^GSPC vs. ACWI

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about S&P 500 Index (^GSPC) and iShares MSCI ACWI ETF (ACWI).

ACWI is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI All Country World Index. It was launched on Mar 26, 2008.

Performance

^GSPC vs. ACWI - Performance Comparison

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

^GSPC vs. ACWI - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
^GSPC S&P 500 Index	-4.63%	16.39%	23.31%	24.23%	-19.44%	26.89%	16.26%	28.88%	-6.24%	19.42%
ACWI iShares MSCI ACWI ETF	-2.21%	22.41%	17.45%	22.27%	-18.39%	18.66%	16.34%	26.59%	-9.19%	24.33%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ^GSPC achieves a -4.63% return, which is significantly lower than ACWI's -2.21% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with ^GSPC having a 12.16% annualized return and ACWI not far behind at 11.58%.

^GSPC

• 1D: 2.91%
• 1M: -5.09%
• YTD: -4.63%
• 6M: -2.39%
• 1Y: 16.33%
• 3Y*: 16.69%
• 5Y*: 10.18%
• 10Y*: 12.16%

ACWI

• 1D: 3.11%
• 1M: -6.11%
• YTD: -2.21%
• 6M: 0.97%
• 1Y: 20.86%
• 3Y*: 16.98%
• 5Y*: 9.40%
• 10Y*: 11.58%

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

Return for Risk

^GSPC vs. ACWI — Risk / Return Rank

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

^GSPC

^GSPC Risk / Return Rank: 74
^GSPC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 69
^GSPC Sortino Ratio Rank: 68
^GSPC Omega Ratio Rank: 76
^GSPC Calmar Ratio Rank: 73
^GSPC Martin Ratio Rank: 85

ACWI

ACWI Risk / Return Rank: 75
ACWI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 71
ACWI Sortino Ratio Rank: 74
ACWI Omega Ratio Rank: 75
ACWI Calmar Ratio Rank: 74
ACWI Martin Ratio Rank: 81

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.

^GSPC vs. ACWI - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for S&P 500 Index (^GSPC) and iShares MSCI ACWI ETF (ACWI). 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.

	^GSPC	ACWI	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.90	1.20	-0.30
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.39	1.77	-0.39
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.21	1.27	-0.05
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.40	1.79	-0.39
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	6.61	8.26	-1.66
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

^GSPC vs. ACWI - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ^GSPC Sharpe Ratio is 0.90, which is comparable to the ACWI Sharpe Ratio of 1.20. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ^GSPC and ACWI, 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

	^GSPC	ACWI	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.90	1.20	-0.30
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.61	0.59	+0.01
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.68	0.68	0.00
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.46	0.39	+0.07

Correlation

The correlation between ^GSPC and ACWI is 0.94, 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

^GSPC vs. ACWI - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ^GSPC drawdown since its inception was -56.78%, roughly equal to the maximum ACWI drawdown of -56.00%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ^GSPC and ACWI.

Drawdown Indicators

	^GSPC	ACWI	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-56.78%	-56.00%	-0.78%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.14%	-11.76%	-0.38%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-25.43%	-26.42%	+0.99%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-33.92%	-33.53%	-0.39%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.45%	-6.92%	+0.47%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-10.75%	-8.69%	-2.06%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.57%	2.54%	+0.03%

Volatility

^GSPC vs. ACWI - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for S&P 500 Index (^GSPC) is 5.34%, while iShares MSCI ACWI ETF (ACWI) has a volatility of 6.38%. This indicates that ^GSPC experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than ACWI based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	^GSPC	ACWI	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.34%	6.38%	-1.04%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.54%	10.05%	-0.51%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	18.33%	17.48%	+0.85%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	16.91%	15.97%	+0.94%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	18.05%	17.08%	+0.97%