^VIX vs. SPY

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about CBOE Volatility Index (^VIX) and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY).

SPY is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the S&P 500 Index. It was launched on Jan 22, 1993.

Performance

^VIX vs. SPY - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in CBOE Volatility Index (^VIX) and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

^VIX vs. SPY - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
^VIX CBOE Volatility Index	64.15%	-13.83%	39.36%	-42.55%	25.84%	-24.31%	65.09%	-45.79%	130.25%	-21.37%
SPY State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF	-3.65%	17.72%	24.89%	26.18%	-18.18%	28.73%	18.33%	31.22%	-4.57%	21.71%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ^VIX achieves a 64.15% return, which is significantly higher than SPY's -3.65% return. Over the past 10 years, ^VIX has underperformed SPY with an annualized return of 6.48%, while SPY has yielded a comparatively higher 14.06% annualized return.

^VIX

• 1D: -2.81%
• 1M: 14.46%
• YTD: 64.15%
• 6M: 50.64%
• 1Y: 12.72%
• 3Y*: 9.48%
• 5Y*: 7.21%
• 10Y*: 6.48%

SPY

• 1D: 0.75%
• 1M: -4.28%
• YTD: -3.65%
• 6M: -1.42%
• 1Y: 18.14%
• 3Y*: 18.48%
• 5Y*: 11.86%
• 10Y*: 14.06%

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

Return for Risk

^VIX vs. SPY — Risk / Return Rank

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

^VIX

^VIX Risk / Return Rank: 24
^VIX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 18
^VIX Sortino Ratio Rank: 49
^VIX Omega Ratio Rank: 43
^VIX Calmar Ratio Rank: 1
^VIX Martin Ratio Rank: 7

SPY

SPY Risk / Return Rank: 59
SPY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 51
SPY Sortino Ratio Rank: 56
SPY Omega Ratio Rank: 60
SPY Calmar Ratio Rank: 58
SPY Martin Ratio Rank: 69

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.

^VIX vs. SPY - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for CBOE Volatility Index (^VIX) and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY). 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.

	^VIX	SPY	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.09	0.96	-0.87
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.25	1.49	-0.24
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.15	1.23	-0.08
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.58	1.53	-2.11
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-0.75	7.27	-8.02
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

^VIX vs. SPY - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ^VIX Sharpe Ratio is 0.09, which is lower than the SPY Sharpe Ratio of 0.96. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ^VIX and SPY, 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

	^VIX	SPY	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.09	0.96	-0.87
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.06	0.70	-0.64
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.05	0.79	-0.74
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.01	0.56	-0.55

Correlation

The correlation between ^VIX and SPY is -0.75. 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

^VIX vs. SPY - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ^VIX drawdown since its inception was -88.70%, which is greater than SPY's maximum drawdown of -55.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ^VIX and SPY.

Drawdown Indicators

	^VIX	SPY	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-88.70%	-55.19%	-33.51%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-74.26%	-12.05%	-62.21%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-74.26%	-24.50%	-49.76%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-85.66%	-33.72%	-51.94%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-70.32%	-5.53%	-64.79%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-64.04%	-9.09%	-54.95%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	46.08%	2.54%	+43.54%

Volatility

^VIX vs. SPY - Volatility Comparison

CBOE Volatility Index (^VIX) has a higher volatility of 48.46% compared to State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) at 5.35%. This indicates that ^VIX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SPY based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	^VIX	SPY	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	48.46%	5.35%	+43.11%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	93.57%	9.50%	+84.07%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	139.41%	19.06%	+120.35%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	125.25%	17.06%	+108.19%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	135.98%	17.92%	+118.06%