months (as of Apr 2, 2026).

Sharpe uses total volatility (standard deviation) which includes both upside and downside price movements, making it useful for comparing risk-adjusted returns across different assets.

^XAL Sharpe Ratio Rank

^XAL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 28.929
Below Average

^XAL ranks above 28.9% of all investments in our database based on Sharpe Ratio over the past 12 months, indicating below-average returns relative to volatility. Securities are ranked from 0 (worst) to 100 (best).

What moves the rank

  • Strong returns with low total volatility → Higher rank
  • High volatility (both upside and downside) → Lower rank
  • Consistent returns → Higher rank than volatile returns of same magnitude
  • Sharp drawdowns increase volatility → Lower rank

What you can do with this information

  • Returns may not adequately compensate for volatility taken
  • Consider smaller allocation given below-average risk-adjusted profile
  • Explore higher-ranked investments with better consistency
  • Assess whether the volatility profile aligns with your portfolio goals

^XAL Sharpe Ratio Market Positioning

The chart shows ^XAL's Sharpe Ratio relative to all indices on our platform, with color zones indicating percentile rankings. Higher ratios indicate better risk-adjusted returns.

  • Red zone (bottom 25%): 0.25 or lower
  • Yellow zone (middle 50%): 0.25 to 1.10
  • Green zone (top 25%): 1.10 or higher
  • Top 1%: 3.42+
  • Median: 0.83 — half of all investments score higher

How it compares to other similar indices

The table compares ^XAL's Sharpe 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 2, 2026.

SymbolName1Y Sharpe Ratio5Y Sharpe Ratio10Y Sharpe RatioAll Time Sharpe Ratio
^CASHXUS Money Market Index265.80
^NWXARCA Networking3.43
^XAXNYSE American Composite Index3.09
^XAUPhiladelphia Gold and Silver Index2.66
^BCOMALBloomberg Aluminum Index2.21
^SOXPHLX Semiconductor Index2.05
^DJUSSCDow Jones U.S. Semiconductors Index1.87
^NBINASDAQ Biotechnology Index1.80
^W2DOWDow Jones Global ex-U.S. Index1.66
^DJUSDNDow Jones U.S. Defense Index1.63
^XALNYSE Arca Airline Index0.37

S&P 500 Index

How to choose period

Historical Sharpe Ratio

The chart shows ^XAL's rolling Sharpe ratio over time compared to your chosen benchmark. Rising trends indicate improving returns relative to total volatility, while declining trends may signal deteriorating risk-adjusted performance or increased volatility. Use multiple timeframes to distinguish short-term fluctuations from long-term patterns.

Identify market cycles by observing when ^XAL consistently outperforms (line above benchmark), underperforms (below benchmark), or aligns with the benchmark.

Loading graphics...

Explore ^XAL risk-adjusted metrics in detail

Dive deeper into individual metrics with historical trends, benchmark comparisons, and performance across different time periods.

^XAL Sortino Ratio