- ISIN
- US4642867729
- CUSIP
- 464286772
- Issuer
- iShares
- Inception Date
- May 12, 2000
- Region
- Developed Asia Pacific (South Korea)
- Category
- Asia Pacific Equities
- Leveraged
- 1x (No leverage)
- Index Tracked
- MSCI Korea Index
- Domicile
- United States
- Distribution Policy
- Distributing
- Asset Class
- Equity
- Asset Class Size
- Large-Cap
- Asset Class Style
- Blend
- Assets Under Management
- $26B
Share Price Chart
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Performance
EWY Performance Chart
iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (EWY) is up 125.3% since the beginning of the year. EWY is currently trading at $219 per share. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of EWY shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $2,634.
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Returns By Period
iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (EWY) has returned 125.28% so far this year and 226.78% over the past 12 months. Looking at the last ten years, EWY has achieved an annualized return of 18.13%, outperforming the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 13.88% per year.
iShares MSCI South Korea ETF
- 1D
- -0.08%
- 1M
- 20.32%
- YTD
- 125.28%
- 6M
- 138.71%
- 1Y
- 226.78%
- 3Y*
- 54.89%
- 5Y*
- 21.37%
- 10Y*
- 18.13%
Benchmark (S&P 500 Index)
- 1D
- -0.37%
- 1M
- -0.01%
- YTD
- 9.16%
- 6M
- 8.64%
- 1Y
- 25.22%
- 3Y*
- 19.78%
- 5Y*
- 11.99%
- 10Y*
- 13.88%
EWY Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since May 12, 2000, EWY's average daily return is +0.06%, while the average monthly return is +1.25%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 4.6 years.
Historically, 57% of months were positive and 43% were negative. The best month was Apr 2026 with a return of +30.7%, while the worst month was Oct 2008 at -28.5%. The longest winning streak lasted 8 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 7 months.
On a daily basis, EWY closed higher 52% of trading days. The best single day was Oct 13, 2008 with a return of +22.4%, while the worst single day was Sep 17, 2001 at -16.5%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 25.91% | 23.66% | -18.74% | 30.69% | 28.04% | 6.41% | 125.28% | ||||||
| 2025 | 6.05% | 1.30% | -1.15% | 3.98% | 7.90% | 18.39% | 1.43% | -0.78% | 10.88% | 21.10% | -6.32% | 9.39% | 95.33% |
| 2024 | -9.25% | 7.80% | 4.68% | -6.05% | -1.38% | 6.29% | 0.70% | -1.58% | -2.35% | -6.33% | -4.14% | -9.27% | -20.48% |
| 2023 | 12.38% | -7.83% | 4.65% | -0.90% | 3.48% | 0.96% | 6.61% | -7.58% | -5.62% | -6.77% | 14.72% | 6.66% | 19.05% |
| 2022 | -7.04% | 0.03% | -1.63% | -6.44% | 2.10% | -14.48% | 4.06% | -4.36% | -18.22% | 9.40% | 17.16% | -5.82% | -26.59% |
| 2021 | 2.38% | -0.15% | 1.97% | 0.96% | 1.62% | 1.25% | -4.75% | -2.32% | -6.96% | -1.45% | -4.73% | 5.01% | -7.58% |
Benchmark Metrics
iShares MSCI South Korea ETF has an annualized alpha of 6.63%, beta of 1.16, and R2 of 0.45 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since May 12, 2000.
- This ETF captured 145.57% of S&P 500 Index gains and 118.42% of its losses - amplifying both gains and losses, but participating more in upside than downside.
- R2 of 0.45 means the benchmark explains less than half of this ETF's behavior - treat beta with caution or consider switching to a more representative benchmark.
- Alpha
- 6.63%
- Beta
- 1.16
- R²
- 0.45
- Upside Capture
- 145.57%
- Downside Capture
- 118.42%
Expense Ratio
EWY has an expense ratio of 0.59%, placing it in the medium range.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
EWY ranks 95 for risk / return — in the top 95% of ETFs on our site. This means strong returns relative to risk — exactly what professional investors look for. Well-suited for investors who want to maximize return per unit of risk.
Return / Risk — by metrics
The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (EWY) and compare them to S&P 500 Index.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| EWY | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +2.80 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +1.65 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.64 | 1.37 | +0.27 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 9.89 | 2.78 | +7.11 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 34.51 | 12.44 | +22.07 |
Dividends
Dividend History
iShares MSCI South Korea ETF provided a 0.93% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $2.04 per share.
| Period | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend | $2.04 | $2.04 | $1.30 | $1.65 | $0.70 | $1.68 | $0.63 | $1.31 | $0.79 | $2.18 | $0.65 | $1.20 |
Dividend yield | 0.93% | 2.10% | 2.55% | 2.52% | 1.23% | 2.16% | 0.73% | 2.10% | 1.34% | 2.90% | 1.21% | 2.42% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for iShares MSCI South Korea ETF. The dividends shown in the table have been adjusted to account for any splits that may have occurred.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | ||||||
| 2025 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $2.04 | $2.04 |
| 2024 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.30 | $1.30 |
| 2023 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.65 | $1.65 |
| 2022 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.70 | $0.70 |
| 2021 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.68 | $1.68 |
Drawdowns
Drawdowns Chart
The Drawdowns chart displays portfolio losses from any high point along the way. Drawdowns are calculated considering price movements and all distributions paid, if any.
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Worst Drawdowns
The table below displays the maximum drawdowns of the iShares MSCI South Korea ETF. A maximum drawdown is a measure of risk, indicating the largest reduction in portfolio value due to a series of losing trades.
The maximum drawdown for the iShares MSCI South Korea ETF was 74.14%, occurring on Nov 20, 2008. Recovery took 2133 trading sessions.
The current iShares MSCI South Korea ETF drawdown is 0.08%.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Financial crisis2007–2009 | -74.14%Nov 2008 | 1y 20d | 8y 5mo | 9y 6moNov 2007 - May 2017 |
Dot-com crash2000–2002 | -50.78%Sep 2001 | 1y 3mo | 5mo 17d | 1y 8moJun 2000 - Mar 2002 |
Bear market2022 | -49.73%Sep 2022 | 1y 8mo | 3y 21d | 4y 9moJan 2021 - Oct 2025 |
COVID crash2020 | -48.93%Mar 2020 | 2y 1mo | 8mo 6d | 2y 10moJan 2018 - Nov 2020 |
2003 bear market2003 | -38.19%Mar 2003 | 11mo 11d | 6mo 16d | 1y 5moApr 2002 - Oct 2003 |
Drawdown Indicators
| EWY | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -74.14% | -56.78% | -17.36% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -23.08% | -9.10% | -13.98% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -27.36% | -18.90% | -8.46% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -48.55% | -25.43% | -23.12% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -49.73% | -33.92% | -15.81% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.08% | -1.80% | +1.72% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -20.10% | -10.71% | -9.39% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 6.60% | 2.03% | +4.57% |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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