^N225 vs. ^GSPC

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

^N225 (Nikkei 225) and ^GSPC (S&P 500 Index) are both indexes. Over the past 10 years, ^N225 returned 15.04%/yr vs 18.37%/yr for ^GSPC. At a 0.18 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

^N225 vs. ^GSPC - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a ¥10,000 investment in Nikkei 225 (^N225) and S&P 500 Index (^GSPC). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Different Trading Currencies

^N225 is traded in JPY, while ^GSPC is traded in USD. To make them comparable, the ^GSPC values have been converted to JPY using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ^N225 achieves a 33.76% return, which is significantly higher than ^GSPC's 12.50% return. Over the past 10 years, ^N225 has underperformed ^GSPC with an annualized return of 15.04%, while ^GSPC has yielded a comparatively higher 18.37% annualized return.

^N225

• 1D: -1.56%
• 1M: 13.14%
• YTD: 33.76%
• 6M: 35.03%
• 1Y: 79.81%
• 3Y*: 27.85%
• 5Y*: 18.40%
• 10Y*: 15.04%

^GSPC

• 1D: -0.56%
• 1M: 6.70%
• YTD: 12.50%
• 6M: 13.62%
• 1Y: 40.54%
• 3Y*: 26.33%
• 5Y*: 21.14%
• 10Y*: 18.37%

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

^N225 vs. ^GSPC - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
^N225 Nikkei 225	33.76%	26.18%	19.22%	28.24%	-9.37%	4.91%	16.01%	18.20%	-12.08%	19.10%
^GSPC S&P 500 Index	12.50%	16.05%	37.59%	33.59%	-8.24%	41.44%	10.51%	27.63%	-8.71%	15.00%

Correlation

The correlation between ^N225 and ^GSPC is 0.14, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.14
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.13
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.14
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.18
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 12, 2007	0.18

Return for Risk

^N225 vs. ^GSPC — Risk / Return Rank

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

^N225

^N225 Risk / Return Rank: 96
^N225 Sharpe Ratio Rank: 95
^N225 Sortino Ratio Rank: 96
^N225 Omega Ratio Rank: 95
^N225 Calmar Ratio Rank: 96
^N225 Martin Ratio Rank: 96

^GSPC

^GSPC Risk / Return Rank: 73
^GSPC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 71
^GSPC Sortino Ratio Rank: 71
^GSPC Omega Ratio Rank: 72
^GSPC Calmar Ratio Rank: 67
^GSPC 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.

^N225 vs. ^GSPC - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Nikkei 225 (^N225) 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.

	^N225	^GSPC	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	3.33	2.94	+0.39
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	4.37	3.73	+0.65
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.55	1.53	+0.01
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	6.18	4.76	+1.42
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	21.90	18.56	+3.34
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

^N225 vs. ^GSPC - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ^N225 Sharpe Ratio is 3.33, which is comparable to the ^GSPC Sharpe Ratio of 2.94. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ^N225 and ^GSPC, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	^N225	^GSPC	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	3.33	2.94	+0.39
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.85	1.07	-0.22
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.75	0.86	-0.11
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.29	0.42	-0.12

Drawdowns

^N225 vs. ^GSPC - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ^N225 drawdown since its inception was -81.87%, which is greater than ^GSPC's maximum drawdown of -64.72%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ^N225 and ^GSPC.

Drawdown Indicators

	^N225	^GSPC	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-81.87%	-64.72%	-17.15%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-13.23%	-8.56%	-4.67%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-26.26%	-23.90%	-2.36%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-26.26%	-23.90%	-2.36%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-31.80%	-34.19%	+2.39%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.56%	-0.56%	-1.00%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-34.22%	-16.15%	-18.07%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.69%	2.19%	+1.50%

Volatility

^N225 vs. ^GSPC - Volatility Comparison

Nikkei 225 (^N225) has a higher volatility of 8.68% compared to S&P 500 Index (^GSPC) at 2.57%. This indicates that ^N225's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ^GSPC based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	^N225	^GSPC	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.68%	2.57%	+6.11%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	19.93%	9.42%	+10.51%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	24.60%	13.93%	+10.67%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	22.33%	19.83%	+2.50%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	20.84%	21.56%	-0.72%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both ^N225 and ^GSPC in my portfolio?

^N225 and ^GSPC have a correlation of 0.14, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, ^N225 or ^GSPC?

^N225 has higher volatility (8.68%) compared to ^GSPC (2.57%). In terms of maximum drawdown, ^N225 dropped -81.87% vs ^GSPC's -64.72%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

^N225 currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (3.33 vs 2.94), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.