^DJI vs. ^GSPC

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) and S&P 500 Index (^GSPC).

Performance

^DJI vs. ^GSPC - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) and S&P 500 Index (^GSPC). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

^DJI vs. ^GSPC - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
^DJI Dow Jones Industrial Average	-3.12%	12.97%	12.88%	13.70%	-8.78%	18.73%	7.25%	22.34%	-5.63%	25.08%
^GSPC S&P 500 Index	-3.95%	16.39%	23.31%	24.23%	-19.44%	26.89%	16.26%	28.88%	-6.24%	19.42%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ^DJI achieves a -3.12% return, which is significantly higher than ^GSPC's -3.95% return. Over the past 10 years, ^DJI has underperformed ^GSPC with an annualized return of 10.10%, while ^GSPC has yielded a comparatively higher 12.24% annualized return.

^DJI

• 1D: 0.48%
• 1M: -4.78%
• YTD: -3.12%
• 6M: 0.27%
• 1Y: 10.90%
• 3Y*: 11.85%
• 5Y*: 7.03%
• 10Y*: 10.10%

^GSPC

• 1D: 0.72%
• 1M: -4.45%
• YTD: -3.95%
• 6M: -2.02%
• 1Y: 16.73%
• 3Y*: 16.96%
• 5Y*: 10.34%
• 10Y*: 12.24%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Return for Risk

^DJI vs. ^GSPC — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

^DJI

^DJI Risk / Return Rank: 41
^DJI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 41
^DJI Sortino Ratio Rank: 41
^DJI Omega Ratio Rank: 42
^DJI Calmar Ratio Rank: 41
^DJI Martin Ratio Rank: 42

^GSPC

^GSPC Risk / Return Rank: 67
^GSPC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 63
^GSPC Sortino Ratio Rank: 64
^GSPC Omega Ratio Rank: 69
^GSPC Calmar Ratio Rank: 60
^GSPC Martin Ratio Rank: 77

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

^DJI vs. ^GSPC - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) and S&P 500 Index (^GSPC). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	^DJI	^GSPC	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.65	0.92	-0.27
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.05	1.41	-0.37
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.14	1.21	-0.07
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.00	1.41	-0.41
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	3.59	6.61	-3.03
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

^DJI vs. ^GSPC - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ^DJI Sharpe Ratio is 0.65, which is comparable to the ^GSPC Sharpe Ratio of 0.92. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ^DJI and ^GSPC, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	^DJI	^GSPC	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.65	0.92	-0.27
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.48	0.61	-0.14
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.58	0.68	-0.10
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.41	0.46	-0.05

Correlation

The correlation between ^DJI and ^GSPC is 0.93, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Drawdowns

^DJI vs. ^GSPC - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ^DJI drawdown since its inception was -53.78%, smaller than the maximum ^GSPC drawdown of -56.78%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ^DJI and ^GSPC.

Drawdown Indicators

	^DJI	^GSPC	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-53.78%	-56.78%	+3.00%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-10.85%	-12.14%	+1.29%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-21.94%	-25.43%	+3.49%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-37.09%	-33.92%	-3.17%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-7.22%	-5.78%	-1.44%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-9.76%	-10.75%	+0.99%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.03%	2.60%	+0.43%

Volatility

^DJI vs. ^GSPC - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) is 4.96%, while S&P 500 Index (^GSPC) has a volatility of 5.37%. This indicates that ^DJI experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than ^GSPC based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	^DJI	^GSPC	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.96%	5.37%	-0.41%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.29%	9.55%	-0.26%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	16.81%	18.33%	-1.52%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	14.76%	16.90%	-2.14%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	17.57%	18.05%	-0.48%