^DJI vs. SDOW

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) and ProShares UltraPro Short Dow30 (SDOW).

SDOW is a passively managed fund by ProShares that tracks the performance of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (-300%). It was launched on Feb 11, 2010.

Performance

^DJI vs. SDOW - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) and ProShares UltraPro Short Dow30 (SDOW). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

^DJI vs. SDOW - 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%
SDOW ProShares UltraPro Short Dow30	9.17%	-33.94%	-25.95%	-28.78%	4.00%	-49.00%	-66.48%	-49.54%	-0.30%	-52.26%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ^DJI achieves a -3.12% return, which is significantly lower than SDOW's 9.17% return. Over the past 10 years, ^DJI has outperformed SDOW with an annualized return of 10.10%, while SDOW has yielded a comparatively lower -36.51% 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%

SDOW

• 1D: -1.59%
• 1M: 14.93%
• YTD: 9.17%
• 6M: -0.78%
• 1Y: -30.97%
• 3Y*: -27.19%
• 5Y*: -23.11%
• 10Y*: -36.51%

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

Return for Risk

^DJI vs. SDOW — 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

SDOW

SDOW Risk / Return Rank: 4
SDOW Sharpe Ratio Rank: 3
SDOW Sortino Ratio Rank: 3
SDOW Omega Ratio Rank: 3
SDOW Calmar Ratio Rank: 4
SDOW Martin Ratio Rank: 7

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. SDOW - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) and ProShares UltraPro Short Dow30 (SDOW). 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	SDOW	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.65	-0.62	+1.27
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.05	-0.66	+1.70
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.14	0.91	+0.23
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.00	-0.52	+1.53
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	3.59	-0.68	+4.27
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. SDOW - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ^DJI Sharpe Ratio is 0.65, which is higher than the SDOW Sharpe Ratio of -0.62. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ^DJI and SDOW, 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	SDOW	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.65	-0.62	+1.27
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.48	-0.53	+1.00
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.58	-0.70	+1.28
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.41	-0.76	+1.17

Correlation

The correlation between ^DJI and SDOW is -1.00. This indicates that the assets' prices tend to move in opposite directions. Negative correlation can be particularly beneficial for diversification and risk management, as one asset may offset the losses of the other during market fluctuations.

Drawdowns

^DJI vs. SDOW - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ^DJI drawdown since its inception was -53.78%, smaller than the maximum SDOW drawdown of -99.96%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ^DJI and SDOW.

Drawdown Indicators

	^DJI	SDOW	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-53.78%	-99.96%	+46.18%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-10.85%	-58.80%	+47.95%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-21.94%	-80.95%	+59.01%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-37.09%	-99.20%	+62.11%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-7.22%	-99.95%	+92.73%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-9.76%	-89.32%	+79.56%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.03%	45.54%	-42.51%

Volatility

^DJI vs. SDOW - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) is 4.96%, while ProShares UltraPro Short Dow30 (SDOW) has a volatility of 14.87%. This indicates that ^DJI experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than SDOW based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	^DJI	SDOW	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.96%	14.87%	-9.91%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.29%	27.69%	-18.40%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	16.81%	50.23%	-33.42%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	14.76%	44.15%	-29.39%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	17.57%	52.04%	-34.47%