AEF vs. IEF
AEF (Aberdeen Emerging Markets Equity Income Fund, Inc.) is a stock, while IEF (iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF) is Government Bonds fund tracking the ICE U.S. Treasury 7-10 Year Bond Index. Over the past 10 years, AEF returned 13.13%/yr vs 0.63%/yr for IEF. At a correlation of -0.11, they often move in opposite directions.
Performance
AEF vs. IEF - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, AEF achieves a 44.40% return, which is significantly higher than IEF's -0.66% return. Over the past 10 years, AEF has outperformed IEF with an annualized return of 13.13%, while IEF has yielded a comparatively lower 0.63% annualized return.
AEF
- 1D
- -2.38%
- 1M
- 6.04%
- YTD
- 44.40%
- 6M
- 52.45%
- 1Y
- 100.60%
- 3Y*
- 34.80%
- 5Y*
- 10.32%
- 10Y*
- 13.13%
IEF
- 1D
- -0.25%
- 1M
- -0.08%
- YTD
- -0.66%
- 6M
- -1.17%
- 1Y
- 4.06%
- 3Y*
- 2.47%
- 5Y*
- -1.14%
- 10Y*
- 0.63%
AEF vs. IEF - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AEF Aberdeen Emerging Markets Equity Income Fund, Inc. | 44.40% | 50.22% | 9.43% | 7.13% | -29.63% | 3.31% | 11.62% | 22.83% | -16.06% | 57.92% |
IEF iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF | -0.66% | 8.03% | -0.63% | 3.64% | -15.15% | -3.33% | 10.01% | 8.03% | 0.99% | 2.55% |
Correlation
The correlation between AEF and IEF is 0.24, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.24 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.12 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.05 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | -0.05 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 29, 2002 | -0.11 |
The correlation between AEF and IEF shifts across timeframes, from -0.11 (all time) to 0.24 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
AEF vs. IEF — Risk / Return Rank
AEF
IEF
AEF vs. IEF - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Aberdeen Emerging Markets Equity Income Fund, Inc. (AEF) and iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEF). 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.
| AEF | IEF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +3.28 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +3.64 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.68 | 1.15 | +0.54 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 5.07 | 1.00 | +4.07 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 20.05 | 2.98 | +17.07 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| AEF | IEF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 4.13 | 0.85 | +3.28 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.46 | -0.15 | +0.61 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.61 | 0.10 | +0.51 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.40 | 0.50 | -0.10 |
Drawdowns
AEF vs. IEF - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum AEF drawdown since its inception was -63.87%, which is greater than IEF's maximum drawdown of -23.93%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AEF and IEF.
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Drawdown Indicators
| AEF | IEF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -63.87% | -23.93% | -39.94% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -19.96% | -4.07% | -15.89% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -19.96% | -7.74% | -12.22% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -47.20% | -21.40% | -25.80% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -47.20% | -23.93% | -23.27% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -2.38% | -11.35% | +8.97% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -24.05% | -5.34% | -18.71% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 5.04% | 1.37% | +3.67% |
Volatility
AEF vs. IEF - Volatility Comparison
Aberdeen Emerging Markets Equity Income Fund, Inc. (AEF) has a higher volatility of 9.07% compared to iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEF) at 1.54%. This indicates that AEF's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than IEF based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| AEF | IEF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 9.07% | 1.54% | +7.53% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 21.29% | 3.34% | +17.95% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 24.49% | 4.78% | +19.71% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 22.38% | 7.71% | +14.67% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 21.68% | 6.62% | +15.06% |
Dividends
AEF vs. IEF - Dividend Comparison
AEF's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 7.22%, more than IEF's 3.90% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AEF Aberdeen Emerging Markets Equity Income Fund, Inc. | 7.22% | 9.29% | 7.51% | 7.63% | 8.54% | 6.73% | 3.37% | 2.23% | 20.97% | 5.19% | 7.05% | 12.19% |
IEF iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF | 3.90% | 3.77% | 3.62% | 2.91% | 1.96% | 0.83% | 1.08% | 2.08% | 2.24% | 1.82% | 1.81% | 1.90% |
Frequently Asked Questions
AEF and IEF have a correlation of 0.24, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
AEF has higher volatility (9.07%) compared to IEF (1.54%). In terms of maximum drawdown, AEF dropped -63.87% vs IEF's -23.93%.
AEF currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (4.13 vs 0.85), 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.
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